Since 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.

NBA DFS Picks

Guards

Top Plays

Stephen Curry ($8,900) -- The Golden State Warriors should look a lot like their 2022-23 version tonight with Chris Paul (leg) and Gary Payton II (calf) ruled out of the backcourt, per the official injury report. In that event, Stephen Curry seems like a great proposition when he posted 48.7 FanDuel points per 36 minutes last year with this core five players starting. Don't worry about the matchup here; the Los Angeles Clippers allow the fewest FanDuel points per game to point guards on average (43.6), but they've been cooked by Reggie Jackson and De'Aaron Fox for 75 combined points this week.

Dejounte Murray ($7,900) -- Who doesn't love a good old revenge narrative? A former member of the San Antonio Spurs, Dejounte Murray could absolutely torch his former team tonight. San Antonio allows the most FanDuel points per game to shooting guards (48.2), and Murray is a five-stat-stuffer that can hunt any weaknesses. Per numberFire's NBA projections, he's projected for 39.9 FanDuel points at a friendly salary where many studs on this slate might be unavailable.

Mike Conley ($5,300) -- On top of Anthony Edwards' likely absence due to a hip issue, Mike Conley would be viable at this salary in a full role because he's just playing tremendously well. Conley has a 60.7 true-shooting percentage (TS%) as a guard. Though his usage rate with Ant off the floor isn't high (11.3%), he's guaranteed 30-plus minutes to initiate offense and is averaging 27.3 FanDuel points per 36 in this floor condition.

Others to Consider

James Harden ($7,500) -- When the Clippers shifted Russell Westbrook to the bench, a DFS stabilization was coming, and it's finally here. James Harden occupied a low usage rate (20.7%) and still destroyed the FanDuel slate with 51.6 FanDuel points on Wednesday. This also came keeping Paul George ($8,600) and Kawhi Leonard ($8,500) fantasy-relevant. This offense is back to viable in DFS at the perfect time with most Warriors showing value in numberFire's model due to injuries entering this affair with a 227.5-point total.

Ayo Dosunmu ($3,900) -- If there's an unsettled part of this slate, it's the Chicago Bulls' injury news. DeMar DeRozan (ankle) and Zach LaVine (foot) are both questionable, and it's uncertain if either plays, but the 8.5-point spread -- to me -- indicates oddsmakers are decently confident they do. If DeRozan and LaVine sit, the competitiveness of this game tanks, but we can turn to value one-offs that'll encroach 30 minutes. That would almost certainly be sophomore guard Ayo Dosunmu after he logged 24 minutes on Tuesday.

Wings

Top Plays

Miles Bridges ($7,800) -- Life without LaMelo Ball began in a horrendous, stifling New York Knicks matchup on Tuesday for the Charlotte Hornets, but they'll have a better chance to hang tight against the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday. To me, that stinker has Charlotte's salaries too low across the board. Miles Bridges combines a 25.3% usage rate with sizable contributions on the glass, but don't steer clear of PJ Washington ($5,700), Gordon Hayward ($5,600), or Brandon Miller ($5,500), either. These salaries should rise over time without LaMelo's usage in the fold.

Andrew Wiggins ($5,300) -- Andrew Wiggins' slump ended with a bang on Tuesday, posting 29 points and 10 rebounds in light of Golden State's early absences due to injury. Even despite his terrible 49.2 TS% this season, Wiggins has mustered 26.7 FanDuel points per 36 minutes. Now improving and all but guaranteed a full role without CP3, he's one of my favorite forward targets to pair with Curry in the backcourt.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker ($4,400) -- In a previous NBA DFS era, Nickeil Alexander-Walker would come off the bench and light up the scoreboard. He's topped 20 points seven different times in the past two seasons despite very little consistent playing time. Without Edwards on Thursday, this will be his first real chance at usage with the Minnesota Timberwolves, and that's what we've been hoping to see. At a punt-level salary, he's averaged 30.0 minutes per game in the past two. Now, he can potentially make them count.

Others to Consider

Jimmy Butler ($8,400) -- Jimmy Butler (ankle) is questionable again on this slate, and I'm truly not sure if he starts or sits. numberFire's model urges us to pay attention, though. He's one of the best-projected players per dollar of salary at 45.5 FanDuel points within the model, and if he sits, it'll likely open the door for value plays from the Heat in a tremendous matchup. The opposing Indiana Pacers play with the league's fastest pace factor (107.1) and its third-worst defensive rating (119.3).

Jalen Williams ($6,000) -- Though the matchup of top-10 defensive ratings between the Los Angeles Lakers and Oklahoma City Thunder may not be a fantasy gold mine, a couple of OKC's salaries might be too low. Jalen Williams has posted 30.6 FanDuel points per 36 minutes this year, and the mark of Josh Giddey ($6,100) is 35.7. They're great mini-stack options should you want to leap to any of LA's stars.

Bigs

Top Plays

Karl-Anthony Towns ($8,700) -- Though we've taken nibbles at Timberwolves in Edwards' stead, Karl-Anthony Towns is your proverbial main course. His usage rate increases by 11.2 (!) percentage points with Ant off the floor, resulting in 50.4 FanDuel points per 36 minutes. The opposing Jazz also allow the sixth-most paint points per game in the NBA (54.2). Especially with so many other stars sitting or in poor matchups, I couldn't imagine leaving KAT behind in single-entry formats.

Zach Collins ($6,000) -- Opposite Murray, Victor Wembanyama ($9,000) is questionable for San Antonio due to a hip issue. I'd prefer the stock-gathering sensation in a mini-stack with Murray, but Zach Collins is a worthy and useful plug-in if Wembanyama sits. The fast-paced Hawks allow the sixth-most FanDuel points per game to centers (56.9), so whichever big man has the top role should feast. They're both top-five bigs in numberFire's projections today with Wemby projected to play in full, so you could use them in conjunction, too.

Kevon Looney ($4,900) -- I wouldn't blame a soul for turning to Draymond Green ($5,900), who likely does have a higher floor for playing time than Kevon Looney should he not get himself ejected. However, Looney's profile is the best to target against a stingy Clippers defense that's leakiest on the glass. Their 69.9% defensive rebounding rate is 10th-worst in the NBA. Most key center targets also have forward eligibility, so I love using Looney in the center spot as a different way to target the Dubs.

Others to Consider

Nikola Vucevic ($7,800) -- Though the situation is fluid, Nikola Vucevic might be the best Bulls option tonight -- but it'll be up to his performance. Vucevic's 50.7 TS% this season is horrendous for a center, and he's not helped matters with 11-for-28 shooting (39.3%) in his last three games. I'm sure Vuc will be tremendously chalky if DeRozan and/or LaVine sit, but extra opportunities don't mean much if you're already struggling with the ones you have.

Jarrett Allen ($6,500) -- Allen did reach 30 minutes on Tuesday as expected, and he's averaging 37.5 FanDuel points per 36 minutes overall. That "overall" is doing plenty of heavy lifting as the inconsistent performances pile up, though. His chance to contribute won't get much better than Thursday's. The Portland Trail Blazers allow the third-most FanDuel points per game to centers (59.8). The playing time is there, the production is there (on average), and the matchup is there, so Allen checks all the key boxes.

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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.