It’s a six-game, twelve-team NBA Cup slate on Tuesday night. With so many stars across the association playing, narrowing down a select group of big names to start in season-long fantasy and DFS formats is no easy task. Here are the three forwards at the top of tonight’s list:
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $333K Fadeaway [$100K to 1st]
1. Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics vs. CLE ($10,100)
Ahead of Tuesday’s monster showdown between the Cavaliers and Celtics, all eyes are on Jayson Tatum. The eight-year veteran is entering the upper echelon of NBA superstars, averaging 29.7 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 5.9 assists through 14 games. However, Cleveland is no easy matchup, allowing the seventh-fewest DK fantasy points to opposing forwards.
Still, there’s plenty of reason to like Boston’s franchise cornerstone tonight, especially when considering the lack of quality options available at forward. Over his previous ten games against Cleveland (including the postseason), the five-time All Star has generated 27.9 points, 10.9 rebounds and 5.5 assists. Even though the Cavs are playing terrific basketball, there should be plenty of room for Tatum to produce in this primetime battle.
2. LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers vs. UTA ($10,000)
The Lakers are off to a great start, thanks primarily to the dynamic duo of Anthony Davis and LeBron James. The latter is still producing monster numbers at the age of 39 (23.3 PPG, 8.6 RPG, 9.2 APG), showing no signs of slowing down. That’s especially true as of late; the King has put up 50 or more DK fantasy points in seven of his last eight games.
A Utah team allowing the fifth-most points (118.5 PPG) to opposing teams should be easy pickings for LeBron. There’s always the possibility of a reduced workload (Lakers are favored by eleven points), but expecting a blowout isn’t enough reason to avoid James. Back LBJ with confidence tonight against the Jazz.
3. Jaren Jackson Jr., Memphis Grizzlies vs. DEN ($7,900)
After Tatum and James, the options at forward are a bit shaky. For those looking to avoid one of the higher-priced names, Jaren Jackson Jr. offers up some solid value as the fifth-most expensive player at his position. With Ja Morant sidelined, the big man has taken on a more prominent role on offense, putting up 20 points or more in his last six outings. That level of scoring, combined with 5.7 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game, has made JJJ one of the league’s best two-way players.
The former Defensive Player of the Year gets a juicy matchup on Tuesday when the Grizzlies face a Denver team missing Nikola Jokic and Aaron Gordon. With the Nuggets forced to start a smaller, more unproven front court, there’s no reason to think Jackson Jr. can’t put up another double-double. Memphis’ power forward makes a lot of sense here at just under $8,000.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $333K Fadeaway [$100K to 1st]
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is barmy) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
