This article is part of our DraftKings NBA series.
Slate Overview
TOR (-5.5) vs. ORL, O/U: 214.5
LAC vs. BKN (-1.5), O/U: 243.5
MEM vs. IND (-5.5), O/U: 221.5
POR vs. WAS (-2), O/U: 240.5
BOS (-3) vs GS, O/U: 224.5
DET vs UTA (-12.5), O/U: 220.5
Tuesday's DraftKings NBA slate tips off at 7:00 p.m. EST and includes six games. Aaron Gordon and Marcus Smart are out while Jonas Valanciunas and Norman Powell are questionable. The status of the DET-UTA matchup is up in the air after the Pistons had their game postponed last night as they couldn't dress enough players. The Clippers and Nets will face off in the marquee matchup of the night.
Its difficult to look past the LAC-BKN matchup as it sports a whopping 243.5 total. The Nets defense has been historically bad and Kawhi Leonard and Paul George have seen significant decreases in salary. The POR-WAS matchup is also appealing for fantasy purposes. It has a 240 total and features elite guards and bad defenses. Both games will popular targets. The DET-UTA matchup seems reasonable to fade. The Jazz are 12.5 point favorites so the blowout risk is high while the game itself could be at risk as the Pistons had their game postponed last night due to the league's health and safety protocols.
Injuries to Monitor
Jonas Valanciunas (COVID-19): QUESTIONABLE
Valanciunas has missed the past three games due to the league's health and safety protocols and is listed as a game-time decision tonight. Xavier Tillman ($5,100) has been starting at center in his place.
OG Anunoby (calf): OUT
Anunoby could miss the next week with a strained left calf, according to coach Nick Nurse. Yuta Watanabe ($3,700), Stanley Johnson ($3,600) and DeAndre' Bembry ($3,300) will continue to see increased run in his absence.
Norman Powell (quad): QUESTIONABLE
Powell was initially listed as doubtful but the Raptors changed his status to questionable for tonight. If he sits, Terence Davis ($4,000) will likely get another start.
Aaron Gordon (ankle): OUT
Gordon will be sidelined 4-6 weeks with a severe left ankle sprain. James Ennis ($3,400) and Gary Clark ($3,300) should see more minutes.
Marcus Smart (calf): OUT
Smart is expected to miss 2-3 weeks with a strained left calf. Jeff Teague ($4,500) and Aaron Nesmith ($3,100) could be in line for expanded roles.
Nicolas Batum (groin): QUESTIONABLE
Batum sat out on Sunday with a groin bruise. If he sits again tonight, Patrick Patterson ($3,500) could get another start at power forward.
Patrick Beverley (knee): OUT
Beverley will be sidelined for a fifth straight game with knee soreness. Reggie Jackson ($5,100) is in line for another start.
Derrick Jones (foot): QUESTIONABLE
Jones has missed the past two games with a sprained foot and is listed as questionable for tonight. Nassir Little ($3,100) has been starting in his absence.
James Wiseman (wrist): OUT
Wiseman sprained his wrist and will be re-evaluated in 7-10 days. Kevon Looney ($3,400) and Eric Paschall ($3,500), who is listed as probable himself with back issues, could be in line for increased run.
Elite Players
James Harden ($10,900), Damian Lillard ($10,700) and Kevin Durant ($10,100) are the three players with five-figure salaries on tonight's slate. Harden is coming off a triple-double that saw him score 61 DK points in 32 minutes Friday as the Nets played without Kevin Durant. Durant put up 59 DK points Sunday as Harden sat out for rest. All three of the Nets studs, including Kyrie Irving, are expected to play tonight making it tough to roster any with great confidence. I prefer Lillard in this top range. Portland will face a bad Washington defense tonight in a game that features a 240 total, and Lillard will get as much usage as he can handle.
Bradley Beal ($9,900), Stephen Curry ($9,600), Kawhi Leonard ($9,200) and Russell Westbrook ($9,100) make up the 9K salary range. Beal and Westbrook are in a great spot against Portland. Westbrook is coming off his best game of the season in which he put up 73.5 DK points, and his salary is still very affordable. Beal also had a 70-point outing last week but it came in the absence of Westbrook. Leonard has seen a significant decrease in salary after the Clippers were involved in back-to-back blowouts, but tonight's matchup against the awful Nets defense has a whopping 244 total and should be competitive. With most of the elite players in great spots, Curry will be the forgotten man. He would provide big leverage in tournaments should he happen to go for a ceiling game but I don't see myself getting there. Of this group, my picks are Westbrook and Leonard.
Paul George ($8,900) and Kyrie Irving ($8,800) are also in consideration. I have a difficult time clicking Irving's name when Harden and Durant are both expected to play, but the game against the Clippers has a massive total. He could easily hit value and is more than viable in game stacks. I prefer George, who's playing in the same matchup. He won't have as much competition for usage and the Clippers will have to score a lot of points to win tonight.
Expected Chalk
Nassir Little ($3,100)
Little has started the last two games at small forward in the absence of the injured Derrick Jones. He exploded for 47 DK points in 30 minutes last night and the majority of those points came before garbage time. Portland has a great matchup against Washington tonight and if Jones sits again, Little will be a popular cheap value piece.
Nikola Vucevic ($8,200)
There are two big positives for Vucevic tonight. He has seen his salary drop to a season low and Aaron Gordon is out injured. Vucevic will get as much usage as he can handle for an affordable salary, and that should make him a popular play at center tonight.
Value Picks
Rudy Gobert ($7,200)
Gobert has had games of 68 and 54 DK points in the last week. The Jazz had their 11-game winning streak snapped as he was dominated by Nikola Jokic last time out. Tonight's matchup against the Pistons should be a good bounce-back spot.
Jerami Grant ($7,000)
Grant has struggled of late and has seen his salary drop to its lowest point in 10 games. He had been valued in the low 8K range, so the $7,000 tag tonight is appealing.
Evan Fournier ($6,300), Cole Anthony ($5,500) and Terrence Ross ($5,300)
There will be a decent amount of usage up for grabs with Aaron Gordon out injured. Fournier, Anthony and Ross will have to pick up the scoring. I prefer the lower salaries of Anthony and Ross.
Xavier Tillman ($5,100)
Tillman put up 30 DK points in just 24 minutes last time out while falling one rebound shy of a double-double. He should be good value again tonight assuming Jonas Valanciunas is ruled out. Valanciunas is listed as a game-time decision after missing the past three games.
Kevon Looney ($3,400)
James Wiseman is out injured. Looney scored 23 DK points in 23 minutes last game and could be in line for a slight minutes bump.
