This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
We have a typically compact Tuesday night slate on tap, with only five games on the ledger. The injury report is a bit of a mixed bag, as the fact it's relatively brief is somewhat offset by the fact there are three big names atop it. Nevertheless, we do have a solid pool to work with due to the fact 10 teams are in action.
Slate Overview
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Listed spreads/totals are from FanDuel Sportsbook and current as of Tuesday, 3/19 @11:00 a.m. ET:
Charlotte Hornets at Orlando Magic (-12.5) (O/U: 202.5)
Houston Rockets (-9.5) at Washington Wizards (O/U: 227.5)
New Orleans Pelicans (-7.5) at Brooklyn Nets (O/U: 215.0)
Dallas Mavericks (-9) at San Antonio Spurs (O/U: 233.0)
Denver Nuggets (-7.5) at *Minnesota Timberwolves (O/U: 213.5)
*denotes team on second night of back-to-back set
This time of season always brings an element of uncertainty for DFS players, considering motivation level and personnel usage can both be somewhat difficult to gauge on any given night.
Point spreads for Tuesday seem to imply we could be in for a night of fairly comfortable wins for favorites, which isn't an ideal scenario from a fantasy perspective. However, it bears noting the Nuggets-Timberwolves line will see some narrowing if Rudy Gobert is ultimately announced as available. The same will certainly hold true for Mavs-Spurs if Luka Donic sits out with his troublesome hamstring.
Projected totals also portend a slate that tilts toward low-scoring games, but there are at least a pair of 225+ totals thanks to the presence of the Wizards and the Spurs.
Injury Situations to Monitor
For all the latest updates, visit RotoWire's NBA Injury News page and our comprehensive NBA Injury Report.
Luka Doncic, DAL (hamstring): QUESTIONABLE
If Doncic's hamstring soreness leads to an absence, Kyrie Irving's usage will naturally skyrocket, as will that of the remainder of the first unit.
Kyle Kuzma, WAS (shoulder): QUESTIONABLE
If Kuzma is forced to sit out, Corey Kispert may slot into the starting power forward role while Jordan Poole will see even more usage than usual with Tyus Jones, Bilal Coulibaly and Marvin Bagley all confirmed out as well.
Rudy Gobert, MIN (ribs): QUESTIONABLE
If Gobert can't play and Naz Reid also sits with the head injury he suffered Monday against the Jazz, Luka Garza and Leonard Miller may handle the bulk of center duties while Anthony Edwards sees even more usage than usual.
Other notable injuries:
Herbert Jones, NOP (back/hip): PROBABLE
Deni Avdija, WAS (knee): QUESTIONABLE
Naz Reid, MIN (head): QUESTIONABLE
Tre Mann, CHA (illness): QUESTIONABLE
LaMelo Ball, CHA (ankle): OUT
Deni Avdija, WAS (knee): OUT
Tyus Jones, WAS (back): OUT
Marvin Bagley, WAS (back): OUT
Elite Players
We have four players with five-figure salaries on Tuesday's slate – Luka Doncic ($12,700), Nikola Jokic ($11,900), Victor Wembanyama ($11,400) and Anthony Edwards ($10,200).
If Doncic can play through his hamstring injury, he'll look to build on the 37-point, 10-assist double-double he posted against the Nuggets on Sunday while facing a Spurs team he recorded 53.8 FD points against in 31 minutes last time he faced them Feb. 14.
Jokic has been under 50 FD points in three straight games since scoring 95.4 against the Raptors on March 11, but he could have very little resistance down low Tuesday if Gobert sits out for the T-Wolves.
Wembanyama just produced 78.5 FD points against the Nets in an OT win on Sunday, his third tally over 70 in the last seven contests. He also hasn't scored under 41 FD points since Feb. 10 and posted 54.3 FD points over 27 minutes against Dallas in the most recent meeting Feb. 14.
Expected Chalk
Other likely chalk plays include:
Kyrie Irving, DAL ($9,900)
Irving should be popular under any circumstance on the small slate after his nationally televised game-winning hook shot against Denver on Sunday, but he'll be even more highly rostered if Doncic sits out.
Zion Williamson, NOP ($9,100)
Zion has scored at least 45.5 FD points in six straight games, which should keep him very popular at a salary that hasn't seen much movement despite his success.
Paolo Banchero, ORL ($9,000)
Banchero just produced 48.7 FD points against the Raptors on Sunday and has been a virtual lock for at least 35 FD points for most of March.
Jalen Green, HOU ($7,900)
Green has far outpaced his current salary in his last two games, posting 47.6 and 53.2 FD points in those contests, the former total coming against the same depleted Wizards team he'll face again Tuesday.
Cam Thomas, BKN ($7,600)
Thomas has two tallies of over 45 FD points and one of 37.6 in his last four games, which should help usher him into plenty of lineups Tuesday at his salary.
Key Values
Jordan Poole, WAS vs. HOU ($6,900)
Poole is essentially the last man standing in the nation's capital at the moment if Kyle Kuzma misses another game Tuesday. Deni Avdija (knee), Tyus Jones (back), Marvin Bagley (back) and Bilal Coulibaly (wrist) are all definitely sidelined Tuesday, and Poole has a massive 38.8 percent usage rate and average of 39.6 FD points per 36 minutes with those four players off the floor. Add in a Kuzma absence to that equation and the numbers get even more absurd – Poole boasts a 44.4 percent usage rate and average of 45.8 FD points per 36 in that scenario. The 24-year-old guard already comes in with a pretty hot hand as it is, averaging 33.2 FD points per contest over his last 10 games while shooting 48.8 percent, including 39.8 percent from three-point range.
Jabari Smith, HOU at WAS ($6,800)
Smith makes for some cost-effective exposure to a Rockets team that could run away with things against the Wizards on Tuesday. His reasonable salary mitigates some of the blowout risk, and Smith also comes in having scored 32.2 to 41.8 FD points in four of the last five games. The versatile big man is shooting 49.1 percent, including 44.0 percent from distance, over that span, and he's facing a Wizards team that's allowed the third-highest offensive efficiency rating to power forwards (30.5), along with an NBA-high 58.9 FD points per contest to the position in the last 15 games.
Dereck Lively, DAL at SAN ($5,300)
Lively's position mate Daniel Gafford is certainly also in play in this favorable matchup, but he'll require $1.7k in additional investment. Therefore, Lively makes for an intriguing value pivot that could also deliver nicely relative to salary, considering he has a pair of 26.6 FD-point tallies and another of 45.9 within his last four games alone. The rookie's production does undeniably go through some fairly drastic fluctuations, so he's likely best left for tournament play. However, with 15 games of more than 30 FD points – including a total of 34.5 against these same Spurs back in his NBA debut Oct. 25 – and San Antonio conceding a Western Conference-high 37.3 offensive efficiency rating along with 58.9 FD points per game to centers, Lively is very worthy of consideration.
ALSO CONSIDER: Trey Murphy, NOP at BKN ($6,400); Patrick Baldwin, WAS vs. HOU ($4,100)
