This is a busy night in the NBA, people.
While most of us are used to a small schedule on Tuesdays, that is certainly not the case this evening. There’s nine games in the Association and seven of them are included in DraftKings’ featured DFS slate.
Let’s break down everything you’ll need to know to set a few lineups.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $300K Fadeaway [$100K to 1st]
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Key Injury News
QUESTIONABLE: Luka Doncic, Karl-Anthony Towns, Josh Giddey, Austin Reaves, Bradley Beal, Julius Randle, Stephon Castle, Cole Anthony
DOUBTFUL: Kyle Kuzma, Bennedict Mathurin
OUT: Evan Mobley, Norman Powell, Ayo Dosunmu, Gradey Dick, Derrick Jones Jr., Ochai Agbaji, Ben Simmons, Rui Hachimura
Click here for the slate’s full and updated injury report
Matchup Analysis
Best Defensive Rating (Last 10 Games)
- Golden State Warriors at NYK (107.4)
- Cleveland Cavaliers at CHI (109.7)
- Milwaukee Bucks at ATL (109.9)
Worst Defensive Rating (Last 10 Games)
- Philadelphia 76ers at MIN (119.9)
- New York Knicks vs. GSW (119.0)
- Chicago Bulls vs. CLE (118.9)
Fastest Pace (Last 10 Games)
- Atlanta Hawks vs. MIL (102.7)
- Milwaukee Bucks at ATL (102.1)
- San Antonio Spurs vs. BRK (101.5)
Slowest Pace (Last 10 Games)
- Orlando Magic vs. TOR (96.8)
- Brooklyn Nets at SAS (97.0)
- Toronto Raptors at ORL (98.6)
Highest Game Total
- Cleveland Cavaliers at Chicago Bulls (243.5)
- Milwaukee Bucks at Atlanta Hawks (242)
- Houston Rockets at Indiana Pacers (232.5)
Top DFS Pick
PF/C Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks at Atlanta Hawks, $11,000
Some slates, you can’t be afraid to spend big. This is one of those slates. Antetokounmpo is $1,000 more expensive than any other asset on Tuesday, yet the projected game environment suggests he’ll be worth his hefty salary. Across their past 10 games, the Hawks rank second in the NBA in pace (102.7), while the Bucks rank sixth (102.1). Look no further for the rationale on this matchup’s massive implied total or for why Atlanta has surrendered the second-most FPTS per contest to opposing power forwards in 2024-25 as a whole. We don’t have to hypothesize about what Antetokounmpo’s ceiling would look like against the Hawks, either. We saw it back on December 14, when the Greek Freak exploded for 32 points, 14 rebounds, nine assists and 74.0 FPTS. Expect a similar performance this evening.
Top Value Pick
SG/SF Ja’Kobe Walter, Toronto Raptors at Orlando Magic, $3,700
The Raptors depth on the wing is currently being tested. Ochai Ajbaji (ankle) left last Friday’s contest against the Bulls after logging just 1.2 minutes of action, then on Sunday in Orlando, Gradey Dick (knee) suffered a scary injury when teammate RJ Barrett ($7,100) fell into his legs. Neither player currently has a timeline for a return. That should open up a ton of opportunity and run for Ja’Kobe Walter in the meantime. Walter started the second half of that eventual 104-102 victory over the Magic, and I expect the rookie will now draw his 10th start of 2024-25 on Tuesday. In the nine prior starts, Walter has averaged 10.9 points and 3.3 rebounds in 24.3 minutes of action; however, I believe Walter will be asked to shoulder a much larger role this evening. So long as the Baylor product stays out of foul trouble, he should be looking at 30-35 minutes. That’s more than enough time to pay off this modest salary.
