It’s a loaded five-game, ten-team slate of NBA Cup action on Tuesday. 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 board:
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $300K Fadeaway [$100K to 1st]
1. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks at MIA ($12,000)
The rest of the Bucks have finally matched the play of their superstar, as the team has won four straight games. Riding a wave of momentum, expect Antetokounmpo to come out firing tonight in a nationally-televised showdown with Miami. This season, the Greek Freak is averaging 32.4 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 6.4 assists on 60.8% shooting from the field.
While the Heat are known for their stellar defense, this is a matchup Antetokounmpo has dominated in recently. Over his last five games against Miami, he’s put up 30.6 points, 11.6 rebounds, and 6.2 assists. It might make sense to look elsewhere due to the sky-high price, but there’s absolutely no way I’d look anywhere else at forward tonight if money was no object.
2. LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers at PHX ($10,000)
Another season, same old LeBron. The King, in Year 22, is generating 23.6 points, 8.1 rebounds and 9.1 assists through sixteen games, leading the Lakers to a 10-6 record. The most promising statistic for fantasy basketball purposes has been 35.4: the number of minutes new head coach JJ Redick is letting the three-time MVP play.
The Suns have defended James fairly well the two times these teams have met this season, holding him to an average of just 16 points, 4.5 rebounds and 8.0 assists. Still, it’s hard to keep a future Hall of Famer down for long. Given the major questions about the other players at forward, this is the next-best alternative to Antetokounmpo at the position.
3. Kevin Durant, Phoenix Suns vs. LAL ($8,300)
Kevin Durant is finally back, much to the chagrin of Suns fans everywhere. After racing to the top of the Western Conference to start the year, Phoenix has struggled, dropping six of their last seven games without KD. Now that the former MVP’s calf injury has healed, he’ll hope to get back on track. This season, he’s posted 27.6 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists in nine games.
While Durant is sure to be on a minutes restriction in his first game back, he’s still capable of producing plenty of fantasy points on Tuesday. The fourteen-time All-Star has dominated the Lakers this year, putting up 30.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists through two games. Even if he has a slight workload dip, the track record points to another terrific outing for the Slim Reaper.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $300K 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.
