This article is part of our Daily Games Cheat Sheet series.
TEAM ANALYSIS
Defenses to Avoid
New Orleans Pelicans at Golden State Warriors: The Warriors return all of their core players from last season's run to the NBA title, an achievement that was predicated by their transformation into one of the league's fiercest and most versatile defensive units. Opponents shot a league-worst 42.8 percent from the field a season ago, while the Warriors generated the third-most turnovers in the league. While Anthony Davis should still get his counting stats as the Pelicans' go-to option on offense, he'll likely perform less efficiently than we've come to expect, given the Warriors' ability to use Andrew Bogut to rough him up down low or Draymond Green to harass him from mid-range. In addition, with players like Eric Gordon, Nate Robinson and Dante Cunningham forced to log heavier minutes due to the Pelicans' rash of injuries, we could see a ton of sloppy play from the road team.
Offenses to Use
New Orleans Pelicans at Golden State Warriors: As would be expected from an NBA champion, the Warriors were also remarkably proficient on the other end of the floor, leading the league in a wide margin in scoring (110 points per game) and outpacing the field in field-goal and three-point percentage. The Warriors are lacking in difference-making offensive players in the post, and that doesn't figure to change with Davis patrolling the paint, but co-stars Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson could be in for big nights due to the Pelicans' lack of defensive-minded depth in the backcourt. It's difficult to see a minutes-restricted Jrue Holiday, the undersized Robinson and the offense-first Gordon consistently contesting the Warriors' lethal outside shooters.
Teams on a Back-to-Back Set
First game of a back-to-back set: Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, New Orleans Pelicans
DraftKings.com DAILY PLAYER RECOMMENDATIONS
Point Guard
Stephen Curry, PG, GS ($9,500): With such a small slate, it's almost imperative that you attach yourself to one of the three superstars priced at over $9,000 (Anthony Davis and LeBron James are the others), and I'm hitching my wagon to the cheapest of that trio in Curry. The reigning MVP needs no introduction, but because of the huge personnel losses across the Pelicans roster, Curry could be even deadlier than normal while backup players take on more prominent roles for New Orleans. On the flip side, that could put Curry at risk of playing fewer minutes if the Warriors blow the Pelicans out, but I'm counting on the point guard to be effective enough through three quarters to justify his price.
Other suggestions:Jeff Teague ($7,000), Mo Williams ($4,900), Nate Robinson ($3,000)
Shooting Guard
J.R. Smith, SG, CLE ($4,800): Smith might be my favorite value on the board at any position Tuesday, as he's precisely the sort of high-volume shooter that's liable to go off any given night, so long as he sees consistent minutes. With Iman Shumpert and Kyrie Irving set to miss extended time, Smith will be thrust into the starting lineup and should average at least 30 minutes per game, which is more than enough time for him to do damage. While he's far from efficient, the bonuses DraftKings awards for three-pointers and steals are what separates Smith from many of the other options at the two-guard spot. And because he won't be forced into much isolation action with LeBron James using the bulk of the Cavs' possessions, Smith won't turn the ball over much either. He averaged just 1.1 turnovers per game during his time with the Cavs last season compared to the 1.9 per game he had with the Knicks prior to being traded in January.
Other suggestions:Jimmy Butler ($7,600), Kyle Korver ($4,900), Kent Bazemore ($3,000)
Small Forward
Harrison Barnes, SF, GS ($4,600): Containing the Splash Brothers will surely be the overmatched Pelicans' top priority defensively, and though I expect New Orleans to fail in that regard, there should still be plenty of room for Barnes to light up the scoreboard. Barnes has raised his output from three-point range in each successive season in the league, and at just 23 years old, he is probably just scratching the surface of his full potential. If Curry ends up taking on more of a facilitator role, look for it to result in plenty of clean looks for Barnes, who is quickly developing into one of the league's premier marksmen by knocking down an impressive 40.5 percent of his three-point attempts last season.
Other suggestions:LeBron James, CLE ($9,800), Dante Cunningham, NO ($3,000), Doug McDermott, CHI ($3,000)
Power Forward
Ryan Anderson, PF, NO ($5,000): While the Warriors are better equipped than most teams to match up with Anderson, the presence of Anthony Davis should make Anderson a secondary concern for the opposition on the defensive end. It won't necessarily result in a hyper-efficient performance for Anderson, who routinely struggled with his shot last season, but the Pelicans' depletion of depth works heavily in his favor. He's set to come off the bench, with Davis and Kendrick Perkins starting in the frontcourt, though with Perkins likely incapable of keeping up with the run-and-gun Warriors for more than 15 or 20 minutes, Anderson figures to play around 25 to 30 minutes per game in a reserve role. That allotment of playing time should allow him yield solid counting stats relative to his price in the form of points, rebounds and three-pointers.
Other suggestions:Anthony Davis, NO ($10,400), Kevin Love ($7,500), Ersan Ilyasova ($5,700)
Center
Al Horford, C, ATL ($7,300): It's strongly encouraged to either pay up for Andre Drummond ($8,200) or Horford, or else punt the position entirely, as the third-most expensive option (Joakim Noah) is a bench player, illustrating the dearth of center talent on the small Tuesday slate. I'll side with Horford as the better buy, as his increasing willingness to stretch out to three-point range -- along with his much higher assist rate and cheaper price -- helps offset the edge Drummond holds in rebounds and blocked shots. Additionally, with Horford now nearly two years removed from shoulder surgery, I wouldn't be surprised if we saw an uptick in his scoring and rebounding this season.
Other suggestions:Andre Drummond ($8,200), Timofey Mozgov ($4,600), Marreese Speights ($3,000)
INJURY REPORT
Out
Alexis Ajinca, C, NO (hamstring)
Omer Asik, C, NO (calf)
Norris Cole, PG, NO (ankle)
Mike Dunleavy, SF, CHI (lower back)
Tyreke Evans, SG, NO (knee)
Kyrie Irving, PG, CLE (knee)
Brandon Jennings, PG, DET (Achilles)
Kevon Looney, PF, GS (hip)
Quincy Pondexter, SF, NO (knee)
Iman Shumpert, SG, CLE (wrist)
Game-Time Decision
Andrew Bogut, C, GS (nose)
