NBA Daily Fantasy Helper: Monday 3/18/19

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.

Best of the Best

Paul George ($11,200): Russell Westbrook is out tonight, and that goes a long way toward shaping this slate, even with nine games on tap. George already gets about as much run as he can handle, as one of only two players in the NBA averaging at least 38 minutes per game since the All-Star break, and the bump in usage and efficiency he stands to see without Westbrook elevates him to "top play" status in both cash games and tournaments. He's played more 700 minutes with Westbrook off the floor this season, turning in a turning in a 34.6% usage rate and averaging 1.42 FanDuel points per minute in that sample. That's up from 28.3% usage rate and 1.33 FanDuel points per minute with Westbrook on the court. The potential for 34% usage and a minute load in the high-30's makes George a tough fade in any format, despite a middling matchup against the Miami Heat.