This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
Tuesday features a light NBA slate following Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, with only eight teams scheduled to take the court. The first game of the night begins at 7:00 Eastern Time and features Sacramento at Toronto.
There were 22 teams in action Monday, so it's worth mentioning that Sacramento, Portland, Oklahoma City and Dallas will be playing the second night of back-to-backs. Despite a limited slate, there are also a few matchups to exploit, with the Raptors set to go up against the Kings (ranked 22nd in the league in Defensive Rating) and the Timberwolves against the Suns (28th in Defensive Rating).
One key injury to take note of is Danilo Gallinari (back), who's not expected back until Sunday against Sacramento. With Gallinari out, the Clippers have elected to go with a smaller starting five, bumping Patrick Beverley over to small forward for the time being. Lou Williams (hamstring) is expected to be available, however, which takes some of the luster off of Beverley and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as value plays. Beverley logged 42 minutes in Sunday's matchup with San Antonio and turned in a monster fantasy performance (53.9 FanDuel points). Valued at just $4,700, he could still be worth a play -- particularly if it looks as though Williams will be at all limited.
Dennis Smith is also expected back for the Mavericks after missing six games due to an (alleged) back issue and illness. Now that Dallas has made amends with its young point guard, both sides are on the same page and he's slated to rejoin the rotation. Smith is priced at $5,200, so even though he's missed considerable time, he could be worth selecting as your forced drop of the evening.
Dragan Bender is another guy who can be considered when aiming to keep the cost down, as he racked up 29 FanDuel points Sunday in his first start of the season. He's currently filling in for Deandre Ayton (ankle) and Richaun Holmes (foot), although Bender's time with the first unit isn't expected to last much longer. Both Ayton and Holmes are expected to remain out Tuesday, though Bender should really only be selected with a forced drop in mind, even when valued at $3,800.
Point Guard
Damian Lillard, POR at OKC ($9,300): Lillard is one of the top options at points guard for Tuesday night's slate, although he's priced much more reasonably than Russell Westbrook ($12,500). Lillard has scored 20 or more points in each of his previous five contests and is averaging 3.6 rebounds, 6.2 dimes and 1.0 steal during that span. Even though Oklahoma City is ranked third in the NBA in defensive efficiency, Lillard should have plenty of firepower to put up a strong final line.
Derrick Rose, MIN at PHX ($6,600): Rose has taken sole possession of backup point guard duties lately with Tyus Jones (ankle) on the shelf, and his stock has risen as a result. That trend figures to continue heading into Tuesday's matchup on the road against one of the lowest-ranked defenses in the league. Rose is coming off a 31-point outing and has scored 15 or more points in each of his previous six contests. He should continue to see key minutes off the bench, making him an attractive choice.
Shooting Guard
Luka Doncic, DAL vs. LAC ($8,900): Doncic is coming off a complete performance, putting up 18 points, 11 boards, 10 assists, a steal and a block Monday against Milwaukee. Even though he'll be playing the back end of a back-to-back Tuesday evening, his young legs should have plenty in the tank to produce in Los Angeles. The rookie guard is averaging 37 FanDuel points per contest this season, proving he's worth every penny.
Andrew Wiggins, MIN at PHX ($6,100): Wiggins is coming off a poor showing Sunday, but he'll have a shot at redemption Tuesday night in Phoenix. He was held to 15.2 FanDuel points his last time on the court. Despite this blip on the radar, he'd racked up 22.5 or more points in his preceding six games and has a good chance of returning to form the second time around against the Suns.
Small Forward
Kawhi Leonard, TOR vs. SAC ($10,300): (Editor's Note: Leonard may sit out Tuesday's game). Leonard was granted the second half of his team's back-to-back off as per usual, so if he does play, he figures to be well-rested for Tuesday's matchup against a less-than-stellar Sacramento defense. The San Diego State product has been nothing short of brilliant over his previous seven contests, putting up 31.6 points while recording 6.3 rebounds, 4.1 helpers and 3.0 steals. Though he's one of the pricier options at shooting guard, failing to insert him into your lineup will put you at a great disadvantage, especially when considering there's only four games on the slate.
Paul George, OKC vs. POR ($10,400): Unsurprisingly, George has been a steady contributor for Oklahoma City this season, making him a strong selection for your Tuesday lineup. The 6-9 forward has seen a heavy workload of late but has risen to the challenge, posting 27.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 3.7 steals over his preceding three games. It's also worth noting that George will carry career-highs in points, rebounds and steals heading into the Thunder's matchup with Portland. Simply put, there's a reason he's valued at $10,400.
Power Forward
Tobias Harris, LAC at DAL ($8,100): Harris is one of the premier options at his position, and he's certainly played like it of late. He's narrowly missed double-doubles in each of his previous two contests, averaging 27.5 points along with 9.0 boards, 5.5 assists and 1.5 steals across that brief stretch. The former Volunteer hasn't played fewer than 31 minutes in nine straight games and will have plenty of opportunities to rack up FanDuel points on the road against the Mavericks. With Galliarni out, it wouldn't be a surprise if Harris again tops 40 minutes.
Pascal Siakam, TOR vs. SAC ($6,900): Siakam has been on a roll lately, notching 32 or more FanDuel points in each of his previous two contests (slightly above his 31 fppg average this season). While he's not as dangerous as Harris in the scoring department, Siakam is typically productive across the board and is capable of bringing home a monster night at a reasonable price (59.8 points Jan. 13 against Washington). His matchup against a young Kings' defense is simply another rationale for adding him to your Tuesday lineup, and if Leonard is ultimately held out, that makes Siakam even more appealing.
Center
Karl-Anthony Towns, MIN at PHX ($10,600): Towns is coming off a dominant performance Sunday against the Suns, racking up 30 points, 12 rebounds, four assists, four steals and a block over 39 minutes. With the 23-year-old center slated to face Phoenix for the second straight game, expect a similar result, especially with Ayton likely out of the lineup yet again. Towns is averaging a double-double in the month of January (nine games), posting 25.3 points, 12.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.7 blocks across that stretch.
