FanDuel Daily Fantasy Basketball Helper: Tuesday 11/23/21

If you're new to daily fantasy basketball -- maybe you started your DFS journey during the MLB or NFL seasons, or maybe basketball is your sport and this will be your first year giving it a shot -- you're in for a treat. 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 basketball is very reliant on a player's opportunity, so you'll need to make sure that you're up-to-date with key injuries. Our projections update up until tip-off to reflect current news, we have player news updates, and the FanDuel Scout app will send push notifications for pressing updates regarding your players.

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 break down today's main slate on FanDuel.

The Slate and Key Injuries

There's seemingly more high-impact injury news on this 4-game slate than yesterday's 10-game slate.

Right at the top, Nikola Jokic is questionable once again for Denver with a wrist injury. Given the context of Michael Malone urging patience and the Nuggets not playing again until Friday, conventional wisdom would seem to point to Jokic sitting out this matchup with Portland. Denver will also be missing Nah'Shon Hyland (ankle).

In the late game, Dallas may get back Luka Doncic. Doncic has missed three games with a knee and ankle injury. On the other side, the Clippers will still be without starting forward Nicolas Batum (COVID-19 protocols).

The Lakers are in New York to battle the Knicks, but they'll be without LeBron James. James was suspended one game for his role in the on-court incident with Detroit's Isaiah Stewart. Stewart is also suspended as the Pistons travel to Miami, and he will not play Tuesday, either.

The Knicks will await word on Derrick Rose, who is questionable with an ankle injury. New York's backcourt is so messy that even Rose being out likely wouldn't provide clarity on playing time, personally.

Miami could be without Duncan Robinson, who exited Sunday's contest early with a knee injury. If he can't go, Max Strus likely sees a bump.

Editor's Note: Anthony Davis is now questionable with an illness. The two Lakers mentioned inside the helper -- plus Talen Horton-Tucker -- become higher-level priorities if Davis sits.

Guards

Russell Westbrook ($9,900): The great news about the Lakers missing LeBron is that we know the drill, and that starts with "Brodie." Westbrook transcends from a low-floor option (23.2% usage rate with James on the floor) to a high-floor option (31.3% without him) by changing that one element on the court. The Knicks' 108.2 defensive rating (11th-worst in the NBA) makes the matchup much less of a concern than it was last season, so Russ happily occupies the top guard spot on the slate.

Monte Morris ($5,100): I am not sure Morris will be as popular as he should be after a two-game slide. Against Chicago on Friday, Mike Malone rode backup Facundo Campazzo to 27 minutes, and then Sunday, the Nuggets were blown out by Phoenix. While Campazzo is still around, Morris' salary is too low should the form before this skid (0.97 FanDuel points per minute in the four games prior) return. My wager would be on the starting point guard seeing 30-plus minutes Tuesday.

Cory Joseph ($4,100): After Isaiah Stewart was kicked off the floor on Sunday, Detroit went and stayed small. Joseph played 38 minutes, drawing the start for Killian Hayes, and Hayes remains out for the foreseeable future. Minutes in the Pistons' backcourt are always anyone's guess, but three straight games with at least 29 minutes -- and a shorter rotation -- goes a long way toward implying Joseph sees quality time again. His role is simply too good for the salary.

Others to Consider:
Damian Lillard ($8,800): Dame is back (1.27 FanDuel points per minute last week), but he's hard to prioritize at this elevated salary.
Immanuel Quickley ($4,100): If Rose sits, Quickley's ceiling becomes enormous. Even if Rose plays, the floor isn't bad for this salary. Thibs always seems to ride his bench.
Frank Jackson ($3,800): Like Joseph, Jackson has seen 25-plus minutes in three straight. The duo appears to be better positioned with Josh Jackson deeper on the bench.

Wings

Paul George ($9,200): I tweeted last night that George was a free square at this salary. It's not that simple. He's failed to exceed the requisite value at this salary in four of the last six games. However, it's just a dry spell. George's role hasn't changed from his gaudy 35.0% usage this season. In fact, it's actually increased to 37.5% over the past week. Turnovers, a lack of blocks and steals, and poor shooting nights have contributed to the slump, but he remains the same player that was cruising to value at five-digit salaries two weeks ago.

Will Barton ($6,500): This Nuggets team just isn't very good when Jokic sits. That hurts the overall efficiency of the offense, but there's no doubting Barton's role when their star is sidelined. He becomes the alpha; he averages 1.07 FanDuel points per minute on a 26.2% usage rate (highest amongst starters) when Jokic and Michael Porter Jr. are off the floor for Denver. It's hard to find a top-tier option in an offense at this salary, and the 6.5-point spread eases some concern of a blowout.

Saddiq Bey ($5,700): Playing Trey Lyles -- a power forward at best -- only 11 minutes on Sunday after Stewart was ejected sends a clear message: the Pistons are going to play small through the Stewart suspension. Bey logged 34 minutes on Sunday, and Jerami Grant played 37 minutes. Those two are the last vestiges of size in the Detroit rotation, so expect gigantic minutes again for both. Bey averages a stellar 7.70 rebounds per 36 minutes without a Detroit center on the floor this season.

Others to Consider:
Jerami Grant ($7,800): Salary has crept uncomfortably high with his big performance Sunday, but he should play a ton with team-best usage. Still worth tournament exposure.
Carmelo Anthony ($5,400): Revenge game? Anthony sees a usage and production drop without LeBron's ability to create, so temper expectations for it.
Jeff Green ($4,400): Getting plenty of minutes for Denver but doing nothing with them. A marginal value plug at a forward spot if needed.

Bigs

Julius Randle ($8,400): Some of the mouths to feed are being removed from the Knicks' offense, and it's helped Randle. Mitchell Robinson (concussion) and Taj Gibson (groin) remain out of the frontcourt, and if Derrick Rose sits, that's another, even though he and Randle don't share the court a majority of the time. It is no coincidence Randle dropped 34 points and 10 rebounds in this situation on Sunday. Add in a revenge narrative versus the Lakers at a reduced salary, and Randle is a low-floor, high-ceiling star to roster in game stacks for tournaments.

Bam Adebayo ($8,000): Adebayo gets the nod as the top big man on the slate thanks to what Anthony Davis did on Sunday. Without any bigs, Detroit got swallowed whole by Davis; he posted 30 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 blocks in 39 minutes. Adebayo likely is a safe bet for fewer minutes and overall FanDuel points than what AD posted, but it's at a reduced salary in the same matchup. Adebayo's two ceiling games this season came in plus matchups against the Lakers and Hornets, and the shorthanded Pistons qualify as yet another.

Nerlens Noel ($4,800): Mitchell Robinson's leave has led to at least 26 minutes in back-to-back games for Noel. We have him projected as the top point-per-dollar big man of the day, and it's hard to disagree if he sees those minutes against the Lakers. LA is allowing the fourth-most rebounds per game (47.1), and Noel can help Randle clean the glass. Obi Toppin hasn't exceeded 17 minutes in the past five games, so it should primarily be Noel and Randle in the frontcourt as the Knicks host L.A.

Others to Consider:
Larry Nance Jr. ($4,400): He's starting to see minutes in place of Jusuf Nurkic, and we know what he can do with them (0.87 FanDuel points per minute last season).
JaMychal Green ($4,200): Starting lineup will be key. If he's in it, he's a tremendous value option. If he's not, he could ride the pine for long stretches.