On Tuesday night, the NBA has five games on the main DFS fantasy basketball slate. None of the 10 teams in action played Monday, but all 10 of them are scheduled to be back on the court tomorrow as the NBA has a monster 14-game Wednesday lineup before taking Thanksgiving Day off.
There are some great matchups in the five games on Tuesday night and some strong matchups to consider as you assemble your lineup for Tuesday’s contests. Let’s dive into some of the top plays on the slate using the FantasyLabs tools and projections.
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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.
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NBA DFS Point Guard Picks
Stud
The best game environment for fantasy production on Tuesday is expected to be in the matchup between the Hawks and the Pacers. According to our Vegas Dashboard, those two teams have the highest implied team totals on the board, and that game has the highest over/under by a margin of 15 points. The Pacers and Hawks rank in the top three in the NBA in Pace and the bottom 10 in defensive efficiency. With plenty of points expected to be scored, it’s definitely a game you want heavy exposure to.
Tyrese Haliburton is one of the top options in the game since he is the key to the Pacers’ offense. On the season, he has a team-high 26.0% Usage rate and has produced 1.54 DraftKings points and 1.48 FanDuel points per minute. With his projection of 25.0% in 34.9 minutes on Tuesday, he has the highest ceiling, median, and floor projection of all point guards on both DraftKings and FanDuel.
Haliburton is expensive but has been regularly returning good value even at his hefty price tag. He is tied for the second-highest Pts/Sal on this slate on DraftKings and the third-highest Plus/Minus at the position on FanDuel.
On Sunday, the Pacers were routed by the Magic, and Haliburton only played 25 minutes. Before that outing, though, he had exceeded salary-based expectations in three straight games with double-doubles in each contest. In this great spot against Atlanta, he should be able to bounce back and post another huge number.
Value
D’Angelo Russell is another point guard looking to bounce back from a disappointing outing in his last game. After scoring double-digit points in each of his first 13 games this season, Russell went just 1-for-8 from the field and had four points in Sunday’s win over the Rockets. Before that game, though, D-Lo had been cooking, averaging 18.4 points, 6.5 assists, and 3.4 rebounds in 32.6 minutes per game.
Russell is projected to have a great bounce-back game in the Lakers’ home matchup with the Jazz. He has the top Projected Plus/Minus at point guard on FanDuel and the second-highest on DraftKings. Of all point guards in play, he is also projected for the most Pts/Sal on FanDuel and the second-most on DraftKings.
On the season, Russell has produced 1.05 DraftKings points and 1.01 FanDuel points per minute, and since he’s projected to play 30 minutes in this good matchup against the Jazz, he should be able to return excellent value from his mid-range salary.
Fast Break
On the other side of that track meet in Atlanta, Trae Young brings an extremely high ceiling and is a very strong alternative to consider if you can’t quite pay up for Haliburton. Young has exceeded salary-based expectations in eight straight games on FanDuel, where he brings a 75% Bargain Rating. He has the top Projected Plus/Minus and Pts/Sal at the position on DraftKings. Young has been a double-double machine recently, with six double-doubles in his last seven contests. During that run, he averaged 24.6 points and 11.7 assists while producing 1.36 DraftKings points and 1.27 FanDuel points per minute.
Whenever the 76ers are on the slate, Tyrese Maxey has deserved lots of attention this season. He has been exceptional for Philly after the departure of James Harden and is truly one of this season’s breakout stars. He has a tough matchup on this slate against the Cavs in one of the slowest games on the slate. I prefer other options to Maxey due to the matchup, but his ceiling remains extremely high.
On the other side of that big Eastern Conference showdown, Darius Garland will have to carry the load for the Cavs, with Donovan Mitchell (hamstring) missing a third straight game. Garland has scored 26 and 28 points in the two games he has been without his backcourt running mate, and on the season, he produces 1.11 DraftKings points and 1.04 FanDuel points while seeing an increase in usage of over six percentage points when Mitchell is off the floor.
Other midrange plays to consider as alternatives to Russell include Dennis Schroder of the Raptors and Jalen Suggs of the Magic, although he has tailed off a bit lately while dealing with some injuries. Eric Gordon and Bruce Brown are each point guard eligible on DraftKings, although they fit other places on FanDuel and will be discussed further below.
Keyontae George is playing like an emerging star for the Jazz and is still relatively affordable on both DraftKings and FanDuel. George has exceeded salary-based expectations in five straight games.
If you’re looking to go even cheaper at point guard, Collin Sexton has the highest Projected Plus/Minus of point guards priced under $5K on DraftKings, and Jaden Springer has that distinction on FanDuel, where he’s priced all the way down at the minimum of just $3,500.
NBA DFS Shooting Guard Picks
Stud
On both DraftKings and FanDuel, Devin Booker has the top median, ceiling and floor projections of all shooting guards. He has been limited to just five games this season but has been effective when on the floor, producing 1.52 DraftKings points and 1.41 FanDuel points per minute.
Booker’s return has helped the Suns to three straight wins, and he’s in a great spot to produce another big game on Tuesday as he and Phoenix host the struggling Trail Blazers. The Suns have the fourth-highest implied team total on the slate and are the heaviest favorite on the board at -13.5.
The game definitely has the potential to turn into a blowout, but Booker should go bananas against the injury-depleted backcourt of the Blazers. He played 40 minutes on Sunday in Utah, so it looks like he’s back to his full workload and ready to help the Suns start to shape into the team they thought they could be when they were assembled this offseason. Bradley Beal (back) is still the missing piece, obviously, but while Booker is playing and Beal isn’t, look for Booker to get all the usage he can handle in Phoenix’s backcourt.
Value
While Booker’s back to take a lot of the point guard responsibilities and run the Suns’ offense, there is still plenty of good value for other Suns’ players in this good matchup with Portland. Grayson Allen has the top projected Plus/Minus and Pts/Sal at shooting guard on DraftKings and the second-highest on FanDuel. Eric Gordon isn’t far behind on either site and actually has slightly higher projections but at a slightly higher salary.
Both Gordon and Allen have scored double-digit points in each of the three games since Booker returned. Gordon had a huge stat line in the double-overtime win on Sunday against the Jazz, totaling 45.25 DraftKings points and 46 FanDuel points on 20 points, six assists, five rebounds, and two steals.
Gordon’s ceiling and slightly higher usage projection make him a slightly stronger option if you have the salary for one of the two at shooting guard. He can also slide over to point guard on DraftKings, while Allen can fit at shooting guard and small forward on both sites.
Fast Break
In the up-tempo matchup of the night, Dejounte Murray has a high ceiling for the Hawks. He’s only had 13 points in each of his last two games, but he has shown he can go off in the right matchup.
Another strong play to consider is Jordan Clarkson as he returns to Los Angeles and takes on the Lakers. Clarkson has exceeded salary-based expectations in five straight contests while averaging 1.27 DraftKings points and 1.25 FanDuel points per minute. He has a team-high 31.5% usage rate in those five games and should be extra motivated to take it to the Lakers on Tuesday.
Malcolm Brogdon (hamstring) is questionable and could be returning from his five-game absence. He was very good before the injury, but his return would make the Blazers’ backcourt tricky to figure out. Even though he has the highest Projected Plus/Minus at the position on FanDuel, He might not be ready for a full workload, and his return would likely reduce the usability of the other Portland producers who have stepped up recently. If he misses another game, Skylar Mays and Shaedon Sharpe will continue to carry the work and have upside against the Suns.
Caris LeVert (knee) is questionable and a key injury to monitor. If he misses a second straight game, Garland would again get all the backcourt usage he could handle. If LeVert plays, he also would be worth considering since he has been excellent when in an expanded role. Max Strus is another member of the Cavs who has stepped out with Mitchell and LeVert out, and he’s a solid midrange option on this slate along with Bogdan Bogdanovic, Bennedict Mathurin, and Austin Reaves.
Cam Reddish has started the last six games for the Lakers and is averaging 14.1% Usage in 32 minutes per contest. He has exceeded salary-based expectations on FanDuel in six of his past seven games and has at least three steals in six of his last seven as well. He doesn’t do a ton of scoring but his minutes and defense give him the top Projected Plus/Minus of all shooting guards under $5K on DraftKings.
There aren’t many great punt play options at shooting guard on FanDuel, with Andrew Nembhard really the only play under $4.5K expected to return good value. On DraftKings, Collin Sexton has a good Projected Plus/Minus at $4,500 and Jaden Springer is just $3,300. Springer is only eligible at point guard on FanDuel and only at shooting guard on DraftKings.
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NBA DFS Small Forward Picks
Stud
It looks like we’ve reached the portion of the season where LeBron James is going to be questionable in every game but put up good numbers despite whatever ails him. Lately, it has been a left calf contusion, but it definitely hasn’t slowed the King down.
On Tuesday’s slate, James is in an awesome matchup against the Jazz, who have allowed the most DraftKings points to opposing small forwards. He has the highest Projected Plus/Minus of all small forwards on DraftKings and the highest median, ceiling, and floor projection at the position on DraftKings as well.
In four of his last five games, LeBron has exceeded salary-based expectations, including a triple-double against the Kings and back-to-back 35-point performances in his last two games. Early in the season, it looked like the Lakers were going to try to reduce his minutes, but that plan seems to have fallen apart since the team needs him to carry so much of the workload.
He should be in a smash spot at home against the Jazz, and since the Lakers have the third-highest implied team total, it looks like a good night to build around LeBron.
Value
For value at small forward, we’re headed back to that Pacers-Hawks matchup. Bruce Brown has the second-highest Projected Plus/Minus and the most Pts/Sal at small forward on FanDuel. He brings added point guard eligibility on DraftKings, and he ranks in the top seven in Pts/Sal and Projected Plus/Minus at both positions on that site.
Brown has played a team-high 337 minutes this season for the Pacers, producing 0.78 DraftKings points and 0.77 FanDuel points per minute. He has started all 12 games for Indiana and has a 17.4% Usage rate. He has scored at least nine points in each of his last five games and usually finds a way to contribute good non-scoring numbers as well.
This should be a great matchup for Brown, who has an Opponents Plus/Minus of +2.97 and typically thrives in games played at a fast pace like this one is expected to be.
Fast Break
On FanDuel, the one player who can challenge LeBron for the top projections at this position is Kevin Durant, who is only eligible at power forward on DraftKings and is discussed below.
Lauri Markkanen is worth a look on the other side of the Lakers-Jazz game since he is significantly cheaper than KD and LeBron but is coming off a monster 38-point, 17-rebound game against the Suns on Sunday (and there is plenty of debate on whether he should have had a chance for three more).
Scottie Barnes has tailed off a little bit after his early-season brilliance but still has plenty of upside in his matchup with the Magic. On the other side of that contest, Franz Wagner also brings a high ceiling but has been a little inconsistent lately.
If you are looking to spend less than $5K (which is where Brown is priced on both sites), De’Andre Hunter is a solid option from the Hawks, and Aaron Nesmith makes sense from the Pacers in that up-tempo contest in Atlanta.
Cam Reddish can flex to small forward on both DraftKings and FanDuel. Ochai Agbaji is a small forward on DraftKings and a shooting guard on FanDuel who can also offer some salary relief.
If you need an even cheaper value, Taurean Prince is only $4K on DraftKings but ranks in the top 10 in Projected Plus/Minus at the position. On FanDuel, Dean Wade is projected to be the best punt play with a salary under $4K and a projected Plus/Minus that ranks 12th at the position.
NBA DFS Power Forward Picks
Stud
Of all players at all positions on both DraftKings and FanDuel, Evan Mobley has the highest Projected Plus/Minus and the most Pts/Sal. He has the fourth-highest median and ceiling projection at the position on DraftKings and the fifth-highest on FanDuel.
On the season, Mobley is averaging a solid 1.21 DraftKings points and 1.21 FanDuel points per minute with a 21.5% Usage rate. Without Donovan Mitchell on the floor, his usage has jumped to 24.2%, and he has produced 1.44 DraftKings points and 1.44 FanDuel points per minute.
Mobley has posted a double-double in four straight contests and exceeded salary-based expectations in each of his last three. Even in a slower-paced game in Philly, Mobley should be able to again be a strong play with Mitchell out.
He matches 11 Pro Trends on both DraftKings and FanDuel, which ties him for the most on FanDuel and puts him second behind only LeBron on DraftKings.
Value
In his first season with the Jazz, John Collins has been able to return great fantasy value. He has produced 0.98 DraftKings points and 0.96 FanDuel points per minute while playing 32.2 minutes per game and averaging 14.9 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks per contest.
Collins comes into this matchup against the Lakers off of three straight double-doubles in three straight home games. He exceeded salary-based expectations on FanDuel in seven of his past 10 games with an Average Plus/Minus of 5.22 FanDuel points and 2.56 DraftKings points over those 10 games.
On FanDuel, Collins has the fifth-highest Projected Plus/Minus on the slate at power forward and the third-highest at center. On DraftKings, he ranks in the top 12 at each position as well.
Fast Break
Kevin Durant has the highest ceiling projection at power forward on both DraftKings and FanDuel, just edging out LeBron. He also has the highest median projection at the position on DraftKings but comes in third on FanDuel behind LeBron and Anthony Davis (discussed more below). With Booker back, Durant doesn’t have to carry all of the offense for the Suns, but he has still been able to post excellent numbers. He has exceeded salary-based expectations on FanDuel in eight straight games and went off for two monster games in the Suns’ back-to-back wins in Utah. Coming back to Phoenix for this matchup with the Blazers, the blowout potential is the only reason I stayed away from him in my stud pick above.
On the other side of that matchup in the desert, Jerami Grant has shown a very high ceiling while helping the Blazers through all their injuries. He’s had a few down games recently, but he may get a jolt if Brogdon can return.
Pascal Siakam has turned things around after a slow start and has posted several strong games over the past couple of weeks. He still can be a little boom-or-bust but brings a high ceiling. Similarly, Paolo Banchero has a high ceiling but hasn’t been as consistent as the elite plays.
Breakout star Jalen Johnson is coming off a double-double for the Hawks after a few down games and is in that juicy matchup against the Pacers. If he’s too expensive for your salary cap, Saddiq Bey is another good value from that matchup. Bey has exceeded salary-based expectations on DraftKings and FanDuel in eight of his past 10 contests and has over 15 points in each of his last three matchups. Bey is only a small forward on FanDuel and only a power forward on DraftKings, but brings good value in either spot. He has a 70% Bargain Rating on DraftKings, where he has the highest Projected Plus/Minus of all power forward under $5K.
Other value plays projected to perform well on Tuesday include De’Andre Hunter, Rui Hachimura, Dean Wade, and Moritz Wagner. On FanDuel, Drew Eubanks and Kelly Olynyk can flex over to power forward for value plays as well.
NBA DFS Center Picks
Stud
Even though the matchup is less than an ideal smash spot against the defensive-minded Cavs, Joel Embiid has the highest ceiling, median, and floor projections on the entire slate on both DraftKings and FanDuel.
Emibiid is coming off three straight games with almost a triple-double. He has scored at least 32 points in five of his last six games and has at least six assists in each of his last five games. He’s stuffing the stat sheet in almost every category this season and is producing an impressive 1.75 DraftKings points and 1.72 FanDuel points per minute. No other player on this slate averages more than 1.5 FanDuel points per minute, so it makes sense to consider Embiid if you can make his hefty salary fit under your salary cap.
With so much of the offense focused on him and the emergence of Tyrese Maxey as his new wingman, Embiid continues to be a fantasy beast on a nightly basis and hardly ever puts up a dud performance.
Value
Aside from Mobley (discussed above), Jusuf Nurkic has the highest Projected Plus/Minus on this slate at center on FanDuel and the third-highest at the position on DraftKings behind Mobley and Anthony Davis.
Nurkic had been in a bit of a slump before breaking out with 18 points, 12 rebounds, and his fourth double-double of the season on Sunday in Utah. With Durant and Booker getting most of the usage, Nurkic should be able to fill in the rest of the box score effectively. On the season, he is averaging 1.15 DraftKings points and 1.17 FanDuel points per minute. He’s projected for around 27 minutes on Tuesday, which should allow him to return good value at his midrange salary.
The long-time Blazer might get a little extra boost from facing his former team for the first time, and he brings a very high ceiling along with a solid floor since he can produce in multiple categories when at his best.
Fast Break
Anthony Davis had a rough stretch just over a week ago but has rediscovered his stride in his last two contests. He is coming off a 27-point double-double against the Rockets on Sunday and has the second-highest Projected Plus/Minus of all centers on DraftKings and the fourth-highest on FanDuel. He always has the potential for a monster game, but he also has the potential to go quiet, depending on game flow.
Another boom-or-bust play to consider is Myles Turner, who has shown an extremely high ceiling but also a very low floor. The game environment should be to his liking against the up-tempo Hawks, but he is an expensive risk to take with a salary over $7K on both DraftKings and FanDuel.
Jakob Poeltl is cheaper than Turner and has been the opposite in many ways. He has been very steady with a few big games but hasn’t had many games where he didn’t at least come very close to matching salary-based expectations. He’s a strong option for cash contests since he’s so consistent.
If you’re looking for value, Onyeka Okongwu has been a strong contributor for the Hawks off the bench and brings the fourth-highest Projected Plus/Minus at center on DraftKings. Drew Eubanks and Goga Bitadze aren’t far behind him in terms of Projected Plus/Minus and also offer solid upside.
If you’re planning to dive into the bargain bin for your center, Eubanks and Jalen Smith are the top two options under $4,500 in the projections on FanDuel. On DraftKings, Jonathan Isaac is also in the mix as a cheap play along with those two options and Jabari Walker and Duop Reath, who are punt plays getting some decent time lately for the Trail Blazers.
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