Tuesday’s NBA main slate features five 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.
Refer a friend and get $20 DK Dollars! Head to the DraftKings Playbook Promo page for more details!
Get a free DraftKings contest ticket with your first deposit! Claim the offer at the DraftKings Playbook Promo page!
For up-to-the-minute news, analysis and lineups, download the DK Live app. You also can follow DK Live on Twitter @dklive.
Point Guard
Worth Paying Up For: De’Aaron Fox, Sacramento Kings vs. Minnesota Timberwolves ($9,800)
Fox has been absolutely rolling for the Kings recently. He’s racked up at least 47.25 DKFP in six of his past seven games, and he’s gone for at least 58.5 DKFP in three of his past four. He’s playing all the minutes he can handle at the moment, and he has one of the best possible matchups vs. the Timberwolves. They’ve been dreadful against opposing point guards this season, allowing the fourth-most DKFP per game to the position.
Best Bang For Your Buck: Delon Wright, Sacramento Kings vs. Minnesota Timberwolves ($4,100)
Let’s stick with the Kings. Wright is coming off back-to-back games with at least 28.25 DKFP, and he’s simply too cheap at $4.1K in an elite matchup. The Timberwolves rank just 27th in defensive efficiency, and the Kings’ implied team total of 120.75 is the top mark on the slate.
Shooting Guard
Worth Paying Up For: Kyrie Irving, Brooklyn Nets at New Orleans Pelicans ($9,900)
Irving is going to get his chance to be the man for the Nets on Tuesday. Kevin Durant (thigh) and James Harden (hamstring) are both out of the lineup, which leaves Irving to run the offense. He’s increased his usage rate by 4.2% and his assist rate by 17.4% with both players off the court since Harden was acquired from the Rockets, and he’s averaged 1.46 DKFP per minute in that situation. He’s also played three full games without both players out, and he’s averaged just under 50.0 DKFP in those contests.
Best Bang For Your Buck: Landry Shamet, Brooklyn Nets at New Orleans Pelicans ($4,400)
Shamet came seemingly out of nowhere to post 40.0 DKFP in his last game. He played more than 37.5 minutes in that contest, and while he probably won’t see that much playing time today, he should still see a solid handful of minutes for the shorthanded Nets. In addition to Durant and Harden, Nic Claxton (health protcols), Tyler Johnson (knee) and Reggie Perry (health protocols) are also out of the lineup on Tuesday.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $325K Shootaround [$100K to 1st, Record Breaker]
Small Forward
Worth Paying Up For: Norman Powell, Portland Trail Blazers vs. Los Angeles Clippers ($6,400)
Powell is a bit cheaper than the typical “stud” target, but he has the potential to provide stud-like production on Tuesday. He’s played at least 38.1 minutes in three-straight games, and his workload doesn’t figure to decrease with Damian Lillard (hamstring) and Jusuf Nurkic (rest) out of the lineup. Powell has also increased his usage rate by 2.0% with both players off the court since arriving in Portland, which gives him more upside than usual.
Best Bang For Your Buck: Bruce Brown, Brooklyn Nets at New Orleans Pelicans ($4,900)
Brown has thrived when given the opportunity to play big minutes this season, which is not surprising given his average of 0.86 DKFP per minute. He should see around 30 minutes in tonight’s matchup vs. the Pelicans, and Brown has averaged 27.4 DKFP in 22 games where he’s played at least 25 minutes. He’s averaged more than 30 minutes in four full games without Harden and Durant, which makes him a nice target at $4.9K.
Power Forward
Worth Paying Up For: Zion Williamson, New Orleans Pelicans vs. Brooklyn Nets ($9,700)
Williamson has been on an absolute tear recently. He’s increased his fantasy production to 1.44 DKFP per minute over the past month, and he’s scored at least 49.5 DKFP in four of his past six games. He’s also in an excellent spot tonight vs. the Nets. They don’t have anyone who can guard him, and the Pelicans’ implied team total of 118.75 ranks second on the slate.
Best Bang For Your Buck: P.J. Washington, Charlotte Hornets at New York Knicks ($5,400)
Washington returned to the Hornets’ lineup in their last game, and he stepped right back into his usual workload. He played more than 34 minutes and he racked up 45.0 DKFP. Washington has averaged 0.98 DKFP per minute this season, so he can do some damage with that much playing time. He stands out as one of the best values of the day at just $5.4K.
Center
Worth Paying Up For: Enes Kanter, Portland Trail Blazers vs. Los Angeles Clippers ($6,100)
Kanter should see a boost in playing time tonight with Nurkic out of the lineup, and Kanter is always a viable option with additional minutes. He’s one of the best producers at the position on a per-minute basis, and he’s increased his production to 1.25 DKFP per minute over the past month.
Best Bang For Your Buck: DeAndre Jordan, Brooklyn Nets at New Orleans Pelicans ($3,900)
The Nets have been searching for center options all season, but their depth has recently taken a serious hit. Claxton is out of the lineup on Tuesday, and LaMarcus Aldridge retired unexpectedly. That leaves Jordan to log a solid handful of minutes vs. the Pelicans. He’s averaged 1.07 DKFP per minute over the past month, so he has nice upside for his salary at just $3.9K.
Overall Lineup Strategy
The first question you need to ask yourself before setting a lineup is “how many Nets is too many?” Personally, I think four Nets makes a lot of sense at the moment. There’s a lot of time for other value options to open up before tip-off, but it’s going to be hard for me to avoid Irving, Shamet, Brown and Jordan as things stand currently.
Locking those four players in leaves you with an average of $6,725 for your remaining four roster spots. That gives you a lot of flexibility.
The next question that you need to ask yourself is “who am I pairing with the Nets?” I think the clear answer should be either Fox or Williamson. Some people might gravitate towards C.J. McCollum ($8,900), but he feels overpriced in a tough matchup vs. the Clippers. He obviously sees a nice boost in usage with Lillard sidelined, but that hasn’t resulted in a ton of production. He’s posted an effective field goal percentage of just 43.6% with Lillard off the court this season, resulting in just 1.10 DKFP per minute. That’s not much more than he averages with Lillard on the court.
Fox and Williamson have both been awesome from a fantasy standpoint recently, and both players have elite matchups. That gives them a clear edge in my book. I lean Williamson over Fox at the moment just because guard is so much deeper than forward, but there’s a scenario where enough value opens up that we can jam both players in together.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $325K Shootaround [$100K to 1st, Record Breaker]
Place your NBA bets at DraftKings Sportsbook and bet online by downloading the DraftKings Sportsbook app.
Put your knowledge to the test. Sign up for DraftKings and experience the game inside the game.
I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is mlamarca) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL).
Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ/WV/PA/MI), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (NH/CO), 1-800-BETS OFF(IA), 1-888-532-3500 (VA) or call/text TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN).
21+ (18+ NH). CO/IL/IN/IA/NH/NJ/PA/TN/VA/WV/MI only. Eligibility restrictions apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for full terms and conditions.