NBA Tuesday provides us with a nice little five-game slate! Let’s get it in gear and hone in on some top DFS plays and props to consider this evening!

Written By: Ryan Humphries on Twitter &  LineStar chat @Ryan_Humphries

DFS Main Slate Rundown 📰

As usual, Tuesday brings forth a small NBA slate, but at least it’s not some two or three-gamer. Five games are on the docket for tonight and, for the most part, these are high-quality match-ups with fairly low blowout potential across the board. Also, by this season’s standards, injury impacts are pretty minimal as well tonight. That does erase some headaches but it also means that finding value could be a bit more difficult. Nonetheless, let’s see what we can cook up and dish out!

Today’s Key Injuries:

Kings: D. Fox - Questionable

76ers: T. Maxey - OUT, D. Melton - OUT, D. House Jr. - Probable

Warriors: A. Wiggins - OUT, D. Green - Probable

Bucks: J. Holiday - Questionable, K. Middleton - Probable

Suns: D. Booker - OUT, C. Johnson - Questionable

Rockets: J. Tate - OUT

Pelicans: B. Ingram - OUT, H. Jones - Probable

Jazz: C. Sexton - OUT, S. Fontecchio - OUT

Celtics: A. Horford - OUT, R. Williams - OUT

Lakers: A. Davis - Probable, L. James - Probable

Main Slate Match-Ups w/ Game Totals & Point Spreads

Note: NBA position designations are never going to perfectly align between the major DFS sites. For the purposes of these newsletters, positional designations will default to DraftKings.

💫 = Favorite Play

Point Guards/Shooting Guards to Consider 🏀

💫PG/SG James Harden, PHI | DK: $9.7k, FD: $9.7k | vs. SAC | Cash & GPP

Harden has been playing quite Harden-esque lately so we have to keep him on the board given his sub-$10k DFS salaries. Despite missing 14 games due to injury, Harden had very little rust to shake off, and he immediately stepped back into a massive minutes workload. Across his last five starts, he is averaging 39.3 Min/Gm and 1.34 FPPM. He’ll be involved in a major pace-up match-up (PHI: 27th in pace, SAC: 6th in pace) and the Kings have had issues slowing down opposing backcourts throughout the season. Harden maintains a respectable 26.5% USG% but there is a wide gap between him and the 76ers’ leading scorer, Joel Embiid, who owns absolutely massive usage (37.6% USG%). However, Harden’s assist numbers have been off the charts good. He has dished out at least 11 assists in four of his last five, including 28 combined assists in his last two games.

PG Chris Paul, PHX | DK: $6.2k, FD: $7.2k | @ HOU | Cash & GPP/DK Preferred

One of the more notable injuries on this slate involved Devin Booker, who will miss his second straight game with a hamstring injury. Given the implied usage bump that Paul will receive with Booker sidelined, he is too cheap at $6,200 on DraftKings. Paul and the Suns are looking to put a halt to their four-game losing streak, and they’ll draw an excellent match-up against the Rockets who rank 27th in defensive efficiency. The Rockets also rank 29th against opposing PG starters, allowing 40.15 FPPG to the position over their last 20 games.

💫PG/SG Malcolm Brogdon, BOS | DK: $4.8k, FD: $5.6k | @ LAL | Cash & GPP

Brogdon isn’t going to play massive minutes since he has come off of the bench in every game this season, but when he’s on the court he’s been extremely productive. He has secured at least 27.75 DKFP in seven of his last eight games. If we view that as his floor, that represents a 5.8x value at $4,800 on DraftKings. He did crack 30 minutes in last night’s game, but typically, he’ll garner around 25 minutes off of the bench. Those minutes could mean a bit more against the Lakers tonight, who ranks 2nd in overall pace this season.

Other Guards to Consider:

PG Jrue Holiday, MIL | DK: $8k, FD: $8.3k | vs. GSW | Cash & GPP (Note: Currently listed as questionable)

PG CJ McCollum, NOP | DK: $6.9k, FD: $7.5k | @ UTA | GPP Preferred

SG Klay Thompson, GSW | DK: $6.8k, FD: $6.9k | @ MIL | GPP Preferred

💫PG/SG Jordan Poole, GSW | DK: $6.4k, FD: $6.4k | @ MIL | Cash & GPP

PG/SG Donte DiVincenzo, GSW | DK: $4k, FD: $4.3k | @ MIL | GPP Preferred

💫SG/SF Damion Lee, PHX | DK: $3.5k, FD: $4.6k | @ HOU | DK Preferred

Small Forwards/Power Forwards to Consider 🏀

💫PF Zion Williamson, NOP | DK: $9.5k, FD: $9.8k | @ UTA | Cash & GPP

Pending some further value opening up, I don’t love the forward options on this slate, but one man you have to feel good about is Zion Williamson. He has now posted six performances of at least 50.0 DKFP within his last seven games and he has upped his production from 1.32 FPPM on the season to 1.44 FPPM over his last five. He’s averaging 18.7 points in the paint this season, which ranks 2nd in the NBA behind only Giannis (19.1 PITP/Gm). This bodes well for Zion as he gets to go up a Jazz frontcourt that has allowed the most PITP/Gm this season (56.1 PITP/Gm). Now that Zion is routinely playing minutes in the mid-30s, we’re getting these huge games out of him on a routine basis. Let’s expect him to continue rolling in tonight’s game that carries a close spread (NOP -2) and high total (232.5 O/U).

SF/SG Jaylen Brown, BOS | DK: $9.2k, FD: $8.9k | @ LAL | Cash & GPP

We can mostly throw out Brown’s lackluster performance in last night’s game against the Clippers, which ended up as a 20-point blowout loss and limited Brown to 30 minutes. Typically, he’ll play minutes well into the mid-30s, and before last night’s blowout, Brown had racked up between 42.75 DKFP and 65.5 DKFP in his previous five games. Brown and the Celtics step into a strong bounce-back spot -- they carry a slate-high 119.5 implied total against the fast-paced Lakers (2nd in pace) who struggle against opposing SFs (28th DvP L20Gms).

PF Dario Saric, PHX | DK: $3.3k, FD: $3.8k | @ HOU | GPP Preferred

Saric slid into the starting lineup in Sunday’s game (Booker’s first game missed) so he’s a candidate to earn a second consecutive start this evening. He’s not likely to play big minutes, maybe around 20-22 minutes, but he has been fairly efficient when he’s been on the court. Saric has averaged 0.90 FPPM this season and has averaged +45% more FPPG in up-pace games. As long as he is starting, it’s fairly easy to see how he could return 5x-6x value, especially at $3,300 on DK.

Other Forwards to Consider:

PF/C Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL | DK: $11.9k, FD: $11.6k | vs. GSW | GPP Preferred (Gets a bump if J. Holiday is out)

💫SF Mikal Bridges, PHX | DK: $6.1k, FD: $6.4k | @ HOU | GPP Preferred

SF/SG Malik Beasley, UTA | DK: $5.7k, FD: $5k | vs. NOP | FD Preferred

PF/C Jabari Smith Jr., HOU | DK: $5.3k, FD: $5.8k | vs. PHX | GPP Preferred

PF/C Larry Nance Jr., NOP | DK: $4.4k, FD: $5.7k | @ UTA | GPP Preferred (Return of H. Jones may halt his recent momentum)

SF/PF Naji Marshall, NOP | DK: $3.7k, FD: $4.9k | @ UTA | GPP/DK Preferred (Been great for value lately, but may play fewer minutes with H. Jones back)

Centers to Consider 🏀

💫C Joel Embiid, PHI | DK: $11.7k, FD: $11.8k | vs. SAC | Cash & GPP

There is a four-game injury gap in between, but Embiid has cashed in at least 56.25 DKFP in nine of his last 10 games. He’s playing at an absolutely elite MVP-caliber level so Embiid represents one of the top spend-up options on the slate. He should have his way down low against a Kings defense that allows the 6th most PITP/Gm. As mentioned above in James Harden’s spotlight, the 76ers (27th in pace) will be in a significant pace-up spot against the Kings (6th in pace). Embiid has averaged +34% more FPPG in up-pace games this season.

C Anthony Davis, LAL | DK: $11.1k, FD: $12k | vs. BOS | Cash & GPP

There is always the threat of AD going down with some obscure injury/ailment, but if he gets his usual minutes and continues to play how he has in recent games, he could easily break the slate. Across his last five starts, he is averaging an absurd 1.83 FPPM and has three 70+ DKFP performances in that stretch. Boston has actually rated out well against opposing centers this season, but I’m just not sure how they’ll manage to slow down AD in this game.

Other Centers to Consider:

💫C Deandre Ayton, PHX | DK: $7.2k, FD: $8.6k | @ HOU | DK Preferred

PF/C Kelly Olynyk, UTA | DK: $5.9k, FD: $6.4k | vs. NOP | GPP Preferred

C Kevon Looney, GSW | DK: $4.5k, FD: $4.8k | @ MIL | GPP Preferred

C Blake Griffin, BOS | DK: $3.8k, FD: $4.3k | @ LAL | GPP Preferred

NBA Player Props 📊

Player Prop or Bet | Odds | Unit Bet Size

Joel Embiid OVER 35.5 Points + Assists | -115 (DraftKings) | 3.0 Units

Throwing a little extra juice on the over on this PTS+ASTS Embiid prop that has cashed, quite comfortably for the most part, in nine of his last 10 games. He has hit the over on this prop with points alone in his last three games and he’ll receive a positive pace match-up against the Kings who struggle to contain opposing big men in the paint.

Malcolm Brogdon OVER 23.5 Points/Rebounds/Assists | -105 (DraftKings) | 2.0 Units

Brogdon has successfully cashed the over on this P/R/A line in seven of his last eight games. He’s packing a ton of production in limited minutes off the bench but a match-up with the fast-paced Lakers (2nd in pace) should help boost Brogdon past 23.5 P/R/A fairly comfortably. We’re still a ways away from this game tipping off but it wouldn’t surprise me if the Celtics throw in a surprise scratch or two since they’re playing on the back end of a road back-to-back. Not overly likely, but possible.

PrizePicks Power Play ⚡

Here is a two-pick “Power Play” I’m liking for today's NBA action over on PrizePicks! Nothing is ever a guarantee to hit but I put my own money on these bets so I don't just lightly throw these out there without believing they'll cash! If it hits, it will return 3x the wager.

Joel Embiid MORE than 27.5 Points

(Note: The discounted Embiid "Taco Tuesday" prop expires at 6:00 ET; I'd feel good about subbing in Embiid MORE than 34.5 PTS+ASTS if the taco prop expires before you can get it in)

Zion Williamson MORE than 26.5 Points

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That will wrap us up with today’s “Daily Dribble” edition! Once again, you can find me on Twitter or in LineStar chat @Ryan_Humphries. Good luck everyone!