It’s a seven-game Tuesday night in the NBA and that means there’s no shortage of intriguing players to consider for your DraftKings lineups this evening. I’m here to narrow down that list.
Let’s dive into my three must-start assets on the hardcourt for tonight’s action.
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PG Dejounte Murray, New Orleans Pelicans at Chicago Bulls, $8,600
There are few matchups better for fantasy than playing the Bulls. Chicago ranks 23rd in the league in defensive rating (115.4), but because it also sits second in pace (104.4), the team is surrendering the second-most points (120.8) and the second-most assists (29.0) per contest. If that sounds like a glorious environment for a point guard, you’re correct in thinking so. In fact, the Bulls have conceded the third-most FPTS per game to the position in 2024-25. Enter Dejounte Murray. Murray has been playing his best basketball of the season the past couple weeks, with two 50 FPTS performances in his last four starts. Going back to January 3, Murray owns a massive 28.0% usage rate and is averaging an impressive 1.40 FPTS per minute logged. In terms of surface stats, that’s all translated into 19.5 points, 8.2 assists and 6.3 rebounds in his last six games.
C Mason Plumlee, Phoenix Suns at Atlanta Hawks, $4,300
Let’s take a stab at a variance play. Mason Plumlee was a massive disappointment in Sunday’s contest against the Hornets, logging just 15.2 minutes despite getting the start with Jusuf Nurkic (illness) sidelined. Instead, it was rookie Oso Ighodaro ($3,500) that had the notable stat line, generating 22.0 FPTS in 30.3 minutes of action — the most he’d seen since late November. Ighodaro is $800 cheaper than Plumlee on Tuesday and when you mix those salary with recency bias, I get the feeling that the latter could go overlooked on this slate. However, when you consider the season as a whole, Plumlee has clearly been the more reliable DFS piece. In 2024-25, Ighodaro is producing a microscopic 0.71 FPTS per minute, while Plumlee is sitting at 0.95. Plumlee had also registered three-straight double-digit rebounding games prior to his disappointing effort versus Charlotte. This matchup has the second-highest implied total on tonight’s slate. You’ll want exposure to it and Mason Plumlee is a cost-effective way to get that done.
C Deandre Ayton, Portland Trail Blazers vs. Brooklyn Nets, $6,100
This seems like a spot where Ayton has a ceiling game. The former first-overall pick is having yet another injury-plagued campaign, but he’s been a solid DFS asset when available, averaging a double-double with 13.9 points and 10.1 rebounds per contest. In fact, if you remove his start on January 9 against the Mavericks — a night when a calf ailment limited Ayton to 20.5 minutes — the big man has exceeded 30 FPTS in each of his last three games. Ayton also registered 52.0 FPTS as recently as December 28, so you don’t have to go back too far to find a huge performance. For the season as a whole, he’s averaging a respectable 1.06 FPTS per minute. Again, it’s simply about his ability to actually stay on the court. Meanwhile, the Nets are surrendering the fourth-most FPTS per contest to opposing centers. They’re allowing 117.0 opponent points per 100 possessions across their last five games, as well. Expect Ayton to have a big night at one his his lowest salaries of 2024-25.
