NBA Daily Fantasy Helper: Tuesday 4/12/16

If you've never played daily fantasy basketball before, it's time to start. Unlike traditional leagues, you're able to select the players you want on that specific day only, giving you a different squad to root for each and every NBA night.

Today's lineups can be found here. The information below is to help you understand why particular players are being picked, because we don't want you going into the night completely blind. We want to help you. Keep in mind, however, that things often change up until tip-off, so make sure you're refreshing the optimal lineups as close to the start of games as possible.

Oh, and if you're interested, check out our daily fantasy basketball heat chart for today's slate. It's full of information like tonight's Vegas lines, team offensive and defensive efficiency ratings, pace, fantasy points against and so much more.

As for today's picks -- let's get to it.

The Best of the Best

Russell Westbrook (FanDuel: $10,400, DraftKings: $10,100) - Although they have discussed giving Kevin Durant the night off, the Thunder have given no indication that Westbrook will rest tonight. While he may not see his full compliment of minutes, Westbrook has proven that he can post huge numbers in limited playing time, amassing a triple-double in just 17 minutes and 35 seconds last night. He is our top overall projected player on the board tonight despite a limited workload and a tough matchup against the Spurs.

Kawhi Leonard (FanDuel: $8,600, DraftKings: $8,200) - When it comes to the Spurs, it's always imperative to double check who's playing before locking guys into your lineup. However, assuming Leonard plays, he makes an excellent daily fantasy option tonight. He has seen a ton of action when he suits up as of late, averaging 23.5 points, 8.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 38 minutes per game over his last four outings. Leonard currently sits third in our player power rankings with a 19.7 nERD and will have a great opportunity to move into second tonight with Durant likely getting the night off.

Andre Drummond (FanDuel: $7,700, DraftKings: $7,400) - Outside of a one-sided victory over Washington in which he only played 26 minutes, Drummond has double-doubled in his previous nine games, averaging 15.8 points and 14.8 rebounds per game over that span. He should see his normal workload tonight as the Pistons continue to fight for playoff seeding on a night where many elite players' playing time may be tough to predict, making him one of the safer high-priced options on the board.

Top Mid-Range Values

Nerlens Noel (FanDuel: $6,800, DraftKings: $6,200) - The 76ers remain extremely short-handed tonight, which means their starting five should see all the minutes they can handle tonight. Noel has posted 13.8 points, 10 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 2.1 steals and 1.8 blocks on a per-36 minute basis and could push for that amount of playing time tonight. The 76ers are one of the few teams on tonight's slate we can feel comfortable in regards to playing time, which makes Noel a strong play in all formats.

Ishmael Smith (FanDuel: $6,700, DraftKings: $6,500) - With Philadelphia so banged up, Smith has been forced into a massive workload the last two games, pouring in 21 points with 8 rebounds and 7.5 assists in 39 minutes per game over that span. He will more than likely see minutes in the upper-30s once again tonight and can still be had for a very reasonable price across the industry.

Matt Barnes (FanDuel: $6,100, DraftKings: $5,400) - Over his last four games, Barnes has averaged 18.8 points, 8.5 boards and 3 dimes in a whopping 38.8 minutes per game. The Grizzlies may have already clinched a playoff spot, but a win tonight could ensure that they don't have to face the Warriors or Spurs in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs, so look for another big outing from Barnes who is coming off of a monstrous 24-point, 15-rebound outing in a very tough matchup against the Warriors.

Basement Ballers

Jerami Grant (FanDuel: $5,200, DraftKings: $4,800) - As I already mentioned, the 76ers will be forced to lean heavily on the few healthy guys they still have and Grant is definitely one of them. Grant has put together an impressive sophomore campaign, averaging 12.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.2 blocks on a per-36 minute basis and should see minutes in the mid-30s tonight. He is dollar for dollar our top projected value on the board on a night where value is not easy to come by.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (FanDuel: $5,000, DraftKings: $4,600) - This may come as a surprise to some of you, but Caldwell-Pope has actually played the fourth most minutes per game (36.7) of any player in the NBA this season. Although he does not possess massive upside, given the sheer volume he sees and his low price tag, KCP makes a very safe cash game option, which is extremely rare to find at this point in the season.

Jerian Grant (FanDuel: $4,200, DraftKings: $4,200) - In five games as a starter this season, Grant has averaged 13.8 points, 3.2 assists and 3.2 rebounds in 29.2 minutes per game. He is coming off of an impressive 19-point, 3-rebound, 3-steal performance in 38 minutes against the Raptors and should see another big workload tonight with Jose Calderon still sidelined. He is our second overall value play on the board behind only his brother Jerami.