This is so exciting! I cover NFL, MLB, and NBA for FantasyPros, but basketball is my specialty. I love to play basketball, watch basketball, and write about basketball! There’s a beautiful fluidity to the sport that’s unmatched by any other, and I can’t wait to write about DFS every weekday throughout the season. We only have two games for this opening card, but it should be a fun one between four of the best teams in the NBA.

View the best player prop bets for tonight’s slate with our NBA Prop Bet Cheat Sheet

NBA DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer: Tuesday

Schedule and Odds

• Los Angeles Lakers at Denver Nuggets (DEN -5) O/U: 227.5
• Phoenix Suns at Golden State Warriors (GSW -1.5) O/U: 232

Check out our consensus game odds as well as the odds from each sportsbook at BettingPros

Injury Report

• Draymond Green (F – GSW): OUT (ankle)
• Jarred Vanderbilt (F – LAL): Questionable (heel)
• Bradley Beal (back) Questionable
• Devin Booker (toe) Questionable

Core Plays

Stephen Curry (PG/SG – GSW): $9,200 DraftKings, $10,000 FanDuel
Steph Curry is one of the most reliable options in DFS, and he’s an easy choice on the opening slate! Curry averaged over 50 DraftKings points per game last season and could be asked to do more with Draymond possibly sitting. You know he’ll be motivated against a team like Phoenix, with Chef Curry averaging 29.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 5.5 assists in three games against them last year.

Jamal Murray (PG – DEN): $7,500 DraftKings, $8,800 FanDuel
A knee injury slowed down Murray’s career, but he looked like an All-Star player before and in the final months of last season. This guard averaged over 45 DK points per game in the final two months of last year and is coming into the season healthy for the first time in years. The matchup with LA is nice, too, with the Lakers allowing the second-most fantasy points to opposing point guards last season. That was on full display looking at Murray’s 48-point average against them in their eight matchups last year.

Cash Game Considerations

Nikola Jokic (C – DEN): $10,000 DraftKings, $11,500 FanDuel
The Joker has been glued to this section for years and will stay in it. He’s scored at least 40 fantasy points in all but a handful of games over the last few years and averaged a league-best 60 DK points per game in that span. He’s simply the best option in fantasy, posting a 66-point average against the Lakers last season.

Kevin Durant (SF/PF – PHX): $8,400 DraftKings, $10,800 FanDuel
It’s hard to believe that KD is just $8,400 on DraftKings. He’ll be rostered by everyone over there, because he should be closer to $10,000. We’re talking about a guy who averaged 50 fantasy points every season, totaling a 49-point average last year. That should bode well in this matchup since Golden State has a 25th OPRK against opposing forwards. And don’t overlook the fact that this is a revenge game for Durant, because he’s one of the most spiteful players in the league.

GPP Targets

Klay Thompson (SG/SF – GSW): $6,500 DraftKings, $6,500 FanDuel
Klay is one of the greatest sharpshooters in NBA history, making him an elite GPP option on every slate. He had trouble showing consistency last season, but he’s now a year removed from his two injuries which should mean that he’s back to full strength. We’ve seen Klay perform at an $8K level in the past, and he can definitely return to that on any given night. If he reaches his 34-point average from last season, Thompson would still be a tremendous value below $7K.

Michael Porter Jr. (SF – DEN): $5,800 DraftKings, $6,000 FanDuel
MPJ can be frustrating at times, but he can also be a stud when he’s locked in. We saw this youngster average over 30 fantasy points per game over the final two months of last year, expanding his role in the postseason. If he just adds some other statistics to his elite shooting, Porter could be a $7K player in no time. Not to mention, MPJ averaged over 33 DraftKings points per game against this 26th-ranked LA defense last year.

Value Plays

Chris Paul (PG – GSW): $5,600 DraftKings, $8,000 FanDuel
There’s no better value on this slate than CP3 on DraftKings. It’s wild that he’s at just $5,600 because he’s been an $8K player on both sites throughout his career. It’s clear that DK is horrified by the signing with Golden State, but many people don’t realize it could open up more shots and assists for this elite point guard. Facing his former team only adds to his intrigue, because all we need is 30-35 fantasy points for CP3 to be a great value.

Kevon Looney (C – GSW): $5,300 DraftKings, $5,400 FanDuel
This is risky, but Looney looks like a solid value at just above $5K on both sites. We saw this guy start for the majority of the postseason and average over 30 DK points per game in that expanded role. With Draymond looking unlikely to play, that means Looney should be locked into a 30-minute role as the starting center. He’s a double-double machine in that type of role, and they need him out there to match up with Jusuf Nurkic.

Advantageous Pricing

• Jamal Murray (PG – DEN): $7,500 DraftKings, $8,800 FanDuel
• Nikola Jokic (C – DEN): $10,000 DraftKings, $11,500 FanDuel
• Kevin Durant (SF/PF – PHX): $8,400 DraftKings, $10,800 FanDuel
• Chris Paul (PG – GSW): $5,600 DraftKings, $8,000 FanDuel
• Anthony Davis (PF/C – LAL): $8.900 DraftKings, $11,200 FanDuel

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | RadioPublic | Breaker | Castbox | Pocket Casts