This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
Tuesday's five-game slate has some challenges to navigate, beginning with the modest number of games. Such a scenario always makes achieving unique roster construction a bit of a challenge, and with two superstars in Kevin Durant and Karl-Anthony Towns out of the equation, there's even more people congregating on the elite healthy players than usual.
Additionally, we also have four of the five games with point spreads of eight points or higher on FD Sportsbook as of Tuesday morning, implying some blowouts and potentially reduced minutes for starters as a result. Of course, the NBA is more unpredictable than it's given credit for sometimes, so there could certainly be some surprisingly competitive games despite these expectations.
One encouraging aspect of the ledger is the expected level of offense – four of the five games have projected totals of 226 points or higher as of this writing.
Slate Overview
Here's a further look at the three games with the highest projected totals on Tuesday's slate:
Chicago Bulls at Portland Trail Blazers (Projected total: 232.5 points)
The Bulls are playing at the league's second-fastest pace (110.5 possessions per game, behind the Warriors) and are giving up the most points per contest (121.3), telling us everything we need to know about why this is the game with the highest projected total of the night. The Trail Blazers naturally bring plenty of offense with which to exploit that weakness, and they're also facilitating plenty for the opposition with 119.3 points per game surrendered. Factor in that Portland plays at a top-10 pace as well and that names like Zach LaVine, CJ McCollum and Damian Lillard will be on the floor, and it's not difficult to see why the scoreboard is expected to be busy.
Minnesota Timberwolves at Denver Nuggets (Projected total: 226.5 points)
These two teams combined for 233 points Sunday, and there's no reason to expect less offense Tuesday. Minnesota is allowing 119.5 points per game and Denver checks in with 116.0 per contest surrendered, so the projected figure may actually be a bit on the low side. Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic in particular found little resistance Sunday, and the duo, along with other talents such as D'Angelo Russell and Malik Beasley, could be set for productive nights in a game that represents a step up in pace for Denver.
Utah Jazz at Brooklyn Nets (Projected total: 226.5 points)
This number would be higher were Kevin Durant available, but it's still on the rise as of Tuesday morning. There are a number of talented three-point shooters on either side of this contest that could help the points pile up in a hurry, and the Jazz have surprisingly allowed the second-highest success rate from distance (41.1 percent) thus far. Utah typically plays at a slow 102.6 possessions per game, but Brooklyn is averaging 108.3 per contest, making them the fourth-fastest team in the league. There should therefore be plenty of DFS considerations on each squad, and the fact the Nets are actually tied with the T-Wolves for most points per game surrendered over the last three (126.0) and now are missing Durant's solid defense further supports the notion of a high total.
Injury Situations to Monitor
NOTE: Injury reporting is especially fluid in the NBA, where the status of multiple players can change during the course of a day. Therefore, although the following serves as a foundation for the latest injury report as of the time the article is written, check back throughout the course of the day with RotoWire for the latest news regarding the status of all players on that night's slate.
Key Injuries
Kevin Durant, BKN (COVID-19 protocols) Status: OUT
Durant will be out for approximately one week, meaning Kyrie Irving will assume an even bigger role than usual beginning Tuesday, However, the likes of Joe Harris and Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot could also help pick up the scoring slack, while Jeff Green could draw the start at PF.
LeBron James, LAL (ankle) Status: QUESTIONABLE
James has repeatedly played through this designation and is expected to do again Tuesday. However, there's always the possibility he takes a rest day one of these games, which would naturally increase Anthony Davis' usage significantly and give other members of the starting five a boost as well.
Karl-Anthony Towns, MIN (wrist) Status: OUT
Towns' wrist dislocation has him week-to-week and definitely sidelines him for Tuesday's contest. Naz Reid and Ed Davis should continue splitting time at center, while the usage of the remaining members of Minnesota's starting five should also be elevated.
LaMarcus Aldridge, SAN (knee) Status: QUESTIONABLE
Aldridge could miss a fourth straight game, which would mean a bump in usage for Dejounte Murray and DeMar DeRozan and extra work down low for Jakob Poeltl.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, LAL (ankle) Status: QUESTIONABLE
If KCP can't go Tuesday, Wesley Matthews could be in for a start at two-guard.
Michael Porter, DEN (COVID-19) Status: OUT
Porter's ongoing absence should lead to another start at small forward for Will Barton.
Derrick Favors, UTA (knee) Status: QUESTIONABLE
A potential absence by Favors could afford Rudy Gobert some extra run and potentially give Georges Niang some time behind the Stifle Tower.
Lauri Markkanen, CHI (calf/COVID-19) Status: OUT
Markkanen's fourth straight absence should afford Otto Porter another start at power forward.
Marcus Morris, LAC (knee) Status: OUT
Morris' ongoing absence will continue to afford Nicolas Batum a starting opportunity.
Josh Okogie, MIN (hamstring) Status: QUESTIONABLE
Okogie's potential absence stands to give Jake Layman and Anthony Edwards the opportunity for extra run.
Other injuries
John Konchar, MEM (ankle) Status: OUT
Tomas Satoransky, CHI (COVID-19) Status: OUT
Alex Caruso, LAL (COVID-19) Status: OUT
Chandler Hutchison, CHI (COVID-19) Status: OUT
Rodney Hood, POR (quadriceps) Status: QUESTIONABLE
Ryan Arcidiacono, CHI (COVID-19) Status: OUT
Jaylen Nowell, MIN (calf) Status: QUESTIONABLE
Jontay Porter, MEM (knee) Status: OUT
NOTABLE LONG-TERM INJURIES: Ja Morant, MEM (ankle); Kristaps Porzingis, DAL (knee); Jaren Jackson, MEM (knee); Derrick White, SAN (toe); Justise Winslow, MEM (hip); Nicolas Claxton, BKN (knee); Zach Collins, POR (ankle)
Elite Players
Although there are only five games on the slate, there are five players with five-figure salaries: Nikola Jokic ($10,500), LeBron James ($10,200), Karl-Anthony Towns ($10,200), Kawhi Leonard ($10,100) and Anthony Davis ($10,000). James still carries a questionable designation due to his ankle issue but is expected to play through, while Towns remains out of action. Of the rest of the group, Jokic and Leonard appear to be in particularly appealing matchups, although it's worth noting Jokic hasn't come close to hitting 5x his current salary in the last three games despite some solid performances.
There is also plenty of potential for elite production from a number of four-figure-salaried players, such as Kyrie Irving ($9,700), Damian Lillard ($9,200), CJ McCollum ($8,900) and Paul George ($8,800). Zach LaVine ($8,100) could also be considered for this category, as he's playing in the game with the highest projected total of the night and has been over 50 FD points twice already this season, including a season-high 58.7 in his most recent game against the Mavericks. The Nuggets' Jamal Murray ($7,900) has also notably outpaced his current salary with totals of 46.3 and 51 FD points in his last two, the latter coming against the same T-Wolves squad he'll face Tuesday.
Expected Chalk
All of the names mentioned in Elite Players section are going to be very popular Tuesday, and with just 10 teams in action, there's no question differentiation in tournaments could be a bit challenging. As mentioned earlier, Kyrie -- and the rest of his first-unit mates, to varying degrees -- is going to be very popular in Durant's absence, while Timberwolves such Russell and Beasley should also continue to be rostered at a high clip with Towns still out.
Key Values
Malik Beasley, MIN at DEN ($5,600)
Beasley carried a bit of extra motivation against his former Nuggets teammates in Sunday's first meeting between the teams, posting a season-high 25 points, seven rebounds, five assists and two blocks on his way to 48.9 FD points. Naturally, he should be a bit more popular in Tuesday's rematch, and expectations should be tempered to an extent – Beasley normally doesn't facilitate or stuff shots at the level he did in that contest. Nevertheless, his salary didn't really see an appreciable bump, and the wing had been producing solid numbers relative to his salary prior to that outburst anyhow. A FD-point tally in the 30s certainly isn't out of the question against a Denver squad that's allowing the third-highest shooting percentage to two-guards (49.0 percent), including the third-highest three-point percentage (46.0 percent). With Towns out of action, Beasley's usage has risen and he's averaging 14.8 attempts per contest (and draining them at an impressive 48.3 percent clip).
Otto Porter, CHI at POR ($5,300)
Porter exploded for 55.9 FD points three games ago and provided 30.4 FD points over 29 minutes in his most recent game against the Mavericks on Sunday. Those are excellent returns at his current salary, and with the veteran due for another start Tuesday while Markkanen remains out, Porter could be a bit chalky in the game with the highest projected total of the night. The Trail Blazers are allowing the fifth-highest shooting percentage (48.3 percent) overall, while Porter has been especially aggressive this season while taking a career-high 5.1 three-point attempts per contest and draining them at a 41.7 percent clip. He can pile up points in a hurry and contribute across the stat sheet while the Bulls play at the second-fastest pace (110.5 possessions per game) in the league, making Porter a potentially rewarding fantasy-point-per-dollar play.
Joe Harris, BKN vs. UTA ($4,600)
Harris should be one of the players picking up the slack in the absence of Durant, but his salary remains well below what might be expected when considering his expanded role. The sharpshooting two-guard has opened the season shooting 51.2 percent on 5.9 three-point attempts per game as part of a 50.7 percent success rate from the floor overall. Harris has also been over 30 FD points in three of his last four contests after a slow start to the season, and he posted a perfectly acceptable (at his current salary) 24.4 FD points in the other game during that sample. The Jazz rank in the bottom half of the league against shooting guards in three-point accuracy allowed (38.6 percent), and they're tied with the Spurs for the second-highest three-point percentage allowed to all positions (41.1 percent).
Other value plays to consider: Keldon Johnson, SA at LAC ($6,500); Caris LeVert, BKN vs. UTA ($6,100); Dennis Schroder, LAL at MEM ($5,700); Jordan Clarkson, UTA at BKN ($5,300); Bojan Bogdanovic, UTA at BKN ($5,300); Montrezl Harrell, LAC vs. SA ($5,300); Joe Ingles, UTA at BKN ($4,700); JaMychal Green, DEN vs. MIN ($3,900)
