FanDuel Single-Game Daily Fantasy Basketball Helper: Pistons at Magic (3/17/22)

In a traditional FanDuel NBA lineup, you have a $60,000 salary cap to roster nine players. In the single-game setup, the salary cap is the same, but the lineup requirements are different.

You select five players of any position. One of your players will be your MVP, whose FanDuel points are multiplied by two. You also select a STAR player (whose production is multiplied by 1.5) and a PRO (multiplied by 1.2). Two UTIL players round out the roster, and they don't receive a multiplier to their production.

This makes the five players you select important in more than one way, as you need to focus on slotting in the best plays in the multiplier slots rather than just nailing the best overall plays of the game. Read this piece by Brandon Gdula for some excellent in-depth analysis on how to attack a single-game slate in NBA DFS.

Pistons-Magic Overview

You may have heard there's a basketball tournament being played elsewhere in the United States, so the NBA has brought their schedule to a standstill.

Two floundering Eastern Conferences foes square off as the Detroit Pistons travel to Orlando to battle the Magic for Thursday's lone contest.

There are plenty of injury notes on this game. I mean -- why wouldn't there be?

For Detroit, Jerami Grant will be sitting with a knee injury. In the backcourt, Cade Cunningham (illness) is questionable, and Hamidou Diallo (finger) won't be available off the bench.

On the Magic's side, Jalen Suggs (ankle) and Chuma Okeke (knee) are already out, and both see significant minutes normally. Orlando's highest-salaried option, Wendell Carter, is questionable with an ankle issue, as well.

Player Breakdowns

At The Top

Wendell Carter Jr. ($14,000): Carter has been listed with this ankle issue before, so I'm optimistic he suits up. Since he really has ditched the playing-time concerns than plagued his early-season production around January 20th, he's posted 1.19 FanDuel points per minute predicated on a whopping 12.36 rebounds per 36 minutes. He's the only other viable MVP candidate besides Cunningham -- provided either play.

Marvin Bagley III ($12,500): Like Kevin Porter, Bagley appears to be another top pick cast away for nothing and turning his career around in a new place. He's posted a reasonable 0.98 FanDuel points per minute in a varying role for Detroit, and he'll likely come off the bench in this one with Isaiah Stewart back in the fold. Still, with Grant sidelined and Cunningham potentially joining him, Detroit will need guys on the floor that can score and create for others. Bagley has the talent to do so.

Others to Consider: Cade Cunningham ($14,500), Cole Anthony ($13,000)

In The Middle

Saddiq Bey ($12,000): It's really difficult to leave Bey out of a lineup build as it stands now. If Cunningham is out, he'll be a virtual must as Detroit's go-to option. Bey has seen significant lifts in usage rate (2.3 percentage points) and production (+0.08 FanDuel points per minute) when the two have been off the floor this season. He's amongst the streakiest shooters in the NBA, so if you're looking for a reason to fade the chalk, his 39.6% field-goal percentage in March indicates he's in a cold stretch.

Franz Wagner ($10,500): Historically, the absence of Jalen Suggs has been a plus for Wagner. He's seen a 1.4 percentage-point uptick in usage without his fellow rookie. However, the added unknown of Markelle Fultz clouds that slightly. Wagner is averaging 0.87 FanDuel points per minute since Fultz returned, but that dips to 0.75 when the two share the court. Still, he's the lone full-time player in this range, and that's hard to pass up.

Others to Consider: Isaiah Stewart ($11,500), Mohamed Bamba ($10,000; huge bump if Carter sits), Markelle Fultz ($9,500)

At The Bottom

Killian Hayes ($8,500): Hayes played 30 minutes on Tuesday as Cunningham sat with his illness, and he'll be a key piece if that even comes to fruition once more. He posted a season-high eight assists with that added playing time. His salary is too high for the bench role he'll hold if Cunningham can suit up, though. In that event, Isaiah Livers played 30 minutes off Detroit's bench Tuesday, as well, and that should only increase without Grant on Thursday.

R.J. Hampton ($7,500): Both of these teams' rotations are a mess compared to normal NBA squads. Therefore, you can absolutely get creative here because guys like Kelly Olynyk and Gary Harris have talent and can randomly just pop onto the court for heavy stretches. The safe choice down here will still be Hampton, who's been starting for Jalen Suggs and seeing at least 22 minutes. He plays blowouts as well. Use him in cash games, but tournaments are a free-for-all.

Others to Consider: Isaiah Livers ($8,000), Cory Joseph ($7,500; if Cunningham sits)