This article is part of our DraftKings NBA series.
Tuesday's NBA slate begins at 7:00 PM Eastern time and features six games. This slate is difficult to navigate with seven of the league's eight stingiest defenses by points per game allowed in action, but there's still value to be found. Those seven teams are the Magic, Lakers, Thunder, Celtics, Nuggets, Pacers and Hawks, each of whom are holding opponents to no more than 104.4 points per game.
Slate Overview
Games to Target
Lakers (-6.5) at Bulls O/U: 214
The Lakers in particular are appealing in this matchup against the 2-5 Bulls. In a slate without much star power, Los Angeles boasts two superstars in LeBron James and Anthony Davis, along with some intriguing role players.
Pacers (-2.5) at Hornets O/U: 214
Indiana's beat-up frontcourt provides openings for both teams, as the Pacers have some other bodies getting opportunities while the Hornets' big men should benefit from facing lesser competition on the interior.
Games to Fade
Thunder (-3.5) vs. Magic O/U: 204.5
The other five games each feature one of the aforementioned defensive stalwarts, but this is the only game between two members of that list. As a result, this game has by far the lowest over/under in this slate.
Nuggets (-5) vs. Heat O/U: 209
Miami didn't make the list of shutdown defenses on this slate, but the Heat didn't miss by much, as Miami's opponents are scoring only 106.2 points per game. This methodical Denver team isn't like the high-flying iterations of years past, as the Nuggets score the sixth-fewest points and allow the sixth-fewest. Both teams also sport deep rotations, making it hard to pinpoint where a lot of the production will come from on any given night.
Positional Breakdown
With the expected lack of offense, the best way to rack up fantasy points will be through rebounding, so your UTIL spot should be occupied by a center, which is the deepest position on this slate. The guard spots are a little deeper than the forward spots, but both are filled with middling options, as this slate doesn't feature much elite star power.
Injury Situations to Monitor
Trae Young (ankle) is questionable for Atlanta, with Cam Reddish ($4,900) — who's shooting a laughable 20.9 percent overall and 5.6 percent from deep — likely to draw the start if Young sits for a second straight game. Big man John Collins is also dealing with a sprained ankle that leaves him questionable.
Like Young, Domantas Sabonis (calf) is in danger of missing a second straight game due to injury. His absence would continue to test Indiana's frontcourt depth with Myles Turner (ankle) doubtful after missing the last two games.
Elite Players
Anthony Davis ($10,000) and LeBron James ($9,600) should both have their way with Chicago. LeBron comes $400 cheaper but is averaging 57.5 fantasy points to Davis' 54.5.
On the other hand, no team has been stingier against centers than Miami, so it's best to fade Denver's Nikola Jokic ($9,400).
Kevin Love ($8,800) is an intriguing option here, as he's been the focal point of Cleveland's offense with 19.2 PPG, 15.3 RPG and 4.3 APG. The Celtics allow a league-high 60.8 rebounds per game, so they'll have a tough time keeping Love off the glass.
Sticking with the Celtics-Cavaliers game, Kemba Walker ($8,500) should continue to carry the offense for the visitors after scoring at least 32 points in each of his past three games.
Expected Chalk
T.J. Leaf ($5,000) can be deployed at either forward spot, but he's currently filling in for Turner at center. After racking up 13 points and 15 rebounds in just 22 minutes Sunday against the Bulls, Leaf has likely earned himself more playing time for this meeting with the Hornets.
Cody Zeller ($6,500) won't give you much in terms of secondary stats, but he shouldn't have trouble building on his 14.0 PPG and 12.4 RPG against the depleted Pacers frontcourt.
If Young doesn't suit up, Jabari Parker ($5,000) would become Atlanta's primary source of offense after pouring in 23 points and eight rebounds with Young out last Thursday. The sixth man is averaging 13.8 PPG through five games with the Hawks, slightly below Parker's career average of 15.1 PPG.
DeMar DeRozan ($7,500) is providing a well-rounded 20.3 PPG, 5.0 RPG and 4.2 APG, which actually represents a decline across the board from last year's 21.2 PPG, 6.0 RPG and 6.2 APG in his first season with the Spurs. He gets a nice opportunity to close the gap between those numbers against an Atlanta team that's struggled to guard wings.
Key Values
Dwight Howard ($5,100) continues to thrive off the Lakers' bench, averaging 9.0 PPG, 9.0 RPG and 2.8 blocks per game in his past four contests. The affordable big man should thrive inside against a Bulls team that's allowing opponents to pull down 59.7 rebounds per game — only the Celtics give up more.
Orlando's weak point has been defending point guards, so Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ($7,000) could be worth targeting in a matchup that otherwise doesn't look very fantasy-friendly. The second-year man out of Kentucky is playing a robust 35 minutes per game and making the most of his heavy usage with 21.8 PPG, 7.2 RPG and 3.3 APG. That tremendous rebounding number for a guard makes SGA an especially intriguing option.
