Tuesday features a four-game main slate starting at 7 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
The Lakers will be without LeBron James on Tuesday, who is serving his one-game suspension for his role in the altercation with Isaiah Stewart. That’s going to have a massive impact on the slate.
Russell Westbrook gets a sizable boost at the point guard position. He’s increased his production to 1.37 DraftKings points per minute with James off the court this season, and his $9,900 salary on FanDuel comes with a Bargain Rating of 91%. His 10 Pro Trends are also tied for first at the position.
Anthony Davis has also been downgraded to questionable, and Westbrook would become almost a must-play if Davis joins LeBron on the sidelines.
Value
The Pistons should be a nice source of value on Tuesday. They’re playing without Stewart, Killian Hayes, and Kelly Olynyk, so they have plenty of minutes available.
Cory Joseph has posted a positive Plus/Minus in three straight games on FanDuel, and he’s coming off 38.6 minutes in his last game. Joseph should see another sizable workload on Tuesday – he’s currently projected for 33 minutes in our NBA Models – and he’s averaged 0.75 FanDuel points per minute over the past month. He’s underpriced across the industry.
Fast Break
Derrick Rose has one of the best matchups at the position. He’s taking on the Lakers, who rank just 20th in defensive efficiency, and Rose owns an Opponent Plus/Minus of +3.62 on DraftKings. He’s also one of the best pure values at the position on DraftKings given his Bargain Rating of 83%.
Kyle Lowry is another player with an elite matchup on Tuesday. He owns an Opponent Plus/Minus of +4.05 on FanDuel, where his salary has dipped to just $6,800. Lowry has historically averaged a Plus/Minus of +5.18 with a comparable salary (per the Trends tool), so he has some buy-low appeal.
Shooting Guard
Stud
Paul George has shooting guard eligibility on FanDuel, where he stands out as an elite value on Tuesday. He’s been priced down to just $9,200, resulting in a Bargain Rating of 96%. He’s been fantastic for most of the season, averaging 1.33 FanDuel points per minute, but he has struggled a bit of late. However, he’s shot just 39.0% from the field and 30.0% from 3-point range over his past five games, so he’s a strong candidate for some positive regression.
Value
Hamidou Diallo is another member of the Pistons who should benefit from their absences on Tuesday. He’s been priced up to $5,500 on FanDuel, but he remains extremely affordable at just $3,500 on DraftKings. Diallo has averaged 1.15 DraftKings points per minute with Stewart, Hayes, and Olynyk off the court this season, so he has plenty of upside at such a minimal salary. He’s coming of 32.0 DraftKings points over 21.2 minutes in his last outing, so he can do some damage with a minimal amount of playing time.
Fast Break
Alec Burks should also provide some value at shooting guard. He’s coming off a poor performance in his last game, but he scored at least 30.0 FanDuel points in three of his previous four contests. Burks has averaged 0.94 FanDuel points per minute this season, and he’s played upwards of 29 minutes recently. His minutes should be solidified with Mitchell Robinson and Taj Gibson likely out of the lineup.
C.J. McCollum has some buy-low appeal on DraftKings. He’s priced at just $7,600, resulting in a Bargain Rating of 83%, and McCollum has the potential to pay off that price tag. The Blazers’ implied team total of 110.25 is also the top mark on the slate.
Small Forward
Stud
Jimmy Butler is a reasonable option at the top of the SF position on DraftKings. He’s actually been better than George on a per-minute basis over the past month, yet Butler is $600 cheaper. The Heat’s implied team total of 108.5 also ranks third on the slate, while the Clippers’ mark of 107.75 ranks fourth. Butler has racked up at least 44.75 DraftKings points in three straight games, and he’s scored at least 50.75 in two of them.
Value
Talen Horton-Tucker should be a priority DFS option on Tuesday’s slate. He’s been fantastic with LeBron off the court this season, averaging 1.04 DraftKings points per minute, and he’s played upwards of 39 minutes in games without LeBron this season. We currently have him projected for 35 minutes in our NBA Models, and I would consider that somewhat conservative. Even if he plays just 35 minutes, he should still be able to provide massive value at his current price tag across the industry.
Fast Break
Will Barton has had to take on a larger offensive role for the Nuggets recently, and he’s scored at least 33.3 FanDuel points in two of his past three games. The only exception was a blowout loss to the Suns in his last outing, which resulted in reduced playing time. He should return to his usual workload Tuesday vs. the Blazers, and his $6,500 salary on FanDuel comes with a Bargain Rating of 95%.
Norman Powell is another potential buy-low target for the Blazers on DraftKings. He’s down to just $5,000, resulting in a Bargain Rating of 83%. Powell has posted a negative Plus/Minus in four of his past five games, but he’s still averaged a respectable 0.87 DraftKings points per minute this season. That gives him some upside.
Power Forward
Stud
Julius Randle stands out as arguably the top option of the day on FanDuel. He’s priced at just $8,400, resulting in a Bargain Rating of 98%, and he leads all players with 11 Pro Trends. His per-minute production has been down a bit this season, but he should make up for it through sheer volume on Tuesday. Randle logged 38.5 minutes in his last outing, and he should be looking at another monster workload given the Knicks’ frontcourt injuries. He’s currently projected for 38 minutes in our NBA Models, and Randle has historically averaged a Plus/Minus of +6.93 with a comparable salary and minute projection.
Value
Jeff Green has posted a positive Plus/Minus in back-to-back games on DraftKings, yet his salary remains very reasonable at just $3,900. He’s currently projected for 29 minutes vs. the Blazers, and players with a comparable salary and minute projection have historically averaged a Plus/Minus of +3.44.
Fast Break
Larry Nance Jr. is even cheaper than Green on DraftKings, where his $3,600 salary comes with a Bargain Rating of 86%. He’s not expected to see the same volume of minutes, but he could make up for it with his efficiency. Nance has averaged 0.95 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he exploded for 39.75 DraftKings points in 24.7 minutes two games ago. That gives him an elite ceiling for his price tag.
If Davis is active, expect him to be productive for the Lakers. He’s averaged 1.46 FanDuel points per minute with LeBron off the court this season, and he’s currently projected for 37.0 minutes in our NBA Models. That gives him one of the top ceiling projections on the slate regardless of position.
Center
Stud
Nikola Jokic has missed the past two games for the Nuggets, and he’s questionable for Tuesday’s matchup vs. the Blazers. If he’s able to suit up, he’s an elite option across the industry. Jokic has been arguably the best player in fantasy this season, averaging 1.82 DraftKings points per minute. His numbers are better than they were last year, when Jokic took home the MVP.
Jokic could do some serious damage vs. the Blazers, who rank just 25th in defensive efficiency. Jokic finished with 52.75 DraftKings points over just 28 minutes in his last meeting vs. the Blazers. His ownership could also be lower than usual if some people are scared of his injury designation, making him an elite option in guaranteed prize pools (GPPs).
Value
If you’re not paying up for Jokic, going down to Nerlens Noel is a fine alternative. He should draw the start in place of Robinson, and Noel has historically been a strong producer on a per-minute basis. He hasn’t been quite as dominant in that department this year – he’s averaged 0.87 DraftKings points per minute – but he should see enough playing time to make that work vs. the Lakers.
Fast Break
Trey Lyles is another potential source of value at the position. He’s priced at the absolute minimum on DraftKings, and he should have a role for the Pistons with Stewart and Olynyk out of the lineup. He’s played around 16 minutes a night in most games, but that figure could get into the mid-20s on Tuesday. He’s also averaged 0.87 DraftKings points per minute this season, so he can take advantage of a few additional minutes.
Finally, Bam Adebayo seems underpriced at just $8,000 on FanDuel. He’s been capped at around 30 minutes recently, but his playing time should increase moving forward.
