This article is part of our DraftKings NBA series.
Tuesday's NBA slate begins at 8:30 PM Eastern time and features just two games. The Clippers will face the Mavericks in Dallas and the Wizards will face the Nuggets in Denver, with all four teams having last taken the court Sunday.
Slate Overview
Game to Target
Nuggets (-9.5) vs. Wizards O/U: 227.5
Both games have identical over/unders of 227.5, and you should certainly use players from both contests to craft your lineups (in fact, you have to). The Nuggets stand out as the most enticing of the four teams, as they're the heaviest favorites against a Wizards team that's giving up 120.3 points per game — second most in the league after the Pelicans' 120.4.
Positional Breakdown
This is a rare slate where shooting guard is actually deeper than point guard, with four of the five priciest point guards also having shooting guard eligibility and the other eligible at small forward. Small forward is highlighted by the two Clippers stars, with the steepest drop off in depth occurring at this position. No position is particularly deep, but every one has at least five options priced over $4,500.
Injury Situations to Monitor
There isn't much to talk about here, with all of the teams pretty healthy.
Maxi Kleber is questionable for Dallas due to a right knee contusion.
Landry Shamet (ankle) of the Clippers last played Nov. 11 and remains sidelined by the injury.
Elite Players
Luka Doncic ($11,400) will get plenty of defensive attention from some capable Clippers defenders, but it likely won't deter him. He has the potential to carry lineups, having exceeded 70.0 fantasy points four times in his past six games.
Nikola Jokic ($9,800) is the clear top center on this slate. The versatile star is averaging 17.7 PPG, 13.7 RPG and 6.7 APG over his past three games, and he should continue to stuff the stat sheet against the Wizards' poor defense.
On the other hand, Washington's Bradley Beal ($9,300) will struggle to live up to his lofty valuation against Denver's league-best defense (101.7 points allowed per game).
Kawhi Leonard ($8,800) and Paul George ($8,300) have been roughly even since George returned from injury. Leonard has a bit more upside but George could be the better value at $500 cheaper.
Expected Chalk
Jamal Murray ($7,400) should work well at either guard spot against the lowly Wizards. He's averaging a well-rounded 18.9 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 5.0 APG and 1.5 steals per game, plus Murray has a tremendous offensive ceiling, as illustrated by his 39-point outing Nov. 17. With the diminutive Isaiah Thomas guarding him, Murray should have no problem scoring at will.
Tim Hardaway ($5,000) has been on fire from deep recently, going 13-for-20 from three-point range en route to 25.7 PPG over his past three games. His recent hot streak has earned Hardaway the starting shooting guard role, so his price is likely to climb before long. Don't expect him to cool down against a Clippers team that's had trouble defending the shooting guard position.
Montrezl Harrell ($6,700) is a nice above-average player in a slate filled mostly with stars and scrubs. He's recorded at least 28 points and 12 rebounds twice in the past four games, chipping in five steals and seven blocks in this four-game stretch as well. Harrell fits nicely in any lineup at either power forward or center.
Key Values
Isaiah Thomas ($4,600) offers a high usage floor on the cheap for the Wizards. Washington's starting point guard has dished out at least five assists in eight of his last 10 games, and he's averaging a respectable 12.8 PPG and 5.6 APG this season.
Thomas Bryant ($5,800) is averaging a near double-double at 14.6 PPG and 8.8 RPG. If you don't go with Jokic at the center position, his high-floor Wizards counterpart offers a cheaper alternative at the position or can be tossed in at power forward.
