The NBA has a solid five-game slate on Tuesday night with 10 teams taking the floor. Four of the five games feature an Eastern Conference vs. Western Conference matchup with the Mavericks hosting the Grizzlies the only intra-conference contest. None of the 10 teams in action are on the second night of a back-to-back, but four teams are scheduled to play again on Wednesday. The Pistons, Timberwolves, Kings and Raptors may adjust their rotations as a result.
Several key injuries have already impacted the slate and created value opportunities, and other important status updates are expected throughout the day. Be sure to refresh the NBA Models throughout the day for the latest adjustments and monitor the news hub for status updates.
Let’s dive into some of the top plays on the slate using the FantasyLabs tools and projections.
Also, don’t forget that for large-field tournaments, you can utilize our Lineup Optimizer to effortlessly create up to 300 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 NBA Player Models directly for any updates as we get closer to lock.
NBA DFS Point Guard Picks
Stud
The Grizzlies got the awful news that Ja Morant (shoulder) will require season-ending surgery ahead of their visit to Dallas on Tuesday, so they’ll be an even better matchup for Luka Doncic and the Mavs. Doncic is an expensive option but brings the highest median, ceiling, and floor projection on the entire slate by a wide margin. Doncic also has the highest Projected Plus/Minus at point guard on DraftKings, where he has a 98% Bargain Rating.
The Mavs have the second-highest implied team total on the slate, and even with Kyrie Irving back in the rotation, Doncic is still logging heavy usage. After sitting out Friday’s game against Portland with an ankle issue, Doncic returned with 34 points, eight assists, and six rebounds in 39 minutes against the Timberwolves on Sunday. He’s probable for this contest, so the ankle shouldn’t be an issue that scares you away.
On the season, Doncic has averaged 1.76 DraftKings points and 1.61 FanDuel points per minute, the highest mark of any player on this entire slate. In his 16 games since December 1, he has been even better, putting up 1.8 DraftKings points and 1.65 FanDuel points per minute.
Doncic has scored at least 34 points in six of his last seven games and brings a ceiling that is too high to ignore.
Value
The Pistons have been historically bad this season, and on Tuesday, they’ll host the Kings without their top player Cade Cunningham (knee). Cunningham has a team-high 30.4% usage rate, so there will be lots of shots available in Detroit’s rotation. Killian Hayes is the most likely candidate to step into his starting spot, and Hayes has upside of his own. The No. 7 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft has shown flashes of production when given more work, and he should get plenty of work for as long as Cunninghame is sidelined.
With Cunningham off the floor, Hayes has an 18.5% usage rate and a 30.8% assist rate. He has produced 0.91 DraftKings points and 0.94 FanDuel points per minute in that situation this season. He doesn’t usually score nearly as many points as Cunningham but produces good numbers across the box score. Our projections have him at 17.5% usage in 28.7 minutes.
On DraftKings, Hayes has the second-highest Projected Plus/Minus at point guard and a 96% Bargain Rating. FanDuel priced him up in anticipation of his expanded role, bumping his salary up by $1,500. He’s an excellent value on DraftKings, though, since where he won’t have to do much to reach his $4,500 salary.
Fast Break
Since returning from his month-long absence due to injury, Kyrie Irving has exceeded salary-based expectations in three straight games. He carried the load with 24 points in the game that Luka missed, but he looked even better with Doncic back in the rotation on Sunday. In that big win over Minnesota, Irving took over down the stretch and finished with 35 points, eight rebounds, and five assists. He has the second-highest Projected Plus/Minus at point guard on FanDuel and the fourth-highest on DraftKings.
Jalen Brunson has the highest Projected Plus/Minus of all point guards on FanDuel and the seventh-highest on DraftKings as his Knicks host the Trail Blazers. In his last eight games, Brunson has averaged 1.30 DraftKings points and 1.22 FanDuel points per minute while logging 36.9 minutes per game with a 29.7% usage rate. His heavy workload gives him a high ceiling, and he has scored at least 29 points in each of his three games in 2024.
Since Hayes has already been priced up on FanDuel, the best play under $6,000 on that site will be Mike Conley, according to our projections. Conley’s teammate Jordan McLaughlin is also a strong cheap play at just $4,000 on FanDuel, where he has exceeded salary-based expectations in five straight games.
His role is less secure than Hayes, but he’s a strong alternative bargain on both DraftKings and FanDuel.
NBA DFS Shooting Guard Picks
Stud
The Morant injury is huge for the Grizzlies, but at least we know what to expect since he missed the first 25 games of the season due to suspension. While he’s out the rest of the way, Desmond Bane will have to step up as the lead option on offense. With Morant off the floor, Bane has a team-high 29.3% usage rate and produced 1.23 DraftKings points and 1.18 FanDuel points per minute.
In Tuesday’s matchup with the Mavs, Bane has the second-highest Projected Plus/Minus of all shooting guards on FanDuel and the sixth-highest at the position on DraftKings. He also ranks in the top six in Projected Plus/Minus at small forward on both DraftKings and FanDuel.
Bane has shown an extremely high ceiling but has also been fairly consistent. He has scored 20+ points in four straight games and nine of his last 11. As the top option in the backcourt, he should get plenty of usage and production for the rest of the season.
Value
Bane won’t be quite as alone as he was earlier this season, though, since Marcus Smart was sidelined for a large part of the time that Morant was suspended. In his limited time on the floor without Morant, Smart produced 0.98 DraftKings points and 0.95 FanDuel points per minute with a slight bump in usage.
Smart has the third-highest Projected Plus/Minus at point guard on DraftKings and the sixth-highest on FanDuel. He is also eligible as a shooting guard on DraftKings, and that’s where he has the highest Projected Plus/Minus on the slate.
Smart had 29 points against the Lakers last Friday in what will be Morant’s final game of the season, and then Smart stepped up even more without Morant on Sunday in Phoenix. Smart finished with an impressive 25-point, eight-assist performance to vastly out-produce salary-based expectations with 50 DraftKings points and 48.2 FanDuel points.
He has that kind of ceiling if he stays hot in Dallas, and he’s worth a look at his midrange salary.
Fast Break
Anfernee Simons has been carrying the Trail Blazers offense whenever he has been available this season and is producing 1.19 DraftKings points and 1.12 FanDuel points per minute this season. He had 38 points, 11 assists, and four rebounds to carry Portland to a win in Brooklyn on Sunday. He will look to put up another big game against the Knicks on Tuesday. His high usage gives him a good ceiling, even in this pace-down spot.
The team in the biggest pace-up spot on Tuesday’s slate is the Raptors as they visit the Lakers. Immanuel Quickley is worth a look in that matchup after he has slid right into an impactful role with Toronto after arriving from the Knicks. In each of his four games with the Raptors, Quickley has exceeded salary-based expectations while averaging 1.16 DraftKings points and 1.12 FanDuel points per minute and playing 31 minutes per game.
If you have to go cheap at shooting guard, Memphis has another solution to offer in addition to Bane and Smart. Luke Kennard has the third-highest Projected Plus/Minus at the position on FanDuel and the fifth-highest on DraftKings. Kennard can score points in bunches when he’s on his game and provides much-needed shooting off the Grizzlies’ bench.
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NBA DFS Small Forward Picks
Stud
Despite the Lakers’ recent struggles, there is no small forward who comes close to matching the ceiling of LeBron James. He has the highest median, ceiling, and floor projection at the position on both DraftKings and FanDuel. He also has the highest Projected Plus/Minus of all small forwards on FanDuel, where he brings 96% leverage and a 67% Bargain Rating.
LeBron has scored at least 25 points in four of his last five games and seven of his last 10. In those 10 contests, he has averaged 1.37 DraftKings points and 1.27 FanDuel points per minute and leads the team with a 29.4% usage rate. Early in the year, Anthony Davis was the focal point of the offense, but lately, LeBron has taken back the reigns as the team has struggled.
He’s in a good matchup against the Raptors with an Opponents Plus/Minus of +1.21 on FanDuel. It looks like a good night to build around LeBron, especially since it seems to be going against popular sentiment.
Be sure to monitor LeBron’s (ankle, questionable) injury status throughout the day.
Value
Without Cunningham, Bojan Bogdanovic will have to carry more of the offense for the Pistons. As a result, he has the highest Projected Plus/Minus at small forward on DraftKings and the second-highest on FanDuel behind only LeBron.
On the season, he has a 24.5% usage rate, which jumps to 28.8% usage with Cade off the floor. In that scenario, Bogdanovic produces 1.06 DraftKings points and 0.99 FanDuel points per minute.
His game is built around his outside shooting, which is why his production is higher on DraftKings, but his increased usage and heavy minutes load are enough to make him a strong value play on both sites for as long as his salary stays under $7,000 and Cunningham is out.
Fast Break
Since the Raptors-Knicks trade, Scottie Barnes has had a much lighter workload than before the arrival of Quickley. He has finished below salary-based expectations in five straight games, including a very rough six-point game in his last game against the Warriors. He still has an elite ceiling and could be in a bounce-back spot against the Lakers, but his reduced role makes him a high-risk contrarian play at this point.
On the other side of that trade, Donte DiVincenzo has been solid for the new-look Knicks. He has scored 10+ points in five straight games and has produced 1.11 DraftKings points and 1.08 FanDuel points per minute over his last eight games dating back to Christmas Day. He’s a solid mid-range play to consider if you can’t quite put together the salary for Bogdanovic.
Vince Williams Jr. stepped up against the Suns with Ja Morant out and finished with a season-high 19 points to go with nine rebounds. He played 37 minutes off the bench after missing two games with a foot injury. He could be another member of the Grizz’s supporting cast with a chance to step up. Williams has the highest Projected Plus/Minus of all small forwards under $7,000 on DraftKings, where he has a 91% Bargain Rating.
NBA DFS Power Forward Picks
Stud
With Franz Wagner (ankle) out, Paolo Banchero has taken his game to another level and continues to outproduce his rising salary. His salary has gotten all the way to $9,700 on FanDuel, but he has exceeded salary-based expectations in 10 straight games on that site with an Average Plus/Minus of +12.14 FanDuel points. On DraftKings, he has exceeded salary-based expectations in six straight and eight of his last nine games with an Average Plus/Minus of +11.4 DraftKings points.
In his last nine games, he has produced 1.38 DraftKings points and 1.32 FanDuel points per minute while playing a massive 38.8 minutes per game with a 34.0% usage rate. With Wagner off the floor during that span season, he has a 37.8% usage rate and has poured in 1.48 DraftKings points and 1.36 FanDuel points per minute.
Banchero and the Magic have the fourth-best record in the Eastern Conference and will be looking for another statement win as they host the Timberwolves.
Value
With the return of Kyrie and Luka, Derrick Jones Jr.’s salary has been trending the opposite way from Banchero’s, but he offers solid production at his lower price point. He is in the top 10 in Projected Plus/Minus at power forward on both DraftKings and FanDuel, and he has the highest Projected Plus/Minus of all power forwards under $6,000 on FanDuel.
Jones had a double-double on Sunday against Minnesota, and his low-usage skillset fits nicely next to Luka and Kyrie’s more ball-dominant abilities. With Dante Exum (foot), Dereck Lively II (ankle), and Maxi Kleber (toe) still out, Jones and Grant Williams should continue to find plenty of minutes in the frontcourt.
From his salary under $6,000, Jones is a solid value play at either forward spot. He doesn’t have a sky-high ceiling, but he does bring consistent contributions.
Fast Break
Pascal Siakam has the highest Projected Plus/Minus at power forward on DraftKings in his good pace-up spot against the Lakers. He has seemed to meld a little better with his new teammates than Barnes has, and he has been steadily right around salary expectations for each of his last nine games. Over that span, he has produced 1.20 DraftKings points and 1.18 FanDuel points per minute and logged 35.8 minutes per game.
Since the Knicks continue to play their stars for heavy minutes and usage, Julius Randle also brings a good ceiling to this smash spot against the Blazers. Randle has exceeded salary-based expectations in four of his last five games and has produced 1.37 DraftKings points and 1.23 FanDuel points per minute over that span.
If you need a bargain play at power forward, Isaiah Livers deserves a look at just $4,000 on FanDuel and $3,700 on DraftKings. Livers has started the last three games for the Pistons and exceeded salary-based expectations by scoring double-digit points in two of those contests. With more usage available, he’s another supporting cast member with increased potential.
NBA DFS Center Picks
Stud
There are two elite plays at the top of the center options on Tuesday: Domantas Sabonis and Anthony Davis. Both are in very favorable matchups and come with very high ceilings. Our projections give the edge to Sabonis in median and floor projections on both DraftKings and FanDuel, but Davis brings a slightly higher ceiling projection on FanDuel. Both are good plays on both sites, but Sabonis is cheaper on both sites and projects to bring more production for his salary. In fact, he has the highest Projected Plus/Minus on the whole slate on both DraftKings and FanDuel.
Sabonis has exceeded salary-based expectations in six of his last nine games, with a pair of ceiling games during that span. Over those nine games, he produced 1.57 DraftKings points and 1.42 FanDuel points per minute, along with five triple-doubles.
He had a triple-double with 22 points, 23 boards, and 12 assists against the Magic, and he has that kind of ceiling in this matchup with Detroit if the game stays close and competitive. The Kings have the highest implied team total on the slate, so they should be poised to bounce back from their ugly home loss to the Pelicans on Sunday.
Value
If you are looking for a midrange center, Isaiah Hartenstein is a good play as the Knicks host the Blazers, who will be without Deandre Ayton (knee) and very thin up front. Hartenstein has exceeded salary-based expectations in four straight games on both DraftKings and FanDuel, and his salary has skyrocketed on FanDuel in his increased role. On DraftKings, he’s still only $6,400 and has a 95% Bargain Rating and the fourth-highest Projected Plus/Minus at the position.
Hartenstein has become a workhorse for the Knicks, averaging 33.6 minutes per game over his last five games, behind only Randle and Brunson. He has produced 1.07 DraftKings points and 1.12 FanDuel points per minute during that run and should be set up for more success Tuesday.
Fast Break
On DraftKings, Anthony Davis matches 13 Pro Trends, which is more than any other player on the slate. He also has a 94% Bargain Rating on DraftKings and is a very strong option to consider paying up for at power forward or center on that site, especially if you’re wary of a blowout in the Motor City.
One of the few bright spots for the Pistons this season has been the emergence of Jalen Duren, who has the third-highest Projected Plus/Minus at the position on DraftKings and the fifth-highest on FanDuel. His streak of nine straight games with a double-double ended on Sunday, but he did have 20 points in that game against Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets.
If you have to go with a bargain option at center, Moritz Wagner has posted back-to-back strong games with Wendell Carter Jr. (knee) out. Goga Bitadze’s return does limit his minutes, but he still brings a high ceiling if he gets it going against Minnesota.
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