NBA Daily Fantasy Helper: Saturday 12/16/17

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 hugely 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 ton of other great resources to help give you an edge.

We'll also be coming at you with this primer every day, breaking down a few of the day's top plays at each price point.

Let's take a look at who you should target on today's main slate, which starts at 7 p.m. EST.

Best of the Best

James Harden ($11,400) - The Milwaukee Bucks are roughly an average defensive team (19th in defensive rating), but their one glaring weakness -- defending the three-point line -- could get exposed tonight against the Houston Rockets, who are tied for the slate's top implied total (115.0). Milwaukee is allowing opponents to hit threes at a 40.2% mark, the highest in the league, and the Rockets are fully equipped to take advantage as they lead the NBA in three-point tries (43.8) and makes (16.2) per 100 possessions. Harden is almost always going to get his -- he's scored at least 40 FanDuel points in nine straight, with four outings of at least 60 fantasy points in that span -- and Houston's bevy of shooters gives him (and Chris Paul) big-time assist upside tonight.