This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
We have a six-game slate on tap Tuesday night that features a trio of particularly intriguing matchups with postseason implications for both squads. Fortunately, the injury report is light when it comes to big-name injuries, and although there is a rash of absences on the Spurs, there's a silver lining in the form of multiple rewarding value plays that could emerge from that scenario.
Slate Overview
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Tuesday night spreads are truly all over the spectrum. We actually have a couple of double-digit favorites, as well as a pair of games with lines of three points or fewer.
Projected totals do bring us some optimism from a DFS perspective, considering four games have totals of 235 points or more as of early Tuesday.
Injury Situations to Monitor
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Dejounte Murray, ATL (illness): QUESTIONABLE
If Murray isn't able to suit up, Trae Young should see even more usage than usual while Bogdan Bogdanovic and AJ Griffin could be primary beneficiaries in terms of playing time.
Kyle Kuzma, WAS (ankle): OUT
In Kuzma's absence, Deni Avdija and Corey Kispert are likely to take on the majority of small forward minutes while Kristaps Porzingis and Bradley Beal see significant increases in usage.
Zach Collins, SAN (rest): OUT
With Collins sidelined, Sandro Mamukelashvili should be in line to draw a start at center.
Jarrett Allen, CLE (eye): QUESTIONABLE
If Allen remains sidelined, Evan Mobley could shift over to center in his place.
Other notable injuries:
Zion Williamson, NOP (hamstring): OUT
Devin Vassell, SAN (knee): OUT
Jalen Duren, DET (head): OUT
Jalen Suggs, ORL (concussion): OUT
Bojan Bogdanovic, DET (Achilles): OUT
Jeremy Sochan, SAN (knee): OUT
Kevin Huerter, SAC (knee): OUT
Tre Jones, SAN (hamstring): DOUBTFUL
Elite Players
We have three players with five-figure salaries on Tuesday's slate: Domantas Sabonis ($11,000), Jayson Tatum ($10,800) and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ($10,600).
Sabonis has scored over 60 FD points in three of the last five games and 52.4 in another during that span, which should help keep him in plenty of lineups despite the salary bump.
Tatum dipped to 28.6 FD points against the Jazz in a sub-par shooting performance Saturday, but he'll draw a favorable positional matchup against a Kings team ranked in the bottom 10 in offensive efficiency allowed to power forwards and will also have the benefit of two days of rest.
Gilgeous-Alexander hasn't scored under 40.1 FD points since Feb. 6 and draws a matchup against a Clippers team that's allowed the most FD points per game to point guards in the last 15 (59.5).
Expected Chalk
Other likely chalk plays include:
Trae Young, ATL ($9,900)
Young scored only 17.8 FD points over 29 minutes against the Spurs on Sunday, but he'd been at 46.9 FD points or more in each of the previous five games.
Kawhi Leonard, LAC ($9,700)
Leonard is fully back to MVP form, and with 39 FD points against the Blazers on Sunday, he just narrowly missed extending a stretch of scoring over 40 FD points to six straight games.
De'Aaron Fox, SAC ($9,200)
Fox just went off for 54.3 FD points against the Jazz on Monday, his fifth game over 50 in the last 11. That ceiling combined with his salary should keep him in plenty of lineups Tuesday.
Kristaps Porzingis, WAS ($9,000)
Porzingis is off the injury report after missing the Wizards' last game Saturday due to illness and is averaging 49.87 FD points per 36 minutes with Kuzma off the floor this season.
Keldon Johnson, SAN ($8,200)
The combination of Johnson's salary and the fact he'll be taking the floor without Devin Vassell, Zach Collins, Jeremy Sochan and very possibly Tre Jones should help keep him highly rostered.
Key Values
John Collins, ATL vs. DET ($5,400)
Collins has undeniably disappointed at times this season relative to his prior standards, but the big man is still capable of flashing an impressive ceiling, especially in the right matchup. The Pistons could certainly coax one of Collins' better performances out of him. The big man has already touched up Detroit for tallies of 27.5, 35.9 and 43.2 FD points as well, so the hard evidence for his ability to outpace his current salary in this matchup is there. Additionally, the Pistons check in allowing 48.3 percent shooting to power forwards overall, along with the fifth-most FD points per game to the position in the last seven (52.6). Finally, consider Collins is averaging 31.5 FD points per 36 minutes without Murray on the floor, and the latter could sit out Tuesday with an illness.
Malaki Branham, SAN at NOP ($5,200)
Branham is likely to find himself in a starting role Tuesday with Tre Jones doubtful. If he does indeed take the floor with the first unit, he'll also be operating without three other regular starters, which should leave him with no shortage of opportunity. Branham has scored 24.7 FD points or more as a starter on nine occasions this season, and the Pelicans, tough against point guards most of the season, have been a bit more giving to the position recently while allowing 45.8 FD points per game to ones in the last seven contests.
Deni Avdija, WAS at ORL ($5,000)
Avdija could draw the start in place of Kuzma, and even if he cedes that spot to Corey Kispert, he should still be in for a high-volume role off the bench. The third-year wing is averaging 23.3 FD points across 34 starting assignments this season, and he's averaging 30.4 FD points per 36 minutes with Kuzma off the floor. The Magic ranks No. 19 in offensive efficiency rating allowed to small forwards (22.8), and they're also allowing the fourth-most FD points per contest to small forwards in the last 15 games (43.4), including 47.1 in the last seven.
ALSO CONSIDER: Sandro Mamukelashvili, SA at NOP ($5,100); Corey Kispert, WAS at ORL ($4,800); Romeo Langford, SAN at NOP ($4,500)
