It’s a two-game, four-team slate of NBA Cup action on Tuesday. The quarterfinals get started with the feisty Orlando Magic traveling to Milwaukee to take on Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks. Later, a star-studded playoff rematch gets going in Oklahoma City when the Thunder host the Mavericks. With plenty of big names across the association taking the floor, narrowing down a select group to start in season-long fantasy and DFS formats is no easy task. Here are the three guards at the top of tonight’s board:
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1. Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks at OKC ($11,300)
After dealing with some early-season inconsistency, the Mavericks have put together an impressive seven-game winning streak. However, Dallas’ recent success will be put to the test tonight when they visit the Western Conference-leading Thunder. While Oklahoma City might have the deeper roster, they don’t have Luka Doncic. This season, the five-time All-Star is averaging 28.7 points, 8.3 rebounds and 8.1 assists on 45.0% shooting from the field.
The Thunder are no picnic for opposing guards; they’ve given up the fourth-fewest DK fantasy points to the position. Still, this isn’t your typical guard. Doncic has put up 25.8 points, 11.4 rebounds and 8.6 assists over his last five outings against Oklahoma City. This superstar is firmly entrenched at the top of Tuesday’s slate.
2. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder vs. DAL ($10,000)
As has been the case for most of the year, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander slots in right behind Luka Doncic. That’s no fault of SGA, but more a reflection of how many mouths there are to feed with the Thunder. Still, the Canadian’s all-around production gives him plenty of avenues to contribute other than scoring (but he also does plenty of that). This season, Oklahoma City’s face of the franchise has put up 29.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.0 blocks through 23 games.
Gilgeous-Alexander’s career numbers vs. Dallas don’t jump off the page (21.7 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 4.3 APG). However, he’s had plenty of success recently in this matchup, including a 36-point outing the last time these two teams met on November 17th. The Mavericks are terrific defending on the perimeter, giving up the second-fewest DK fantasy points to guards. Regardless, SGA’s role and otherworldly skill makes him the clear-cut second choice at the position.
3. Damian Lillard, Milwaukee Bucks vs. ORL ($9,000)
The Bucks have gone from lifeless to deadly in the span of a month, winning eight of their last ten games. While others on the roster have begun to step up, Damian Lillard has stayed consistent. The eight-time All-Star isn’t the player he once was, but he’s still capable of putting up numbers at 34 years old. After 20 games, the point guard has averaged 25.7 points, 4.6 rebounds and 7.5 assists on 45.0% shooting from the field.
Despite the losses of Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero, the Magic are still one of the association’s best defensive units. With that being said, there should still be more than enough opportunity for Lillard to post a solid stat line. The veteran has generated 23.0 points, 6.3 assists and 5.0 rebounds over his previous three games against Orlando. A similar performance as Tuesday’s third-most expensive guard would make Dame a value play in most fantasy lineups.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $30K And-One [20 Entry Max]
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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.
