Tuesday features a 12-game slate starting at 7 p.m. ET.
Let’s dive into some of the top plays 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
Hope you guys are ready for a wild night. A 12-game slate during the final week of the regular season is bound to feature plenty of news, so make sure you’re staying up to date. There’s a good chance that multiple players get ruled out who are not currently on the injury report, which is going to open up plenty of value.
Kyrie Irving is super pricy at $10,600 on DraftKings, but his $9,000 salary on FanDuel is reasonable. It results in a Bargain Rating of 98%, and you could not ask for a better game environment for Irving on Tuesday. The Nets are currently implied for an eye-popping 131.0 points, which is easily the highest mark I’ve ever seen. Irving has also racked up at least 44 minutes in back-to-back games, and he should be busy once again with the Nets looking to improve their playoff positioning.
Value
The Spurs currently own a two-game lead over the Lakers for the final spot in the play-in tournament, which is hilarious since they couldn’t care less about it. Dejounte Murray has already been ruled out with an illness, which means Tre Jones should draw the start at point guard. Jones has been excellent recently, averaging 0.95 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he’s currently projected for 33 minutes in our NBA Models. Overall, Jones has averaged 36.35 DraftKings points in five games without Murray and Derrick White this season, making him a steal at just $4,000.
Fast Break
Kyle Lowry is currently questionable for the Heat, but he’s underpriced if he’s able to suit up. He’s priced at just $6,000 on DraftKings, and Lowry has been priced below $6,200 in just one previous start this season. He responded with 38.5 DraftKings points in that outing, and he’s scored at least 37.5 DraftKings points in three straight games.
Ish Smith isn’t playing a ton of minutes for the Wizards, but he’s made the most of them. He’s averaged 1.02 FanDuel points per minute over the past month, and he’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in seven straight games. He has appeal vs. the Timberwolves, who have played at the fastest pace in the league this season.
Shooting Guard
Stud
Caris LeVert is another player with a massive price discrepancy between the sites on Tuesday. He’s fairly priced at $7,000 on DraftKings, but his $5,400 salary on FanDuel is an absolute joke. LeVert is back to playing big minutes for the Cavaliers, which has allowed him to post a positive Plus/Minus in six straight games. He’s scored at least 33.1 FanDuel points in three of his past four, and the Cavaliers have a fantastic matchup Tuesday vs. the Magic. They’ve been subpar defensively this season, and the Cavs’ implied team total of 114.75 represents a sizable increase from their season average of 107.4 points per game.
Value
Lonnie Walker IV should also garner consideration for the Spurs on Tuesday. He hasn’t been quite as impressive as Jones in five games without Murray and White, but he’s still averaged 27.0 DraftKings points per game in those contests. That makes him a very reasonable selection at just $4,000.
Fast Break
Brandon Ingram recently returned to the lineup for the Pelicans, and he’s had some nice outings. He struggled in his last game, finishing with just 28.5 DraftKings points over 34.9 minutes, but he scored at least 37.0 DraftKings points in each of his three previous games. Overall, Ingram has averaged 1.34 DraftKings points per minute over the past month. He should be able to post another strong result vs. the Kings, and his $8,000 salary on DraftKings comes with a Bargain Rating of 79%.
D’Angelo Russell remains priced at a massive discount on FanDuel, where his $5,300 salary comes with a Bargain Rating of 96%. Russell has crushed this price tag in back-to-back games, and he’s posted an average Plus/Minus of +6.48 in four games with a comparable salary this season (per the Trends tool).
Small Forward
Stud
Sometimes I think we take for granted how good Kevin Durant is at basketball. He dropped the most casual 55 points I’ve ever seen in his last outing, finishing with at least 72.25 DraftKings points for the second time in three games. He’s going to have to continue to carry a monster workload for the Nets, and his 39 projected minutes are tied for the top mark on the slate. There are some blowout concerns – the Nets are listed as 17-point home favorites – but Durant should absolutely carve up the Rockets’ porous defense.
Value
If you can’t afford Durant on Tuesday, Bruce Brown is a solid alternative for the Nets. His $5,300 price tag on DraftKings comes with a Bargain Rating of 86%, and he’s averaged 1.00 DraftKings points per minute over the past month. He’s currently projected for 30 minutes in our NBA Models, and that could be a conservative estimate with Seth Curry out of the lineup.
Fast Break
The Thunder are tanking hard at the moment, but that hasn’t stopped them from providing excellent fantasy value. Aleksej Pokusevski has been a major bright spot, posting an average Plus/Minus of +7.07 over his past 10 games on DraftKings. He’s coming off a triple-double and 54.5 DraftKings points in his last outing, and he’s averaged 1.08 DraftKings points per minute over the past month. As long as he’s in the lineup, he’s underpriced at $6,700.
Jimmy Butler is down to just $7,600 on FanDuel, resulting in a Bargain Rating of 94%, and he has some buy-low appeal at that figure. He’s historically posted an average Plus/Minus of +3.87 with a comparable salary, and he’s scored at least 40.4 FanDuel points in two of his past three games. He would also get a boost if Lowry is ultimately ruled out.
Power Forward
Stud
There is definitely a bit of risk with Giannis Antetokounmpo on Tuesday. I don’t think the Bucks particularly care about where they finish in the Eastern Conference, so I wouldn’t expect them to push Giannis too hard vs. the Bulls. That makes someone like Durant a bit safer, especially at a reduced price tag.
Still, no one can match Giannis’ production on a per-minute basis. He’s averaged a stout 1.77 DraftKings points per minute this season, and he’s scored at least 70.5 DraftKings points in two of his past three games. The matchup between the Bucks and Bulls should also feature plenty of scoring on both sides given the 233.5-point total and the five-point spread.
Value
Rui Hachimura missed most of the early season for the Wizards, but he’s started to find his groove. He’s played at least 28.7 minutes in three of his past four games, with the lone exception being a 32-point loss in his last outing. He’s expected to return to around 28 minutes on Tuesday, and he’s averaged a strong 0.88 DraftKings points per minute this season. Overall, he’s a strong bet to return value at his cheap price tag across the industry.
Fast Break
Moe Wagner is another potential source of value at the position, especially at just $3,900 on FanDuel. Wagner has been an excellent per-minute producer all year, and he’s seen a few additional minutes recently with Wendell Carter Jr. out of the lineup. He owns the best points-per-dollar projection at the position on FanDuel.
I honestly have no idea what to do with the Lakers on this slate. Both LeBron James and Anthony Davis are questionable, and the team’s playoff hopes are hanging by a thread. James missed their last contest, so he seems like the bigger longshot to suit up vs. the Suns. If he’s out once again, Davis would be worth consideration if he’s active. Davis was outstanding sans LeBron in their last outing, finishing with 63.8 FanDuel points over 34.6 minutes. He’s also one of the best pure values on the slate on FanDuel given his Bargain Rating of 97%.
Center
Stud
Nikola Vucevic is probably the most disrespected fantasy player in the league. All the guy does is return value, yet his salary never seems to budge. He’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in eight straight games, despite the fact that he was limited to just 31.7 minutes in his last outing.
Vucevic is clearly worth consideration at $7,600 on FanDuel, and he would be an even stronger option than usual if Zach LaVine is ruled out. LaVine entered the day as probable but has since been downgraded to questionable, which is not a good sign for his availability.
Value
The Cavaliers’ frontcourt has been decimated by injuries of late, which has allowed Moses Brown to step into a prominent role. He’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in four straight games, which is not surprising given his average of 1.23 DraftKings points per minute over the past month. His price continues to rise, but he still seems too cheap across the industry.
Fast Break
Nicolas Claxton has played at least 23.8 minutes in back-to-back games for the Nets, and he’s expected to see a similar role vs. the Rockets. That makes him viable at just $4,000. He’s averaged 0.99 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and it doesn’t get much better than the Rockets from a matchup perspective.
Karl-Anthony Towns has been priced down to $8,300 on FanDuel. If that seems like a crazy-low price tag for him, it’s because it is. He’s historically owned a comparable price tag in just 48 contests, and he’s averaged a Plus/Minus of +4.81.
