FanDuel Daily Fantasy Basketball Helper: Friday 3/24/23

Since it's much simpler to predict than baseball or football, daily fantasy basketball would get plenty of votes as the best sport to play on FanDuel. Players usually stick to the same minutes and produce at roughly the same rate. Sounds easy, right?

As a result, NBA daily fantasy is highly reliant on a player's opportunity, so you'll need to ensure 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.

With so much changing so quickly, we're here with plenty of tools to help you. We have daily projections, a matchup heat map, a lineup optimizer, and a bunch of other great resources to help give you an edge.

We'll also come at you with this primer daily, 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

When looking over the official injury report, Friday's slate could be a mess.

For starters, Philadelphia's star duo of James Harden (Achilles) and Joel Embiid (calf) are both questionable in a game that likely won't produce pre-lock news. Jalen McDaniels (hip) is also questionable for the Sixers, who will face Golden State tonight.

We'll also see if Kyrie Irving (foot) or Tim Hardaway Jr. (illness) returns for Dallas. They're hosting a Charlotte squad that figures to be a disaster, too. Terry Rozier (foot), Kelly Oubre (shoulder), and Dennis Smith Jr. (illness) all left last night's game in New Orleans early, and Mark Williams (thumb) has been out for a while.

Tyrese Haliburton (knee) and Chris Duarte (ankle) have questionable statuses again tonight for Indiana. They're in Boston.

On Wednesday, DeMar DeRozan (quad) left Chicago's game and didn't return. He's officially questionable tonight, and so is Alex Caruso (foot). They're in Portland, and the Blazers will still be down Jerami Grant (quad) and Anfernee Simons (foot). Jusuf Nurkic (knee) is questionable.

In Utah, Lauri Markkanen (hand), Jordan Clarkson (finger), and Rudy Gay (back) will all sit for the Jazz. The visiting Milwaukee Bucks will rest Khris Middleton (knee) for this one.

The Wizards will be down Bradley Beal (knee) and Kyle Kuzma (ankle) again on Friday, and the visiting Spurs -- as you know -- will always contribute to the report, too. Devin Vassell (knee) and Zach Collins (bicep) appear to be the two biggest question marks with Jeremy Sochan (knee) and Romeo Langford (thigh) already out.

Suns-Kings is one of the best playoff-race battles of the day, but Phoenix will have to enter without Deandre Ayton (hip). Kevin Huerter (knee) is questionable to return for Sactown, as well.

Scottie Barnes (wrist), Gary Trent Jr. (elbow), and Precious Achiuwa (hamstring) are questionable for the Raptors again tonight. They're hosting Detroit, who have added Rodney McGruder (foot) to their long-term absence list for tonight. Isaiah Livers (hip) is probable to return for the Pistons.

Finally, Jae'Sean Tate (knee) will remain out for the Rockets as they visit the Grizzlies. We'll also see if Oklahoma City has any special plans for their back-to-back in Los Angeles.

**Editor's Note: Damian Lillard was downgraded to questionable with his calf issue on Friday afternoon. As always, check numberFire's projections for the best up-to-the-minute way to play today's main slate.**

Guards

It's probably a good sign to go back to Damian Lillard ($10,300) if his 54.4 FanDuel points on Wednesday at this salary felt disappointing.

With the Blazers' scoring hierarchy depleted, Lillard should get any look he wants. With Nurkic, Simons, and Grant off the floor this season, Dame has turned an absurd 43.5% usage rate into 65.9 FanDuel points per 36 minutes. He's in his own stratosphere today.

If hoping to turn to Luka Doncic ($11,800), Charlotte needs to start enough decent players active to keep it a game. The Mavs are fledgling, so the 13.5-point spread speaks volumes. I'm also not sure they rush back Kyrie given their opponent.

There is a boatload of what-ifs on this slate, but let's go through the major ones. Tyrese Maxey ($7,000) and De'Anthony Melton ($6,500) should both be viable again if Harden sits, and Fred VanVleet ($8,900) logged 43 minutes on Wednesday with Toronto shorthanded, so he's awesome if their guys remain out.

We already know a few value plays, too. Monte Morris ($5,300) should have a nice role with Beal sitting, Talen Horton-Tucker ($5,500) and Ochai Agbaji ($4,700) are the Jazz's top offensive weapons tonight, and Tre Jones ($5,900) is likely to be a solid bet once the Spurs' dust settles.

Jrue Holiday ($7,900), Jaden Ivey ($6,400), Marcus Smart ($5,600), and Patrick Beverley ($4,600) are others projecting well at present. Dennis Smith Jr. ($5,800) also has the best chance to return from Charlotte's missing guards.

Wings

THT and Agbaji keeping up with the best team in the NBA sounds far-fetched to me, but Giannis Antetokounmpo ($11,800) should dominate every second he's able to play in Utah tonight. The Jazz allow the fifth-most paint points and third-most second-chance points per game, which is a disastrous combo with Giannis -- down Khris Middleton -- heading to town.

Obviously, if DeRozan sits, Zach LaVine ($8,700) should be a great stacking partner with Lillard if Chicago-Portland becomes a shootout. LaVine's 32.3% usage rate with DDR off the floor leads the team by a wide margin.

Gordon Hayward ($6,300) could end up tossed into a similar usage rate if Charlotte doesn't have many of their guards available. You'd likely be looking at just three periods of it, though. Charlotte's 84.8 offensive rating in the second half -- without their guys -- was atrocious yesterday.

The Wizards' injuries launched Deni Avdija ($6,000) into a major starting role, so don't get sticker shock to turn to him again. OG Anunoby ($6,700) also missed 11 of his 13 shots in the Raptors' last game down all their men, but the matchup with Detroit should provide him easier looks.

Simone Fontecchio ($4,600) was launched into a full-time gig for Utah in their last game without Lauri, so he's a key value plug on this slate. Others projecting well behind him include Josh Okogie ($5,100), Corey Kispert ($4,700), and Pat Connaughton ($4,200).

Others to watch here for potential injury dominos are Tobias Harris ($6,500) and Patrick Williams ($4,800).

Bigs

This slate isn't very complex at this positional grouping.

Nikola Vucevic ($9,100) and Kristaps Porzingis ($8,900), due to injury news, are the two marquee candidates at the top. Vucevic averages 46.9 FanDuel points per 36 with DeRozan off the floor, and Porzingis has accrued a whopping 54.0 with Beal and Kuzma off the court.

If you're willing to gamble, Joel Embiid ($12,000) could pay handsomely. Embiid was reportedly expected to play through his questionable status tonight, and he's posted 61.0 FanDuel points per 36 with Harden out on a massive 39.0% usage rate.

Given their so shorthanded, our projections believe the Jazz work more through Walker Kessler ($7,500) and Kelly Olynyk ($6,300) tonight. Olynyk tallied 43.0 FanDuel points on Monday with Markkanen sitting out.

PJ Washington ($6,400), Nick Richards ($5,700), and Kai Jones ($3,900) could all see extended run for Charlotte, who finished last night's game with just seven dudes. They'll all play. Richards and Jones saw blowout run, too.

We've got traditional value plugs here, too. Jabari Smith ($6,100) has eclipsed 35 FanDuel points in four of his last eight entering this up-tempo tilt with Memphis. Daniel Gafford ($5,400) and Maxi Kleber ($4,300) are also projecting well; Kleber draws a Hornets squad allowing the most FanDuel points to centers before this injury mayhem.