This article is part of our DraftKings NBA series.
Guards
James Harden, HOU vs. OKC ($10,900): It's nearly impossible to fade Harden right now, as he's the best player in fantasy basketball. He's averaging 24 shots and nearly 40 minutes a game since Chris Paul (hamstring) went down, and his usage has been even more absurd, with Harden posting a 44.3 percent usage rate with Paul off the floor.
Eric Gordon, HOU vs. OKC ($5,800): Gordon is the other beneficiary to Paul being out of the lineup, as he's averaging nearly 30 DraftKings points per game in games that Paul has sat out dating back to last year. Gordon is averaging 36 minutes played in his last six games while posting a 25 percent usage rate.
Ricky Rubio, UTA vs. POR ($5,400): This is a price play, as Rubio is way too cheap on DraftKings for this slate. That's evident in his season-long production, as Rubio is averaging 29.7 fantasy points per game, which is approaching 6X value. Portland is not a matchup to fear, considering Rubio dropped 42 fantasy points in just 26 minutes of action the one time he faced the Blazers this season.
Forwards
Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL at NYK ($10,700): Harden and Antetokounmpo are the two high-end players that are tough to fade, as they should each approach 60 fantasy points. Not only is that close to Antetokounmpo's season average, but he's averaging 68 DK points in two games against the Knicks this season. The price is tempting, as well, as Antetokounmpo hasn't been below $11,000 in nearly a month.
Joe Ingles, UTA vs. POR ($5,700): It's strange to use home/away splits in the NBA but there's clearly something different with Ingles at home. In fact, Ingles is averaging 32 fantasy points per game at home while barely cracking 25 DK points on the road. That 32-point mark is exactly what we're looking for to achieve 6X value. While he's been up and down, Ingles has scored at least 34 fantasy points in three-straight games, and Portland is a bottom-five defense against small forwards.
P.J. Tucker, HOU vs. OKC ($4,300): This is a minutes play, as Tucker is playing way too much to fade him at $4,300. Not only is he averaging 35 minutes a game for the season, but Tucker's floor has been 34 minutes across his last seven games. Oklahoma City is usually a defense worth fading but that doesn't matter for a defensive player like Tucker, who gets his stats through rebounds and steals.
Centers
Jusuf Nurkic, POR at UTA ($6,100): Nurkic's 35.4 DraftKings points per game for the season imply that he's priced a bit too cheapy Tuesday, as that number is approaching 6X value. It's his floor that really makes him intriguing, as Nurkic has scored at least 25 fantasy points in all but three games this season. That's a 4X floor, and he's scored at least 36 DK points in four of his last five games.
Brook Lopez, MIL at NYK ($4,300): With all the value we've found on this slate, Lopez may be the best of the bunch. He's averaging 24 DraftKings points per game for the season, and he's actually scored at least 24 fantasy points in 11 of his last 13 outings. That consistency becomes even more imperative in a matchup like this, with New York allowing the 10th-most fantasy points to opposing centers on the season.
