Tuesday’s NBA main slate features six games, and the action on DraftKings gets underway at 7:30 p.m. ET. Let’s dive into some of the top plays, strategies and injuries to monitor heading into lineup lock.
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Point Guard
Worth Paying Up For: Malcolm Brogdon, Indiana Pacers vs. Los Angeles Clippers ($6,700)
Point guard isn’t a position where I feel the need to pay all the way up on Tuesday. Brogdon is about as high as I’m willing to go at $6.7K. He’s coming off a whopping 62.75 DKFP in his last game, and he should see a few additional shot attempts with Myles Turner out of the lineup. He faces a tough matchup vs. the Clippers — they rank 10th in defensive efficiency — but Brogdon is simply too cheap to ignore at that price tag. The Clippers are also a bit less intimidating with Kawhi Leonard out of the lineup.
Best Bang For Your Buck: Malachi Flynn, Toronto Raptors vs. Atlanta Hawks ($5,400)
The Raptors are going to be extremely thin at point guard once again for Tuesday’s matchup vs. the Hawks. Kyle Lowry and Fred VanVleet have both been ruled out, which means Flynn should be looking at another heavy workload. He’s played four games without both players this season, and he’s averaged a stout 35.25 DKFP over 35.3 minutes in those contests. His price is slightly up for tonight’s matchup, but he still stands out as one of the best values on the slate.
Shooting Guard
Worth Paying Up For: Paul George, Los Angeles Clippers at Indiana Pacers ($8,700)
This is a tough call between George and Donovan Mitchell ($9,400), but I’m ultimately going to give a slight edge to PG13. He’s cheaper, and he should be the biggest beneficiary of Leonard’s absence on Tuesday. He’s increased his usage rate by 5.2% in that situation, resulting in an average of 1.29 DKFP per minute.
Ultimately, pairing George and Mitchell — who has PG eligibility as well as SG eligibility — is a viable strategy.
Best Bang For Your Buck: Caleb Martin, Charlotte Hornets vs. Los Angeles Lakers ($3,100)
The Hornets are going to have plenty of minutes up for grabs vs. the Lakers. LaMelo Ball, PJ Washington and Gordon Hayward are out of the lineup, while Terry Rozier ($8,200; knee) is expected to join them on the sidelines. Martin is someone who should be expected to play around 28 minutes on today’s slate, and he’s averaged a respectable 0.83 DKFP per minute this season. That’s an awesome combination for someone who costs just $3.1K.
Small Forward
Worth Paying Up For: Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics at Portland Trail Blazers ($7,800)
Brown has scored at least 38.5 DKFP in three-straight games, and he has the potential for another strong outing vs. the Blazers. They rank just 29th in defensive efficiency this season, and Brown should continue to see a few additional minutes with Evan Fournier out of the lineup. This is also a very reasonable price tag for Brown, who has been priced as high as $8.4K over the past month.
Best Bang For Your Buck: Bojan Bogdanovic, Utah Jazz vs. Oklahoma City Thunder ($5,200)
Bogdanovic is coming off 42.75 DKFP in his last game, and he has the potential for another monster outing on Tuesday. The Jazz own one of the top matchups of the day vs. the Thunder, and their current implied team total of 120.25 is the top mark on the slate. The Jazz are also expected to be shorthanded, with Jordan Clarkson ($5,600; ankle) currently doubtful and Joe Ingles and Royce O’Neale ruled out for rest. That should leave plenty of minutes and shot attempts for Bogdanovic.
Power Forward
Worth Paying Up For: Pascal Siakam, Toronto Raptors vs. Atlanta Hawks ($8,600)
Siakam should be very involved for the Raptors on Tuesday. He’s played at least 38.3 minutes in two of his past three games, and he could approach that threshold again with Lowry and VanVleet out of the lineup. Overall, he’s averaged 38.3 minutes per game in three games without Lowry and VanVleet this season. He hasn’t seen much of a boost on a per-minute basis in that situation, but Siakam is already averaging 1.13 DKFP per minute in 2020-21. The boost in volume should be more than enough to make him a value at his current salary.
Best Bang For Your Buck: Jalen McDaniels, Charlotte Hornets vs. Los Angeles Lakers ($4,300)
McDaniels is basically a must-play on Tuesday. He’s returned value in three-straight games, and he’s scored at least 38.5 DKFP in two of those contests. He’s averaged 1.05 DKFP per minute over the past month, so it’s not surprising that he’s been effective given a boost in playing time. He should be looking at another expanded workload on Tuesday given the Hornets’ current injury situation, which makes him a steal at his current price tag.
Center
Worth Paying Up For: Chris Boucher, Toronto Raptors vs. Atlanta Hawks ($6,900)
Boucher has played at least 30.3 minutes in three of his past four games, and he’s capable of doing some serious damage with that much playing time. He’s averaged 1.23 DKFP per minute this season, so he’s simply too cheap at $6.9K.
Best Bang For Your Buck: Cody Zeller, Charlotte Hornets vs. Los Angeles Lakers ($4,800)
The Hornets have a pair of interesting value centers in Zeller and Bismack Biyombo ($3,000). Biyombo is tempting at the minimum, but Zeller seems like the better option. He should start, and he’s averaged a stout 1.20 DKFP per minute over the past month. He’s scored at least 36.0 DKFP in two of his past three games, and his minutes should be solidified with Washington out of the lineup.
Overall Lineup Strategy
There is plenty of value to choose from on today’s slate. The Hornets, in particular, have three elite value options in Martin, McDaniels and Zeller, and those are the first three players I’m locking into my lineup. Doing that leaves you with an average of more than $7,500 for your five remaining roster spots, which gives you plenty of options.
George and Mitchell stand out my two favorite studs to pair with the Hornets, but Siakam, Brown, Domantas Sabonis ($8,800) and Damian Lillard ($9,500) are strong options, as well. You could also give some consideration to Devonte’ Graham ($6,300), who should serve as the Hornets’ offensive focal point on Tuesday. There are no true “super studs” to consider on this slate, so you should be able to jam three or four of those guys into your lineup pretty easily.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $325K Shootaround [$100K to 1st]
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