This article is part of our DraftKings NBA series.
We've got a small slate tonight, so keep in mind that your GPP tournaments will often end in multi-way ties. I'll be fielding 50/50s, head-to heads and a single entry tourney and there.
SLATE OVERVIEW
ORL (-4.5) @ WAS, O/U: 219
POR (-3.5)@ NY, O/U: 223.5
MIL (-17.5) vs. MIN, O/U: 222
LAL (-11.5) vs. PHO, O/U: 226
We won't be fading any games in particular, but I found myself loading up a lot of talent in the LAL/PHO game, and I even left out some spots to avoid the idea that I was overplaying the game.
INJURY SITUATIONS TO MONITOR
All ongoing injuries are excluded from this list.
Karl-Anthony Towns (knee) - OUT
Andrew Wiggins (illness) - OUT
Jeff Teague (knee) - QUESTIONABLE
The T-Wolves are short-handed once again, and as per usual, Gorgui Dieng ($6,400) will start for Towns. Jarrett Culver ($4,800) and Robert Covington ($5,800) are your best Wiggins pivots.
ELITE PLAYERS
LeBron James ($10,500) and Anthony Davis ($9,900), LAL vs. PHO
Even though Giannis Antetokounmpo is ok to play tonight, he tends to fade in a blowout, and I think the Bucks could pull away early against the injury-plagued Timberwolves. I'm ok with fading there and going to my duo in LA, James and Davis. I'm not saying a stack is required, but I did it with several lineups and it wasn't too hard. Going with only one of them will certainly enrich your rosters with more 6k-range guys, and if you want to only go with one, I would have to go with James due to the potential assist upside for him in this game.
EXPECTED CHALK AND OTHER TARGETS
Devin Booker, PHO ($7,400) @ LAL
Booker comes at a great price, especially when you consider his 50 and 42 DKFP performances in his last two games. He did 37.8 DKFPs of damage in his last tangle with the Lakers, and a few more rebounds or assists could get him to 6x value fairly quickly.
Ricky Rubio PHO ($7,000) @ LAL
Rubio's got the goods when it comes to a reliable floor, as his relentless dime-dropping keeps things steady within his stat line. He had 43 DKFP in his last game versus the Lakers and I'd love a repeat performance.
Jonathan Isaac, ORL ($6,600) @ WAS
Isaac is on a nice two-game scoring binge, and he's got about the best matchup an offense could ask for against the banged-up Wizards. With Aaron Gordon likely out, he should see a decent surge in production.
C.J. McCollum, POR ($6,800) @ NY
I almost passed on Lillard and McCollum but then I thought better of it. Lillard has the better record against the Knicks but this duo can explode together in the right matchup
VALUE PLAYS
Kyle Kuzma, LAL I$4,800) @ PHO
Kuzma's going to give you some bad games, and his last game against Dallas was a great example. He didn't even get to eight DKFP in his last game but at this price, there's' tremendous upside and it looks like they're getting more opportunities for Kuzma as the season moves on.
Naz Reid, MIN ($4,900)
With a litany of injuries, the team got Reid back on the roster from the G League, and he played 20 minutes in his first game back with the team. A pick this low certainly carries some variance, but the abundance of injuries and his 6-10 frame make the former LSU product a great candidate to fill in.
