Here are some plays that jump out on DraftKings at each position for Tuesday’s main NBA slate, along with some strategy unique to this slate.
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Point Guard
Worth Paying Up For: Russell Westbrook, Washington Wizards at Houston Rockets ($9,600)
Washington finally played a game on Sunday night, and Westbrook looked rusty. He finished with just a 9-8-6 line in 25 minutes, and as you’d expect, the Wizards got blown out. Expect Russ to kick the rust in his second game back, not only in a good matchup against Houston, but one that should bring out some motivation.
Best Bang For Your Buck: Lou Williams, Los Angeles Clippers at Atlanta Hawks ($5,800)
Both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George have been ruled out due to health protocols, which will likely cost them multiple games. Tough blow for the Clippers, but it means a ton of production to be picked up from a fantasy outlook. We did get this news pretty early, so the salaries have been adjusted to reflect it. However, there’s massive usage to go around now. It’s been a disappointing season for Lou-Will, but this is a spot his scoring is going to be required. It’s a cushy matchup in Lou’s hometown.
Shooting Guard
Worth Paying Up For: Bradley Beal, Washington Wizards at Houston Rockets ($9,900)
With the Wizards still down so many bodies, they have a lot of value we’ll hit. But it also favors the top-end talent like Beal. The pause didn’t come at an ideal time for Beal, who was scorching hot, but he still dropped 31 points in the first game back, and even more encouraging, got up 29 shots. Houston allows the second-most DKFP to the SG position, and leaves Beal with the upside for those monster games he was posting just before the outbreak.
Best Bang For Your Buck: Jerome Robinson, Washington Wizards at Houston Rockets ($4,000)
Robinson is one of those values, simply because Washington has no choice but to play him. He saw 35 minutes on Sunday, finishing with a respectable 31.75 DKFP, and the matchup only improves against Houston. With all eyes on the Clippers, Robinson is probably safer value than most of the Clips, just due to salary.
Small Forward
Worth Paying Up For: Luke Kennard, Los Angeles Clippers at Atlanta Hawks ($6,000)
Both forward positions are insanely thin on this slate. Kennard’s game log will make you think it’d be ludicrous to pay $6,000 for him, but we project a role as one of the Clippers’ go-to-scorers in a spot like this. The issue is that the salary is adjusted, so needing at least 30 DKFP here doesn’t make him must-play by any means.
Best Bang For Your Buck: Marcus Morris, Los Angeles Clippers at Atlanta Hawks ($4,700)
Morris is likely the safest and most underpriced member of the Clippers in this situation. For some reason, his salary only took a small jump, and he’s actually priced the same as he was two games ago. There’s almost no premium to pay here, compared to someone like Reggie Jackson ($6,800), that jumps up from minimum salary and more than doubles in price. Morris won’t be shy to get shots up, and brings easy 30-40 DKFP upside.
Power Forward
Worth Paying Up For: DeAndre Hunter, Atlanta Hawks vs. Los Angeles Clippers ($6,200)
You’re going to want to use value at forward on this slate. It feel like Clint Capela ($9,400) and Trae Young ($9,100) were rested on Sunday, but if they remain out, Hunter would continue to be a massive piece of the offense. In Sunday’s loss to the Bucks, Hunter racked up 46 DKFP in 42 minutes. A similar output against a shorthanded Clippers team would become expected if those top two Hawks do miss more time.
Best Bang For Your Buck: Isaac Bonga, Washington Wizards at Houston Rockets ($4,100)
More Washington value, which provides safe plays due to the lack of options in this rotation. Bonga finished with just 21.75 DKFP on 3-of-10 shooting on Sunday, but he played 33 minutes. That type of role in the rotation, along with a couple more shots going down, leaves a lot more production on the table.
Center
Worth Paying Up For: Rudy Gobert, Utah Jazz vs. New York Knicks ($7,200)
Believe it or not, there is a third game on this slate. The fantasy focus will be on the other two, but there are at least a couple of plays worth considering, starting with Gobert. Rudy’s just a little too cheap for this matchup, peaking at $8,200 within the last couple of weeks. The Knicks rank 24th in DKFP allowed to centers, and Rudy went for 42.25 DKFP in this matchup in the first go-around.
Best Bang For Your Buck: DeMarcus Cousins, Houston Rockets vs. Washington Wizards ($6,000)
Christian Wood is considered doubtful for this one, which means we continue to ride Boogie. Cousins played 33 minutes in Wood’s first absence, scoring 36.25 DKFP, but somehow doing so on 2-for-16 shooting. The shots fell the last game, and Boogie finished with a 28-17-5 line for 58.25 DKFP. It’s a perfect spot to lock Cousins in for 30-plus minutes against a soft Washington frontcourt.
Overall Lineup Strategy
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Only a three-game slate here, but a lot to go through. Obviously, the major impacts are Kawhi and PG being out, but with the news coming so early, the salaries have been adjusted. That being said, there’s so much production to make up, that some Clippers are going to have to go off, especially in a favorable matchup against the Hawks. The Wizards are also a key piece of the equation here, playing just their second game back from their COVID-19 outbreak. The roster is still going to be without six rotation pieces, leaving some very useful value.
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