This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
Tuesday's four-game slate features three players -- LeBron James, Nikola Jokic and John Wall -- priced over $10,000. The highest-priced player on the slate with an injury designation is Tristan Thompson ($7,800), who is out with a sprained foot. Also of note, Otto Porter ($6,700) is sidelined with a knee strain.
The largest over/under on the slate is 235.0, with the Wizards visiting the Hawks. That total is significantly higher than the second-highest over/under (227.5), courtesy of Lakers at Nets. But both those totals are miles ahead of the other two games on the slate. Mavericks at Nuggets has a 208.0 over/under, while Cavaliers at Pacers is at 207.0.
Wizards (-3.5) at Hawks and Lakers (-2.5) at Nets also have the tightest spreads, so stacking those contests makes for a viable strategy. For the other contests, the Nuggets (-5.0) are favored over the Mavericks, while the Pacers (-12.5) have blowout potential against the Cavaliers.
Let's dive into an option at each position:
Point Guard
John Wall ($10,400), WAS at ATL
Amidst swirling trade rumors and chemistry issues, Wall's production has been inconsistent, making him almost exclusively a GPP option. But even deploying him in GPPs has been risky considering his inflated price tag. That said, the absence of Otto Porter (knee) makes Wall more appealing, as he's had tangible success with the forward sidelined. In five absences for Porter, Wall has averaged 56.7 fantasy points, which is a bump of 12.2 FP compared to when Porter plays. Those numbers make it justifiable to deploy Wall at $10,400, even if he was in a worse matchup Tuesday. The matchup is great, though, with the contest having the highest over/under on the slate in addition to the Hawks allowing the sixth-most fantasy points to point guards, plus the third-most assists and fourth-most rebounds to the position.
Shooting Guard
Jordan Clarkson ($5,400), CLE at IND
This is a GPP pivot off the likes of D'Angelo Russell ($7,300), Kent Bazemore ($6,800) and Monte Morris ($5,700). Unexpectedly, Clarkson has been one of the main beneficiaries of Tristan Thompson's (foot) absence. The guard has seen a bump of 11.0 fantasy points per game for an average of 37.8 FP in the three games Thompson has missed. While there are players who have higher ceilings than Clarkson for the shooting guard slot, there aren't many who I would trust more to realistically reach 7x value. For example, that would mean 51.1 FP for Russell, 47.6 FP for Beal and 39.9 FP for Morris.
Small Forward
Jeff Green ($5,300), WAS at ATL
The small forward position is riddled with injuries. LeBron James ($11,500) sits at the top, but then there are four injured players below him until Harrison Barnes ($5,600). James is certainly an option, but I'll be looking at a lower priced option in Jeff Green. Like John Wall, Green has benefited from Otto Porter's absence. He's averaged 29.9 FP with Porter out, plus has seen a bump of 6.6 minutes per game up to an average of 30.4. Considering Green's boom-or-bust potential, however, he's almost exclusively a GPP option. The upside can be worth gambling on, as he's collected 30-plus fantasy points on five occasions, including a season-high 43.0 FP against the Celtics. Atlanta has struggled against small forwards, allowing the fourth-most fantasy points to the position, including the most steals and second-most three-pointers.
Power Forward
Larry Nance ($7,000), CLE at IND
Tristan Thompson's absence has opened up time for Nance. He's seen a bump of 8.3 minutes and 13.8 fantasy points with Thompson out, averaging 32.0 minutes and 38.5 FP under that condition. He saw just 26 minutes during Sunday's game against the 76ers, but that was largely due to matchup, with coach Larry Drew opting to start Ante Zizic to combat Joel Embiid. I'm anticipating Nance sliding back to the starting lineup against Myles Turner on Tuesday. Nance has yet to crack 50 fantasy points this season, but that number seems attainable. He racked up a season-high 43.7 FP against the Knicks with just three actual points, collecting 11 rebounds, seven assists, three steals and three blocks.
Center
Dewayne Dedmon ($6,600), ATL vs. WAS
Coach Lloyd Pierce seems to have made a concerted effort to involve Dedmon more in the offense. Over the past six games, Dedmon has seen 29.2 minutes per game, averaging 10.7 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.2 steals and 1.8 assists (32.1 FP). Though he may not have quite the upside as DeAndre Jordan ($7,000) or Myles Turner ($7,500), he appears to be a much safer play, and one that allows for expanded roster flexibility. Washington has also been below average in defending centers, allowing the eighth-most fantasy points to the position.
