This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
We have an exciting three-game quarterfinal-round slate Tuesday, with two knotted-up series playing out critical Game 5s and a potential series-ending Game 5 also unfolding in South Florida. There's also a relatively light injury report, leading to a solid player pool despite the small slate.
Slate Overview
Atlanta Hawks at Miami Heat (-7.5) (O/U: 217.0 points)
Minnesota Timberwolves at Memphis Grizzlies (-6) (O/U: 232.0 points)
New Orleans Pelicans at Phoenix Suns (-6) (O/U: 215.0 points)
The Hawks-Heat clash may indeed prove anticlimactic if Game 4's result is any indication, as Miami, even without Kyle Lowry, thoroughly dominated Atlanta for the second time in the series. Oddsmakers clearly expect a comfortable Heat victory on their home floor, with a potential blowout scenario potentially capping overall DFS upside for both teams.
The other two games should be much more competitive, however, as the four teams scratch and claw to take a 3-2 lead in their series. The Timberwolves do have one win in the series at FedEx Forum, so they won't necessarily be thrown by their road underdog status. The same could be said of the Pelicans, which seem to have gotten a boost of confidence from Devin Booker's absence for the Suns due to a hamstring injury, having nearly pulled off back-to-back wins and turning in a particularly impressive defensive effort in Game 4.
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, including those carrying injury designations that aren't listed in this section.
Devin Booker, PHO (hamstring): OUT
In Booker's absence, Cameron Johnson may keep his spot in the starting five for a third straight game.
Bogdan Bogdanovic, ATL (knee): QUESTIONABLE
If Bogdanovic were to sit out, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot could see a nice bump in minutes.
Clint Capela, ATL (knee): QUESTIONABLE
Capela was able to surprisingly suit up for Game 4 and logged 21 minutes, so he's likely to be available once again and roll with the first unit. If he were to have a setback, Onyeka Okongwu would step into a bigger role.
Kyle Lowry, MIA (hamstring): OUT
In Lowry's ongoing absence, Gabe Vincent (toe) should draw another start if he once again overcomes his probable designation.
Other notable injuries:
Zion Williamson, NOP (foot): OUT
P.J. Tucker, MIA (calf): QUESTIONABLE
Gabe Vincent, MIA (toe): PROBABLE
Elite Players
We have two players with five-figure salaries on Tuesday's slate: Jimmy Butler ($10,800) and Chris Paul ($10,300).
Butler has earned his recent salary bump with two games of greater than 60 FD points in the last three, and a tally of 51 FD points in the other outing during that span. The veteran wing should continue to have a particularly elevated role with Lowry out again Tuesday.
Paul had amassed 56.8 FD points across 39 minutes in Game 3 with Booker out and also posted 63.4 and 42.2 FD points in Games 1 and 2, but he had a night to forget Sunday. The veteran point guard had just four points on 2-for-8 shooting in Game 4, and it's a safe assumption that he's highly likely to be much more involved on the offensive end back on his home floor.
Expected Chalk
Other likely chalk plays include:
Ja Morant, MEM ($9,900)
Morant is now shooting just 29.0 percent over the last two games, but he still managed a triple-double in Game 4 that netted 44.1 FD points and hasn't scored less than that amount in the series.
Brandon Ingram, NOP ($9,600)
Ingram has scored 41.3 to 65.7 FD points in the last three games of the series after a slow Game 1, which should keep him very popular Tuesday.
Karl-Anthony Towns, MIN ($9,400)
Towns had a major resurgence in Game 4 with 51.3 FD points on the strength of a 33-point, 14-rebound double-double, so he should remain highly rostered despite his struggles in Games 2 and 3.
CJ McCollum, NOP ($8,500)
McCollum scored 46.1 to 50.8 FD points in Games 1-3, which should help keep him in plenty of lineups Tuesday despite the fact he dropped to 32.8 FD points in Game 4.
Deandre Ayton, PHO ($8,100)
Ayton's offensive contributions are up since Booker's injury, as he posted 28 and 23 points in Game 3 and 4, respectively, with the former tally part of a 60.9-FD-point effort.
Other likely chalk plays: Trae Young, ATL ($8,200)
Key Values
Brandon Clarke, MEM vs. MIN ($5,900)
Clarke has been a key asset off the bench for the Grizzlies throughout the series, putting up 15.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.3 steals across 26.5 minutes, leading to an average of 31.4 FD points. Clarke is putting up a solid 8.3 shot attempts per game in that span, and he should continue enjoying his solid second-unit role back on his home floor in the critical Game 5 battle. The young big's success against Minnesota is an extension of the regular season, as he recorded three tallies of 26.1 FD points or greater in that sample.
Tyler Herro, MIA vs. ATL ($5,500)
Herro's rostering percentage could well be down some Tuesday following his clunker in Game 4, but that possibility, along with the drop in salary, make him a particularly appealing tournament play. Herro posted 38.4 FD points in Game 3, and he shot a serviceable 45.5 percent in Games 2 and 3 before his 1-for-8 showing from the field in Game 4. The Hawks are a viable target as well, considering they've allowed the third-highest offensive efficiency to shooting guards and 36.7 percent three-point shooting on the road overall.
Tyus Jones, MEM vs. MIN ($4,300)
Ja Morant has struggled to find the net at times during the series, but his backup Jones is shooting 52.4 percent, including a blistering 75.0 percent, over the last three games. That's helped lead to tallies of 24.0 and 24.3 FD points the last two games, with Jones logging a series-high 22 minutes in Game 4. The Timberwolves have struggled to defend second-unit players since the start of the regular season, now allowing the seventh-highest offensive efficiency to opposing benches (44.1 percent). Minnesota has also yielded the 11th-highest offensive efficiency to point guards (26.1 percent), along with 52.4 FD points per game to PGs over the last seven games.
ALSO CONSIDER: Victor Oladipo, MIA vs. ATL ($3,900)
