DraftKings’ main slate for Tuesday includes the first seven games of the night. Below, I dive into three of my favorite DFS options to consider for tonight’s NBA action.
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PG/SG, Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers at Chicago Bulls, $8,700
Mitchell is coming off an impressive 55.75 FPTS showing vs. the Celtics, in which he led the Cavaliers back from a 22-point deficit to beat Boston on their home floor. Mitchell was then rested Sunday vs. the Trail Blazers, but he will be back in Cleveland’s lineup tonight, while Evan Mobley will now be out for rest purposes. Mitchell has been stellar with Mobley inactive this season, leading the Cavaliers with 49.4 FPTS per game (six games). In those contests, Mitchell’s usage rose 2.5 percentage points to 33.8%, and he generated 1.5 FPTS per minute.
Tonight, Mitchell will be facing a Bulls team that ranks third in pace and 26th in defensive efficiency this season. Cleveland’s 127.5-point implied team total on DraftKings Sportsbook is the highest on the slate by three points and Mitchell is the best way to gain a share of the Cavaliers. The shooting guard has been brilliant against Chicago this season, scoring over 60 FPTS in both of his matchups with the division rival.
C, Zach Collins, Chicago Bulls vs. Cleveland Cavaliers, $6,000
Opposite of Mitchell, Collins is also an excellent target from this matchup between the Bulls and Cavaliers. This game’s total is the highest on the slate at 243.5 points on DraftKings Sportsbook and Collins will continue to start at center for Chicago with Nikola Vucevic (calf) missing his fifth game in a row. With the veteran out for the last four, Collins has produced 39.3 FPTS in 33.8 minutes per game as the Bulls’ starting center. Collins is amassing 1.2 FPTS per minute in a Chicago jersey since being traded to the club at the deadline, and he has garnered an 18.5% usage rate as a starter.
Cleveland ranks seventh in defensive efficiency this season, but as mentioned above, Mobley will be rested tonight. The big man is the current favorite to win Defensive Player of the Year at -160 on DraftKings Sportsbook and with Mobley off the court this season, the Cavaliers’ defensive rating has dropped to 114.8, which would rank 24th in the NBA if it was their average for the season. In this spot, Collins should easily out produce this $6,000 salary that is still way too low for his current role.
SF/PF, Keldon Johnson, San Antonio Spurs vs. Brooklyn Nets, $4,600
This isn’t a perfect matchup with the Nets ranking eighth in defensive rating over their last 10 games, but Johnson is far too cheap for life without Victor Wembanyama (shoulder). The blossoming superstar is unfortunately out for the season and Johnson is scoring 28.7 FPTS in 25.6 minutes per game with a 23.3% usage rate with Wembanyama inactive this season (13 games), which is a 2.3 percentage point lift from his average usage.
The Spurs will be at home tonight and Johnson has been far more comfortable on his home floor this season, scoring 5.8 more FPTS per game in San Antonio than his average on the road. Even with Wembanyama active, Johnson posted 27.5 FPTS against the Nets back in December and with Wembanyama missing this time around, Johnson has a ceiling over 30 FPTS.
