Basketball is the most consistent sport for daily fantasy purposes.
A top slugger in baseball will have his fair share of 0-for-4 days, and an elite fantasy football player is at risk of having games where his team's offense as a whole is shut down. A high-salaried NBA stud is generally going to get his, though. With so many possessions in a game providing opportunities to produce, top fantasy basketball options will be posting high scores just about every night.
While this consistency puts us in a good position to identify top plays, it also means you can't afford to miss when you're paying a heavy salary to roster someone. Even with strong value plays in your lineup, getting a dud from a stud is likely going to leave your lineup lacking.
Let's get right into it and look at which top players should be the focal points of your lineups today.
All injury updates are via the NBA's official injury report or numberFire's player news.
Trae Young, PG, Atlanta Hawks
FanDuel Salary: $8,400
I can't recall a FanDuel salary higher than the $12,400 that Russell Westbrook sports tonight, and while that may very well be worth it, it's the point guard going up against him that piques my interest -- Trae Young.
According to numberFire's Matchup Heat Map, the Atlanta Hawks have a 122.0 implied total tonight, which is good for second-highest on the slate. Those are some points we're definitely going to want exposure to.
The individual matchup for Young is simply mouth-watering. He'll be squaring off against a Washington Wizards squad that ranks 29th against point guards this season, per numberFire's DvP tool.
While the 22-year-old hasn't been the most consistent fantasy performer this season, he has managed at least 48.8 FanDuel points in four of his last eight outings. That'll play.
Collin Sexton, SG, Cleveland Cavaliers
FanDuel Salary: $7,500
The Cleveland Cavaliers will be down a lot of bodies when they take on the Indiana Pacers tonight -- Larry Nance Jr., Taurean Prince, and Isaiah Hartenstein are out, Darius Garland and Lamar Stevens are doubtful, and Cedi Osman is questionable to suit up. That means we could be looking at even higher volume from Collin Sexton.
According to RotoGrinders, with the aforementioned players off the court, Sexton sports a 38.5% usage rate while averaging 1.09 FanDuel points per minute. Both of those are quite appealing, as is his matchup.
With Garland doubtful, Sexton's bound to see a lot of time on the ball, which bodes well for him against Indiana. Over their last 15 games, the Pacers have ceded the fourth-most fantasy points (including the most assists) to opposing floor generals, while they're eighth-worst versus two-guards during that period, per FantasyPros.
Sexton has racked up 42.9-plus FanDuel points in four of his last nine games, and he only posted fewer than 35.8 twice during that stretch. At a salary well under $8,000, he should be a priority tonight.
Domantas Sabonis, PF, Indiana Pacers
FanDuel Salary: $10,700
If you want 70-point upside without paying up for Westbrook or Giannis Antetokounmpo, Domantas Sabonis is your guy.
In the five games since he's returned from a six-game absence, Sabonis has had outputs of 67.8, 70.1, and 71.3 fantasy points. He did amass 46.6 and 52.1 in the other two contests, so it seems as if his floor is quite high.
As has been the theme over the last couple of weeks, the Pacers will be shorthanded when they meet the Cavs tonight. Myles Turner and JaKarr Sampson are out, Jeremy Lamb is doubtful, and Malcolm Brogdon is questionable. That means that the all-around usage we've been seeing from Sabonis should continue.
Cleveland presents anything but a tough test for the big man tonight. According to NBA.com, the Cavs possess the league's worst defensive rating over their last 15 games, and they rank 24th against power forwards on the season (they haven't been much better versus centers).
I'd keep riding the hot hand by rostering Sabonis.