Tuesday features a four-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
The Bucks are going to be a very popular target on Tuesday’s four-game slate. Not only is their implied team total of 120.5 the top mark by nearly six full points, but they’re also going to be without Khris Middleton. The All-Star wing has been ruled out with a sore left wrist, so the rest of the team will have to pick up the slack.
Jrue Holiday should see one of the biggest boosts in value. He’s seen a team-high usage bump of +5.6% with Middleton off the floor this season, resulting in an average of 1.25 DraftKings points per minute. He’s also posted an average Plus/Minus of +7.0 in nine games without Middleton this season, albeit at a much lower average salary.
Value
Alex Caruso is back for the Bulls, and he’s coming off 32.6 minutes in his last outing. That’s his highest mark since returning to the lineup five games ago. Caruso hasn’t been particularly impactful over that stretch, averaging just 0.63 DraftKings points per minute, but he’s averaged 0.81 DraftKings points per minute this season. That makes him a prime candidate for some positive regression. He’s projected for another 32 minutes in our NBA Models on Tuesday, and he stands out as a strong value across the industry.
Fast Break
The Magic have been very careful with Markelle Fultz since he returned to the lineup, limiting him to 19.7 minutes or fewer in each game. However, Fultz has made up for his limited volume with excellent efficiency, averaging 1.16 DraftKings points per minute. He’s one of the best pure values at the position on DraftKings, where his $4,200 salary comes with a Bargain Rating of 83%.
Trae Young has struggled in back-to-back games, but he still owns the top ceiling at the point guard position by a sizable margin. His ceiling projection is more than 15 points higher than every other point guard’s on FanDuel, which can be incredibly valuable in tournaments. He also leads the position with eight Pro Trends on FanDuel, where his $10,200 salary comes with a Bargain Rating of 83%.
Shooting Guard
Stud
Zach LaVine has been overshadowed by DeMar DeRozan this season, but he’s put together another excellent year. He’s not scoring quite as much as he did last year, but he’s still provided excellent efficiency numbers. He’s shooting 48.0% from the field, 39.7% from 3-point range, and 85.3% from the free throw line, and very few players are that efficient from each area.
LaVine has also racked up at least 46.0 DraftKings points in two of his past three games, yet his salary has still dipped all the way to $7,500. That represents a decrease of -$1,200 over the past month, and LaVine has historically averaged a Plus/Minus of +3.46 with a comparable price tag (per the Trends tool). The Bulls are also in a pace-up spot vs. the Bucks, who have played at the second-fastest pace over their past 10 games.
Value
The Knicks are in a bad way at the moment. The team has already been playing without a host of backcourt options, and now Julius Randle has been ruled out with a quad injury. That’s going to leave a small group of players to try to carry the offense.
Alec Burks is one of them. He’s increased his usage rate by +5.5% with Randle, Derrick Rose, and Kemba Walker off the floor this season, resulting in an average of 1.05 DraftKings points per minute. Burks is currently projected for 34 minutes in our NBA Models, which should be more than enough to pay off his current salary across the industry.
Fast Break
The Magic will be without Jalen Suggs for the fourth straight game, leaving Cole Anthony as the team’s primary playmaker. He’s increased his usage rate by +1.5% and his assist rate by +2.9% with Suggs off the court this season, both of which rank first on the Magic. He’s averaged 1.02 FanDuel points per minute in that situation, and his $5,700 salary on FanDuel comes with a Bargain Rating of 91%.
Klay Thompson is another elite option on FanDuel given his Bargain Rating of 96%. He’s coming off more than 38 minutes in his last outing – easily his top mark of the year – and he should continue to see a boost in value with Steph Curry sidelined.
Small Forward
Stud
Giannis Antetokounmpo has had PF/C eligibility for most of the year on DraftKings, but he’s now listed as a SF/PF across the industry. That’s a nice change, with small forward routinely serving as one of the weaker positions for fantasy purposes.
That gap between Giannis and the rest of the small forwards on Tuesday’s slate is absolutely massive: No one else is priced above $7,600 on DraftKings, and Giannis’ ceiling projection ranks first at the position by nearly 30 points.
He’s posted a negative Plus/Minus in each of his past three games, but he’s still averaged a stout 1.80 DraftKings points per minute over the past month. His numbers haven’t been drastically better with Middleton off the floor this season, but it stands to reason that he has more upside than usual without his star teammate.
Value
De’Andre Hunter is coming off a subpar performance in his last outing, but he had scored at least 28.25 DraftKings points in three straight games. That’s caused his price tag to decrease slightly, giving him a better chance at bouncing back on Tuesday. He’s seen a few additional minutes recently with John Collins out of the lineup, and he’s projected for 32 minutes vs. the Knicks. The Hawks’ implied team total of 114.75 is also tied for the second-highest mark on the slate.
Fast Break
R.J. Barrett is another member of the Knicks who deserves some attention. He’s played some of the best basketball of his career recently, averaging 1.05 DraftKings points per minute over the past month. Barrett has also seen a whopping +7.9% usage bump with Randle, Rose, and Walker off the court this season, resulting in an average of 1.15 DraftKings points per minute. Barrett has racked up at least 39.7 minutes in five straight games, so he can do some serious damage vs. the Hawks.
Will Barton has struggled of late, and he was limited to just 24.1 minutes in the Nuggets’ blowout loss vs. the Celtics on Sunday. That stands out as a major outlier, with Barton logging at least 31.5 minutes in three of his previous four games. He’s been priced down to just $4,400 on FanDuel, and it’s hard to imagine him not paying off his current salary with that much playing time.
Power Forward
Stud
DeMar DeRozan has played some outstanding basketball for the Bulls this season, and he was even considered an MVP sleeper at one point. However, his production has decreased substantially of late. He’s posted an average Plus/Minus of -7.66 over his past 10 games, and he’s failed to return value in 11 of his past 12 games.
That’s caused his price tag to dip to $8,600 on DraftKings and $7,800 on FanDuel, and he has some buy-low appeal at those numbers. His FanDuel salary is particularly juicy, and DeRozan has averaged a Plus/Minus of +6.46 with a comparable salary this season. He also owns 12 Pro Trends on FanDuel, which is the top mark on the slate regardless of position.
Value
Obi Toppin is going to command massive ownership with Randle out of the lineup, but it’s going to be tough to avoid him. He’s currently projected for 30 minutes in our NBA Models, which makes him an absolute slam dunk at just $3,200. Players with comparable salaries and minute projections have historically averaged a Plus/Minus of +5.26, and Toppin is better than the typical punt play on a per-minute basis. He’s averaged 0.95 DraftKings points per minute this season, so he has the potential to deliver massive value. He’s a lock for cash games and should probably be in most of your tournament lineups, as well.
Fast Break
Bobby Portis is another member of the Bucks who should see a bump sans Middleton. He’s seen a 2.8% usage bump in games without Middleton this season, resulting in an average of 1.07 DraftKings points per minute. His playing time has taken a hit recently, but he could also see a few additional minutes with Middleton out of the lineup.
Danilo Gallinari is coming off 41.3 minutes in his last outing, and he responded with 37.5 FanDuel points. While the minutes are clearly an outlier, the per-minute production is legit. He’s averaged 0.82 FanDuel points per minute this season, and he’s projected for 30 minutes vs. the Knicks. That makes him a nice target at $4,800 on FanDuel.
Center
Stud
It could be a rare day to grab Nikola Jokic as a somewhat contrarian option. Most DFS players will likely prefer Giannis with Middleton out of the lineup, and there are a bunch of strong midrange options who should garner more consideration than usual. That’s going to make it tough for people to pay up for Jokic, who checks in at a whopping $12,400 on DraftKings.
Targeting Jokic at reduced ownership is obviously very appealing. He’s been the best player in fantasy this season, and he’s averaged a stout 1.84 DraftKings points per minute over the past month. He has a tough matchup vs. the Clippers, but the Nuggets are currently fighting to get back into the top six in the Western Conference. That means Jokic has plenty at stake over the final few games of the regular season.
Value
It’s been a majorly disappointing year for Mitchell Robinson, just like it has been for most of the Knicks not named Barrett. The talented young big man has struggled to find consistent playing time, routinely losing minutes to guys like Nerlens Noel and Taj Gibson.
However, Robinson has increased his production to 1.06 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he should see more playing time down the stretch. There’s no reason to continue to play guys like Gibson at this point, so don’t be surprised to see Robinson eclipse 30 minutes frequently. He’s an excellent option at $5,400 on DraftKings given his Bargain Rating of 83%.
Fast Break
Nikola Vucevic is down to just $6,900 on FanDuel, which is a very nice price. It results in a Bargain Rating of 94%, and his 11 Pro Trends are tied with Jokic for the most at the position. His Opponent Plus/Minus of +2.60 is also one of the better marks among Tuesday’s centers.
Finally, Jericho Sims could be worth some consideration as a diversification option. He’s seen a healthy number of minutes for the Knicks recently, and that doesn’t figure to change with Randle out of the lineup. He’s dirt cheap at just $3,100 on DraftKings and has dual PF/C eligibility.
