FanDuel Single-Game Daily Fantasy Basketball Helper: Bucks at Nets (6/15/21)
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 Milwaukee Bucks and Brooklyn Nets, which tips off at 8:30 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
Giannis Antetokounmpo ($15,000) - For most people, the choice at the MVP slot will come down to Giannis and Kevin Durant ($15,500), and numberFire's algorithm prefers the Greek Freak. Without any multipliers, our model has Antetokounmpo dropping 60.7 FanDuel points tonight, edging out KD by 2.7 despite coming in with a salary that is $500 less. For what it's worth, Giannis has maxed out at 54.2 fantasy points through four games this series, though he did rack up at least 59.1 in three of the four games in the opening round versus the Miami Heat.
Kevin Durant ($15,500) - Durant has put up 48.8-plus FanDuel points in each of the first four contests against Milwaukee, including 60.5 and 52.1 in his last two. With Kyrie Irving out and James Harden likely far from 100%, Durant's volume should be through the roof as the Nets try to avoid a 3-2 hole.
Khris Middleton ($13,000) - After duds in each of the first two games of the series, Middleton came alive with 51.5 and 44.8 FanDuel points in the last two contests. The Deer will need Middleton to retain that form if they want to head back to Milwaukee up 3-2, and he's a far safer bet to produce than teammate Jrue Holiday is. Holiday has yet to eclipse 33.8 fantasy points in the series.
Other Options: James Harden ($14,500), Jrue Holiday ($12,500)
Utility Considerations
Joe Harris ($9,500) - There's no point in beating around the bush -- Harris struggled mightily in Milwaukee. Across Games 3 and 4, the 29-year-old hit just 4 of his 19 attempts from the field and totaled a mere 21.6 FanDuel points. That said, a return to the Barclays Center could be just what the doctor ordered for Harris. During the regular season, the sharpshooter averaged 2.2 more real-life points and 4.71 more FanDuel points at home than he did on the road.
P.J. Tucker ($8,500) - Tucker has garnered 18.3 and 25.9 FanDuel points in two of the four games this series, and given the role he's being tasked with, he has a chance at being one of the better value plays on the board. Our model has him projected for 14.7 FanDuel points in 30.6 minutes of action, but the veteran can easily surpass that number, especially if he can knock down a couple of corner threes.
Other Utility Options to Consider: Blake Griffin ($10,500), Nicolas Claxton ($7,500), Pat Connaughton ($7,500)
