NBA

FanDuel Single-Game Daily Fantasy Basketball Helper: Nuggets at Suns (6/9/21)

Is Nikola Jokic the only player we should consider for the MVP slot tonight? How should we approach Wednesday's single-game slate?

The NBA scene changes on a week-to-week, day-to-day, and -- depending on injury news -- even a minute-to-minute basis, making every slate a unique one that requires an ever-changing approach.

With so much changing so quickly, we're here with plenty of tools to help you out. We have daily projections, a matchup heat map, a lineup optimizer, and a bunch of other great resources to help give you an edge.

Daily fantasy NBA is very reliant on opportunity, so you'll need to make sure that you're up-to-date with key injuries and COVID-19 situations. Our projections update up until tip-off to reflect current news and we also have player news updates.

We'll also be coming at you with this primer every day, breaking down a few of the day's top plays at each position.

Let's take a look at who you should target for tonight's matchup between the Denver Nuggets and Phoenix Suns, which tips off at 9:30 PM Eastern.

All injury updates are via the NBA's official injury report or numberFire's player news.

Read this piece by Brandon Gdula for some excellent in-depth analysis on how to attack a single-game slate in NBA DFS.

MVP Considerations

Nikola Jokic ($15,000) - Rostering the actual MVP in the MVP slot sure seems like the way to go. Jokic led all players with an average of 54.1 FanDuel points per game during the regular season, and he's eclipsed 52 fantasy points in five of his seven playoff games so far. Though the Serbian put up "only" 48.3 in Game 1 against the Suns, he did record 61.0 and 61.4 in his final two outings against them in the regular season. numberFire's algorithm has Jokic outscoring everyone else in this game by 14.3 FanDuel points. He should be locked into the top spot.

Chris Paul ($13,500) - Over the final 30 games of the season, the Nuggets ceded the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing floor generals, according to FantasyPros. That's certainly carried over to the playoffs, as Damian Lillard pegged Denver for an average of 57.6 FanDuel points in the opening round and CP3 dropped 46.7 on them in Game 1 of this round. Paul might not be the most popular play in the STAR slot, so that could give players a tiny bit of leverage.

Devin Booker ($14,500) - I'd have to imagine that Booker will be the most popular pick for the STAR slot, given that aside from Jokic, he's the only other player who has showcased 60-point upside in the playoffs. Fading the 24-year-old entirely could be risky, but bumping him down a spot might have its advantages. Denver ranked as the sixth-stingiest team versus two-guards in 2020-21, according to numberFire's DvP tool.

Other Players to Consider: Deandre Ayton ($12,500), Michael Porter Jr. ($12,000), Mikal Bridges ($11,500)

Utility Considerations

Facundo Campazzo ($9,500) - After amassing 30.8 FanDuel points in Game 1, Campazzo has now eclipsed 27 in five of his seven postseason contests. The fact that we can roster the 30-year-old for under $10,000 makes him worthy of strong consideration for a utility slot tonight.

Cameron Payne ($8,000) - Payne's role has shrunk with Paul's health improving, but he's still seen at least 18.6 minutes of action in each of the last three games. Given that the 26-year-old is averaging 1.10 FanDuel points per minute in the playoffs, he is still worthy of consideration against a Denver team that has struggled to contain point guards.

Torrey Craig ($7,000) - Game 1 saw Craig rack up 9 points, 8 rebounds, 2 blocks, and 24.6 FanDuel points in 17.2 minutes, and that kind of production would be rock-solid at a salary of $7,000. Craig has now topped 17 fantasy points in three of his last five games, and he could be a necessary source of fantasy relief tonight.

Other Utility Options: Aaron Gordon ($10,500), Jae Crowder ($10,000), Austin Rivers ($8,500)