FanDuel Daily Fantasy Basketball Helper: Friday 5/13/22

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.

Team Implied Total O/U Spread Key Injuries
DAL 99.25 205 6.5
MIL 100.75 206.5 5
BOS 105.75 206.5 -5 Williams questionable
PHX 105.75 205 -6.5

Guards

Luka Doncic ($11,600) - Since the start of his second round series, Doncic's FanDuel salary has increased by 5.4% to his second highest point this month. In 222.17 playoff minutes against a Phoenix Suns' team allowing a 113.5 defensive rating, the Mavericks' superstar is averaging 1.56 FanDuel points and 0.86 real-life points per minute.

Devin Booker ($9,300) - At his second highest salary point in May, Booker ranks fifth among today's slate with a 40.7 FanDuel point expectation. Phoenix's star shooting guard has excelled at home during their matchup against Dallas, recording 1.22 FanDuel points and 0.54 field goal attempts in 108.95 playoff minutes.

Jrue Holiday ($9,000) - Milwaukee's versatile guard has been aggressive with his approach on both ends of the floor this series, averaging 0.54 field goal attempts and 0.06 steals in a 242.3 minute sample size.

Jaylen Brown ($8,500) - In 223.86 minutes against a Bucks' team ranked first among playoff teams in defensive rating, Brown has recorded 1.03 FanDuel points per minute.

Chris Paul ($7,900) - After three lackluster fantasy performances, Paul's FanDuel salary has moved down to his lowest point since April 10th. Phoenix's veteran is numberFire's third ranked point guard with a 38.6 fantasy projection and a 4.88 value rating.

Marcus Smart ($6,500) - Despite a 8.3% salary increase, Smart is another value option to consider with a 4.74 rating and a 30.6 FanDuel point expectation.

Jalen Brunson ($6,200) - At his lowest salary point in May, Brunson stands as numberFire's top value guard with a 4.98 value rating.

Reggie Bullock ($5,300) - The Mavericks' guard has been played a consistent role in their second round rotation, averaging 10.7 real-life points and 4.5 rebounds in 37.4 minutes.

Forwards

Giannis Antetokounmpo ($12,000) - At his highest salary this postseason, "The Greek Freak" is numberFire's top play on Sunday with a 64.2 FanDuel point expectation. The 27-year old has been on fire against Boston, registering 0.89 real-life points and 1.60 FanDuel points per minute this series.

Jayson Tatum ($11,000) - After a 61.8 fantasy performance in Game 6, Tatum's FanDuel salary has risen 3.7% to his highest point this season. Boston's emerging star forward ranks second among his position with a 48.2 FanDuel point expectation and a 30.0 real-life point projection.

Mikal Bridges ($6,000) - numberFire's fifth rated forward in value with a 4.63 rating and a 27.8 fantasy expectation.

Bobby Portis ($5,700) - In 98.0 minutes since Portis was utilized in a bench role this series, the Bucks' forward is averaging 0.93 FanDuel points and 0.38 field goal attempts.

Dorian Finney-Smith ($5,200) - At his second lowest salary this postseason, Finney-Smith is another value possibility with a 4.96 rating.

Centers

Al Horford ($7,600) - The Celtic's veteran is an interesting option to consider at power forward or center with his ability to fill up the stat sheet or peripheral categories. In 233 minutes against a Bucks' team playing with a uptempo 101.8 pace, Horford has accounted for 0.27 rebounds and 0.09 assists per minute.

Deandre Ayton ($6,900) - After a 14.8% decrease in his FanDuel salary since the start of their second-round series, Ayton is an appealing play against a Mavericks' unit allowing 45.8 point inside this postseason.