This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
We have a typically modest slate on tap Tuesday, with five games on the docket. The injury report does have some notable names on it, however, so news will particularly be worth monitoring as the day unfolds, especially since the player pool is already somewhat compact to begin with.
Slate Overview
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The night shapes up as reasonably competitive when utilizing point spreads as a measuring stick, as there are three games with lines of 6.5 points or less on FanDuel Sportsbook as of late Monday night, and another at 8.5. Naturally, there could be some movement in those numbers if some of the aforementioned potential absences come to fruition.
Projected totals paint an even more favorable picture for DFS purposes, considering four of the five games have projected totals over 230 points, including a Nuggets-Pacers clash that carries a 243-point figure going into early Tuesday morning.
Injury Situations to Monitor
For all the latest updates, visit RotoWire's NBA Injury News page and our comprehensive NBA Injury Report.
Tyrese Haliburton, IND (hamstring): QUESTIONABLE
Should Haliburton sit out, Andrew Nembhard (questionable-back) would likely draw a start if he can suit up, while T.J. McConnell would slot into the first unit if Nembhard is also sidelined.
LeBron James, LAL (ankle): OUT
James' absence will lead to even more usage than usual for Anthony Davis, while Jarred Vanderbilt (probable; heel) or Rui Hachimura will likely draw a start at power forward.
Isaiah Hartenstein, NYK (foot/ankle): QUESTIONABLE
If Hartenstein can't suit up, Precious Achiuwa could draw a start at center.
Other notable injuries:
Ivica Zubac, LAC (calf): OUT
Shaedon Sharpe, POR (abdomen): OUT
Ben Simmons, BKN (back): OUT
Day'Ron Sharpe (knee): OUT
Andrew Nembhard, IND (back): QUESTIONABLE
Michael Porter, DEN (illness): PROBABLE
Aaron Gordon, DEN (shoulder): PROBABLE
Anthony Davis, LAL (Achilles): PROBABLE
Elite Players
We have four players with five-figure salaries on Tuesday's slate – Nikola Jokic ($12,100), Anthony Davis ($11,400), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ($10,900) and Tyrese Haliburton ($10,700).
Jokic draws a very favorable matchup against the Pacers and is coming off having posted 80.4 FD points against the Wizards on Sunday, his fifth straight game with at least 54.3 FD points.
Davis should be primed for even more usage than usual with LeBron James sidelined by an ankle injury, as AD boasts a team-high 29.6 percent usage rate and averages 55.3 FD points per 36 minutes without his teammate on the floor.
SGA has bounced back from consecutive sub-40 FD-point tallies with totals of 49.2 and 48.4 FD points in his last two games, and he draws a premium matchup Tuesday against a Blazers team he piled up 44 FD points against in just 21 minutes on Jan. 11.
Haliburton will have to play through his questionable tag, but if he does suit up, he'll look to build on a performance of 48.9 FD points across 34 minutes in his most recent contest.
Expected Chalk
Other likely chalk plays include:
Jalen Brunson, NYK ($9,300)
Ball has scored 65.6 and 57.5 FD points in his last two games and has scored at least 42.1 in four straight, numbers that should keep him very popular at his salary.
Julius Randle, NYK ($9,000)
Randle has a pair of 45+ FD-point efforts in two of his last three games and is averaging 42.7 over his last eight contests overall, which should keep him in plenty of lineups Tuesday.
Lauri Markkanen, UTA ($8,900)
Markkanen is averaging 45.6 FD points per contest over his last eight games, a stretch where he's shooting 52.5 percent, including 45.5 percent from three-point range.
Jalen Williams, OKC ($7,900)
Williams draws an outstanding positional matchup against a Blazers team that's struggled with shooting guards all season, and he's just half a FanDuel point short of having posted seven tallies of at least 40 in 11 games thus far in January.
Malcolm Brogdon, POR ($7,600)
Brogdon has averaged 44.4 FD points over his last three games – all starting assignments – which led to plenty of clicks on his name Thursday.
Key Values
D'Angelo Russell, LAL at LAC ($7,100)
Russell already checks into Tuesday running hot with an average of 40.9 FD points per game in his last six, a sample where he's shooting a blistering 55.1 percent, including 52.1 percent from three-point range. The talented guard is back in his customary starting point guard role, and Tuesday, he's in an even better situation with LeBron James sidelined due to an ankle injury. Russell boasts a 27.0 percent usage rate with James off the floor – the second highest on the Lakers behind only Anthony Davis – and he's averaging 44.2 FD points per 36 minutes in that scenario as well. The Clippers have been exceedingly tough on point guards all season, but this is a situation where the combination of expected role and salary takes precedence.
Donte DiVincenzo, NYK at BKN ($5,700)
DiVincenzo has been providing rock-solid across-the-board production since RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley were shipped to Toronto, averaging 28.7 FD points in the last 12 contests on the strength of 15.8 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.3 steals per game. DiVincenzo is shooting 39.8 percent from behind the arc in that sample as well, and he put up 41.1 FD points over 22 minutes against the Nets in his one prior game against them Dec. 20. Brooklyn checks in allowing the seventh-highest three-point shooting percentage as well (38.2), brightening DiVincenzo's prospects.
Jarred Vanderbilt, LAL at LAC ($4,300)
Vanderbilt should be due for a spot start at power forward with LeBron sitting out Tuesday, and he checks in averaging 23.2 FD points per 36 minutes with James off the floor this season. Vanderbilt also comes in on a solid run of recent production, having eclipsed 21 FD points in three of the last six games while coming off the bench. Assuming he runs with the first unit Tuesday, he should have a good chance of delivering a strong return on his very modest salary against a Clippers team that's allowed 49.3 FD points per game to power forwards over the last 15 contests.
ALSO CONSIDER: Walker Kessler, UTA at NOP ($6,500); Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, DEN at IND ($5,100); Rui Hachimura, LAL at LAC ($4,500)
