FanDuel Daily Fantasy Basketball Helper: Sunday 1/2/22

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. The main slate starts at 6 p.m. EST.

Guards

Luka Doncic, PG/SG, (FanDuel Salary: $10,000) - It looks like Doncic will make his return today in a matchup with the Oklahoma City Thunder. OKC presents a big pace-up spot for the Mavs, and while it's fair to wonder if Doncic jumps right back into his usual minutes, our model is all in as we project him for a slate-leading 50.4 FanDuel points (5.04 per $1,000) -- 3.9 clear of any other guard -- in 35.0 minutes.

Devin Booker, SG, $8,000 - Booker checks all of the boxes. The fantasy game of the evening is the Phoenix Suns versus the Charlotte Hornets, which boasts a 231.5-point total -- a slate-high mark by 8.0 points -- and 2.5-point spread. Charlotte is allowing the third-most FanDuel points per game to shooting guards (42.8). The Hornets are second in pace and third-worst in defensive efficiency. Deandre Ayton is expected to be sidelined for Phoenix, and with him off the court this season, Booker owns a 31.5% usage rate while generating 1.19 FanDuel points per minute, according to RotoGrinders' CourtIQ. Our algorithm pegs Book for 41.5 FanDuel points -- 5.18 per $1,000.

Tim Frazier, PG, $3,900 - As of early Sunday, the best point-per-dollar guard play is Frazier, per our projections. The Orlando Magic will be without at least Hassani Gravett, Robin Lopez, Chuma Okeke, Cole Anthony and Jalen Suggs while Mohamed Bamba is questionable. Frazier got 30 minutes last time out and finished with 20.0 FanDuel points. He will likely get a lot of run again tonight versus the Boston Celtics, and we forecast him to put up 22.8 FanDuel points (5.84 per $1,000).

Others to Consider: Russell Westbrook ($9,700), LaMelo Ball ($9,300), De'Aaron Fox ($7,200), Duane Washington Jr. ($3,900)

Wings

Jimmy Butler, SG/SF, $9,400 - Butler and the Miami Heat take on the Sacramento Kings in a game with a 222.5-point total and 3.5-point spread. I think it's a sneaky-good spot as the masses will likely load up on the Suns-Hornets and Los Angeles Lakers-Minnesota Timberwolves clashes. Miami is missing a lot of guys, and while none of them are high-usage players, and that has resulted in Butler logging a 28.7% usage rate over the past two while ripping off outputs of 50.2 and 65.1 FanDuel points. He's capable of torching the Kings.

Domantas Sabonis, PF/C, $8,500 - We have a lot of good powerforward/center options on this slate. Sabonis is one of them. The Indiana Pacers are going to be sans Malcolm Brogdon, T.J. McConnell and Chris Duarte. With those three off the court, Sabonis produces 1.29 FanDuel points per minute. Sabonis has been hot, recording 55.8, 50.1 and 45.7 FanDuel points across his last three games. We project him for 43.7 FanDuel points against the Cleveland Cavaliers, which comes out to 5.14 per $1,000.

Evan Mobley, PF/C, $7,100 - On the flip side of that game, Mobley should be busy with Darius Garland and Ricky Rubio out. In that split this season, the rookie has a 25.4% usage rate and scores 1.19 FanDuel points per minute. His minutes and production have increased in each of his three games since he returned, culminating with 35 minutes and 41.1 FanDuel points last time out. Our algorithm has him totaling 37.8 FanDuel points (5.33 per $1,000) in the date with Indiana.

Others to Consider: LeBron James ($11,400), Jaylen Brown ($8,600), Lauri Markkanen ($5,300)

Bigs

Wendell Carter Jr., PF/C, $7,000 - Carter gets a boost with Orlando short-handed. With their for-sure inactives off the court, he's got a 22.8% usage rate while scoring 1.17 FanDuel points per minute. Boston is surrendering the eighth-most FanDuel points per game to power forwards (45.7). Carter has posted between 38.5 and 50.9 FanDuel points in three of his last four games. He's projected for 36.1 FanDuel points (5.16 per $1,000), according to our numbers.

Omer Yurtseven, C, $6,200 - Yurtseven has been superb of late, rattling off at least 32.5 FanDuel points in four of his last five games, shouldering a good workload with Adebayo sidelined. Sacramento is giving up the seventh-most FanDuel points per game to centers (55.4). Yurtseven is our model's top center-only play as we project him for 34.2 FanDuel points (5.51 per $1,000).

Others to Consider: Jarrett Allen ($7,600), Jalen Smith ($5,300), Isaiah Roby ($3,900)