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. Our projections -- which are powered by numberFire -- update throughout the day to reflect current news. You can also turn to numberFire for player news updates as well as a matchup heat map and lineup optimizer to help give you an edge.

On top of all that, here at FanDuel Research, we'll come at you each day with this NBA DFS primer, which breaks down some of the day's top plays at each position.

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

Betting lines via the NBA odds at FanDuel Sportsbook. Projections and betting odds may change after this article is published.

NBA DFS Picks

Friday's main slate on FanDuel features nine games but some dramatically different game environments.

For a full breakdown, see numberFire's matchup heat map.

Top matchups:

• Los Angeles Lakers @ Indiana Pacers | -4.0, 244.0 total
• Detroit Pistons @ Washington Wizards | -4.0, 228.0 total
• Phoenix Suns @ Oklahoma City Thunder | +1.5, 228.0 total

Other games:

• Golden State Warriors @ Charlotte Hornets | -13.0, 220.0 total
• Chicago Bulls @ Brooklyn Nets | +3.0, 215.0 total
• New York Knicks @ San Antonio Spurs | +9.0, 213.5 total
• Los Angeles Clippers @ Orlando Magic | +1.5, 212.5 total
• Philadelphia 76ers @ Cleveland Cavaliers | -8.0, 211.5 total
• Portland Trail Blazers @ Miami Heat | -14.0, 209.5 total

Guards

Top Plays

Tyrese Haliburton ($9,100) -- Tyrese Haliburton has struggled to make shots of late, but even a 5-for-13 outing against the Lakers last weekend didn't stop him from putting up 39.2 FanDuel points (FPs) in their 150-145 loss. With a total nearly 15 points higher than the next-closest game, I'm all over Haliburton in tonight's rematch with LA. Aiding his bid for the slate's top guard option is that the Lakers have surrendered the most FPPG to PGs over the last 15 games, per FantasyPros. Haliburton's assists prop is set at 10.5 on FanDuel Sportsbook.

Josh Giddey ($7,400) -- Josh Giddey is hitting his stride to close out the year. Two of his five best fantasy outings of the season have come in the last three games, and he's averaging 43.7 FPPG over that span. He's fresh off his most points (31) and shot attempts (20) of the season, coinciding with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander riding the pine with a quad injury. SGA is doubtful tonight, so we can confidently turn to Giddey against a Suns team he previously dropped 40.2 and 25.2 FPs against.

Isaiah Joe ($4,600) -- With SGA out in OKC's most recent game, Isaiah Joe played more minutes (33 to 24) and scored more FanDuel points (28.6 to 6.9) than Cason Wallace ($4,400). That's not guaranteed to continue, but it's worth noting that Joe has also seen a higher usage rate (19.9% to 15.1%) with SGA off the floor this season, according to RotoGrinders CourtIQ. Playing in one of just three games with a total north of 225, I'll take all the value I can get with Joe's enhanced role.

Others to Consider

Bradley Beal ($7,300) -- Assuming SGA is out, we're going to find a lot of value with Oklahoma City. Considering the high total (228.0) and tight spread (Suns -1.5), that also lends itself to some game stacks with Phoenix. Bradley Beal makes sense as a mid-range play with upside. Beal's averaged just 9.4 real-world points over the last five games, but he's still put up 28.1 FPPG. He popped for 31 actual points and 40.8 FanDuel points against OKC earlier this month and shouldn't see a very high roster rate given the abundance of guards on a nine-game slate.

Miles McBride ($6,300) -- Miles McBride tied his season high with 29 points in New York's most recent outing despite playing "only" 39 minutes. Over his last five games, McBride is averaging 44.4 minutes, 21.6 actual points, and 33.9 FanDuel points per game. Even with a salary spike, he's worth considering against San Antonio. While the Spurs are up to 11th in defensive rating over the last 15 games, they've let up the second-most FPPG to PGs and fourth-most to SGs over that span.

Wings

Top Plays

LeBron James ($10,300) -- This Lakers-Pacers clash is easily tonight's top game environment, so I'm happy to get up to LeBron James. James is questionable, but he went for 56.8 FPs in 34 minutes on Wednesday, posting his fourth triple-double of the year. He went for 26 points and 10 assists in last weekend's matchup with Indiana, though their track record against forwards suggests that could be LeBron's floor tonight. On the year, the Pacers have surrendered the 10th-most FPPG to SFs and the second-most to PFs.

Deni Avdija ($7,600) -- Deni Avdija's stellar play should continue in a plus matchup with Detroit tonight. Though Deni's exceeded 30 minutes only 10 times this month, he's notched 30 FPs in nine of those, inching past 40 FPs four times. Coming off consecutive double-doubles, Avdija is a strong mid-range play against the Pistons. Over their last 15 games, Detroit has given up the second-most FPPG to SFs and the seventh-most to PFs.

Aaron Nesmith ($5,200) -- Aaron Nesmith's breakout season has been interrupted by injury over the second half of the year, but he's begun trending back up in the last few weeks. After posting 27.5 FPs across 26 minutes in last weekend's bout with LA, Nesmith is one of just eight players with 5x projected value tonight -- numberFire pegs him for 26.2 FPs (5.03 FPs per $1,000). It helps that Indiana has the slate's highest implied total (123) and that the Lakers are down to 26th in defensive rating since the All-Star break.

Others to Consider

Jalen Williams ($8,300) -- I'm trying to build my lineup around these top three game environments today. As the primary option with SGA out of the lineup, Jalen Williams is uber-appealing at $8.3K. Despite a 9-for-23 shooting performance with Gilgeous-Alexender sidelined on Wednesday, J-Dub still managed 48 FPs thanks to 5 rebounds, 10 assists, and 3 stocks. With Phoenix surrendering the seventh-most FPPG to SFs over the last 15 games, look for Williams to have another strong outing.

Brandin Podziemski ($5,300) -- With a 28.5-FP numberFire projection, Brandin Podziemski is the top point-per-dollar value on the slate as of Friday afternoon (5.37 FPs per $1,000). Podz has been quiet of late, notably exceeding 25 FPs just once in the last seven games. His playing time has taken a hit because of those down games, but he's still cleared 20 minutes in all but one game since the All-Star break. Charlotte's defense shouldn't scare us, and Golden State's 116.5 implied total is sneakily the third-highest on the slate.

Bigs

Top Plays

Anthony Davis ($11,800) -- Anthony Davis is questionable after missing Wednesday's game, but that absence likely had more to do with him playing 51 minutes the night before rather than any significant injury. Assuming AD's good to go tonight, he's easily the top option tonight. That's reflected in his slate-high salary and projection (55.6). With 60 FPs in three straight, he's well worth building around, especially considering Indiana's allowed the third-most points in the paint since the All-Star break. His points + rebounds prop is set at 41.5 on FanDuel Sportsbook.

Jalen Duren ($7,200) -- Rostering centers facing the Wizards has been a rewarding strategy all season. Washington has surrendered the most FPPG to the position, and they've allowed the most points in the paint on the year. Add in their league-worst 45.8% rebound rate, and a ceiling game could be on tap for Jalen Duren tonight. It doesn't hurt that Duren's fared well against them this season, exceeding 45 FPs twice and averaging 43.4 FPPG across three meetings.

Marvin Bagley ($6,100) -- On the opposite side of this Pistons-Wizards clash, Marvin Bagley III is a solid mid-range play against his former team. The combo big man has been eased back into action after missing nine games, but he's coming off a 28.2-FP performance over 24 minutes. With Richaun Holmes ruled out, Bagley should be the primary big man tonight. That's a nice role to have considering the Pistons have surrendered the third-most FPPG to centers on the year.

Others to Consider

Pascal Siakam ($8,400) -- Pascal Siakam finally cooled off after scoring 25 real-world points in four straight games, but he's in for a quick bounce back against a Lakers team he just torched for 36 points and 12 rebounds last weekend. In the slate's top game environment, Siakam is the top non-AD PF. Pairing them together is about as strong of a game stack as you'll find tonight.

Nick Richards ($5,500) -- I'm not sure how much upside there is with Nick Richards, but he's established a strong floor for himself and has a solid matchup with Golden State. With a 28.6-FP numberFire projection, Richards is the second-best point-per-dollar value among centers and the third-best overall (5.2 FPs per $1,000).

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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.