Talk about an inauspicious debut.

The stars of the night were our friends at StarStreet as a guide.

As always, the full tables for today's action are available at our Daily Fantasy Projections page. But I'm here to break down the best of the best and tell you why they're so valuable.

The numberFire Optimized Roster

Kevin Durant - The Do Everything Man is also the Elite Efficiency Man. He's projected to have just 1.9 points less than Kobe on over three less shots, a testament to his .567 effective field goal percentage (eFG%) that ranks ninth in the NBA.

Tim Duncan - He's not too old to beat and bang under the boards; his defensive rebound percentage of 28.2 percent of his opportunities is fourth in the NBA. It's also the big reason he's our No. 4 projected rebounder tonight at exactly 10 boards.

Rajon Rondo - The Houston Rockets are doing a lot right, but their two failures this season having been stopping opponents from shooting well (opponents' eFG% is 25^th in the NBA) and turning the ball over (14.9 turnover percentage is dead last). It just so happens that those two particular weaknesses play right into the quick-handed Rondo's, well, hands.

Marc Gasol - Right under Duncan with 9.5 projected rebounds, Gasol should be able to collect his boards because of a San Antonio offensive rebounding effort that ranks 28^th in the NBA. Added to his 1.9 projected blocks (projected fifth among all big men) and he could have a big night.

Paul Pierce - Say what you want about his age, but the Celtics offense still runs through Pierce. His 28.3 percent usage rate is 11^th best in the NBA and four percentage points higher than anybody else on the Celtics. You can guarantee he'll get his looks.

DeMar DeRozan - A cheap, high-potential starting shooting guard against a Charlotte defense that has allowed opponents to shoot a .518 eFG% against them this year, the second-worst in the NBA? Yes please.

Kyle Lowry - Combine everything that's good about Paul Pierce and DeMar DeRozan, and you'll get why we like Kyle Lowry. His 24.5 percent usage rate leads the Raptors, and Charlotte not only can't defend the shot, but they also can't force turnovers (23^rd in the NBA). There's a reason Lowry is our top value today.

Ramon Sessions - Charlotte may be poor on defense, but their offense can at least score some points: their 102.7 points per 100 possessions ranks 22^nd in the NBA. And who has their leading usage rate (25.9 percent) and offensive rating (110)? Mr. Sessions.

Brian Roberts - Well, if you're going to load up on high-priced options early, you're going to have to deal with the dregs later. The backup to Grievis Vasquez in New Orleans, at least he has a good matchup going against Luke Ridnour's 106 defensive rating and a still-hobbling Ricky Rubio. Roberts is averaging 15.3 minutes per game this season; we have him at 16.1 minutes projected for tonight's game.

Quick Hits

Your deep sleeper of the day is Markieff Morris of the Phoenix Suns. Playing a backup's minutes in Phoenix behind Luis Scola, he still has an opportunity to pick up some easy numbers against a Brooklyn team that is 20^th in defensive rebounding and 23^rd in opponents' eFG%. And that plays right into Morris' strengths: he leads Phoenix with an 8.4 offensive rebounding percentage. At only $6000 for 17.7 projected points, he's at least worth a look.

Stay away from L.A.'s Metta World Peace today. $12,500 may seem like a bargain for the presumed second option with DH12 and Gasol out, but you expect the Lakers to also play to their opponent. Durant spends 67 percent of his floor time matched up against the opposing SF, and Durant's 101 defensive rating is the best of his career.

The game to watch today is Toronto-Portland. The Lakers-Thunder matchup would be too easy, but our players with the highest value upside, including Lowry, DeRozan, and Sessions here, will be facing off against each other. When the 25^th and 30^th best defensive ratings collide, the sparks will fly.