FanDuel Daily Fantasy Basketball Helper: Wednesday 5/11/22

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

We are in the waning days of two-game slates per day. This cycle could be over with a Warriors victory tonight in Memphis.

The Grizzlies will have to stave off elimination without Ja Morant, who is doubtful for the rest of the postseason with a bone bruise in his knee.

Robert Williams was a surprise absence for the Celtics in Game 4 with his ongoing knee issue, and he's listed as questionable for Game 5 in Boston.

Khris Middleton (knee) is making progress for Milwaukee, yet he remains out for now. However, the rest of Wednesday's injury report is clean.

Guards

Jrue Holiday ($8,800): We've seen Steph Curry barely pay off his salary with 30-point scoring efforts the past two games. It's hard to allocate a top-shelf salary to him unless expecting that result again. Holiday is the exact opposite; he's managed at least 44 FanDuel points per game in three of the four games this series despite a dreadful 33.6% shooting effort. Due to his defensive work, Holiday has cruised to value scoring at least 20 points at this salary. He's projected for 19.7 by numberFire today.

Jordan Poole ($6,600): The salary construct of this slate is fascinating. Even Sunday, if you told someone Poole would be in the same salary range as Tyus Jones, that person would have been stunned. But, a ceiling, 19-point effort from Jones in Game 4 -- and a clunker from J-Poole -- has made it so. Still logging 32 minutes in Game 4 off the bench, Poole's role hasn't changed, and he's posted at least 27 real-life points in four games this postseason already. He's my favorite play on the slate.

Others to Consider:
Marcus Smart ($6,300): Still a fair salary for a full-time role. Projected well, too.
Tyus Jones ($5,700): It's hard to trust Memphis outside of their true core. De'Anthony Melton was playing ahead of Jones on Saturday. Now, it's the opposite. Lofty salary to get caught in that juggling act.

Wings

Jaylen Brown ($8,700): I feel like rostering Boston's star duo is like watching the stock market. Jayson Tatum exploded in Game 5, and Brown navigated foul trouble to a poor effort. With their salaries moving in opposite directions, I'd lean on Brown more today. Brown is averaging 1.10 FanDuel points per minute at home during the postseason -- the exact same mark as Tatum. J.T. has been slightly better on the road. Also, there is hope for a popularity discount after Brown torched several on Monday.

Klay Thompson ($6,200): Reports of Klay being totally washed are news to yours truly. With at least 27 FanDuel points in his last eight games, Thompson is one of the few marquee NBA players to not really throw up a dud during the playoffs. He pounded 38 minutes in Game 4, so expect a heavy workload again for him short of a blowout. Even this reduced version of Klay shot 38.5% from three this regular season, so at 28.3% in this series, he's due for regression. If it comes, Memphis might be going home.

Others to Consider:
Desmond Bane ($6,100): Just 8 shots in Game 4. Hasn't taken more than 10 in any game this series. So obviously hurt by the back issue. Might stay away despite the projections and popularity.
Dillon Brooks ($5,900): A 5-for-19 effort was atrocious efficiency, but he blew away the shot volume from any other Grizzly. If they go in, he'll pay off this salary.

Bigs

Giannis Antetokounmpo ($11,500): The reality is I'll use Antetokounmpo almost exclusively at power forward on this slate filled with decent wings. He's really benefitted in fantasy from the Bucks' downshift to a smaller starting lineup. His 18 boards in Game 4 were no fluke; he averaged 12.95 per 36 minutes in the regular season when Bobby Portis was off the floor. He'll be slightly less popular with less punt-level value on this slate than we saw on Monday.

Draymond Green ($6,000): Green has only put up single-digit scoring efforts in this series, but if the Nuggets series holds true, he'll cruise by value at this salary with a double-digit effort in Game 5. He's now in the same salary range as Brook Lopez and Steven Adams, which is absurd considering Green is the only one of the three not at-risk of being matched off the floor. It's tough to fill center with anyone else unless expecting another throwback performance from Al Horford.

Others to Consider:
Andrew Wiggins ($6,400): Since moving to power forward five games ago, he's posted 0.93 FanDuel points per minute in nearly 40 per contest. He's such a good fit for that role.
Grant Williams ($4,600): A much better play if Robert starts. Lower popularity and Grant has played 32 minutes off the bench in this series anyway.