There are eight games for Tuesday’s main NBA slate, with one game tipping off at 7:00 p.m. ET — the Chicago Bulls at the Indiana Pacers. There are three games at 7:30 p.m. ET — the New Orleans Pelicans at the Atlanta Hawks, the Philadelphia 76ers at the Boston Celtics, and the Los Angeles Lakers at the Toronto Raptors. There is one game at 8:00 p.m. ET — the Memphis Grizzlies at the Miami Heat. There is one game at 9:00 p.m. ET — the Detroit Pistons at the Denver Nuggets. The late-night hammers are the Milwaukee Bucks at the Golden State Warriors and the Portland Trail Blazers at the Los Angeles Clippers, which both start at 10:00 p.m. ET.
The Pistons and Raptors are playing the second leg of a back-to-back. DraftKings Sportsbook has one game with a double-digit spread — DEN (-13.5). There is one game with an O/U of at least 235 — MIL/GS (235.5).
Let’s break down some of the top studs and values at each position to help you build your DraftKings lineups.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $400K Shootaround [$100K to 1st]
Point Guard
Stud
Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors vs. Milwaukee Bucks, $9,700 – These teams met in the second game of the season (Christmas Day) and Curry put up 35 DKFP as the Bucks walloped the Warriors by 39 points. That’s so last year though. Over the last three games, Curry has contributed 49.75, 56.75, and 51.75 DKFP. DraftKings Sportsbook has the Warriors as 6.5-point underdogs, but they are playing at home where the Warriors sport a 14-9 record. They are 9-18 on the road. If the game is to be competitive, then Curry will be a big reason why as he has garnered a 38.9% usage rate over the last three games.
Other Options – Damian Lillard ($9,400), Trae Young ($9,100), and Jrue Holiday ($8,000)
Value
Killian Hayes, Detroit Pistons at Denver Nuggets, $3,000 – Hayes missed 41 games due to a hip injury but he’s played two games since returning. In the first game, he only played 20 minutes, garnered a 9% usage rate, and scored 10.25 DKFP. Last night, he played 25 minutes, garnered a 20% usage rate, and put up 34.25 DKFP. The Pistons are going to want to give as much experience to their 7th overall selection as they can down the stretch. Now, there’s risk here because it’s a back-to-back and we don’t know how the Pistons are going to manage that. With that said, he’s minimum-priced and has 10x upside.
Other Options – Malachi Flynn ($3,900), Tomas Satoransky ($5,100)
Shooting Guard
Stud
Jrue Holiday, Milwaukee Bucks at Golden State Warriors, $8,000 – Holiday has been putting in work these past four games, going for 64.25, 47, 56.5, and 47.5 DKFP. Giannis did miss one of those games, but Holiday has still produced with him on the court. Golden State plays at the second-fastest pace, while Milwaukee is third, so there should be plenty of offensive possessions to produce fantasy goodies.
Other Option – Bogdan Bogdanovic ($6,200)
Value
Hamidou Diallo, Detroit Pistons at Denver Nuggets, $5,300 – Since arriving in Detroit, Diallo has played five games. In his debut, he received 19 minutes of playing time and had a usage rate of 12%. Since then, he’s played at least 24 minutes in every game and garnered a usage rate of 24%, 19%, 26%, and 22%. Diallo has produced 43, 36.25, 19.75, and 30.5 DKFP despite not starting. The Nuggets boost the fantasy points per minute to shooting guards by 7.87% above league average.
Other Options – Will Barton ($5,500)
Small Forward
Stud
Kawhi Leonard, Los Angeles Clippers vs. Portland Trail Blazers, $9,200 – Kawhi averages 1.33 DKFP per minute and is one of the most consistent fantasy producers out there. Over the last five games, he’s gone for 49, 52.5, 43.25, 48.75, and 45 DKFP. That is the range you can expect on the regular. These teams played in December with Kawhi putting up 51.75 DKFP.
Other Option – Jimmy Butler ($9,000)
Value
Deandre’ Bembry, Toronto Raptors vs. Los Angeles Lakers, $3,000 – Bembry got the start yesterday and played 30 minutes, contributing 35.25 DKFP. Kyle Lowry and Fred VanVleet were both out for that game and have already been ruled out for today. He garnered a 16% usage rate and shot 70% from the field, so don’t expect that efficiency to be a common occurrence. He does grab rebounds and chip in with some assists, steals, and blocks. At the minimum price with the possibility of 30 minutes of playing time, Bembry is a solid option.
Other Options – Danilo Gallinari ($5,700), Will Barton ($5,500)
Power Forward
Stud
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks at Golden State Warriors, $10,700 – Giannis is the Godzilla of fantasy hoops, averaging a league-leading 1.64 DKFP per minute. He’s coming off a 72.5 DKFP performance after languishing in the 40s for a couple of games. On the season, he’s scored at least 60 DKFP 22 times with nine of those over 70. The Warriors play at the second-fastest pace in the league so there should be plenty of possessions. In addition, Golden State boosts the fantasy points per minute to power forwards by 11.8% above the league average.
Other Options – Michael Porter Jr. ($7,100)
Value
James Johnson, New Orleans Pelicans at Atlanta Hawks, $5,200 – This recommendation is only good if Brandon Ingram ($8,100) or Zion Williamson ($8,900) are out. In the last three games, Johnson has played 28, 29, and 33 minutes, contributing 28.75, 35.5, and 43.25 DKFP. The usage rate has been 21%, 20%, and 23%. He contributes in every category, even three-pointers, so his floor is high when he’s on the court and he has the ability to access ceiling games.
Other Options – Marcus Morris Sr. ($5,000), Danilo Gallinari ($5,700), Aaron Gordon ($6,300)
Center
Stud
Bam Adebayo, Miami Heat vs. Memphis Grizzlies, $8,300 – Bam has scored in double figures in every game but one this season. He has 24 double-doubles, good for 13th in the league, has dished out at least five assists in 28 games, and notched a steal and a block in the same game 17 times. The usage rate is 23%, so he’s involved in the offense. From a DKFP perspective, he’s scored at least 40 DKFP in 30 games, with nine of those over 50 and a high of 62.75. The Grizzlies play at the sixth-fastest pace and boost the fantasy points per minute to centers by 15.29% above league average, second-most generous in the league.
Other Option – Nikola Vucevic ($8,700), Joel Embiid ($10,200)
Value
Guillermo Hernangomez, New Orleans Pelicans at Atlanta Hawks, $4,200 – This recommendation is solely dependent on the availability of Steven Adams ($5,800), who entered the concussion protocol on Sunday. Adams played 22 minutes on Sunday before exiting, so it was Hernangomez who replaced him and played 26 minutes. He ended up contributing 33.5 DKFP. On the season, Hernangomez averages 1.08 DKFP per minute, so production has never been the issue. It’s always been about playing time.
Other Option – Enes Kanter ($6,000)
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $400K Shootaround [$100K to 1st]
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