FanDuel Daily Fantasy Basketball Helper: Tuesday 11/30/21

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.

The Slate and Key Injuries

Injury news is definitely poppin' on even the small, five-game slate.

The biggest name in question is LeBron James, who is listed questionable with the same abdominal injury he has been fighting through for the Lakers since October. Realistically, it would just be a question if L.A. rests him or not than a true injury.

Over the weekend, the Grizzlies lost Ja Morant to a knee sprain for the foreseeable future. Several Memphis players saw a boost, but it was Tyus Jones that drew the start and played a team-high 24 minutes in the blowout of Sacramento.

The Toronto Raptors will still be without OG Anunoby (hip), and Gary Trent Jr. (calf) could join him. Trent is currently listed as questionable.

Sacramento could be shorthanded on Tuesday. Richaun Holmes is listed as questionable with a non-COVID illness, and Harrison Barnes is closer to doubtful with his foot injury.

The Knicks host Brooklyn in primetime, but their injury report reads closer to a shopping list. All of RJ Barrett (non-COVID illness), Nerlens Noel (knee), Derrick Rose (ankle), and Taj Gibson (groin) are listed as questionable. The list of viable, trustable Knicks would shrink one more if Barrett sits.

Portland also has Norman Powell listed as questionable with the hip injury that forced him to miss Monday's game. Powell's absence just impacts whether or not we can use Anfernee Simons.

Guards

James Harden ($10,000): There's been so much talk about Harden's struggle scoring the ball, but his role is really solid for daily fantasy. He's topped double-digit rebounds or assists six times in his last six games, and he's also scored 20 or more points in four of his last six games. On nights Harden brings it all together, he will be a must in the perfect lineup. He is in a tremendous spot if his shot is present Tuesday; the Knicks allow the sixth-most three-point attempts per game (39.0) in the league.

Devin Booker ($7,900): I honestly had no idea how hot Devin Booker was scoring the ball right now because of my process. He's scored 30-plus real-world points in three straight games, but he's topped out at 43.3 FanDuel points inside of them. That doesn't stand out at this salary in a vacuum, but with his season-long assists per 36 minutes (5.07) and rebounds per 36 minutes (5.50) at personal highs for him in the Chris Paul era, the nuclear game is coming if Booker's shot stays white-hot.

Tyus Jones ($4,600): Jones will rightfully be the unanimous chalk of the day. He's numberFire's top projected guard as of this moment, and he saw a healthy 24 minutes in Ja Morant's stead on Sunday. He should start and see enough minutes to make him a lock for cash games considering he averaged 0.95 FanDuel points per minute last season working in a very similar role when Morant was injured. There are plenty of places to be different elsewhere.

Others to Consider:
C.J. McCollum ($7,200): This salary has dropped low enough to take swipes at the 40-FanDuel-point upside we've seen in seven games this year.
Tyrese Haliburton ($6,300): Not the best process play based on recent production, but 32-plus minutes in four of his last five games. I like the talent in that role.
Desmond Bane ($5,400): Sneaky pivot off of Jones. 24.1% usage rate with Morant off the floor this season.
Immanuel Quickley ($4,100): If Rose misses again, he should see 30-plus minutes at this salary. Very streaky, but the floor is good with that role.

Wings

LeBron James ($10,600): Everyone's process is different, so I try to write up a stud at every position. I'm don't deploy King James often given that he actively doesn't care about the regular season, but his Lakers' poor start has forced him to care. Assuming he does play again through the injury, James has returned to a 30.9% usage rate, and he's averaged 1.21 FanDuel points per minute in that span. He's also played at least 37 minutes in his last three games. He's worth this salary at the moment, but I'll likely still spend elsewhere.

Saddiq Bey ($5,400): Bey's role is so good that he posted 29.2 FanDuel points on Sunday while scoring just 6 real-world points. Detroit is shorthanded in the frontcourt, and Bey has 6.33 rebounds per 36 minutes over the past two weeks. He just has failed to make use of it by failing to score more than 15 points in any of those six contests. Bey did that 6 of his first 13 games before this slow stretch. It's possible the return of Cade Cunningham has starched his scoring output, but he has double-double upside at this fair salary.

DeAndre Bembry ($3,900): This five-game slate is not one short on value. Bembry's salary -- fairly inexplicably -- stayed here after a 36.8-FanDuel-point eruption Saturday against Phoenix. Bruce Brown Jr. returned in that game but didn't start and played just five minutes. All indications are that Bembry should start and see 30-plus minutes again on Tuesday. Only six Nets players saw more than 12 minutes on Saturday, so that's also a role that's not really appearing to change anytime soon.

Others to Consider:
Scottie Barnes ($6,700): He has at least 27 FanDuel points in 10 of his 12 games since returning from injury. Tremendous floor with a short, but present, ceiling.
Alec Burks ($6,200): The new starting point guard for the Knicks. Team-high 26.7% usage rate last game. High-upside play.
Dillon Brooks ($5,800): Team-high 35.8% (!) usage rate without Morant on the floor this season. A core play.
Kyle Anderson ($4,700): Not nearly the usage of Brooks (20.5%) without Morant, but 1.16 FanDuel points per minute. One of the few Grizzlies likely to be unpopular.

Bigs

Julius Randle ($8,500): Playstyle is everything with Julius Randle. He is an awful option for cash because he's failed to reach 28 FanDuel points at this salary in four of his last six games. The question becomes whether or not -- on a given night -- one believes he can unlock the 45-FanDuel-point ceiling he's shown in nine games this year. Tonight's game against Brooklyn could be that. As mentioned, the Knicks could be without RJ Barrett, and New York (22nd in pace) sees a nice boost in tempo facing off with Brooklyn (11th). I'd rather Randle than Davis is a subpar stud tier of centers.

Jaren Jackson Jr. ($6,500): Jackson has fought minutes from his coaching staff all season, so the hope is his role stabilizes are the true top dog without Ja Morant. Jackson has a 33.0% usage rate without Morant on the floor season, and he pairs that with 8.73 rebounds per 36 minutes in floor situations without Ja. That all adds up to a 1.40 FanDuel points per minute mark that is tantalizing at this salary. He's a core play personally, but it also wouldn't be the least bit surprising to see the coaching staff limit him to 28 minutes again.

Precious Achiuwa ($5,200): Speaking of core plays, Achiuwa might be a sneaky one. He's shared the center spot all season with Khem Birch, but Birch is out again Tuesday with a knee injury. As a result, the springy Memphis alum has seen at least 33 minutes in the past two games, but he just hasn't done anything with them. Achiuwa had exceeded 25 FanDuel points in five of his six contests before the Birch injury with less playing time. Expect him to regress before too long to at least 30 FanDuel points in his expanded role.

Others to Consider:
Anthony Davis ($10,300): Especially with LeBron taking usage, he's not for me, but he's got a path to 55 FanDuel points and being a must-have in a perfect lineup.
Draymond Green ($7,100): He should play with a back injury, and his salary is fair in a great game to stack with the Suns.
Isaiah Stewart ($5,000): His recent sample is poor, but he's still an option starting for the Pistons at center and seeing roughly 27 minutes per game.
Marvin Bagley III ($4,000): Feeling dangerous? Bagley saw 34 minutes off the bench two games ago. Definitely back in the rotation. The lone punting option with upside at big.