The 2017-2018 NBA season got underway last night, but tonight is the first healthy slate of the new campaign. There obviously isn’t a lot to work with in terms of data when starting a new season, but that won’t stop us from digging right in and getting the season started off right. Let’s look at some top plays for FanDuel tonight.

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Point Guard

Damian Lillard (POR): $8,800 @ PHO
With CJ McCollum out due to a suspension, look for Lillard to see a bump in usage tonight. This also is a plus matchup against a team who played at the second-fastest pace in the league last year. With tons of value available, it’s not difficult to get Lillard into your lineups this evening.

Kemba Walker (CHA): $7,600 @ DET
Walker will likely attract a lot of attention tonight due to the absences of Nicolas Batum, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, and Michael Carter-Williams, but I would keep him reserved for tournament play only. While he could wind up with Reggie Jackson and/or Ish Smith on him, I’d look for the Pistons to slide Avery Bradley onto Kemba Walker at times as well. Still, the volume should be there, so I don’t mind taking a shot in large tournaments.

Darren Collison (IND): $4,900 vs. BKN
Collison sticks out as a strong value tonight, as he will be playing for an Indiana team who lost three major pieces of their starting lineup in the offseason. This should lead to a team who struggles to stay competitive, and one who could wind up playing at a bit faster pace. The Nets played at the fastest pace in the league last season, and Collison will likely see a lot of D’Angelo Russell on defense, who is a subpar defender.

Dennis Smith Jr. (DAL): $4,300 vs. ATL
Smith has massive upside, and now is the time to get exposure to him with pricing soft. While he could take some time to adjust, I think he is the most suited to the pro game out of anyone in this rookie class. There’s nothing to be afraid of in this Atlanta backcourt defensively, so be sure to fire up Smith in tournaments tonight.

Shooting Guard

James Harden (HOU): $11,000 @ SAC
If Chris Paul sits on the second night of a back to back, Harden would emerge as a strong play across all formats against a poor Sacramento team. While it will likely take some time for this backcourt tandem to mesh, there’s probably no bad time to take Harden, it just comes down to positional scarcity and roster construction. Keep an eye on Paul’s status, as this would be one of those times to utilize Harden.

D’Angelo Russell (BKN): $6,600 @ IND
Russell can be maddeningly inconsistent, but with him on a new team with a fresh start, that could change moving forward. He should have all the volume that he can handle on his new squad, and I think he makes for a fine midrange tournament play as a result.

Evan Turner (POR): $4,800 @PHO
Turner should be afforded some extra opportunities with CJ McCollum out for one game, which makes him an intriguing play at a typically thin position. As I noted earlier, this is a plus matchup in terms of the opponent, as the Suns are a weak defensive squad who played at a fast pace last season.

Small Forward

Jeremy Lamb (CHA): $3,500 @ DET
Lamb is an automatic value play tonight, as the Hornets will be without the services of Nicolas Batum, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, and Michael Carter-Williams. The presence of Malik Monk off of the bench could play a small role in impacting Lamb, but it’s not enough to dissuade me from utilizing Lamb as a crucial value option tonight.

Jayson Tatum (BOS): $3,500 vs. MIL
Tatum will likely see an expanded role due to some extremely unfortunate (and gruesome) circumstances stemming from Gordon Hayward‘s injury. Tatum looked good last night against Cleveland, and I expect more of the same as the Celtics return to Boston for their home opener. Small forward is not a fun position to fill tonight, so I have no qualms with punting and moving on to filling the other spots.

Power Forward

Giannis Antetokounmpo (MIL): $10,200 @ BOS
Antetokounmpo is going to be extremely popular under FanDuel’s new scoring format, and I think you need to make every effort to make sure he’s in your lineups tonight. There’s plenty of value to be had that will allow you to fit him in rather easily, as a “stars and scrubs” approach to roster construction seems prudent. There aren’t a ton of values at the position, which further enhances the position of paying up and locking in a stud like Antetokounmpo.

Ben Simmons (PHI): $5,600 @ WAS
Simmons is coming off of a strong preseason, and while he isn’t an overly efficient shooter, he contributes to all statistical categories, and that is DFS gold. Being a nightly threat for a triple-double should be the norm for the Rookie of the Year candidate, and now is the time to buy. The Wizards played up in pace last season, and the Sixers are surprisingly not massive underdogs, which should translate to plenty of run for the talented Sixer.

Thaddeus Young (IND): $5,300 vs. BKN
I expect Young to be a consistent presence for the new-look Pacers, as he should be able to post double-doubles on a fairly consistent basis. As I noted earlier, this is a good spot for the Pacers, as the Nets didn’t play much defense while playing at the fastest clip in the league last season.

Center

Hassan Whiteside (MIA): $9,200 @ ORL
Whiteside is always a candidate to rack up big numbers in the blocks department, so the new scoring system should favor the big man this season. Whiteside looked good in the preseason, and he will look to clean up the glass and defend his rebounding title from a season ago. It’s also worth noting that Whiteside has averaged 49 fantasy points per game in his last four contests against Orlando.

Andre Drummond (DET): $8,000 vs. CHA
This is a less than desirable matchup against Dwight Howard, but I think Drummond holds some appeal in tournament play tonight. He’s dramatically improved in the free throw department and he’s maturing within the offense as a leader. This is a crucial point in Drummond’s still young career, as the Pistons will be looking for the big man to take the next step in developing into a consistent star. We know the massive upside Drummond has, so take the discount while you can in tournaments.

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Adam Sutton is a correspondent at FantasyPros. To read more from Adam, follow him @DraftStars_Adam. You can find more of Adam’s work at DraftStars.net