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

Monday's main slate on FanDuel features five games. For a full breakdown, see numberFire's matchup heat map.

Top matchups:

• Cleveland Cavaliers @ Indiana Pacers | -6.5, 225 total
• Minnesota Timberwolves @ Utah Jazz | +6.5, 223.5 total
• Detroit Pistons @ Boston Celtics | -15.5, 223 total

Other games:

• Portland Trail Blazers @ Chicago Bulls | -8.5, 213.5 total
• Miami Heat @ Philadelphia 76ers | -1.5, 208.5 total

Guards

Top Plays

Tyrese Haliburton ($9,100) -- I'm inclined to shy away from the high-salary guards tonight, but Tyrese Haliburton has to be considered given the 226.5 total and 6.5-point spread. While Cleveland profiles as a tough matchup, they've dipped to 16th in defensive rating since the All-Star break. Though Haliburton hasn't flashed the same high-end upside as he did earlier in the season, he's still exceeded 40 FanDuel points (FPs) in seven of 12 games since the break. numberFire projects him for 44.2 FPs, most among PGs.

Derrick White ($7,700) -- Jrue Holiday, Al Horford, and Sam Hauser are all out for the Celtics, while Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are both questionable. Even if Tatum and Brown play, Derrick White is in a nice spot to produce against Detroit. Per FantasyPros, the Pistons are a bottom-five fantasy defense for both guard spots. White, meanwhile, has gone for 39 FPs in three straight games. Add in Boston's slate-high 119 implied total, and there's a lot to like.

Dalano Banton ($5,100) -- Dalano Banton's roster rate could get absolutely silly tonight. Banton has seized a massive role for the Trail Blazers, exceeding 38 minutes in four of his last six games. He's gone for 40 FPs three times over that span and, as of Monday afternoon, is projected for 40.5 FPs. That makes him, by far, the best point-per-dollar value on the board (7.94 FPs per $1,000).

Others to Consider

Darius Garland ($7,900) -- We'd like a bit more consistency from Darius Garland, but he's begun to flash serious upside with a pair of 58.7 and 44.8-FP outings over his last five games. With Donovan Mitchell out, Garland should see all the work he can handle against Indiana. The floor/ceiling combination is lovely in such a big pace-up spot (Cleveland is 21st in pace; Indiana is 2nd).

Payton Pritchard ($4,200) -- In tournaments, I'm fine rolling with Payton Pritchard. Boston has several regulars out tonight, and Boston is still favored by 15.5 points. According to RotoGrinders CourtIQ, Pritchard has averaged 21.2 minutes per game with Jrue Holiday out. numberFire projects him to rack up 25.4 across 30 minutes.

Wings

Top Plays

Anthony Edwards ($10,300) -- Anthony Edwards has the slate's highest salary and numberFire projection (47.6). ANT's five-figure salary is a lot to build around, but the matchup is there for a ceiling game. The Jazz are 30th in defensive rating over their last 15 games, and they've given up the third-most FPPG to SGs over that span. This will be the second straight matchup between Minnesota and Utah. Edwards went for 31 actual and 64.5 FanDuel points against them over the weekend.

Caris LeVert ($7,500) -- In the 13 games Caris LeVert has played without Donovan Mitchell, LeVert has averaged 30.7 FPPG and a 25.7% usage rate. With two 42-FP outings in his last three games, LeVert is well-equipped to take advantage of the slate's top game environment. It wouldn't be the first time he torched Indiana, scoring 31 actual and 50 FPs against them early in the season.

Aaron Nesmith ($5,700) -- Aaron Nesmith's salary has slowly begun to tick up now that he's back healthy, but he's still a strong value at $5.7K. Nesmith is coming off his best fantasy performance of the month and has now exceeded 30 FPs in three of his last four games. Though Cleveland has been strong against forwards for the season, they're merely league-average over the last 15 games.

Others to Consider

DeMar DeRozan ($8,500) -- DeMar DeRozan has cooled off since his 68.3-FP outburst two games back, but he's in a nice spot to produce against Portland. The Blazers are down to 24th in defensive rating over the last 15 games, and they've given up the third-most FPPG to SFs over that span. numberFire projects him for 25.6 actual and 43.3 FanDuel points. DeMar's points prop is set at 24.5 on FanDuel Sportsbook.

Isaac Okoro ($5,400) -- Isaac Okoro is averaging 25.8 FPPG with Donovan Mitchell sidelined, so he's a quality value with Spida out tonight. Though Okoro's been held under 20 FPs in two straight, he continues to see 30-plus minutes. That should come in handy against a Pacers defense that's given up the fifth-most FPPG to SFs on the year.

Bigs

Top Plays

Kristaps Porzingis ($8,100) -- There's risk of a blowout here, but it's hard not to like Kristaps Porzingis's matchup with Detroit. The Pistons have given up the eighth-most points in the paint since the All-Star break, and they're allowing the third-most FPPG to Cs on the year. No Horford and Holiday should give Porzingis even more usage, too. He went for 55.7 FPs the one time they both sat and has a 25% usage rate in eight total games sans Al. His points prop is set at 20.5 on FanDuel Sportsbook.

Caleb Martin ($5,400) -- Caleb Martin's floor is pretty low, but he's flashed a 40-FP ceiling -- more than enough to consider him at $5.4K. While Martin will hover around 30 minutes regardless, there's upside for more with Jimmy Butler questionable. Even if Jimmy plays, Martin's in a nice spot against Philly. The Sixers are middle-of-the-pack against PFs, but they're just 20th in defensive rating since the All-Star break.

Taylor Hendricks ($4,500) -- Taylor Hendricks has looked great in his return from a three-game absence, notching 24 and 33.5 FPs the last two games. His minutes ticked up to 33 in Saturday's matchup with Minnesota, during which Hendricks went for 15 points and 10 rebounds. He's a stellar value in tonight's rematch, with numberFire projecting him for 23.9 FPs. That makes him the top point-per-dollar value among PFs (5.31 FPs per $1,000).

Others to Consider

Rudy Gobert ($8,400) -- Rudy Gobert is listed as questionable, but he was present at shootaround. Assuming he plays, Gobert's in a great spot against his former team. Utah is 30th in defensive rating Since the All-Star break, and they've given up the 11th-most points in the paint on the year. numberFire projects Gobert for 39.7 FPs and 28.9 combined points and rebounds. His points + rebounds prop is set at 29.5 on FanDuel Sportsbook.

Isaiah Stewart ($5,500) -- Facing Boston isn't an ideal matchup for Isaiah Stewart, but the combo big has established a strong floor of production since returning from injury. Over the last 10 games, Stewart is averaging 34 minutes and 23.6 FPPG. He's gone for 22 FPs in four straight, making him a low-ceiling salary-saver.

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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.