FanDuel Daily Fantasy Basketball Helper: Sunday 2/27/22
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. Our projections update up until tip-off to reflect current news, and we also have player news updates. The projected numbers referenced below may change throughout the day.
We'll be coming at you with this primer every day, breaking down a few of the day's top plays at each position.
Guards
Luka Doncic, PG/SG, (FanDuel Salary: $11,100) - As of early Sunday, our algorithm projects just three players for more than 45.0 FanDuel points. Doncic is one of them. The matchup with the Golden State Warriors (13th in pace) is a big pace-up spot for the Dallas Mavericks (30th). Luka owns a massive 44.3% usage rate across Dallas' last five games, and while this game's 219.0-point total is the slate's lowest, the 4.0-point spread removes most of the blowout concern. We have Doncic putting up 53.1 FanDuel points.
Russell Westbrook, PG, $6,800 - Westbrook is projecting extremely well as our model forecasts him to amass 43.1 FanDuel points -- a whopping 6.33 per $1,000. He's the best point-per-dollar guard option (at time of writing). The Los Angeles Lakers are taking on the New Orleans Pelicans, a team that sits 23rd in defensive efficiency. Russ posted a 23.2% usage rate in the Lakers' first game after the break, which led to a FanDuel output of 26.1 points despite him totaling just one assist, one steal and three boards.
Others to Consider: LaMelo Ball ($8,600), Reggie Jackson ($6,800), Cade Cunningham ($6,300)
Wings
LeBron James, SF/PF, $10,500 - James offers one of the best ceilings on the slate in a date with New Orleans. Prior to recording 38.7 FanDuel points last time out, LeBron had produced at least 51.9 FanDuel points in four of five games, including three straight. He's logged at least 34 minutes in six games in a row. The floor/ceiling combination is excellent, and he's a guy I'll prioritize tonight. Our numbers have LeBron scoring 48.6 FanDuel points.
Jerami Grant, PF, $6,000 - Grant is a superb play in a dreamy matchup with the Charlotte Hornets. The Hornets sit 2nd in pace and 21st in defensive efficiency. They're a great matchup for DFS and are permitting the eighth-most FanDuel points per game to power forwards (45.8). Grant is our model's best point-per-dollar forward play among those with a salary above $4,100 as we peg him to register 33.2 FanDuel points (5.54 per $1,000).
Others to Consider: C.J. McCollum ($8,600), Josh Hart ($6,900), Herbert Jones ($4,500), Reggie Bullock ($3,700)
Bigs
Nikola Jokic, C, $11,700 - Jokic is the slate's premier option. We project him for 57.8 FanDuel points -- 4.7 more than anyone else. There are some decent low-salary plays on this slate, so it's possible to jam in all of Luka, LeBron and Jokic. Jokic's 44.5 FanDuel points last night were his fewest over his last six games. He had scored at least 52.5 FanDuel points in five straight. In a matchup with the Portland Trail Blazers -- a team 28th in defensive efficiency -- in a game with a slate-high 230.0-point total and an 8.0-point spread, Jokic should get back to his high-upside ways.
PJ Washington, PF/C, $5,300 - Washington is my favorite way to get a piece of the Hornets in their fantastic matchup against the Detroit Pistons. Starting of late, Washington is under-salaried for his role. He has finished with 35.5 and 37.8 FanDuel points in his previous two games, and even at a projection -- 29.1 FanDuel points (5.50 per $1,000) -- comfortably short of those outputs, he is expected to be a good pick at this salary.
Others to Consider: Christian Wood ($7,500), Drew Eubanks ($4,100), Dwight Howard ($3,700)
