Following a massive 13-game slate on Monday, Tuesday slows down a little bit for the NBA with just a handful of games on the schedule. The Bulls, Cavs, Mavs, Nuggets, Clippers, and Kings are playing for the second night in a row, while the Celtics, Suns, and Warriors are coming off three-day weekends, and the Lakers are returning to action after winning the first In-Season Tournament on Saturday.
With 10 teams on the floor and six playing for the second night in a row, there are definitely some matchups to attack and some to avoid. It will also be critical to keep up with the latest availability updates and be sure to refresh the NBA Models for the latest updates as we approach tip-off.
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
One of the most important storylines to watch on Tuesday is the availability of Kyrie Irving. Irving didn’t travel with the Mavs on Monday as a result of a bruised heel, but his status for Tuesday’s home game against the Lakers is still unknown. With him out of the projections, Luka Doncic is an awesome play, even though he’s extremely expensive.
Doncic has the highest Projected Plus/Minus of all point guards on DraftKigns despite his elevated salary, and he brings the highest ceiling projection on the entire slate on that site. He has the second-highest floor and median projections on the whole slate on both DraftKings and FanDuel and the second-highest Projected Plus/Minus at point guard on FanDuel.
He has produced an impressive 1.67 DraftKings points and 1.56 FanDuel points per minute on the season with a 35.9% usage rate. With Irving off the floor, he had an even-better 36.6% usage rate and has produced 1.70 DraftKings points and 1.59 FanDuel points per minute. In the four games that he has played that Irving has missed, he has averaged 39.5 minutes per game, and he will likely have a massive workload if Kyrie misses another game Tuesday.
The Lakers-Mavs matchup has the highest over/under on the slate, according to our Vegas Dashboard, so there will be plenty of good fantasy plays to consider from this big game in Big D. It should be a favorable matchup for Luka either way, but especially if Kyrie ends up missing another game.
Value
We’ll stay with the Mavs for another pick in this spot since Dante Exum has been flashing some serious value potential and should also be in for a big workload in this good game environment. On Monday, Dallas was also without Tim Hardaway Jr. (back) and Grant Williams (knee) for the whole game, and in the first half, Derrick Jones Jr. (quad) exited with a new injury. With all those players missing, Exum stepped up once again.
Exum has started each of the last three games for the Mavs and has looked very strong in each of those outings. He has the second-highest Projected Plus/Minus of point guards on DraftKings and the third-highest at the position on FanDuel. On DraftKings, he is also eligible at small forward, and on FanDuel, he can slide over to shooting guard. He’s in the top four in Projected Plus/Minus at each of those positions as well.
His salary is on the rise, but he has been able to outproduce it in each of his three starts, with at least six assists in each game and an average of 14.7 points per game. In those three starts, he has produced 1.11 DraftKings points and 1.11 FanDuel points per minute, with an Average Plus/Minus of +11.5 DraftKings points and +15.3 FanDuel points.
Exum was pretty much a bust after the Jazz took him No. 5 overall in the 2014 NBA Draft (just ahead of Julius Randle, Marcus Smart, and Zach LaVine). He has bounced around and played internationally over the last couple of years in Spain and Serbia before returning to the NBA this season.
Depending on who the Mavs have available, Exum may play a huge role. He should definitely be a good value if he remains in the starting lineup, and he may end up being the team’s second option on offense. He had 16 points, six assists, four boards, and two steals in Monday’s win in Memphis, and he should be able to post similar numbers on Tuesday if he stays lined up for so much usage.
Fast Break
James Harden has the highest Projected Plus/Minus of all point guards on FanDuel. He has exceeded salary-based expectations on FanDuel in five of his last six games and seven of his last 10. On DraftKings, he’s a little pricier but has exceeded salary-based expectations in four of his last six games. In those six games, he has produced 1.19 DraftKings points and 1.18 FanDuel points per minute while averaging 35.7 minutes per game. He’s definitely found a nice groove in his new home on the West Coast.
The Cavaliers dropped the first game of their tough road back-to-back on Monday night in Orlando, but Darius Garland continued to put up big numbers while carrying more and more of the offense. He had 36 points, six rebounds and five assists in 39 minutes against the Magic and is projected for another big workload for Tuesday’s stop in Boston. At point guard, Garland has the fourth-highest Projected Plus/Minus on FanDuel, where he has a 90% Bargain Rating. He and Donovan Mitchell have had to carry more work with Evan Mobley (knee) sidelined, which gives Garland a very high ceiling despite a tough matchup against the Celtics.
On the other side of that matchup, Derrick White brings great midrange value for the Celtics. He’s coming off his first 30-point game of the season, after knocking down six three-pointers for the first time this season and adding three boards, three assists, two steals, and two blocks on Friday against the Knicks. White has exceeded salary-based expectations on FanDuel in six straight games and on DraftKings in five of those contests. He has averaged 1.16 DraftKings points and 1.15 FanDuel points per minute over that stretch. He’s trending up and brings a high ceiling for his salary.
NBA DFS Shooting Guard Picks
Stud
One of the most exciting and interesting things to look forward to on Tuesday’s slate is our first look at the Suns All-Star backcourt of Devin Booker and Bradley Beal. Beal will be returning after missing 12 straight games with a back injury and has only played three games all season, and Booker was out for those three contests. The usage will be fascinating to watch as the Suns figure out their new rotations, whether Kevin Durant (ankle, questionable) is ready to join the party just yet or needs another day off.
With Beal likely on a minutes restriction and Durant uncertain to even take the floor, Booker is one of the top plays on the board at shooting guard since he has a 28.9% projected usage rate in 36.0 projected minutes. He had the top ceiling projection at the position on both DraftKings and FanDuel.
He’s a volatile play since exactly how much work he gets is still a little shaky, but there’s no arguing with his upside. He has proven he can carry the offensive workload and has averaged 1.41 DraftKings points and 1.35 FanDuel points per minute over his last seven games while posting a 31.8% usage rate. With Durant off the floor, his usage rate spikes to 35.4% on the season, and his production rises to 1.52 DraftKings points and 1.50 FanDuel points per minute.
Value
After winning the In-Season Tournament on Saturday, it will be interesting to see how the Lakers’ rotation settles back into a spot that’s more sustainable for the long haul of the rest of the regular season. In their tournament run, the Lakers relied more on their stars (more on them below), but they also got great production from Austin Reaves.
Reaves has the highest Projected Plus/Minus of all shooting guards and the second-highest of all small forwards on Tuesday on DraftKings. On FanDuel, he’s a little pricier but still is projected to produce positive Plus/Minus.
In each of the last four games for the Lakers, Reaves had at least 17 points, including his 28-point performance in Saturday’s championship game. He is projected for a 24.6% usage rate in 27 minutes off the bench on Tuesday against the Mavericks. Depending on how much workload the Lakers try to take off their stars, Reaves could actually end up with even more work, and he has shown the potential to carry the load for Los Angeles as they look to build on their recent success.
Fast Break
Paul George has the second-highest Projected Plus/Minus of all shooting guards on DraftKings behind only Reaves and the highest Projected Plus/Minus at the position on FanDuel. He just edges out his teammate Harden. PG has 20+ points in four straight games, playing over 37 minutes in each contest. His big workload has made him very consistent this season, and he continues to produce even with Harden and Kawhi both performing well lately. He has played a team-high 370 minutes over the Clippers’ last 10 games, producing 1.08 DraftKings points and 1.04 FanDuel points per minute.
While he isn’t nearly as consistent as George, Malik Monk has shown great upside and may be playing his way into the discussion for the Sixth Man of the Year Award. He has averaged 15.0 points, 4.9 assists, and 2.8 rebounds per game for 1.13 DraftKings points and 1.07 FanDuel points per minute so far this season. He was questionable due to illness on Monday against Brooklyn but played through the ailment and produced 21 points and nine assists in another excellent showing. He has at least 15 points off the bench in six of his last seven games and has logged 27+ minutes in six of those contests as well.
Another great value from the Mavericks, especially if Kyrie is out, is Jaden Hardy. Hardy is in the top four in Projected Plus/Minus at shooting guard on both DraftKings and FanDuel. He had a season-high 19 points on Monday against the Grizzlies while adding four assists in 34 minutes. He’s only projected for 20 minutes on Tuesday, but with so many injuries in Dallas, that could climb as their injury situation becomes clear. He has the highest Projected Plus/Minus on the entire slate for players with salaries under $5,000 on both DraftKings and FanDuel.
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NBA DFS Small Forward Picks
Stud
The Clippers have gotten rolling by leaning heavily on their big stars over the past few weeks, and Kawhi Leonard has been taking on a more active role. Kawhi has the third-highest median and ceiling projection at small forward on DraftKings and the fourth-highest ceiling and median projection at small forward on FanDuel. The options with higher projections than him all have higher salaries, though, so he has the highest Projected Plus/Minus at small forward on DraftKings and the highest at both small forward and power forward on FanDuel.
In his last six games, Kahwi has a team-high 26.9% usage. He has produced 1.24 DraftKings points and 1.23 FanDuel points per minute over that span. He has also exceeded salary-based expectations in five of his last seven contests on both DraftKings and FanDuel. On Monday, he posted another ceiling game with 34 points, six rebounds, and three assists against the Blazers.
In one of the best matchups of the night, Kawhi and the Clippers host the Kings. When he faced them at the end of November, he had 34 points and nine rebounds in a 131-117 victory. He has been playing both games in back-to-back sets regularly this season and has been very productive on both halves, so our projections expect him to post another good game on Tuesday.
Value
The Bulls pushed the Bucks to overtime on Monday, but they came up short. They’ll look to pick up a win on the second game of their back-to-back set as they host the Nuggets on Tuesday. Without Zach LaVine (foot), Patrick Williams has stepped into a more active role in the offense and continues to play heavy minutes for coach Billy Donovan.
Williams has the highest Projected Plus/Minus of both small forwards and power forwards under $6,000 on FanDuel and is in the top three in that salary range at both positions on DraftKings. Williams has exceeded salary-based expectations on FanDuel in nine straight games and in seven of those contests on DraftKings as well.
During that nine-game stretch, Williams has a 17.4% usage rate and has produced 0.88 DraftKings points and 0.89 FanDuel points per minute while averaging 30 minutes per game. That production rate with a 32-minute projection of Tuesday’s matchup is enough to make him a top value option at either forward position, especially if the Bulls remain shorthanded.
Fast Break
As has become typical, LeBron James is questionable for Tuesday’s matchup. It is worth watching, though, since he was actually probable before the championship game on Saturday. It wouldn’t be surprising at all if the Lakers gave The King the day off for this regular season contest after he pushed so hard through the tournament. If he plays, they could also limit his minutes, so I’d avoid James on this slate and lean into Austin Reaves (discussed above) and Anthony Davis (discussed below) as Lakers rather than LeBron.
An alternative to LeBron who I like much more, is the Bulls DeMar DeRozan, who continues to shine in the absence of LaVine. DeRozan has logged over 37 minutes in each of his four most recent games and produced 1.20 DraftKings points and 1.16 FanDuel points per minute over that stretch. He had another big game on Monday with 41 points and 11 assists in the loss to the Bucks, and as long as he’s ready for his typical workload on the second game of the back-to-back, he should be a great option once again.
If you have to go cheaper at small forward, Sam Hauser has become a key piece for the Celtics off the bench and brings a high ceiling at his affordable salary on Tuesday. Hauser had an awful shooting night on Friday (0-for-5 from the field), but before that had scored at least nine points in six straight games while also contributing solid non-scoring numbers. He should be able to bounce back and is a strong play under $4,500 on both DraftKings and FanDuel.
NBA DFS Power Forward Picks
Stud
While the Lakers’ run through the In-Season Tournament adds to the legacy of LeBron James, it was Anthony Davis who did most of the heavy lifting for Los Angeles throughout the tournament. He finished with a massive 41-point, 20-rebound performance in the championship game that oddly doesn’t count towards his season stats. Even though it doesn’t help his season averages or production rates, it shows how on-fire he is right now and how high his ceiling is as the Lakers continue to funnel their offense through AD.
In the games that do count for his season stats, Davis has produced 1.47 DraftKings points and 1.51 FanDuel points per minute on the year. He has been red-hot lately and gets a very favorable matchup against an under-manned Mavericks team on Tuesday. Especially if the Lakers rest LeBron entirely or just try to lessen his workload, Davis should remain the focal point of the team’s offense.
Davis has the highest Projected Plus/Minus on the entire slate on DraftKings and the fourth-highest on FanDuel. At power forward, he brings the highest median and ceiling projection on both sites as well.
Value
Whether he gets to go toe-to-toe with his former teammate Kevin Durant or not, Draymond Green is projected to be one of the best values at power forward on Tuesday’s slate. Green has the fourth-highest Projected Plus/Minus at the position on DraftKings and the highest of any power forward under $7,000. On FanDuel, he costs exactly $7,000, and he has the second-highest Projected Plus/Minus of any power forward under $8,000.
Green has scored double-digit points in four straight games and continues to produce great non-scoring numbers. He had 13 assists on Friday against the Thunder after posting 10 rebounds and nine assists in the previous game on Wednesday against the Trail Blazers.
On Tuesday, the Warriors will be playing for the first time after a three-day layoff, so Green should be fresh and fired up. He is projected for 31 minutes and a 17% usage rate, making him definitely worth a look if you don’t spend up on Kawhi, AD, KD, or LeBron at this spot.
Fast Break
After missing four games with a calf strain, Kristaps Porzingis looked sharp with 21 points in his return last Friday against the Knicks. With no setbacks reported, he should be ready for an even bigger workload against Cleveland, and he brings both a high ceiling and a high floor from his salary under $8,000.
On Monday, Keegan Murray shook off his recent shooting slump and dropped 24 points in 34 minutes against the Nets. The second-year forward has the highest ceiling projection of all power forwards under $6,000 on DraftKings and the second-highest on FanDuel behind only Patrick Williams (discussed above).
If the Lakers do try to take the pressure off Davis and LeBron, Rui Hachimura and Taurean Prince could also emerge as very strong value plays against the Mavericks. Hachimura brings a very high ceiling, and Prince has been steadily involved throughout this season, even though his usage is typically low.
NBA DFS Center Picks
Stud
Nikola Jokic has the highest median projection of all players on this slate on both DraftKings and FanDuel. He and the Nuggets snapped a three-game skid on Monday in Atlanta with a 129-122 victory. Jokic had “only” 25 points, eight rebounds, and nine assists, but he should be in an even more favorable matchup against the Bulls on the second night of the back-to-back.
On the season, Jokic has averaged an amazing 1.89 DraftKings points and 1.80 FanDuel points per minute, higher than anyone else on this slate by a wide margin. He has a 29.0% usage rate for the year, but he is projected for 33.1% usage in this contest. He was under 20% usage on Monday but had been over 30% in seven of his previous eight games.
If he’s near his projection or even just back to his season average, The Joker should be closer to his elite ceiling on Tuesday.
Value
The Mavericks bring another top value play at center, depending on exactly how the rotation shakes out. Dereck Lively II has the highest Projected Plus/Minus of all centers under $6,000 on DraftKings. He’s $6,100 on FanDuel but still ranks in the top five Projected Plus/Minus at the position.
The 19-year-old rookie has started 19 of his 20 games this season and averaged 25.7 minutes per contest with just 1 12.2% usage rate. However, he has been more involved and more productive over his last six games after missing a game with a back contusion. In those six games, he has averaged 29.6 minutes per game and produced 1.06 DraftKings points and 1.10 FanDuel points per minute.
Lively has scored at least 10 points in four straight games and had two games with 15+ rebounds during that span as well. On Monday, he had 16 points and 16 boards while helping to cover for the Mavericks’ multiple injury issues.
Fast Break
Without LaVine, Nikola Vucevic is another member of the Bulls who has stepped into a more productive role. He has exceeded salary-based expectations in four of his last five games and has the fourth-highest ceiling projection of all centers on both DraftKings and FanDuel for Tuesday. He’ll have to go head-to-head with Jokic, but the matchup could be a good spot for both of them from a fantasy perspective.
Jarrett Allen could also be very productive if Evan Mobley misses a third straight game for the Cavs. Allen has the third-highest Projected Plus/Minus at center on both DraftKings and FanDuel, behind only Davis and Jokic.
If you’re going to punt center on this small slate, the top ultra-cheap plays with salaries below Lively’s are Drew Eubanks on FanDuel and Trey Lyles on DraftKings.
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