This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
There are six games on the schedule for Tuesday night, with LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Devin Booker and Damian Lillard just a few of the big names set to take the court. The action begins at 7:00 PM Eastern time, with the Pistons taking on the Cavs and the Trail Blazers visiting the Raptors. We could see a lopsided game to end the night, as the Knicks and Lakers will tip off at 10:30 Eastern.
It's now 2020, but the name of the game remains the same. FanDuel has gone back to their old format, counting all nine of your player's scores within your lineup. With each selection counting towards your score, it'll be important to make each choice count.
Slate Overview
The matchups for Tuesday are all pretty favorable, but I'll go ahead and highlight the matchup that's expected to be the most profitable for DFS play according to FanDuel's Sportsbook.
Sacramento Kings at Phoenix Suns (Projected Total: 226.5)
The Suns have benefited from the return of Deandre Ayton, and the rest of their roster has returned to health outside of Frank Kaminsky (kneecap). Phoenix has put up 114 points or more in three of their last four matchups, setting the stage for another big scoring output against the Kings, who are giving up 109 points per game this year. The Suns also aren't all that sound on defense, giving up 115.2 points per contest. The Kings will aim to ride De'Aaron Fox and Buddy Hield in the scoring department in an effort to bounce back from a 117-115 loss to the Pelicans on Saturday.
Positional Breakdown
We have 12 teams set to run the floor Tuesday night. I'll take you through each position, highlighting the depth at each position along with a few value plays to target.
PG: Damian Lillard is the top name at point guard, followed by Kyle Lowry and De'Aaron Fox. If we work our way down the list, you'll find viable options in Chris Paul ($6,800) and Derrick Rose ($6,100) at low-to-mid-tier prices.
SG: Devin Booker is the highest-priced shooting guard on the night, checking in at $8,800. C.J. McCollum is the next best option, and while he's questionable with an illness, it's worth pointing out that he's nearly $2K cheaper than Booker. Andrew Wiggins is also a solid option for an affordable price ($6,900). RJ Barrett and Dennis Schroder are a few names to watch near the bottom of this list.
SF: LeBron James is one of the only players priced above $10K on the night, so it might pay dividends to fork over some cash here. There's a lack of depth at small forward, as the next option is Kelly Oubre Jr. for $7,600. Marcus Morris (neck) and Carmelo Anthony are also available, both for $6K or less.
PF: Anthony Davis is the priciest option Tuesday night, no surprise considering he's averaging over 50 FanDuel points per contest this season. Serge Ibaka is the next available player, valued at $7,500. Jaren Jackson Jr. and Julius Randle are a pair of mid-tier options, both putting up over 30 FD points per game.
C: Center is one of the deepest positions on this slate, as Andre Drummond and Karl-Anthony Towns (knee) sit atop the board. Hassan Whiteside and Deandre Ayton are the next cheapest options, sitting in the $8K range. If you're looking to save a few bucks, it wouldn't be a bad idea to roll with Aron Baynes in a game that's expected to rack up the points.
Injury Situations to Monitor
Tony Snell, DET
Snell's availability is unknown due to a migraine. The team should update his status closer to tipoff.
Kevin Love, CLE
Love sat out of Sunday's game against the Timberwolves for rest purposes and should be back in action. Even so, keep an eye on RotoWire.com to make sure he's good to go.
Tristan Thompson, CLE
Thompson is questionable against the Pistons due to illness. Cleveland will likely wait until shootaround before providing an update.
C.J. McCollum, POR
McCollum will be a game-time call due to illness. Gary Trent Jr. could draw another start at shooting guard if McCollum can't go.
Norman Powell, TOR
Powell is doubtful with a shoulder injury. Patrick McCaw should continue to see increased minutes off the bench.
Karl-Anthony Towns, MIN
Towns hasn't taken the court since Dec. 13 due to a knee injury, but he's being listed as questionable. He'll need to prove his health in shootaround and the pregame to have a chance to return.
Richaun Holmes, SAC
Holmes suffered a shoulder injury in the second half of Monday's game, putting his availability in jeopardy for the second half of Sacramento's back-to-back. Harry Giles III and Dewayne Dedmon could see more run if Holmes can't go.
Elfrid Payton, NY
Payton missed Sunday's game against the Clippers while dealing with a personal matter and is questionable. His availability will be determined closer to tipoff.
Marcus Morris, NY
Morris is expected to take the court despite a sore neck. He's started the last five games for the Knicks.
Avery Bradley, LAL
Bradley is being considered questionable due to an ankle injury. If he is cleared to play, he'll draw an enticing matchup against the Knicks.
Anthony Davis, LAL
Davis is probable against the Knicks despite a sore right shoulder. The expectation is that he'll be ready to take on his usual workload.
Elite Players
We have limited options in terms of star players Tuesday night, with four players in the $10K range. Anthony Davis ($11,600), LeBron James ($10,900), Andre Drummond ($10,300) and Karl-Anthony Towns ($10,200) are the big stars in action, and they're priced accordingly.
Outside of this star-studded group, there are a few other elite plays on the board for more affordable prices. Hassan Whiteside ($8,900), Damian Lillard ($8,900), Devin Booker ($8,800), Kyle Lowry ($8,400) and Deandre Ayton ($8,100) are all up for grabs the next salary tier down.
Expected Chalk
As with any slate, the elite crew is typically heavily owned. Anthony Davis and LeBron James are expected to lead the pack due to their favorable matchup against the Knicks, with Andre Drummond and Devin Booker also likely to draw plenty of interest.
The injury picture will also play a role in Tuesday's chalky picks. Tony Snell and Tristan Thompson are a few names to watch for in the early portion of the evening -- if either player is unable to go, it will open up the floor for a bench player to see more minutes. If Thompson can't go, look for John Henson to draw the start at center. For Detroit, if Tony Snell fails to gain clearance, expect more opportunities for Bruce Brown and Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk. Depending on how this all shakes out, these reserves could be chalky value plays Tuesday. The same can be said in Portland, where C.J. McCollum's status remains questionable. Gary Trent Jr. would be in line for another start in the event McCollum remains sidelined.
Key Values
Cedi Osman, CLE vs. DET ($4,400)
Osman had a slight hiccup in his last showing Sunday against the Timberwolves, finishing with just 10.9 FanDuel points over 29 minutes, but he's put up 20-plus FD points in three of his last four contests and is averaging right around 20 FD points per game on the season. The opportunities are certainly there for Osman, who's logging 28.8 minutes this year in a starting role. The 2015 second-round pick out of Turkey could take on a more prominent role in the offense Tuesday if Tristan Thompson (illness) is unable to go.
Christian Wood, DET at CLE ($4,700)
Wood is also a nice value play, as he's put up over 20 FanDuel points in four of his last six games thanks to his contributions in multiple categories. He's averaging 11.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists over that stretch. With Blake Griffin (knee) still out due to injury, there's a chance Wood draws another start at power forward -- he logged 30 minutes in his latest start Sunday against the Lakers, though he'll have a more favorable matchup Tuesday against a struggling Cavs squad. Cleveland is one of the worst in the league when it comes to locking down opposing power forwards, surrendering 48.8 FD points per game so far this season.
