Maximize your advantage for tonight's compact DFS slate with the ultimate fantasy basketball cheat sheet and expert NBA player projections. The official NBA injury report confirms major injuries to stars, drastically altering NBA depth charts. We analyze the latest fantasy basketball news to identify core plays and high-upside NBA sleepers. This article provides sharp insights into today's three-game schedule, covering crucial NBA starting lineups and top picks for DraftKings DFS. Use our projections for NBA action and your NBA DFS optimizer to lock in your lineups.
Slate Overview
ATL at WAS: Hawks 8-3 on road; Wizards on 14-game slide, 0-6 at home
ORL at PHI: Magic 3-5 on road; 76ers 5-4 at home
LAC at LAL: Clippers 2-7 on road; Lakers on four-game winning streak, 4-2 at home
For the latest spreads and over/unders, visit RotoWire's NBA Odds page. There you can also find player props, futures, picks, articles and sportsbook bonus codes.
Injuries to Monitor
For all the latest updates, visit RotoWire's NBA Injury News page and our comprehensive NBA Injury Report.
ATL - Luke Kennard (hip): Questionable; Trae Young (knee): OUT
WAS - Kyshawn George (illness), Marvin Bagley (hip): Questionable; Tre Johnson (hip): OUT
ORL - Paolo Banchero (groin): OUT
PHI - Joel Embiid (knee), Paul George (ankle), VJ Edgecombe (calf), Adem Bona (ankle), Kelly Oubre (knee): OUT
LAC - Bogdan Bogdanovic (hip): Questionable; Derrick Jones (knee): OUT
LAL - Deandre Ayton (knee): OUT
Elite Players
Guards
Luka Doncic, Lakers 
($12,000) vs. Clippers
Doncic continues to stuff the stat sheet while leading the NBA in points per game (34.5), and he has yet to log fewer than 40.8 DK points across 12 regular-season appearances. The superstar point guard is coming off back-to-back double-doubles against the Jazz with at least 33 points, and he has averaged 30.8 points, 8.6 assists, 7.8 rebounds and 2.4 steals per game over his last five outings.
Desmond Bane, Magic 
($7,700) at 76ers
The 27-year-old shooting guard has had his fair share of struggles with his new team, though he has seemingly turned a corner of late. With Paolo Banchero (groin) sidelined for the team's last six games, Bane has averaged 21.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.3 steals in 35.8 minutes per contest. He has posted at least 30.5 DK points in five of those six outings.
Forwards/Centers
Jalen Johnson, Hawks 
($9,900) at Wizards
The 23-year-old forward has taken his game to another level this season, and he continues to thrive as a playmaker with Trae Young (knee) on the shelf. Johnson hasn't logged less than 45.5 DK points since Nov. 7, posting six double-doubles and a triple-double over his last eight appearances. During that stretch, the rising star has averaged 24.1 points, 10.9 rebounds, 9.1 assists and 2.0 steals across 36.3 minutes per contest.
Franz Wagner, Magic ($8,700) at 76ers
Wagner has stepped into an increased role of late, operating as Orlando's top option with Paolo Banchero (groin) out. Over six games without Banchero, Wagner has averaged 24.0 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists in 34.7 minutes per game. The forward hasn't logged fewer than 31.5 DK points since Nov. 4 (25.3), and he recorded 35.5 in a 136-124 loss to Philadelphia on Oct. 27.
Ivica Zubac, Clippers 
($7,900) at Lakers
Zubac is coming off a 33-point, 18-rebound performance in a loss to the Cavaliers on Sunday, during which he totaled a season-high 62.0 DK points. The big man hasn't logged fewer than 33.8 DK points since a Nov. 4 loss to a stifling Thunder defense. In 10 outings since, Zubac has averaged 19.7 points, 12.9 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 33.3 minutes per contest.
Expected Chalk
Tyrese Maxey, 76ers 
($10,000) vs. Magic
Maxey has been one of the best players in the NBA in both fantasy and real life so far this season. He has yet to post fewer than 44.3 DK points through 16 regular-season appearances, and he'll have another prime opportunity to put up sizable numbers against the Magic with Joel Embiid (knee), Paul George (ankle), VJ Edgecombe (calf) and Kelly Oubre (knee) all sidelined. Maxey scored 43 points against Orlando on Oct. 27, and he has averaged 35.0 points, 6.6 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 2.6 steals in 40.4 minutes per game over his last five outings.
Mid-Range Money
Andre Drummond, 76ers ($6,100) vs. Magic
The Sixers have a busy injury report for Tuesday's contest, including Joel Embiid, who is set to miss his eighth straight game due to right knee injury management. Drummond is one of the best rebounders in the recent history of the league, and the 32-year-old continues to dominate on the glass when given an increased role. However, he has also been productive as a scorer with Embiid sidelined. In his last seven outings (all starts), Drummond has averaged 12.0 points, 14.0 rebounds and 1.8 combined steals-plus-blocks while shooting 57.6 percent from the field in 33.1 minutes per game. He has logged fewer than 31.8 DK points just once during that stretch.
CJ McCollum, Wizards 
($5,900) vs. Hawks
McCollum has been a relatively consistent source of offense for a lackluster Wizards squad, scoring in double figures in each of his last eight appearances. During that span, the veteran guard has yet to log fewer than 20.0 DK points and has averaged 21.4 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists while shooting 42.4 percent from downtown in 31.1 minutes per contest.
Value Picks
Anthony Black, Magic ($5,100) at 76ers
With his third year in the league underway, Black has taken a step forward so far this season. The No. 6 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, Black has averaged 15.2 points, 3.8 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 2.2 steals in 31.0 minutes per contest over his last five games (two starts). While the Arkansas product should slide back to a bench role Tuesday after starting Sunday's loss to Boston, he has averaged 14.7 points, 3.3 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 3.0 steals across 30.3 minutes per game in his last three outings off the bench.
Jaxson Hayes, Lakers ($4,400) vs. Clippers
With Deandre Ayton (knee) set to miss his second game of the season Tuesday, Hayes is likely to get the starting nod against the Clippers. The 25-year-old center logged 26.8 DK points across 32 minutes in his last start Nov. 2, and he has averaged 7.7 points and 4.3 rebounds while shooting 88.9 percent from the field in 16.7 minutes per game over his last three appearances. While his ceiling isn't extremely high surrounded by Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and LeBron James, Hayes' floor should rise significantly in a starting role.
Cam Whitmore, Wizards ($3,800) vs. Hawks
Whitmore has provided a spark off the Wizards' bench this season, averaging 10.0 points per game while shooting 49.2 percent from the field. The 21-year-old forward has logged at least 19.8 DK points in five of his last seven appearances, during which he has averaged 14.3 points and 3.6 rebounds across 21.6 minutes per game. While Khris Middleton is set to re-enter the lineup following a one-game absence, Kyshawn George is questionable with an illness and Tre Johnson will remain sidelined due to a left hip flexor strain, leaving minutes available for Whitmore. He's also coming off a 20-point performance in a loss to the Bulls on Saturday.
