This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
We've got ourselves a limited slate to work with this Tuesday night with only four games scheduled, but there's still plenty of fun to be had. The first contest of the evening kicks off at 8:00 pm Eastern time, so make sure your lineups are ready to roll prior to that time.
With only one full week of regular-season action remaining, teams find themselves in a few different situations. Some teams have locked up a top seed in their respective conference and are trying to rest up for a deep playoff run, some are simply trying to make the postseason, and the rest are likely evaluating talent and giving the young guys some experience. It's worth taking these factors into consideration when choosing your lineup at this time of the year.
Here's a quick rundown of the injury picture before I dive into some value plays.
Kyle Kuzma was held out of Sunday's matchup with the Pelicans due to tendinitis in his ankle, although it remains to be seen how serious the injury actually is. There's certainly a chance the Lakers are holding players out in an effort to tank at this point. They're already missing LeBron James (groin), Lonzo Ball (ankle), Brandon Ingram (shoulder) and Josh Hart (knee), so Kuzma should be someone to target if he is ultimately given the green light. Reggie Bullock also appeared on the injury report Monday night, but he's tagged as probable and should take the court.
Taurean Prince of the Hawks is another player to monitor, as he was sidelined for Sunday's matchup because of foot soreness and is doubtful for Tuesday's contest. Justin Anderson figures to be in line for his third straight start, assuming Prince is ultimately ruled out.
Jamal Murray tweaked his ankle Sunday night against Washington, but he's surprisingly expected to take the court Tuesday versus Golden State. If the ankle bothers him at any point during the contest, however, expect for the Nuggets to remove him for the night, especially considering they already have one of the top seeds in the Western Conference locked up.
Point Guard
Chris Paul, HOU at SAC ($8,200): Paul has been a key piece of the puzzle for Houston this season, and he came up with another big performance Saturday night against the Kings. He dropped 22 points and turned in a well-rounded line, resulting in 33.1 FanDuel points for the veteran point guard. I'm banking on a big night by the Rockets' backcourt against a Sacramento defense that typically struggles to defend opposing ball handlers (42.1 FD points per game).
Derrick White, SA vs. ATL ($6,200): White has been quiet of late, but his matchup Tuesday night could be just what he needs to bust out of a mini-slump. The Hawks are the worst team in the league when it comes to limiting point guards, as they surrender a whopping 47.5 FanDuel points per game to opposing ball handlers. It's also worth mentioning that the Colorado product shoots an impressive 47.1 percent from the field (62 games), so even in games when he struggles to score, he has the ability to distribute the basketball and secure at least a few boards.
Shooting Guard
James Harden, HOU at SAC ($12,400): If you've read any of my previous Tuesday articles, you should know by now that I'm not going to pass on Harden. Although he was excused from practice Monday due to a personal matter, he'll be ready to go Tuesday night for Round 2 against the Kings. He recorded a triple-double in Saturday night's matchup with Sacramento, resulting in 75.2 FanDuel points for the MVP candidate. I can't think of a better way to spend $12,400 within this limited slate.
Bogdan Bogdanovic, SAC vs. HOU ($5,900): After splurging on Harden, I feel obligated to choose a player of lower value. Bogdanovic is a player who's been producing at a relatively high level of late and his price tag is friendly. He's put up 45.8 and 31.1 FanDuel points in his previous two contests, respectively, and is slated to face off with a Houston defense that is nowhere near stifling. The Rockets rank 20th in the league in defensive rating with just over a week remaining in the regular season.
Small Forward
Harrison Barnes, SAC vs. HOU ($5,100): Barnes is another solid choice for the price, although if you're looking for a well-rounded line, you're looking in the wrong place. He does most of his damage in the scoring department, which can limit his upside on FanDuel. Still, Barnes has finished with 20 or more FanDuel points in five of his last eight contests and figures to have a shot to find success against an average (at best) Houston defense. Lance Stephenson ($4,700) and Gary Harris ($4,500) are a few other options when trying to remain within your budget.
Rudy Gay, SA vs. ATL ($6,500): Gay is going to offer you some quality bang for your buck at $6,500, and he's coming off an impressive performance Sunday against the Kings (30.3 FD points), who the Spurs are scheduled to match up with again Tuesday evening. He's a consistent producer on the boards and in the scoring column and should find success for the second straight contest against a defense that ranks 19th in defensive rating. If you're still not sold on Gay, there's a couple of MVP candidates in the top tier of Tuesday night's slate, although you'll have to pay top dollar for their services. Paul George is priced at $10,200 and Kevin Durant at $9,600. I would recommend going with one of these guys if you intend to pass on James Harden at shooting guard.
Power Forward
Jerami Grant, OKC vs. LAL ($5,600): I'm rolling with Grant as another true value play here because he's been on a roll of late and he faces an enticing matchup. The Lakers have ruled a number of their key contributors (such as LeBron James) out for the remainder of the season and are putting a lot of inexperience on the court in the process. To top it off, Los Angeles surrenders, on average, 40.4 FanDuel points per contest to opposing power forwards this season. Grant has totaled 40-plus FanDuel points in two of his previous seven contests, so while he's not going to put up this type of production consistently, the upside is certainly there.
P.J. Tucker, HOU at SAC ($4,100): Tucker is the least expensive player in this lineup, although you'll see why I'm also going cheap at power forward after taking a look at the available options. He'll likely end up becoming my forced-drop of the night, but I'd rather take a risk here and still be able to add either James Harden ($12,400) or Paul George ($10,200). Tucker has shown that he's capable of putting up serviceable numbers, doing so primarily by rebounding the basketball. His most notable performance of late came Mar. 20 against Memphis when he poured in 26.6 FanDuel points.
Center
Alex Len, ATL at SA ($5,300): Len put together an impressive showing Sunday afternoon against Milwaukee, and even though the Bucks rested a number of their starters, I was impressed with the big man's performance, which is why I'm going to ride the hot hand here. He racked up 27.2 FanDuel points and finished with 20-plus FD points for the fourth straight contest. By going cheap at the center position, it leaves room for other star power located within this small slate.
