This article is part of our DraftKings NBA series.
Slate Overview
ORL at BOS: The Celtics have won two of three games over the Magic this season.
WAS at CLE: The Cavaliers have won 15 straight games in this series.
DET at IND: The Pistons have won all three games over the Pacers this year.
ATL at MIA: The Heat have won four of their last five matchups with the Hawks.
CHA at NYK: The Knicks have beaten the Hornets in eight of their last 10 meetings.
MIL at PHI: The Sixers are looking for a four-game sweep against the Bucks here.
BKN at TOR: The Raptors have won five of their last six matchups with the Nets.
For the latest spreads and over/unders, visit RotoWire's NBA Odds page. There you can also find player props, futures, picks, articles and sportsbook bonus codes.
Injuries to Monitor
For all the latest updates, visit RotoWire's NBA Injury News page and our comprehensive NBA Injury Report.
I'd love to provide you guys with an injury report, but it's unnecessary on this slate. This is the final game of the season, and about half the league will be sitting out. So please go check out the NBA Injury News page for any information, because there will be more players ruled out today than on any day all year.
Teams Confirmed to be Resting Players:
BOS, NYK, CLE, MIL, IND
Elite Players
Guards
Tyrese Maxey, Sixers ($9,700) vs. Bucks
We're going to have a theme of recommending players we know will play in these early sections, and then get the "silly season" punt plays at the end. Maxey is expected to play his usual massive workload since the Sixers are still fighting to finish in the top six in the East. Maxey is averaging a career-high 48 DraftKings points per game in that robust role and has an even higher usage when Joel Embiid is out. That's led to Maxey scoring at least 43 fantasy points in five of eight games since his return. Matching up with Milwaukee is great, too, with Maxey collecting a career-high 87 DraftKings points against them earlier this year.
Brandon Ingram, Raptors ($8,000) vs. Nets
Ingram has Toronto battling to avoid the Play-In Tournament, and they only need one more win to achieve that goal. That means they should be at full force here, and we've seen Ingram carry them in the most important games this season. He has at least 32 fantasy points in four of his last five fixtures while dropping 60 DK points just two games ago. That ceiling is in play against a team like Brooklyn, who sit 25th in defensive efficiency ratings.
Forwards/Centers
Scottie Barnes, Raptors ($8,600) vs. Nets
The Raptors are one of the few teams we know will go for a win today, which means we have to recommend their best player. That's Barnes, who's averaging 41 DraftKings points per game this season. He's also established a 30-point floor, stuffing the stat sheet at ease throughout a career year. We also love that Brooklyn surrenders the eighth-most fantasy points to opposing forwards, with Barnes scoring 40 and 49 DraftKings points against them this season.
Julian Reese, Wizards ($6,500) at Cavaliers
The Wizards are resting about half of their roster, and that's led to the best stretch of Resse's career. He's been starting in the absence of Alex Sarr at center, scoring at least 39 fantasy points in three of his last four games. All he needs are minutes to stuff the stat sheet with rebounds because Reese is averaging 15.3 points and 13.3 rebounds in the eight games he's played at least 30 minutes. Facing Cleveland sounds challenging, but you'll see why that's a great matchup later on.
Expected Chalk
Jalen Johnson, Hawks ($10,500) at Heat
Atlanta is one of the few teams that can secure something here, and that should force JJ to play big minutes. He's had a breakout season as the Hawks' primary playmaker, averaging over 50 DraftKings points per game. He's also been flirting with triple-doubles on a nightly basis and has one of the best possible matchups against Miami. The Heat play at the fastest pace in the NBA, with Johnson scoring at least 48 fantasy points in all three of their matchups this season.
Mid-Range Money
Malachi Smith, Nets ($4,900) at Raptors
It's time to get into the weird stuff. Over half of the starters in the NBA will be resting today, and it's going to lead to some bizarre stat lines. That's what we saw from Smith all week, averaging 13.7 points, 7.0 rebounds and 6.7 assists across 40 minutes over his last three fixtures. That's a ridiculous role and average from such a cheap player, and we shouldn't see anything different in the finale with so many Nets players sidelined.
Jaylon Tyson, Cavaliers ($4,100) vs. Wizards
Tyson was a must-roster player earlier this season when half of the Cavs rotation was injured, so we expect to see similar things here. In fact, nine of the Cavs regulars will be sitting here, which means Tyson might play 40 minutes while leading the team in shots and rebounds. That's encouraging since he has over 38 DK points in back-to-back games and showcased a 50-point ceiling earlier this year as one of the focal points of their offense. The matchup is simply a bonus, with Washington ranked 29th in points allowed and dead last in defensive efficiency.
Value Picks
Craig Porter, Cavaliers ($3,800) vs. Wizards
Alright, let's get into some of the cheap plays. We just mentioned that Cleveland will be sitting most of their rotation, and it'll leave Porter as one of the only healthy bodies out there. That means he'll likely start at point guard and become this team's primary ball-handler. He's actually thrived in that role in the past, averaging 38 DK points per game in the eight games he's played at least 28 minutes this year. That's hard to overlook since he faces the worst defense in the NBA.
Hugo Gonzalez, Celtics ($3,700) vs. Magic
This kid has showcased some serious potential at times this season, and this is a great opportunity for him to do that once again. Boston has already ruled out its starting five, and there could be more absences on the horizon. Gonzalez won't be one of them, but he could start and play 35 minutes for this shorthanded Celtics team. He made one start earlier this season when they rested everyone, finishing with 18 points and 16 rebounds en route to a career-high 53 DK points. If we see even half of that, Gonzalez will be an immense value at just $3,700.
Max Shulga, Celtics ($3,000) vs. Magic
I cover the NBA and watch every night, but I honestly don't know who this is. In any case, it doesn't matter because he's the highest-projected player on our Optimizer. It's easy to see why, because he's one of the only ball-handlers left on this roster. He's the only point guard on this roster who's suiting up, and it's why we have him projected to score over 40 DraftKings points! He's shown glimpses of that potential at the G-League, averaging 14.8 points, 4.6 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 1.2 steals per game.
Ariel Hukporti, Knicks ($3,000) vs. Hornets
Let's get one final punt play in here for good measure. The Knicks have ruled out all of their starters, but Mitchell Robinson's sitting out makes Hukporti impossible to avoid. That means he could play 40 minutes as the team's only true center. In a start for all of those guys on January 2, Hukporti had 47 DraftKings points in the game of his career. He didn't even play 30 minutes in that game, so it's scary to think what he could do with 35-40 minutes as a potential floor.
Other players below $4K who could start and play 30-plus minutes: Olivier Sarr (CLE), Mohamed Diawara (NYK), Larry Nance (CLE), Nae'Qwan Tomlin (CLE), Ron Harper (BOS), Amari Williams (BOS), Jeremy Sochan (NYK),
