This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
A mere 72 days after the Lakers put the finishing touches on their NBA Finals win over the Miami Heat, the NBA is back with the tip-off to the 2020-21 season. As customary, Opening Night will be a star-laden affair, which always makes it an interesting night for DFS, despite just two games being on the slate.
The opening Warriors-Nets contest features no shortage of intrigue, as two superstars in Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant will be retaking the floor after extended injury absences. The fact Durant will be facing a team he won back-to-back championships with just a few short years ago adds yet another interesting facet to the equation.
The Clippers-Lakers nightcap includes another collection of NBA royalty in the likes of Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Tyronn Lue will also officially take the reins of the Clips for the first time since replacing Doc Rivers this offseason as a pair of squads that spilt last season's four-game series and were arguably left unfulfilled by never meeting for a Western Conference Finals series have the opportunity to renew acquaintances.
Without further ado, let's dive into Tuesday's season-opening slate!
Slate Overview
Golden State Warriors at Brooklyn Nets
Projected total: 230.0 points
The Warriors slumped to a meager Western Conference-low 106.3 points per game last season while dealing with a multitude of injuries to key pieces, in addition to the offseason departure of Kevin Durant. Klay Thompson will unfortunately miss a second consecutive season after tearing his Achilles on Nov. 18, but Stephen Curry is back in the fold and completely healed from the broken hand that cost him most of the shortened 2019-20 campaign.
Andrew Wiggins, added on Feb. 6 via trade with the Timberwolves, has also had plenty of time to assimilate to coach Steve Kerr's system, while Kelly Oubre was a talented addition via trade with the Thunder shortly before the season began. Factoring in talented rookie second overall pick James Wiseman, Golden State is in exponentially better shape than last season.
The Nets have some notable returns/additions of their own that project to make Brooklyn one of the Eastern Conference's elite. Kyrie Irving ultimately played just 20 games last season for the Nets before shutting down to have shoulder surgery. Meanwhile, Kevin Durant sat out the entire season, as planned, to finish his recovery from the torn Achilles he suffered during the 2019 Finals. The two mega-stars are now back to full health and are ready to spearhead a team that sees starting-quality assets like Jarrett Allen, Spencer Dinwiddie and Caris LeVert slide into more complementary roles.
Los Angeles Clippers at Los Angeles Lakers
Projected total: 219.5 points
These two teams went toe-to-toe on Opening Night a year ago, with the Clippers coming out on top. In the regular season, three of the four games between the clubs were decided by single-digit margins, a testament to the proximity in talent level. Both squads return all of their key players, while the offseason additions made by each appear to have been especially prudent.
The Clippers improved their talent on both sides of the floor with the signing of veteran big Serge Ibaka, who'll provide a physical presence while offering more offensive punch than Ivica Zubac, who'll slide into the second unit. Luke Kennard, who averaged career highs in points (15.8), assists (4.1) and rebounds (3.5) with the Pistons last season, arrives to boost the scoring upside of a second unit that already features Lou Williams even further.
The Lakers didn't stand pat either, despite securing the Larry O'Brien trophy. Ibaka's former Raptors teammate Marc Gasol will now man the five for Los Angeles (and face off with Ibaka right from the jump), while Montrezl Harrell and his non-stop motor will come off the bench behind him and renew acquaintances with the Clippers squad he rose to prominence in right from his first game with their intercity rivals. Dennis Schroder, who's coming off averaging 18.9 points on career-best success rates of 46.9 percent overall and 38.5 percent from three-point range with the Thunder, was also brought in to help keep the scoreboard humming when the front-line players take a breather.
Positional Breakdown
Point Guard: There are two elite options at the top of the PG player pool, and both are arguably underpriced for their upside. Kyrie Irving ($9K) and Stephen Curry ($8.7K) could each outperform their salaries in what is expected to be a high-scoring affair -- especially with the latter expected to see elevated usage this season while playing without Thompson. Below the two stars, Lou Williams ($5.3K) is now listed as a point guard and makes for an excellent value play due to his customary solid role off the bench and three-point prowess.
Shooting Guard: This is the backcourt spot with more overall fantasy depth Tuesday, as a top duo of Paul George ($7.6K) and Andrew Wiggins ($6.6K) is complemented by less expensive but still decent-upside options like Spencer Dinwiddie ($5.2K), Dennis Schroder ($5K) and Luke Kennard ($4K). All three players are expected to see solid minutes and each can offer solid multi-category production.
Small Forward: LeBron James ($11K) and Kawhi Leonard ($9.5K) head up the SF pool. While each is naturally an excellent play in a vacuum, there's caution that should be exercised with LeBron in relation to his salary and past performance against Leonard and the Clippers. James shot just 36.7 percent versus the Clippers last season over four games -- easily his worst figure against any team -- while averaging a modest-by-his-standards 21.3 points. In contrast, Leonard averaged 45.7 FD points in four matchups with the Lakers, shooting an impressive 51.4 percent from the field, including an outstanding 44.0 percent from distance. The options dry up relatively quickly after the star duo, but Kelly Oubre ($6.6K) and Caris LeVert ($5.8K) are attractive mid-priced alternatives.
Power Forward: Anthony Davis ($10.6K) heads up this group and is followed by one of the best fantasy-point-per-dollar plays on the small slate in Kevin Durant ($8.5K), who could well deliver a very strong return on a salary that's bound to rise in coming days. Durant looked to be in midseason form against the Celtics in preseason action Friday night with a 25-point, six-rebound, two-assist, three-block, one-steal effort and could therefore hit the ground running. Draymond Green's (foot) absence Tuesday removes another prominent name from the positional pool, but Serge Ibaka ($5.5K), Eric Paschall ($4.9K), Marquese Chriss ($4.4K) and Kyle Kuzma ($4.2K) all make for intriguing value plays.
Center: You'll be able to afford some expensive pieces elsewhere Tuesday based on the significant savings to be had at center, where Montrezl Harrell is the priciest option at a salary of just $5.1K. Jarrett Allen ($4.8K), Ivica Zubac ($4.7K), DeAndre Jordan ($4.5K), James Wiseman ($4.2K) and Marc Gasol ($3.8K) are all worthy of consideration as well, considering the investment required relative to expected role.
Injury Situations to Monitor
NOTE: Injury reporting is especially fluid in the NBA, where the status of multiple players can change during the course of a day. Be sure to check RotoWire's injury news page throughout the day for the most accurate information.
Draymond Green, GSW (foot)/ Status: OUT
Green has been declared out for the opener, paving the way for a bump in minutes for Eric Paschall.
Marcus Morris, LAC (knee)/ Status: OUT
Morris will not play against the Lakers because of right knee soreness. Nicolas Batum and Luke Kennard are likely to be the primary beneficiaries.
Elite Players
The two five-figure salaries on this slate belong to LeBron James ($11K) and Anthony Davis ($10.6K). As discussed earlier, it's a bit of buyer beware situation with LeBron due to the matchup, making Davis the more appealing option if you're deciding between the two. The Brow enjoyed more success against the Clips last season, averaging 28.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.3 blocks and 1.3 steals over 36.5 minutes across four games.
Kawhi Leonard ($9.5K), Kyrie Irving ($9K), Stephen Curry ($8.7K) and Kevin Durant ($8.5K) are a fine quartet in the next salary tier. All are capable of producing 50 FD points or more on any given night. And it might be easy to forget about Paul George ($7.6K), but it's worth noting the veteran wing averaged 26.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.3 blocks in three games against the Lakers last season.
Expected Chalk
All of the names mentioned in Elite Players section are naturally going to be very popular Tuesday, with each's rostering rates even higher than normal due to the two-game slate. It will be impossible not to have some chalk in tournaments in order to have a fighting chance at the top, so the key will be to differentiate with some of your mid-priced pieces and value plays. Fortunately, there are a number of viable options for both price points.
Key Values
Kelly Oubre, GS at BKN ($6,400)
Oubre has shown considerable year-to-year improvement in each of his first five seasons, and having just turned 25 years old, he may well be entering his prime. The fast-paced Warriors could be the team that propels him to yet another level, and in what could be a back-and-forth, high-scoring tussle, Oubre should thrive while Stephen Curry and Andrew Wiggins draw plenty of attention. The ascending wing contributes across the stat sheet and is coming off a 2019-20 campaign in which he posted career-best efficiency numbers (45.2 percent shooting, including 35.2 percent from three-point range).
Spencer Dinwiddie, BKN vs GS ($5,200)
Due to the presence of his big-name teammates, Dinwiddie is almost a forgotten man, but the capable veteran is slated to start at shooting guard and could still have a solid role relative to his very affordable salary. Dinwiddie isn't expected to approach last season's career-best 20.6 points, but he did score 16 or more points in 13 of the 20 games he played last season with Kyrie Irving. Naturally, Kevin Durant's presence will lead to a significant usage decline for the remaining members of the starting five, but Dinwiddie could still offer a strong return on investment in a game in which the pace and score should both be high.
Montrezl Harrell, LAL vs. LAC ($5,100)
The energetic big man didn't travel far in free agency after having spent the last three seasons with the Clippers, and he'll get a shot at his former team right out of the gate, which should have him even more motivated than usual. Harrell can contribute in four categories on the stat sheet and takes only high-percentage shots, so the opportunity for a strong return if he plays his customary workload of mid-20s minutes is very high. Playing time shouldn't be an issue with the Lakers projected to manage the minutes of 35-year-old starting center Marc Gasol. The fact the Clippers will be down Marcus Morris (knee) in the frontcourt doesn't hurt Harrell, either.
Other value plays to consider: Caris LeVert, BKN ($5,800); Lou Williams, LAC ($5,300): Dennis Schroder, LAL ($5,000); Eric Paschall, GS ($4,900)
