FanDuel Single-Game Daily Fantasy Basketball Helper: Pacers at Lakers (12/9/23)

In a traditional FanDuel NBA lineup, you have a $60,000 salary cap to roster nine players. The salary cap is the same in the single-game setup, but the lineup requirements are different.

You select five players of any position. One of your players will be your MVP, whose FanDuel points are multiplied by two. You also choose a STAR player (whose production is multiplied by 1.5) and a PRO (multiplied by 1.2). Two UTIL players round out the roster, and they don't receive a multiplier for their production.

This makes the five players you select essential in more than one way; you need to focus on slotting in the best plays in the multiplier slots rather than just nailing the best overall plays of the game.

Read this piece by Brandon Gdula for some excellent in-depth analysis on how to attack a single-game slate in NBA DFS.

Player Breakdown

At The Top

Tyrese Haliburton ($17,000): Indiana's star point guard ranks third overall with a 51.5 fantasy point projection versus a Los Angeles Lakers' defense allowing 49.7 FanDuel points per game to his position. In his last 15 games, Haliburton has been on fire, recording 1.54 FanDuel points per minute and 53.9 FanDuel points per game.

Anthony Davis ($15,500): "The Brow" is numberFire's top option with a 56.2 fantasy projection in a great spot against an Indiana Pacers' unit allowing centers to score 25.3 real-life points and 55.2 FanDuel points per game. Since the start of In-Season Tournament, Davis ranks first among his team in fantasy production (1.49 FanDuel points per minute) and second in usage (26.2%).

LeBron James ($15,000): In a mouth-watering matchup against a defense allowing the third most fantasy points (52.8 FanDuel points per game) to his position, James is third in value with a 3.48 rating and a 52.3 fantasy projection. The Lakers' future Hall of Famer is averaging 1.47 FanDuel points per minute and a team-high 29.6% usage rate during the In-Season Tournament.

In the Middle

Myles Turner ($13,000): Since November 3rd, Turner is second in fantasy production (1.31 FanDuel points per minute) and usage (24.0%) among his team's starting unit. Indiana's defensive enforcer ranks fourth overall witha 40.1 fantasy projection against a Los Angeles team giving up 53.7 FanDuel points per game to centers.

D'Angelo Russell ($12,000): Despite inconsistent playing time, "D-Lo" is third among his team with a 29.9 fantasy projection versus a defense ranked 28th in opposing three point shooting percentage.

Austin Reaves ($11,000): Even in a second unit role, Reaves is averaging 1.03 FanDuel points per minute and a 22.0% usage rate. The 25-year old has logged 27.5 minutes since he was given responsibilities off the bench.

Bruce Brown Jr. ($10,000): In his last ten games, Brown was scored at least 10 real-life points per game while producing 0.82 FanDuel points per minute and a 16.8% usage rate during this time period.

At the Bottom

Buddy Hield ($9,500): At a salary standing fifth among today' slate, Hield is second in value with a 3.59 rating and a 34.1 fantasy projection in a matchup against a defense allowing 43.1 FanDuel points per game to shooting guards. In his last eight starts, the Pacers' three-point specialist has averaged 0.97 FanDuel points per minute and a 18.9% usage rate.

Obi Toppin ($9,000): Despite recording an inconsistent 17.5% usage rate in his last 16 games, Toppin has been efficient with his playing time, accounting for 0.90 FanDuel points and 0.56 real-life points per minute.

Bennedict Mathurin ($8,500): Since the 21-year old was given a second unit role, Indiana's second-year guard is recording 0.77 FanDuel points per minute and a 21.8% usage rate.

Aaron Nesmith ($8,000): In his last five appearances, Nesmith has played a key role in the Pacers' rotation, averaging 26.8 minutes per game and 0.78 FanDuel points per minute.

Cam Reddish ($7,500): The 24-year old is third among his team in value with a 2.69 rating and a 20.2 fantasy projection against an Indiana team allowing shooting guards to score 23.7 real-life points and 41.6 FanDuel points per game.

Interested in playing NBA daily fantasy? FanDuel has plenty of contest options to make every moment more. Be sure to check out the 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.