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This article aims to highlight some of the best NBA DFS Plays at every position for your cash game lineups. Keep in mind that the following player write-ups were constructed earlier in the day, and sometimes injury/rest situations can alter the fantasy landscape. Monitoring our NBA News & Headlines Feed throughout the day will keep you in the loop while giving you the subsequent DFS consequences of each information piece.
We’ll take a look at Tuesday’s 5-game slate starting at 7:30 ET.
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POINT GUARD
Kyle Lowry – Miami (vs. Indiana) - DK: $8,700 / FD: $7,800 / Yahoo: $31
With the Heat so depleted due to injuries, Lowry has been getting a ton of usage and his salary has skyrocketed. He has four double-doubles in the last two weeks and gets one of the better PG matchups tonight. This game should be pretty competitive, so despite the overall good defensive ratings of both teams, it could be worth drawing from tonight. Previously vs. the Pacers, Lowry put up 44 fantasy points. Our NBA DFS Optimizer has him projected higher than any other PG tonight.
Also Consider: Chris Paul, Malcolm Brogdon, Damian Lillard, Jalen Brunson, Jaylen Nowell
SHOOTING GUARD
Caris LeVert – Indiana (at Miami) - DK: $7,800 / FD: $6,500 / Yahoo: $23
LeVert makes this list partly on the strength of his low FanDuel salary. He, like Lowry, shined in the first meeting between these teams, and given the injuries to the Heat, should shine again tonight. LeVert scored 27 points in that game, his season high until he scored 31 vs. Detroit last Thursday. Well rested and in a favorable matchup – Miami allows the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing two-guards – LeVert is a high floor, high ceiling way to fill this slot.
Also Consider: D’Angelo Russell, Tim Hardaway, Jr., Devin Booker
SMALL FORWARD
Josh Hart – New Orleans (vs. Portland) - DK: $5,700 / FD: $6,600 / Yahoo: $22
The Pelicans host the Trail Blazers tonight in what is expected to be another close game. Both of these teams rank in the bottom five in defensive rating, and Portland allows the 10th-most overall fantasy points per game, with special generosity to opposing small forwards (second-most). Brandon Ingram has been outstanding lately, but I’d like to save some salary with this position. For considerably less of the cap, Hart has been only slightly behind Ingram (average of about 36 fantasy points per game in the last two weeks) with three double-doubles in his last four games. DraftKings pricing is tight tonight, and Hart stands out as an exceptional value there.
Also Consider: Max Strus, Dorian Finney-Smith, Evan Fournier, Saddiq Bey, Nassir Little
POWER FORWARD
LeBron James – LA Lakers (vs. Phoenix) - DK: $11,100 / FD: $11,500 / Yahoo: $48
Given the tough pricing, it’s hard to fit both James and Lowry on DK without making some serious compromises, but I still want to highlight his presence tonight. His Yahoo salary is really generous for us. James is always going to carry an injury tag, but expect him to play in this Western Conference rivalry tonight. The Suns are among the best defensive teams in the league, and are pretty heavy road favorites tonight but I’d be very surprised if this were a blowout. James is a near lock for a double-double every time he plays and he comes away with multiple blocks and/or steals just about every night too. He’s expensive, but a priority for me tonight.
Also Consider: Julius Randle, Herbert Jones, Trey Lyles (deep savings)
CENTER
Myles Turner – Indiana (at Miami) - DK: $6,800 / FD: $6,500 / Yahoo: $22
Center is another position I don’t mind saving on tonight. Turner has been up and down this season, but in the month of December he has somewhat settled in producing a reliable 35-ish fantasy points per game. In his last three games vs. good defensive opponents, he has blocked 13 shots. There is no shortage of center options tonight, but Turner is the cheapest with the same range of outcomes as his more expensive counterparts.
Also Consider: Karl-Anthony Towns, Deandre Ayton, Jusuf Nurkic, Jonas Valanciunas
ADDITIONAL NOTES
Tim Hardaway Jr. (G/F – DAL) has been playing great basketball recently. With Luka Doncic out and Kristaps Porzingis questionable, he and Dorian Finney-Smith should enjoy additional usage tonight in a fantasy-friendly game I haven’t mentioned yet. Minnesota allows the ninth-most overall fantasy points to opponents, plays at the fifth-highest pace, and has been most lax to wing players. Hardaway is coming off a huge game against them, with 28 points, six rebounds and six assists this past Sunday.
Evan Fournier (SF – NYK) is a healthy Knicks player, cheap, and in a great matchup with the Pistons. Detroit provides a modest pace bump while being the best fantasy matchup on the slate, with the sixth-most overall fantasy points allowed. Detroit ranks 28th in rebounding and turns the ball over at the fifth-highest rate. Fournier scored 23 and 32 points in his last two games, and should be in position to do so again as Barrett and a slew of other players are already ruled out for tonight’s game. If you’re really interested in this game, consider Kemba Walker too. He clearly remained ready to play despite the benching, posting a full 39-fantasy point line when called to action on Sunday.
Jusuf Nurkic (C – POR) is coming off a disappointing couple games, fouling out in one and committing seven turnovers in another. He should bounce back – he always does – and his salary is about the same as Turner’s. He’s a guy to mix into tournament lineups tonight.
