Small slates need some loving too! It’s time to gear up for this evening’s three-game slate!

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

DFS Main Slate Rundown 📰

In typical Tuesday fashion, we’ll have a smaller NBA slate on tap, with three games taking center stage tonight. LeBron returns to Cleveland with his resurging Lakers in the first leg of the nationally televised TNT doubleheader, a showdown between two MVP caliber players goes down in Denver as Luka and the Mavs take on Jokic and the Nuggets in a 10 o’clock ET night cap tip-off, and then we have a Heat/Pistons game that no one really cares about. As far as smaller slates go, this one sets up decently well for DFS purposes. There are plenty of star players to consider but finding viable value is always the biggest hurdle on a three-gamer so let’s see what we can cook up today!

Today’s Key Injuries:

Pistons: C. Cunningham - OUT, I. Livers - OUT

Heat: J. Butler - OUT, T. Herro - Probable, M. Strus - Probable, V. Oladipo - Questionable (would be season debut), H. Highsmith - Probable, D. Dedmon - Questionable, D. Robinson - Probable, G. Vincent - Questionable

Lakers: A. Davis - Probable, L. James - Probable, W. Gabriel - OUT

Cavs: J. Allen - Questionable, D. Wade - OUT

Nuggets: M. Porter Jr. - OUT, K. Caldwell-Pope - Questionable, J. Green - Questionable

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 Tyler Herro, MIA | DK: $7.2k, FD: $7.7k | vs. DET | Cash & GPP

Herro has been balling out this season and heads into tonight with at least 43.25 DKFP recorded in four consecutive games. He has averaged massive minutes lately, with 39 Min/Gm in this recent four-game stretch and, on top of being a consistent scorer, he’s pouring in some strong peripheral stats as well (6.8 RPG, 4.1 APG, 1.3 STL+BLK/Gm). Jimmy Butler’s return over the last two games has not slowed Herro down one bit but, it is worth noting, Butler will be out tonight for conditioning purposes. Herro has seen the largest usage bump when Butler has been off the court this season. One caveat here stems from Miami being on the back end of a B2B and Herro did log 40 minutes last night. As long as the fatigue doesn’t affect him, Herro sets up as a strong option against Detroit, who ranks 29th in defensive efficiency.

💫PG Jamal Murray, DEN | DK: $7.1k, FD: $7.1k | vs. DAL | Cash & GPP

Murray has averaged an impressive 1.27 FPPM over his last five games and has been a consistent DFS asset in the low-$7k range on both sites. Dallas is never an optimal match-up given their slow offensive tempo (DAL: 29th in pace) and Murray has averaged -24% FPPG in down-pace games. However, on a small slate, Murray should still provide a strong floor and he checks in with reasonable price tags.

SF/SF Isaac Okoro, CLE | DK: $3.2k, FD: $3.8k | vs. LAL | GPP Preferred

If you’re looking to jam guys like Luka and LeBron into lineups tonight, some value must be sourced from somewhere. Pending further injury news, there aren’t many cheap guard options out there that we can feel great about. With that being said, Okoro is SG-eligible on both sites and has played between 21 and 32 minutes in seven of his last nine games. He’s far from an efficient DFS scorer, but he has upped his production to 0.67 FPPM over his last five games (0.48 FPPM on the season). If we can get around 20 DKFP/FDFP out of him in this up-tempo spot against the Lakers, I believe we’d happily take that for value.

Other Guards to Consider:

PG Luka Doncic, DAL | DK: $13k, FD: $11.8k | @ DEN | FD Preferred

PG Darius Garland, CLE | DK: $8.2k, FD: $8.3k | vs. LAL | GPP Preferred

💫SG/SF Bruce Brown, DEN | DK: $6.1k, FD: $5.6k | vs. DAL | Cash & GPP

SG/SF Tim Hardaway Jr., DAL | DK: $4.4k, FD: $5.7k | @ DEN | DK Preferred

Small Forwards/Power Forwards to Consider 🏀

💫SF/PF LeBron James, LAL | DK: $10.4k, FD: $10.9k | @ CLE | Cash & GPP

By the numbers, this is a horrible match-up for LeBron and the Lakers. The Cavs play at the slowest pace in the NBA while sitting atop the league in defensive efficiency and allowing an NBA-low 105.0 PPG. But it is tough to completely rule out LeBron when he returns home to Cleveland. His last three games in Cleveland have resulted in DKFP totals of 77, 75, and 63. He averaged 38.7 PPG in those match-ups. LeBron has also been picking up some steam, taking his 1.43 FPPM average on the season up to 1.52 FPPM over the last five games. He may not be a “must play” on tonight’s small slate but it is difficult to ignore the “LeBron back in Cleveland” narrative.

💫PF Aaron Gordon, DEN | DK: $5.9k, FD: $6.1k | vs. DAL | Cash & GPP

Gordon sticks out as one of the best salary-saving floor + ceiling plays on the slate. He has secured at least 27.25 DKFP in six of his last seven games, including a pair of 50+ DKFP performances. Dallas ranks 29th against power forwards and Gordon has upped his production to 37.13 FPPG in eight close games this season. Given tonight’s spread (DEN -5), this game should stay competitive through four quarters.

💫SF Josh Green, DAL | DK: $3.2k, FD: $4.6k | @ DEN | DK Preferred

Josh Green is a fairly tough sell at $4,600 on FanDuel. But at just $200 above the stone minimum on DraftKings, he stands out as one of the better value plays on the board tonight. Green has logged at least 27 minutes in three of his last four games while averaging 0.87 FPPM in that span. He’s coming off of a 16-point night yesterday where he shot 6-for-7 from the field and he poured in a season-high 23 points when he went up against the Nuggets back on November 20th. He’s also usually good for a steal or two per game and has given the Mavs plenty of reasons to continue rolling him off the bench for 25+ minutes.

Other Forwards to Consider:

PF/C Evan Mobley, CLE | DK: $7.6k, FD: $7.8k | vs. LAL | Cash & GPP (Preferably if J. Allen is out again)

SF/PF Bojan Bogdanovic, DET | DK: $6.8k, FD: $6k | @ MIA | FD Preferred

💫SF Caleb Martin, MIA | DK: $5.2k, FD: $4.6k | vs. DET | GPP Preferred

SF/PF Haywood Highsmith, MIA | DK: $3.4k, FD: $4.5k | vs. DET | DK Preferred

Centers to Consider 🏀

💫C Nikola Jokic, DEN | DK: $11.4k, FD: $11.3k | vs. DAL | Cash & GPP

Jokic turned in a vintage performance on Sunday where he dropped 32 points, 16 rebounds, nine assists, two steals, a block, and secured 71.5 DKFP. Those massive Joker games have been a bit more stretched out this season now that Jamal Murray is back in the mix and other Nuggets players like Aaron Gordon and Bruce Brown are playing well while taking some of the heavy workload off of Jokic’s shoulders. Even without the same sort of massive usage that he had a year ago, Jokic is still playing at an MVP-caliber level and is almost always going to provide a floor of around 50 FP.

PF/C Kevin Love, CLE | DK: $5.1k, FD: $4.9k | vs. LAL | GPP Preferred

Due to his low minutes allocation, typically in the 20-24 minute range, K-Love can rarely be counted on as a consistent DFS performer. However, few, if any, players priced comparably offer his potential upside, especially on this slate. Love has averaged 1.20 FPPM on the season and he has multiple 40+ DKFP performances this season where he played under 25 minutes. Love posted a double-double against the Lakers earlier this season while playing just 20 minutes so we know he can hit value in this particular match-up. Ya can’t hate on Love as a GPP option on tonight’s slate.

Other Centers to Consider:

C Anthony Davis, LAL | DK: $11.2k, FD: $12.3k | @ CLE | DK Preferred

💫C Bam Adebayo, MIA | DK: $8k, FD: $8.9k | vs. DET | Cash & GPP

C Jarrett Allen, CLE | DK: $6.3k, FD: $6.9k | vs. LAL | GPP Preferred (Note: Still currently questionable to play)

C Marvin Bagley III, DET | DK: $5.7k, FD: $6.7k | @ MIA | GPP Preferred

PF/C Maxi Kleber, DAL | DK: $3.4k, FD: $4.2k | @ DEN | DK Preferred

NBA Player Props 📊

Player Prop or Bet | Odds | Unit Bet Size

Caleb Martin OVER 1.5 Three-Pointers Made | +108 (FanDuel) | 2.0 Units

Martin is shooting 41.5% from beyond the arc this season and has recorded at least two three-pointers in seven of his last 10 games. There should be some extra shots to go around tonight with Jimmy Butler sidelined so let’s look for Martin to drain two or more threes this evening.

LeBron James OVER 40.5 Points/Rebounds/Assists | -110 (Caesars) | 2.0 Units

Okay, maybe it’ll backfire because the Cavs have been a brutal defensive match-up, but I’m a believer in the “LeBron steps it up in Cleveland” narrative. After a grim start to the season, the Lakers have won eight of their last 10 games and that seems to have ignited LeBron’s game as of late. He has cleared this over on this P/R/A prop in four of his last five games and eaaaaasily hit the over in his last three games played in Cleveland. 

PrizePicks Power Play ⚡

Here is a four-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 10x the wager.

Going for a 10x power play today with the Anthony Davis discounted Taco Tuesday prop that is currently posted!

Anthony Davis MORE than 23.5 Points (Discounted prop expires at 7:00 ET)

Caleb Martin MORE than 1.5 3-PT Made

Killian Hayes MORE than 15.5 PTS + ASTS

LeBron James MORE than 40.5 PTS+REBS+ASTS

🆕 Props Edge+ 🆕

In LineStar’s ongoing mission to improve, innovate, and help you reel in some cash, we are introducing Props Edge+ for NBA – available for LineStar Premium users! This tool can help you find value and mispriced odds on player props from sportsbooks and, more specifically, for PrizePicks and UnderDog Fantasy!

Speaking of props, put the Props Edge+ tool to use by signing up for PrizePicks (Promo code: BETFULLY) or Underdog (Promo code: LINESTAR). You'll receive a 100% match on first deposits up to $100 PLUS a free two-month subscription to LineStar Premium. Many people may not realize that you can legally place prop bets in most states using UnderDog (or PrizePicks) – it’s called Pick'Em, and it’s incredibly easy.

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!