Tuesday features a five-game slate starting at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Let’s dive into some of the top plays on the slate using the FantasyLabs Tools and metrics.
Also, don’t forget that for large-field tournaments, you can utilize our Lineup Optimizer to effortlessly create up to 150 lineups, or use our Lineup Builder if you like to hand-build your lineups.
Note: Projections and Leverages Scores/Ratings may change throughout the day after this article is posted. The NBA DFS landscape changes quickly. Consult the Player Models directly for any updates as we get closer to lock.
Point Guard
Stud
Steph Curry has been lights-out to start the year. He’s scored at least 53 FanDuel points in each of his first three games, and he’s racked up points in a variety of ways. Of course, most of his value comes from his scoring ability, specifically his ability to shoot the ball from deep. He should continue to carry an increased usage rate with Klay Thompson sidelined, so there’s no reason to expect much regression moving forward.
Curry leads the position with 10 Pro Trends on FanDuel, and his $10,400 salary comes with a Bargain Rating of 91%. He also has a solid matchup vs. the Thunder, resulting in an Opponent Plus/Minus of +2.33, and the Warriors’ implied team total of 116.25 is the top mark on the slate.
Value
Mike Conley’s salary is down to $5,700 on DraftKings, and he’s a nice value at that price tag. He averaged 1.13 DraftKings points per minute last season, and he’s currently projected for 28.4 minutes in our NBA Models. Conley has also historically averaged a Plus/Minus of +4.62 with a comparable price tag (per the Trends tool).
Fast Break
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has carried a massive workload for the Thunder to start the year. He’s posted a usage rate of at least 31.0% in his past two contests, and he also played nearly 38.7 minutes in his last game. He responded with 52.2 FanDuel points, and there should be plenty of big games in his future. He’s an elite option at $7,100 on FanDuel gives his Bargain Rating of 95%.
LeBron James has been downgraded to questionable for Tuesday’s matchup vs. the Spurs, and his absence would obviously increase the appeal for some of his teammates. Russell Westbrook figures to be one of the biggest beneficiaries. He hasn’t had the same per-minute production with the Lakers, but he averaged 1.55 DraftKings points per minute last year. The thought of getting that version of Westbrook at his current price tag is tantalizing.
Shooting Guard
Stud
The Mavericks’ offense looks like a shell of what it was in 2019, but they showed some signs of improvement in their second game. Luka Doncic ended up scoring 53.8 FanDuel points over 38.9 minutes, and he can do some serious damage if he’s going to continue to play that much moving forward. Doncic averaged 1.47 FanDuel points per minute last season, so he unsurprisingly owns one of the top ceiling projections in our NBA Models.
Doncic is also in an appealing spot vs. the Rockets, who have played at the third-fastest pace this season. The Mavericks are currently implied for 116.0 points, so this could be an excellent buy-low spot for their offense in general.
Value
If you want to go a bit cheaper with the Mavericks, Tim Hardaway Jr. is one of the best values at the position on FanDuel. He’s priced at just $5,000, resulting in a Bargain Rating of 98%. Hardaway drilled seven 3-pointers in their last game, and he owns an Opponent Plus/Minus of +1.94 vs. the Rockets.
Fast Break
Andrew Wiggins has played limited minutes to start the year, but his playing time is slowly creeping up. He played 31.2 minutes in his last game, and he averaged 0.97 DraftKings points per minute last year. That gives him a good chance of paying off his $5,800 salary vs. the Rockets. Wiggins has historically averaged a Plus/Minus of +5.14 with a comparable salary as a member of the Warriors.
Lu Dort’s playing time has been all over the place to start the year. He’s played as few as 27.1 minutes and as many as 37.5 through his first three games. That said, the fact that Derrick Favors will be out of the lineup on Tuesday should help him in that department. The Warriors have also played at the second-fastest pace this season, so this is a solid pace-up spot for the Thunder. They should provide more fantasy value than usual.
Small Forward
Stud
Michael Porter Jr. has not gotten off to the best start this season. He’s scored 34.0 DraftKings points or less in each of his first three games, which was not something I expected. He was amazing down the stretch last season with Jamal Murray out of the lineup, averaging 24.6 points per game while shooting 56% from the field and 45% from 3-point range, but he has not been able to recapture that form this year.
Still, I’m not giving up on Porter yet. He’s underpriced at just $6,200 on DraftKings, resulting in a Bargain Rating of 83%.
Value
Can I interest you in a different Porter? Kevin Porter Jr. has SF eligibility on FanDuel, where his $5,900 salary comes with a Bargain Rating of 95%. He took a backseat to Jalen Green in their last outing, and he also racked up eight turnovers. He should be able to improve his performance vs. the Warriors, and he’s already displayed a ceiling of nearly 50 FanDuel points this season.
Fast Break
Kent Bazemore has been starting for the Lakers this season, and while that hasn’t resulted in much fantasy value yet, it does give him some appeal moving forward. Bazemore averaged 0.83 DraftKings points per minute last year, and he’s currently projected for nearly 30 minutes in our NBA Models. Historically, Bazemore has averaged a Plus/Minus of +2.26 with a comparable salary and minute projection.
Tobias Harris is coming off a subpar performance in his game, which has caused his salary to decrease slightly on FanDuel. His current $7,400 salary comes with a Bargain Rating of 91%, which makes him an appealing option vs. the Knicks. Joel Embiid is also questionable, and his absence would vault Harris into elite territory.
Power Forward
Stud
Kristaps Porzingis looks like he’s poised for a monster season, at least until he inevitably gets hurt. New head coach Jason Kidd promised to get Porzingis more involved this season, and he has lived up to his promise so far. Porzingis posted a usage rate of 31.7% in his last game, and he managed 46.5 FanDuel points despite shooting just 7-20 from the field. He’s also been extremely active on the defensive end, racking up six blocks and two steals through his first two games.
Porzingis remains one of the best pure values on FanDuel, where his $7,000 salary comes with a Bargain Rating of 91%. His matchup vs. the Rockets also results in an Opponent Plus/Minus of +3.61, so this is a potential smash spot.
Value
Keldon Johnson has been one of the Spurs’ offensive focal points to start the year. He posted a usage rate of 30.5% in his last game, which allowed him to score 28.0 DraftKings points over just 29.5 minutes. He played 37.4 minutes in his previous game, so he has a bit more upside moving forward.
Fast Break
Darius Bazley’s price tag has dropped by more than $1,000 on DraftKings to start the year, which makes him an interesting buy-low target vs. the Warriors. His playing time has been a bit inconsistent, but Favors being out of the lineup should help in that department.
Draymond Green has struggled a bit to start the year, but he’s been priced down to just $6,400 on FanDuel. That’s an appealing price tag for him. He’s historically averaged a Plus/Minus of +3.86 with a comparable salary.
Center
Stud
As usual, center is one of the strongest positions on Tuesday’s slate. However, Nikola Jokic stands out above the rest. He was one of the best fantasy producers in basketball last season, and he’s been even better to start the new year. He’s averaged 1.72 FanDuel points per minute over the past month, and his 11 Pro Trends are tied for the most at the position. He’s also a nice value on DraftKings given his Bargain Rating of 75%.
Value
Dwight Powell has been starting at center for the Mavericks, and he’s coming off 20.5 DraftKings points over 24.6 minutes in his last outing. Powell was mediocre on a per-minute basis last year, but he’s averaged close to 1.00 DraftKings points per minute since the start of the preseason. If he can continue to produce at that level, he’ll be a nice value at just $3,300.
Fast Break
Embiid has battled injuries early in the year, which is obviously not how you want to start the season. He’s posted a negative Plus/Minus in each of his first three games, but he still figures to be an excellent option in the long run. He’s averaged 1.80 DraftKings points per minute with Ben Simmons off the court since the start of last season, so he has massive upside at $9,800 if he’s active.
Daniel Theis could be an additional source of value at the center position. He’s started each game for the Rockets this season, and he averaged 0.89 FanDuel points per minute last year. He hasn’t seen a ton of playing time, but he posted a positive Plus/Minus in just 22.6 minutes in his last outing.
