Tuesday features a seven-game main slate starting at 7 p.m. ET.
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.
You can also use our SimLabs Lineup Generator, a tool that creates the most user-friendly lineup generation process.
Note: Projections and Leverage 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.
Stud
The Cavaliers stand out as one of the top teams to target on Tuesday’s slate. For starters, they draw an elite matchup vs. the Bulls. Chicago has played at the third-fastest pace this season, and they’re merely 26th in defensive efficiency. As a result, the Cavs are implied for a massive 127.5 points. That’s the top mark on the slate, and the Bucks (123.25) are the only team even within eight points.
Cleveland is also going to be without Evan Mobley, which opens up some additional opportunities for the rest of the roster. That includes Darius Garland. Garland has seen a +2.45% usage bump with Mobley off the floor this season, which is the second-highest mark on the team. He’s averaged 1.34 DraftKings points per minute in that split, which is the most by any Cavs’ player.
Garland hasn’t been particularly productive of late, which has caused his price tag to decrease to $7,500 on DraftKings. That makes him an excellent buy-low candidate.
Value
Sticking with the Cavs, Ty Jerome is another player who should see a boost in value. Jerome has been extremely productive when on the floor this season. He’s averaged 1.19 DraftKings points per minute for the year, and he’s increased that figure to 1.29 over the past month.
With Mobley out of the lineup, Jerome should be able to play a few additional minutes in an elite matchup. He’s currently projected for 24 minutes in our NBA Models, and he’s averaged 26.25 DraftKings points with a comparable minute projection this season (per the Trends tool). He leads the position in projected Plus/Minus, and his $5,100 salary comes with a 74% Bargain Rating.
Fast Break
Jalen Brunson has put together another fantastic season for the Knicks, and he’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in five of his past seven games. Despite that production, his price tag has actually decreased on DraftKings, and his current salary comes with an 82% Bargain Rating. He would become one of the strongest stud targets on the slate if Karl-Anthony Towns is sidelined – he’s officially questionable for personal reasons – but he has some appeal even if KAT is active.
Only Garland is showing up in the optimal lineup simulations at a higher frequency at point guard than Damian Lillard. Like Garland, Lillard draws a phenomenal matchup vs. the Hawks, and he’s played some of his best basketball of the season over the past month. He’s increased his production to 1.31 DraftKings points per minute in that split, and he had 23 points, 10 assists, and nine rebounds in his last matchup vs. Atlanta.
Don’t forget to check out our NBA SimLabs Lineup Generator to create advanced DFS lineups using the power of simulation:
NBA DFS Shooting Guard Picks
Stud
Donovan Mitchell is also in play for the Cavaliers. He sat out the Cavaliers’ last contest, but he was brilliant the last time he was in the lineup. He erupted for 41 points vs. the Celtics, finishing with 55.75 DraftKings points. It was his third performance with at least 44.25 DraftKings points in his past four games.
Mitchell hasn’t seen quite as large of a boost as Garland with Mobley off the floor this season, but he’s been the more productive player overall. He’s averaged 1.34 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he’s increased his usage rate by +2.25% sans Mobley. It goes without saying that he provides plenty of upside in a juicy matchup.
Value
AJ Green is currently projected for 27 minutes in our NBA Models for the shorthanded Bucks. Kyle Kuzma is currently listed as doubtful, while Bobby Portis and Pat Connaughton have already been ruled out. That’s a lot of playing time for someone who is priced at just $3,500. Historically, players with comparable salaries and minute projections have averaged a Plus/Minus of +3.45. Green is not a particularly strong per-minute producer, but he should be able to return value through sheer volume vs. the Hawks.
Fast Break
Andrew Nembhard is an intriguing tournament option for the Pacers. They’re expected to be without Bennedict Mathurin, which should solidify a healthy workload for Nembhard. He’s logged at least 37 minutes in back-to-back games, and he’s projected for 32 minutes Tuesday vs. the Rockets. Nembhard hasn’t been as effective as usual on a per-minute basis of late, but he’s averaged a respectable 0.81 DraftKings points per minute for the year. He had nearly 35 DraftKings points two games ago, so he has solid upside for his price tag.
Coby White is heating up for the Bulls. He’s had at least 38.75 DraftKings points in back-to-back games, and he should continue to serve as the team’s top scoring threat after trading away Zach LaVine. He stands out as extremely undervalued in Sim Labs on Tuesday. No one at the position in showing up in the optimal lineup sims at a higher frequency (24.1%), yet he’s projected for just 15.6% ownership.
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NBA DFS Small Forward Picks
Stud
Josh Hart is another outstanding contrarian option to consider in tournaments. He routinely carries one of the largest workloads in basketball, with his average of 37.8 minutes per game tied for the most in the league. Hart also makes the most out of his playing time. Despite not being a huge scoring threat, he’s still averaged better than a fantasy point per minute for the year.
The discrepancy between Hart’s optimal lineup rate and projected ownership is absolutely massive. He’s showing up in the optimal lineup sims at a nearly 28.5% clip, which is the top mark at small forward by a healthy margin. His projected ownership is lagging way behind at 12.1%, which is enough to make him my top pay-up option at small forward.
Value
Keldon Johnson’s minutes have been all over the place recently. He’s coming off just 19.2 minutes in his last outing, but he played at least 29.2 in each of his two previous games. He’s currently projected for 28 minutes in our NBA Models, and the absence of Stephon Castle would only help: he’s currently listed as questionable with a thumb injury.
If Johnson can get back to around 30 minutes, he has the potential to provide elite value vs. the Nets. Brooklyn ranks 23rd in defensive efficiency for the year, and Johnson has averaged 0.92 DraftKings points per minute. Johnson has only had a comparable salary and minute projection in four previous contests this season, but he’s averaged a Plus/Minus of +2.73 in those outings.
Fast Break
Aaron Nesmith is another potential option for the Pacers. He’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in six straight games, including a massive 37.25 DraftKings points vs. the Bulls on Sunday. His salary has remained reasonable on DraftKings, resulting in an 87% Bargain Rating vs. the Rockets. He ultimately ranks second at the position in projected Plus/Minus, trailing only Johnson.
De’Andre Hunter is coming off his best game with Cleveland in their last outing, finishing with 44.75 DraftKings points. That game came with Mitchell out of the lineup – which won’t be the case on Tuesday – but Mobley’s absence should help keep him relevant. He should pick up a few additional minutes, and he’s averaged 1.03 DraftKings points per minute in his limited court time without Mobley this season.
NBA DFS Power Forward Picks
Stud
Julius Randle returned to the Timberwolves’ lineup on Sunday following a 13-game absence. The team wasted little time reinserting him into the starting lineup, and he ultimately handled 33.8 minutes in his first game back. Randle responded with 33.0 DraftKings points in that contest, which was enough to pay off his $6,400 salary.
We should expect more of the same on Tuesday. If anything, his per-minute production was a little lower than usual in his first game back. Randle has historically been an outstanding per-minute producer, and he’s averaged 1.1 DraftKings points per minute in his first year with the Timberwolves.
The matchup vs. the 76ers is also a good one. They’ve struggled on the defensive end all season, especially with Joel Embiid out of the lineup. He leads the position with 11 Pro Trends, and he’s ultimately too cheap at $6,500.
Value
Matas Buzelis has had more opportunities to play since the Bulls traded away LaVine. He’s had some moments during his rookie season, averaging 0.86 DraftKings points per minute, and he’s coming off 30.2 minutes in his last outing. He responded with 34.75 DraftKings points, and there’s no reason he can’t do it again vs. the Cavs. Cleveland hasn’t been quite as potent defensively this season, and Buzelis’ $4,700 price tag comes with an 87% Bargain Rating.
Fast Break
Paying up for Giannis Antetokounmpo is never a bad idea, and it has more merit than usual on Tuesday. He leads the slate in ceiling projection by more than 15 points, and he’ll likely be a bit more active than usual given the team’s injury situation. He’s increased his usage, assist, and rebound rates with Kuzma, Portis, and Khris Middleton off the floor this season, and he’s already averaged an elite 1.77 DraftKings points per minute over the past month. Giannis has been capped at around 32 minutes per game recently, but he can still do significant damage in that time frame.
Jeremy Sochan has scored at least 31.0 DraftKings points in back-to-back games, making him a viable target at $5,500 vs. the Nets. He’s increased his production to 1.08 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he’s currently projected for 26 minutes.
NBA DFS Center Picks
Stud
Jarrett Allen is the final option to consider for the Cavaliers. Allen’s playing time has been down recently, logging 28.2 minutes or fewer in eight of his past nine games. He’s posted a negative Plus/Minus in four of his past five, causing his salary to plummet to just $6,200.
However, his playing time should be a lot safer with Mobley out of the picture. He’s also seen a sizable boost in production sans Mobley. He’s seen a team-high +2.61% usage bump with Mobley off the floor, and he’s averaged 36.38 DraftKings points in six games without his star teammate. He leads the position in projected Plus/Minus, making this an elite buy-low spot.
Value
It could be Andre Drummond season down the stretch. With Embiid done for the year, Drummond has the potential to take over as the 76ers’ top option at center. He’s still going to have to contend with Guerschon Yabusele for minutes, but the two players shared the court for long stretches in their last game. Drummond finished with 28.7 minutes vs. the Blazers, and he responded with 55.0 DraftKings points.
If Drummond is going to continue to play that much moving forward, his current salary is an absolute joke. That might not be the case on the second leg of a back-to-back, and we’re awaiting the statuses of Paul George and Kelly Oubre. Both players could return after missing the last game, which might have a negative impact on Drummond. Still, there’s more than enough upside to justify playing Drummond at his current salary. We have him projected for 26 minutes, and he’s averaged an elite 1.50 DraftKings points per minute over the past month.
Fast Break
Onyeka Okongwu continues to solidify his status as the Hawks’ No. 1 center. He’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in five straight games, and he’s averaged 1.19 DraftKings points per minute over the past month. With Clint Capela no longer a huge threat to his workload, Okongwu is a safe bet to return value at $6,200.
Zach Collins is up to $6,000 on DraftKings, but it’s hard to say he’s not worth it. He disappointed in his last outing, but he still had 29.2 minutes of playing time. He’s averaged 1.19 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he scored at least 30.75 DraftKings points in his three previous contests.
