This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
We have a bigger slate than usual for a Tuesday night, as there are a Wednesday- or Friday-like 10 games on the docket. However, the injury report has the most big names of any night this season yet, which makes for an interesting dynamic regarding our player pool and building rosters.
Slate Overview
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Tuesday will be an extremely competitive night if point spreads are accurate, as all but one game has a figure of 5.5 or fewer points. However, there could certainly be some late movement in that regard if some of the big names listed as questionable are ultimately ruled out.
Totals are also encouraging for DFS purposes for the time being, as there are five games with numbers of 230 points or higher, including a pair of 240-point tallies.
Injury Situations to Monitor
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Joel Embiid, PHI (hip): QUESTIONABLE
If Embiid can't suit up, Paul Reed and Mo Bamba would be on track to handle center duties, while the likes of Tyrese Maxey and Tobias Harris would see their usage skyrocket.
Anthony Davis, LAL (adductor/hip): PROBABLE
Davis was able to play 41 minutes against the Blazers on Sunday despite his injuries, so his probable tag appears accurate, and he could enjoy another night of enhanced usage if LeBron James (calf) is sidelined.
LeBron James, LAL (calf): QUESTIONABLE
If LeBron can't suit up for a second straight game, then Taurean Prince would be in line for a spot start, and the likes of D'Angelo Russell and Anthony Davis would enjoy extra usage.
Trae Young, ATL (personal): QUESTIONABLE
If Young can't play Tuesday, Dejounte Murray could slide over to point guard, and in the process, push Bogdan Bogdanovic and Patty Mills into more playing time at two-guard.
Stephen Curry, GSW (knee): QUESTIONABLE
If Curry can't suit up, Chris Paul would presumably draw his third start in a Warriors uniform at point guard.
Keldon Johnson, SAN (knee): QUESTIONABLE
If Johnson can't suit up, Doug McDermott would be in line for a start at small forward.
Other notable injuries:
Malcolm Brogdon, POR (hamstring): OUT
CJ McCollum, NOP (chest): OUT
Terry Rozier, CHA (groin): OUT
Tyler Herro, MIA (ankle): OUT
Jamal Murray, DEN (hamstring): OUT
Ben Simmons, BKN (hip): OUT
Jalen Duren, DET (ankle): OUT
Markelle Fultz, ORL (knee): OUT
Walker Kessler, UTA (elbow): OUT
Jeremy Sochan, SAN (adductor): QUESTIONABLE
Tre Jones, SAN (hamstring): QUESTIONABLE
Herbert Jones, NOP (lower leg): QUESTIONABLE
Gordon Hayward, CHA (hamstring): PROBABLE
John Collins, UTA (ankle): PROBABLE
Brandon Miller, CHA (ankle): PROBABLE
Elite Players
We have eight players with five-figure salaries on Tuesday's slate – Nikola Jokic ($12,800), Joel Embiid ($12,300), Luka Doncic ($12,000), Anthony Davis ($11,500), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ($11,100), Tyrese Haliburton ($10,200), Tyrese Maxey ($10,100) and LeBron James ($10,000).
Jokic is on a blistering run that's seen him generate between 65.3 and 77.7 FD points in his last five games, returns that make even his very elevated salary a tad lower than it could be.
If Embiid is able to play through his questionable tag, he'll be looking to build on a four-game stretch where he's posted 54 to 75.2 FD points, including a tally of 66.1 Sunday against the same Pacers team he'll face Tuesday.
Doncic has been over 60 FD points in two of his last three games and faces a depleted Pelicans backcourt still missing CJ McCollum due to his collapsed lung.
Davis racked up 62.6 FD points against the Trail Blazers over 41 minutes Sunday despite dealing with his hip/adductor issues, a game that was partly the result of a LeBron James absence that could be recur Tuesday.
SGA has scored 54.4 FD points or more in his last three games and draws a highly favorable matchup against a very fast-paced Spurs team.
Haliburton has scored 52.2 and 60.7 FD points in his last two games and spearheads a Pacers attack that's tied with San Antonio for second fastest in the league (106.6 possessions per game).
Maxey has exploded for 64.7 and 72.9 FD points in his last two games and would be in line for even more usage Tuesday if Joel Embiid is forced to sit out with his hip injury.
If LeBron can play through the calf issue that cost him Sunday's game, he'll look to build on the 56.2 FD points he scored against the Suns in his most recent game Friday.
Expected Chalk
Other likely chalk plays include:
Anthony Edwards, MIN ($9,800)
Edwards has been over 50 FD points in three of his last four games, which should make him particularly popular at his sub-$10K salary.
Bam Adebayo, MIA ($9,700)
Adebayo has scored 52.7 to 67.8 FD points in his last four games, a stretch that includes three double-doubles and one triple-double.
LaMelo Ball, CHA ($9,600)
Ball has scored 45.2 to 64.5 FD points in his last four games, a sample where he's shooting a vastly improved 54.8 percent, including 45.7 percent from three-point range.
Trae Young, ATL ($9,300)
Young will have to clear his injury designation, but if he plays, he should be in plenty of lineups at his salary after scoring 63.8 FD points two games ago and 43.9 or more in four of the last five games overall.
Desmond Bane, MEM ($9,100)
Bane is averaging 44.1 FD points per game and has tallies of 47.1, 59.8 and 71.1 FD points in his last five games, which should help keep him highly rostered Tuesday.
Key Values
Josh Giddey, OKC vs. SAN ($6,600)
Giddey's salary would ideally be lower given his struggles for most of the season thus far, but I don't hate the idea of rolling with him at any salary below $7K, given his upside. The third-year guard is also showing some signs of snapping out of his doldrums, averaging 30.8 FD points per game in his last three and compiling 40.2 in his most recent game against the Suns on Sunday on the strength of a 10-point, 10-assist double-double that also included two steals and two blocks. Tuesday, Giddey faces a Spurs team tied for the second-fastest pace in the NBA (106.6 possessions per game) and surrendering a league-high 48 FD points per game and 47.3 percent shooting to two-guards, as well as the third-most assists per game overall (27.6).
Jaime Jaquez, MIA at CHA ($5,700)
Jaquez has been a beneficiary of Tyler Herro's absence due to an ankle injury, but the rookie had actually been performing well for several games preceding that injury. Jaquez has scored over 20 FD points in five of his last seven games overall, and he's put up 29.6 and 33.7 in the two games Herro has missed thus far while posting a well-rounded line of 15.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.0 steals. The rookie wing should be in for another solid allotment of minutes Tuesday against a Hornets squad allowing 45.9 FD points to two-guards and an Eastern Conference-high 53.1 offensive efficiency rating to second-unit players, a split in which they're also yielded 48.3 percent shooting.
Tim Hardaway, DAL at NOP ($5,200)
Hardaway has outpaced his current salary on multiple occasions already, scoring 24.3 to 32.2 FD points in seven of 10 games. The veteran sharpshooter has been at 25.1 FD points or more in three of his last four contests, a stretch where he also contributed six- and nine-rebound efforts. Hardaway is also locked into minutes in the high 20s at minimum off the bench. Tuesday, he faces the same Pels team he just put up 28.8 FD points against Sunday. New Orleans is surrendering the seventh-highest offensive efficiency rating to second-unit players (45.3), as well as 47.7 and 42.5 FD points per contest to shooting guards and small forwards, respectively.
ALSO CONSIDER: Chris Paul (*if Curry is out*), GSW vs. MIN ($6,100); Dyson Daniels, NOP vs. DAL ($5,500)
