Tuesday’s NBA DFS landscape features three games starting at 7:30 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
Trae Young has the highest Projected Plus/Minus of any other point guard on this slate by a comfortable margin. That is rare for someone who is this highly-priced on both sites. The Hawks looked terrible in their first game against the Heat. Young shot 1-for-12 from the field and failed to make a 3-pointer for the first time in his last 31 games. Expect a bounce-back performance for Young.
Outside of the last game, playing on the road against the Heat has been beneficial for Young this season. In those two games, he is averaging 29.5 points and 8.5 assists per game while shooting 52.8% from the field. The Hawks are implied for a slate-low 105.75 points as the Heat played at the third-slowest pace this season. Tough matchup, but Young is not putting up another 22.5 DraftKings points again.
Value
It is pretty obvious by now that Patrick Beverley is playing with a major chip on his shoulder during this playoff run. More than normal. Beverley loves the challenge of guarding another top-tier point guard, and he gets that opportunity in this series with Ja Morant. The Timberwolves got a big victory in their last game as Beverley once again had over 30 DraftKings points in a well-rounded game.
Beverley stuffs the stat sheet even with a very low usage rate. If he can stay out of foul trouble, he will play heavy minutes. Our Player Models have Beverley only projected for 29 minutes, but that should rise if he can keep his hands to himself. Beverley is a great salary saver, even though there are no players priced over $10,000 on either site. He is a cheap way to get exposure to the Timberwolves.
FastBreak
The Memphis Grizzlies were a surprise upset in their first game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Ja Morant had the worst Plus/Minus in the game with a -16. He finished with 32 points and eight assists as he went 16-for-20 from the free-throw line, which is the second-most attempts he has had this season. He had a 34.8% usage rate in that game, so expect more of the same tonight.
The Timberwolves and Grizzlies have the top two offenses in the league when it comes to scoring points. It should be no surprise this total is at 240.5 points, which is by far the highest on the slate. The next closest game is set at 221.5 points. The Grizzlies are seven-point home favorites implied for 123.5 points. Look for Morant to be aggressive at home to get this series all tied up at a game apiece.
Shooting Guard
Stud
Devin Booker has been great all season long, and his production will only increase during the playoffs. He is averaging a career-high 26.8 points per game. This is a great matchup to target Booker as the Pelicans rank 26th in 3-point percentage allowed per game. He went 4-for-8 from behind the arc in the first game.
Booker is projected to play 40 minutes and be a great pay-up option on this slate. His salary is reasonable on both sites for the upside that he has. The Suns are nearly double-digit favorites as they won by 11 points in their first matchup. Chris Paul went nuclear in their last game, but throughout the season, he has led the league in assists while it has been the Booker show. Let’s get back to that.
Value
Desmond Bane has had three-straight performances where he had massive negative Plus/Minus games. He is a scoring-dependent shooting guard with a high upside if he can get it dialed in from distance. At one point, the only game to go over the spread was the Grizzlies’ and Timberwolves’ first game. Bane had 17 points and three rebounds but only shot 6-for-15 from the field.
The Timberwolves have the highest pace in the league and present a unique playoff atmosphere as this total is through the roof. Expect the Grizzlies to have a bounce-back game, and Bane should be heavily involved in that. His salary has come down where he is now considered a value play, especially on FanDuel. Prioritize Bane on FanDuel, where he has a 94% Bargain Rating.
Fast Break
Anthony Edwards seems to be taking his game to a new level during the playoffs. Known for being a very streaky player this season, Edwards has posted back-to-back 30+ point games as he has been leading the Timberwolves in usage rate. He is a very scoring-dependent player, but with the way he is playing right now, he is impossible to ignore. The salary has come up, but it is deserving.
Showing his inconsistencies, Edwards had five points while shooting 1-11 against the Grizzlies later in the season, even though he played 32 minutes. There is risk with this play, but the upside is incredible. The second-year player is not shy by any means. He already thinks he is the best defender in the league. Edwards is a high-risk/high-reward type of option on both DraftKings and FanDuel.
Small Forward
Stud
Brandon Ingram had an incredible 30-point game in the last round of the play-in tournament but struggled against the Suns in their last game. Ingram finished with 18 points as he shot 6-for-17 from the field. This matchup against Mikal Bridges, who was a defensive player of the year, is going to cause problems for Ingram. However, Ingram’s size he can use to his advantage.
Ingram is projected to play 40 minutes tonight and be one of the best mid-range options on the slate. Playing that many minutes provides a great floor for a player with this much potential. The Suns rank third in defensive rating, allowing only 107.3 points per game this season. The Pelicans are almost double-digit underdogs, but if they keep it close, Ingram will be one of the main reasons.
Value
Dillon Brooks is another Grizzlies value option that we can get to on this short three-game slate. He has the highest Projected Plus/Minus on FanDuel and fourth-highest on DraftKings. Brooks is projected to be the highest-owned player on the slate. His usage rate will always be high whenever he is on the floor. Brooks was second behind Morant in usage rate for the Grizzlies this season.
Brooks was in foul trouble in the first game against the Timberwolves and still was able to play 35 minutes. He finished with 24 points, but an uncharacteristic one rebound and one assist. Look for a more well-rounded game from Brooks tonight as the Grizzlies look to even this series. His salary makes him very easy to fit in for multiple lineup builds. Brooks is a very tough fade tonight.
Fast Break
Mikal Bridges could have also been a value option as he is priced lower than Brooks but doesn’t quite have the usage rate and ceiling. The small forward position is relatively tough to fill any given night, but Bridges is another cheap option to get to. He will play as many minutes as needed to defend Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum. Bridges has averaged over a steal per game in every season.
Bridges is a cheap way to get exposure to the Suns, especially when he is playing this many minutes. He can fill up the stat sheet in a variety of ways and has averaged a career-high 14.2 points per game this season. Bridges has shot over 50% from the field in four-straight seasons. He is another great mid-range option. Bridges is a piece to fill in after picking out the studs to roster in your lineup.
Power Forward
Stud
Jimmy Butler is not your typical power forward, but he does have that eligible on both DraftKings and FanDuel tonight. The Heat routed the Hawks in their first game as Butler scored over 20 points for the sixth-straight game. During that stretch he has shot 59% from the field and 68.4% from behind the arc. He is clicking at the right time for another potential NBA Title playoff run for the Heat.
The Hawks present the best matchup on the slate as they rank 26th in defensive rating this season. They have a few decent individual defenders but nothing to match up with Butler. He won’t be nearly as popular as the players around him, but Butler still has the upside to post high ceiling games. He led the Heat in scoring, where he averaged over 21 points for the second consecutive season.
Value
Brandon Clarke is my favorite play on the slate. Steven Adams was a disaster when trying to guard Karl-Anthony Towns in the first game. He didn’t have the foot speed to keep up with Towns. There is a strong chance that Adams may not play another minute in this series, or at least his minutes will be cut down significantly. Keep an eye on our news dashboard, but Clarke may start tonight.
Clarke has the highest Projected Plus/Minus at power forward on DraftKings tonight by a wide margin. He played 27 minutes last game and finished with a double-double on 13 points and 12 rebounds. He only missed one field goal and is a much better defender on Towns. His salary is very inviting on both sites, and he could break the slate wide open if he plays the minutes that he should in this spot.
Fast Break
John Collins is a little bit of a mystery as he came off the bench in the Hawks last game and only played 21 minutes. That was his first game back since early March. Collins missed 16-straight games, but with no Clint Capela in the lineup, Collins may be forced into more action. He could have played more minutes if the game was closer, and he may get back into the starting lineup tonight.
Using our On/Off Tool, Collins has a +3.3 DraftKings Plus/Minus with Capela off the floor this season. He has averaged 15.7 points and 7.7 rebounds per game while shooting 60% from the field and 66.7% from downtown in his three games against the Heat during the regular season. Collins has shown to play well in this matchup. Now the Hawks just need to keep this game more competitive.
Center
Stud
After one of his worst games of the season in the play-in tournament, Karl-Anthony Towns bounced back and played incredible in the Timberwolves’ victory over the Grizzlies. He was an absolute mismatch for Steven Adams as he finished with a massive double-double with 29 points and 13 rebounds, shooting 11-for-18 from the field. If Adams starts again, roster Towns without hesitation.
Towns had the most fouls since the All-Star Break and was one of the most foul-prone players in the league this season. That creates some risk when rostering him at this price tag, but the upside he has is extremely high. He led the team in points, rebounds, blocks, and usage rate this season. The Grizzlies have a good defense, but they don’t have the size and agility to match up with Towns.
Value
Onyeka Okongwu will likely draw another start for the Hawks tonight with Clint Capela out with an injury. He is another player that got into major foul trouble last game and had his minutes shortened, especially after the game got out of hand. In eight games without Capela this season, Okongwu is averaging 10.3 points and 7.3 rebounds per game while shooting a ridiculous 73.3% from the field.
There are not many center options on this slate, especially in this pricing tier, that have as much upside as Okongwu. The matchup is obviously very difficult against the Heat, who led the league with only allowing 41 points per game in the paint this season. If Okongwu can stay out of foul trouble, he has a chance to post a double-double. If he does that at this salary, he will be in the winning lineup.
Fast Break
Bam Adebayo was the player that got Okongwu into foul trouble last game and is looking to bounce back after a mediocre game last time out. Adebayo only had six points, six rebounds, and five assists in 28 minutes of action. However, he has the highest projected Plus/Minus at the center position tonight. The upside is there, and without Capela, this Hawks defense is very exploitable.
The salary on Adebayo for DraftKings and FanDuel is very nice. Having power forward eligibility on FanDuel is also a major benefit. He finished the season with back-to-back games scoring over 40 DraftKings points. He obviously has the ceiling to have a big game, so no need to dwell on his last game. Adebayo is one of the best options on the slate as he comes in with a very good value salary.
