This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
We have a very compact three-game slate on tap Tuesday, and with some big-name COVID-related absences, we have an even narrower player pool to work with. There are still some top-end options to invest big bucks in, however, and a few sub-$6K value plays that find themselves in favorable scenarios/matchups.
Slate Overview
Milwaukee Bucks (-6) at Philadelphia 76ers (O/U: TBD)
Atlanta Hawks at Utah Jazz (-7.5) (O/U: TBD)
Portland Trail Blazers at Los Angeles Clippers (-3) (O/U: 221.0 points)
With Joel Embiid, Tobias Harris and Khris Middleton all slated to be out due to COVID-19 protocols, the Bucks-76ers clash is missing some of its luster, as well as a projected total as of early Tuesday. Philadelphia mustered 103 points Monday night without their starting frontcourt duo.
The Hawks suffered yet another loss Monday night to the Warriors, their fourth consecutive, so they're unsurprisingly significant underdogs on the road against the Jazz. Utah is notably 3-0 at home with an average margin of victory of 13.0 points there, while Atlanta is 1-6 on the road.
The Blazers are still searching for their first road win after four unsuccessful tries, while the Clippers are running hot with four consecutive wins and have notched three victories in their last four home contests as well. However, one of their losses this season came against the Trail Blazers, who toppled them by a 111-92 score Oct. 30.
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.
Joel Embiid, PHI (COVID-19 protocols)/ Status: OUT
With Embiid slated to be out, Andre Drummond -- who turned in a 14-point, 25-rebound double-double in his stead Monday night -- should draw another start at center.
Khris Middleton, MIL (COVID-19 protocols/ Status: OUT
Pat Connaughton should draw another start due to Middleton's ongoing absence, while Jordan Nwora should also see some extra run off the bench. Additionally, Giannis Antetokounmpo's usage should see a bump from its already very elevated level.
Tobias Harris, PHI (COVID-19 protocols)/ Status: OUT
In Harris' ongoing absence, Georges Niang should continue to see plenty of extra run at power forward.
Other notable injuries:
Brook Lopez, MIL (back)/ Status: OUT
Marcus Morris, LAC (knee)/ Status: OUT
Elite Players
We have two players with five-figure salaries on Tuesday's slate: Giannis Antetokounmpo ($11,300) and Paul George ($10,800).
Antetokounmpo will once again be taking the floor without Khris Middleton, and he'll come in having racked up over 60 FD points in two of his last three games. He'll also have an appreciably softer matchup than usual down low against the 76ers with both Embiid and Harris out of action.
George saw a dip to 37.8 FD points against the Hornets on Sunday after posting at least 46.2 in each of his previous four games, but he draws an excellent positional matchup Tuesday against a Blazers squad allowing the highest offensive efficiency (31.0 percent) to small forwards, along with 40.0 percent shooting from three-point range.
Expected Chalk
In addition to the players just mentioned in the prior section, other likely chalk plays include:
Trae Young, ATL ($9,500)
Young has scored over 40 FD points in four straight games and is one of the few high-end guards to invest in Tuesday, which should keep him extremely well-rostered.
Rudy Gobert, UTA ($9,000)
Quality centers are always at a premium on short slates, and even more so when there are two other starters in Embiid and Lopez already ruled out. Gobert is also coming off a season-high 57.5 FD points against the Magic on Sunday, which should lock in his popularity.
Donovan Mitchell, UTA ($8,700)
Mitchell is another top-shelf option at guard and has scored over 50 FD points in two of his last three games.
Andre Drummond, PHI ($7,200)
Embiid's continued absence Tuesday and Drummond's aforementioned massive performance in his stead Monday night will make the big man very popular.
Key Values
Grayson Allen, MIL at PHI ($5,400)
Allen should continue to see elevated usage with Khris Middleton slated to be out, and he checks in having scored 37 and 34.2 FD points in his last two games. The sharpshooter has been over 20 FD points in five other contests as well, and he faces a short-handed 76ers squad that is ranked in the bottom half of the league in offensive efficiency allowed to two-guards (20.6 percent) and that's giving up averages of 21.9 points, 8.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.4 steals to the position.
Seth Curry, PHI vs. MIL ($5,200)
Curry totaled 27.8 FD points against the Knicks on Monday night without Embiid and Harris available, and he's also posted totals of between 23 and 39.1 FD points in five other games this season. Curry sports a 26.0 percent usage rate without Ben Simmons, Harris and Embiid on the floor this season, while Milwaukee is allowing averages of 25.2 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.9 steals per contest to two-guards. Curry also went into Monday's game against New York shooting a jaw-dropping 60.0 percent overall, including 50.0 percent from distance, and that type of efficiency could help him offer a strong return on a very modest salary.
Terance Mann, LAC vs. POR ($5,100)
Mann has been thriving off the Clippers' bench in the early going, averaging 25.3 FD points and shooting a solid 46.2 percent on a robust 30.3 minutes per contest. Mann is averaging a solid 8.9 shot attempts per contest as well and sports career highs in points (11.1), rebounds (5.8), assists (2.9) and steals (1.1). Portland makes for a good target, as the Blazers are allowing the second-highest offensive efficiency to second-unit players (50.7 percent) and the third-highest three-point shooting percentage on the road (41.1).
