FanDuel Daily Fantasy Basketball Helper: Tuesday 2/14/23

Since it's much simpler to predict than baseball or football, daily fantasy basketball would get plenty of votes as the best sport to play on FanDuel. Players usually stick to the same minutes and produce at roughly the same rate. Sounds easy, right?

As a result, NBA daily fantasy is highly reliant on a player's opportunity, so you'll need to ensure 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.

With so much changing so quickly, we're here with plenty of tools to help you. We have daily projections, a matchup heat map, a lineup optimizer, and a bunch of other great resources to help give you an edge.

We'll also come at you with this primer daily, 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

Per tonight's injury report, the Boston Celtics are significantly outmanned entering this high-profile showdown with Milwaukee.

In addition to Jaylen Brown (face) and Marcus Smart (ankle) out through the break, Jayson Tatum (illness) is doubtful to play in this one. They've also got Robert Williams (ankle) and Grant Williams (elbow) listed as questionable. The Bucks' only likely absence is Bobby Portis (knee), who is already out.

Klay Thompson has to be a rest candidate for the Warriors considering he's never played one since returning. I'd also toss in Draymond Green as a name to watch against the Clippers, who have a blank report for Tuesday.

With OG Anunoby still sidelined, the Raptors were without Gary Trent Jr. (calf) on Sunday. He and Precious Achiuwa (ankle) are questionable versus a Magic squad on a back-to-back.

Both Washington and Portland are on a back-to-back, too. Most notably, we'll see if the Wizards get Kyle Kuzma (ankle) back into the fray after he missed last night's game, but others could rest as well. Jerami Grant (concussion) may also clear protocol today for the Blazers.

Finally, Malik Monk (ankle) will sit for the Kings in Phoenix tonight. The Suns' only listings are old ones, including Landry Shamet (foot), Cameron Payne (foot), and some guy named Kevin Durant (knee).

Guards

For most, Damian Lillard will be the starting point on the slate, but he's only eclipsed 55 FanDuel points twice in his last nine games. The top-shelf upside to burn you at his popularity on a five-game slate hasn't been wholly present.

I'll likely start this slate with Fred VanVleet ($8,800). He's the largest beneficiary of Anunoby and Trent off the floor, posting 46.5 FanDuel points per 36 minutes without the pair. His usage rate also increases by a team-best 7.9 percentage points.

Devin Booker ($9,000) is an intriguing tournament dart if you make the leap he returns to a 30-minute workload on Tuesday. The 233.5-point total there is one we want pieces of, but De'Aaron Fox and Chris Paul above their median salaries might not be the right ones.

Of course, this slate starts and ends with the Celtics news. There's sticker shock with Derrick White ($7,200), but averaging 44.1 FanDuel points per 36 with Smart, Tatum, and Brown off the floor this year, he might still be a bargain. One would imagine Malcolm Brogdon ($5,600) and Payton Pritchard ($3,900) will help tremendously with the scoring, as well.

Jrue Holiday ($7,500), Markelle Fultz ($6,400), Anfernee Simons ($6,200), and Josh Okogie ($5,100) are others projecting well (per dollar of salary) as of this morning.

Wings

For corollary purposes, Giannis Antetokounmpo ($12,000) makes plenty of sense opposite the multiple Celtics in most lineups, but there is blowout risk given the 8.5-point spread.

Giannis is still Giannis, posting at least 55 FanDuel points in 8 of his last 11 games. Given Boston's five best defenders could all be off the floor, the wide margin is truly the lone path to failure I see for him.

Our projections and I both prefer Paul George ($8,300) to Kawhi Leonard, but there's some volatility given three new players -- and two new scorers -- in the Clips' hierarchy. Usage rates should shuffle, and we've got an 8.5-point spread there, too.

Despite a 1.4-percentage-point uptick in usage rate, Scottie Barnes ($7,300) sees a drop of 1.81 FanDuel points per 36 minutes with Anunoby and Trent off the floor this year. Given the boost in shot volume, it's possible to chalk that up to the 300-minute sample not being too large. I can hear both sides of whether or not to roster him.

Sam Hauser ($4,800) is your best Boston option in this area, logging 31 minutes and drilling 6 three-pointers on Sunday already. Perhaps the additional absences will boost his rebounding totals.

In a pretty solid value tier today, the model also digs Jerami Grant ($6,000), Franz Wagner ($5,700), and Matisse Thybulle ($3,700). Harrison Barnes ($5,300) also saw 37 minutes last game in the ever-changing Sacramento forward rotation.

Bigs

With Trent and Anunoby off the floor, Pascal Siakam gets the worst end of VanVleet's bump in shot volume. He averages just 42.0 FanDuel points per 36 in that court condition. Fading him against an Orlando squad with plenty of size will be a differentiation point for yours truly.

I'd rather start with Domantas Sabonis ($9,500) in the Kings-Suns projected shootout. Sabonis has posted at least 45 FanDuel points in his last five full nights of work (36-plus minutes). Of course, Kristaps Porzingis ($9,100) is also a worthy pivot up here if we get news on Kuzma before lock.

I expected to totally fade Deandre Ayton ($8,600) with Paul and Booker back, but he still averages 41.6 FanDuel points per 36 with Booker on the floor. He could be sneaky on a five-game slate with few ways to be so.

Robert Williams ($6,300) is officially questionable to play, but he and Al Horford ($5,300) will be vital pieces to the Boston puzzle if they both play. Grant Williams ($5,000) -- if he can play -- also averages 35.1 FanDuel points per 36 with Tatum, Brown, and Smart off the floor.

If Draymond rests, Kevon Looney ($5,200) rises right to the top of the value options, but Wendell Carter Jr. ($6,300) and Drew Eubanks ($4,600) are other names near the top of the projections.