This article is part of our DraftKings NBA series.
Tuesday's NBA slate is a modest one, with just four games on tap after 8:00 PM Eastern time. Of the eight teams in action, three are finishing up back-to-back sets — the Trail Blazers, Suns and Thunder. Two of the games offer most of the recommended plays thanks to the likely lack of defense.
Slate Overview
Games to Target
Grizzlies (-6.5) vs. Warriors O/U: 222
This game lacks big names, but there won't be much defense in this battle of bottom-five defensive teams. There's no shortage of enticing options in the mid and low price ranges here.
Trail Blazers (-2.5) at Pelicans O/U: 231.5
This clash of bottom-10 defenses should be high scoring, and both teams have a nice mix of elite players and supporting options that can be plugged in here.
Game to Fade
Lakers (-11) at Thunder O/U: 210
The Lakers don't have much to offer besides their two superstars, while the Thunder make you grind it out but will lack explosiveness closing out a back-to-back.
Positional Breakdown
Point guard is the position flush with the most talent across the price spectrum, and luckily, some of those guys are also eligible at shooting guard. The drop-off in talent comes much quicker in the frontcourt, especially with the power forward position ravaged by injuries. Center's not much better, so make sure to line up solid bigs before thinking about your guard spots.
Injury Situations to Monitor
D'Angelo Russell is out due to a sprained thumb, leaving plenty of volume for the rest of the Warriors to pick up offensively.
Brandon Ingram (knee) is questionable for the Pelicans.
Ricky Rubio didn't play Monday due to back spasms, and one day to heal likely won't be enough for the Suns point guard to make his return.
Anthony Davis (shoulder) is probable for the Lakers, so deploy him as you normally would.
Elite Players
The two most expensive players in this slate are Lakers teammates LeBron James ($11,000) and Anthony Davis ($9,800), but they'll be going up against the Thunder's top-10 defense. Their upside is undeniable for GPP formats, but owners in 50/50s could likely find better use for their money.
The best value may actually lie in the backcourt matchup between Portland's Damian Lillard ($9,200) and New Orleans' Jrue Holiday ($8,800). Even on the second night of a back-to-back, Lillard should carve up a Pelicans defense that's giving up 120.0 points per game. Meanwhile, Holiday could be asked to take on a massive workload should Ingram sit.
Expected Chalk
Eric Paschall ($5,900) dropped 30 points and seven rebounds Sunday in the Warriors' first game since Russell suffered his latest injury. He also thrived when Russell missed time earlier this season, delivering a 25-point performance followed immediately by a 34-point outing. Given Paschall's 22.3 PPG and 6.0 RPG in seven starts, he's a must-have at $5,900, especially in GPP formats that reward his high ceiling.
Ja Morant ($6,700) has naturally been inconsistent to begin his rookie campaign, but the second overall selection from the 2019 draft has delivered at least 42.75 fantasy points twice in the past three games thanks to 23 points and 11 assists followed by 25 points and eight assists. Look for Morant to lead Memphis' offense against a bottom-three Warriors defense that's coughing up 119.0 points per game.
Jonas Valanciunas ($6,800) should be co-owned with Morant as part of a Grizzlies stack. The offensive-minded center's averaging a near double-double with 12.8 PPG and 9.4 RPG this season, and he's upped those numbers to 15.5 PPG and 10.8 RPG in the past four games.
Nassir Little ($3,500) can provide some much-needed cheap depth at either forward spot. He's averaged 31 minutes of court time in the past two games, and it won't be long until the rookie's salary starts to reflect his increased role with the Trail Blazers. As it is, his 8.0 PPG and 7.5 RPG over the past two games are more than enough to justify a look at his minuscule valuation.
Key Values
Alec Burks ($5,000) will likely be tasked with picking up an even greater scoring load sans Russell. The combo guard has proven capable of doing so previously, pouring in 18-plus points four times in the past seven games, including a three-game stretch during which he averaged 23.0 points per game. Someone has to score against a Memphis defense that's surrendering 118.8 points per game, and it could well be Burks.
In a slate ravaged by injuries to big men, Sacramento's Richaun Holmes' ($5,800) stability stands out. After starting the season in a less prominent role, Holmes has played at least 29 minutes in seven of the past nine games, and he logged 27 minutes in one of the other two. He's delivered 12.2 PPG and 8.9 RPG over this recent stretch, and Holmes should get plenty of defensive rebounding opportunities against a Suns team that looked out of sync without Rubio on Monday, shooting just 40.2 percent.
