DraftKings’ main slate for Tuesday includes the first six games of the night. Below, I dive into three of my favorite DFS options to consider for tonight’s NBA action.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $150K Fadeaway [$50K to 1st]
PG, Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks vs. Portland Trail Blazers, $9,800
Every remaining game is crucial for the Hawks. Currently, Atlanta is only one game ahead of the Magic for the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference and the Hawks still have an outside chance of catching the Bucks for the No. 6 seed, as Atlanta is only four games back, and they own the tiebreaker between the two clubs. Since every win carries weight for the Hawks, Young has been putting the team on his back and has topped 50 FPTS in nine of his last 12 starts.
Young is scoring 1.4 FPTS per minute with 31.1% usage rate and 43.7% assist percentage since the All-Star break. This is an elite matchup vs. the Trail Blazers, who have been a mess defensively as of late. Portland ranks 28th in defensive rating over their last five games, and the Hawks’ 121.5-point implied team total on DraftKings Sportsbook is tied for the highest on the slate. Young is amassing 52.6 FPTS per game when playing behind an implied team total of at least 120 points this season (six games) and he is the best stud to build around for this slate.
SF/PF, Keldon Johnson, San Antonio Spurs vs. Orlando Magic, $5,100
While this is a tough matchup vs. the magic, who rank second in defensive rating this season, Johnson is way underpriced at only $5,100 and is a strong option for all formats. First and foremost, Victor Wembanyama (shoulder) and De’Aaron Fox (shoulder) are done for the season. In the 15 games the Spurs have been without these two players this season, Johnson is producing 28.9 FPTS in 25.8 minutes per game off the bench.
With Wembanyama and Fox off the court this season, Johnson’s usage rises a team-high 2.8 percentage points to 24%, and he supplies 1.1 FPTS per minute. Plus, the Spurs will be at home tonight, which is a huge boost for Johnson. This season, the veteran has been far more comfortable on his home floor, scoring a whopping 6.3 more FPTS per game in San Antonio than when on the road. Johnson is scoring 31.8 FPTS per game in his last five at home, and he should exceed five-times value with ease tonight.
SG/SF, Mikal Bridges, New York Knicks vs. Philadelphia 76ers, $6,900
With the Knicks extremely shorthanded in their back-court, Bridges has taken on more ball handling responsibilities and thrived. With Jalen Brunson (ankle), Miles McBride (groin) and Cameron Payne (ankle) out for the last two, Bridges has scored 41.75 FPTS vs. the Bucks and 42.5 FPTS vs. the Trail Blazers. In these games, the wing led the Knicks with a 30% usage rate, and he garnered a 24% assist percentage, which is a huge 10.1 percentage point upgrade from his season average.
All three of Brunson, McBride, and Payne will remain out Tuesday. With these guards off the court this season, Bridges is generating 1.13 FPTS per minute. The Knicks are 3.5 games ahead of the Pacers for the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference, and every game is important for New York right now if they want to hang onto that spot. The 76ers rank dead last in defensive rating since the All-Star break, and Bridges is an excellent target in this situation that could surpass 40 FPTS for the third straight game.
