NBA DFS is easier to predict than baseball or football, it would likely get plenty of votes as the best sport to play on FanDuel. Basketball players usually stick to the same minutes and produce at roughly the same rate. Sounds easy, right? Trust me -- it's not!

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. numberFire's projections update up until tip-off to reflect current news. numberFire also has player news updates, and the FanDuel Scout app will send push notifications for pressing updates regarding your players.

In addition to daily projections, numberFire also offers a matchup heat map and a lineup optimizer to help give you an edge.

Here at FanDuel Research, we'll also come at you each day with this NBA DFS primer, which breaks down a few of the day's top plays at each position.

Let's dive into today's main slate on FanDuel.

Guards

Luka Doncic ($12,100): At his second lowest salary this season, the Mavericks' superstar is first overall with a 53.1 fantasy projection versus a Charlotte Hornets' team ranked 28th in defensive rating. Even when Kyrie Irving is on the floor with Doncic, the 24-year old has continued to produce robust numbers, recording 1.64 FanDuel points per minute and a 36.5% usage rate in 70 minutes this season.

Donovan Mitchell ($10,400): In his last three games despite producing 1.51 FanDuel points and 0.98 real-life points per minute, Mitchell's FanDuel salary has decreased by 1.8% to his second lowest point during this time period. "Spida" ranks fourth overall with a 43.0 fantasy projection against a Golden State Warriors' unit allowing 39.3 FanDuel points per game to his position.

Stephen Curry ($10,000): After an impressive 53.1 fantasy point performance on Friday, Curry's salary has increased by 3.0% to his highest point in a great matchup against a Cleveland Cavaliers' team ranked last in fantasy production allowed to point guards (57.5 FanDuel points per game). Curry would see a sizable boost to 1.74 FanDuel points per minute and a 40.4% usage rate if Klay Thompson is inactive.

Kyrie Irving ($8,900): Among the Mavericks' starting five, Irving ranks second in fantasy production (1.12 FanDuel points per minute), usage (26.7%), assists (0.18 per minute), and shot attempts (0.53 per minute).

Desmond Bane ($8,800): Despite his team's inability to win games, the Grizzlies' fourth year guard has been productive, accounting for 1.28 FanDuel points per minute and a 29.5% usage rate. Despite a 8.6% jump to his second highest salary, Bane is fifth overall with a 41.8 fantasy projection versus a Portland Trail Blazers' defense allowing an eye-popping 48.9 FanDuel points per game to his position.

LaMelo Ball ($8,400): Since the start of his season, Ball's salary has dropped by 13.4% to his second lowest point while producing a team-high 1.23 FanDuel points per minute and a 29.2% usage rate. Charlotte's point guard is first among his position in value with a 5.19 rating and a 43.6 fantasy projection.

Malcolm Brogdon ($7,700): Portland's veteran has recently emerged with Scoot Henderson and Anfernee Simons dealing with injuries, recording 1.20 FanDuel points per minute and a 29.2% usage rate.

Shaedon Sharpe ($7,100): In his past five starts, the 20-year old is fourth on his team in fantasy production (1.05 FanDuel points per minute) and second in usage (27.7%).

Marcus Smart ($6,400): After a disappointing 15.6 fantasy point performance in his last appearance, Smart's salary has moved down to his third lowest point this season versus a Portland defense allowing 47.0 FanDuel points per game to point guards.

Klay Thompson ($5,200): If Thompson is able to play after he was listed as questionable, the Warriors' Splash Brother is second in value with a 5.16 rating and a 26.9 fantasy projection at his lowest salary this season.

Forwards

Jaren Jackson Jr. ($8,700): The Grizzlies' defensive enforcer has been great on both sides of the floor since his opening day's struggles, producing 23.2 real-life points and 42.5 FanDuel points per game in his last four contests. At his second highest salary, Jackson Jr. is second overall with 44.0 expected FanDuel points against a Portland team allowing 44.7 fantasy points to the four position.

Evan Mobley ($8,300): Cleveland's second-year big man is third among forwards with a 37.1 fantasy projection against a Warriors' unit allowing 43.8 FanDuel points per game to power forwards. Mobley has provided underrated production, ranking second among his team in fantasy output (1.27 FanDuel points per minute) due to his ability to record peripheral statistics including rebounds (0.34), assists (0.10), and blocks (0.08).

Jerami Grant ($6,600): In his last three games, the veteran forward has scored at least 22 real-life points while averaging 0.82 FanDuel points per minute.

Gordon Hayward ($6,500): Even at his highest salary, the veteran is seventh among forwards with a 29.9 fantasy projection. Hayward has been effective this season, accounting for 1.09 FanDuel points per minute and a 21.3% usage rate.

PJ Washington ($6,000): If Terry Rozier is unable to suit up on Sunday, the Hornets' forward sees an increased role to 1.16 FanDuel points per minute and a 35.1% usage rate.

Brandon Miller ($5,700): Charlotte's rookie currently ranks seventh in value with a 4.89 rating and a 27.9 fantasy projection at his second lowest salary.

Andrew Wiggins ($5,000): At his lowest salary, the Warriors' forward is third overall in value with a 5.18 rating and a 25.9 fantasy projection against a Cleveland Cavaliers' team allowing small forwards to score 24.1 real-life points and 41.8 FanDuel points per game.

Centers

Deandre Ayton ($8,200): Portland's big man has been on a roll in his last three games despite a 16.4% usage rate, recording an efficient 1.37 FanDuel points per minute. Ayton has been filing up the stat sheet, producing 0.45 rebounds, 0.09 blocks, and 0.04 steals per minute.

Mark Williams ($6,100): Despite scoring 45.9 FanDuel points in his last game, Williams' salary has remained at his lowest point this season versus a Dallas Mavericks' unit ranked 23rd in points allowed in the paint and 26th in fantasy production to centers (59.8 FanDuel points per game). While Williams' playing time has been extremely inconsistent, Charlotte's second-year center is averaging 1.20 FanDuel points per minute.

Interested in playing NBA daily fantasy? FanDuel has plenty of contest options to make every moment more. Be sure to check out other NBA betting options, as well.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author’s advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.