This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
With a jam-packed slate on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we have only one game on the docket for Tuesday. The Clippers will travel to Dallas to take on the Mavericks, with tipoff scheduled for 8:30 PM Eastern time. As a result of this, I'll be tweaking our format to run through a few picks for each of the multiplier roster spots and then target a couple of bargain options for the remaining utility slots.
In case you've never played a single-game contest before, you're allowed to select five players for your lineup -- one MVP slot (2X points), one STAR slot (1.5X points), one PRO slot (1.2X points) and two utility slots. Let's take a look at the upcoming matchup.
Slate Overview
With only one game on the slate, every player in your lineup will come from the same game. Luckily, there's expected to be plenty of scoring in this one. Dallas ranks third in the league with 116.7 points per game, while the Clippers are close behind, putting up 116.2 points per contest on a nightly basis. Paul George has already been ruled out with a hamstring injury, so Kawhi Leonard, Lou Williams and Patrick Beverley are likely to lead the charge for Los Angeles.
Positional Breakdown
It'll be much more difficult to differentiate your lineups with only one game on the slate, making your value plays even more important than usual. I'll take you through the three multiplier slots and the remaining two utility spots.
MVP - 2X Points
Luka Doncic, $17,500
Doncic is an obvious choice for the top multiplier slot, averaging 53.3 FD points per game this season. Though he carries a hefty price tag, he's well worth it if he scores 100-plus points for your lineup. The young point guard will draw a tough matchup against Patrick Beverley, but he's shown that he can consistently dominate no matter who's defending him. Kawhi Leonard (also listed below) wouldn't be a bad option here. I also want to point out that it's possible to include Doncic and Leonard in the 2X and 1.5X multiplier spots, especially if you're going to roll with value plays in the utility slots. The majority of lineups are likely to unfold this way, making the utility slots vital to your success.
Kawhi Leonard, $16,500
Leonard is the other obvious choice for the 2X multiplier slot, putting up 47.53 FD points per game this year. He's been handed a heavier workload than usual with Paul George sidelined, coming off a massive 68.2 point performance in his last matchup Saturday against the Pelicans. The superstar should have plenty of opportunities to put together a similar showing Tuesday night, making him a strong choice for the 2X multiplier spot.
STAR - 1.5X Points
Lou Williams, $11,500
Williams isn't the flashiest option here, but I like the opportunities that he's seeing with Paul George (hamstring) out of the lineup, and he's coming off a big 52.3 FD point performance Saturday against the Pelicans. It would be ideal to get another huge showing out of Williams while also saving some serious cash -- his upside and playing time are both on your side here.
Dwight Powell, $10,000
Powell is coming off a sluggish outing Friday against the Trail Blazers, being held to eight points and six rebounds in 28 minutes of action, but I like him in this slot because of his recent playing time trend. He should continue to see around 30 minutes regardless of the injury picture, and he could see even more chances down low if Kristaps Porzingis (knee) misses another game.
PRO - 1.2X Points
Patrick Beverley, $11,000
Beverley is a strong candidate for the PRO slot, finishing with 30-plus FanDuel points in three of his last five games. It certainly doesn't hurt that Paul George remains out with a hamstring injury, opening the door to Beverley for more shot attempts and assists. The veteran point guard typically does his damage by contributing across the board, averaging 9.3 points, 7.3 assists, 6.2 rebounds and 1.2 steals in January (six games).
Montrezl Harrell, $12,000
Harrell is yet another promising candidate for a multiplier spot, finishing in double figures in each of his last eight contests. He's averaging 22.3 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.6 assists over that stretch, shooting an impressive 61.9 percent from the field over that stretch. In what figures to be a high-scoring affair, I like Harrell in both the PRO and STAR roles.
Utility
Seth Curry, $7,500
Considering that the majority of DFS players will spend big bucks in the first three slots, we're going to focus on value plays in the final two utility spots. Curry is a prime candidate for this part of your lineup, coming off a pair of respectable performances (20.2 and 27.3 FD points, respectively). I'm also attracted to his upside as a streaky shooter from distance, as he can get hot from deep at a moment's notice. Curry is shooting 39.6 percent from downtown and 51.1 percent from the field in January (nine games).
Landry Shamet, $6,500
Shamet is also a candidate for the utility role, as he's in line to draw his fourth straight start in George's absence. He's averaging 12.0 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.0 assists over his last three starts and should log close to 30 minutes Tuesday evening. The argument could also be made for Dorian Finney-Smith in this spot, though he's a pricier option ($9,000).
Injury Situations to Monitor
Kristaps Porzingis, DAL
Porzingis is in danger of missing his 11th straight matchup with a knee injury. He's officially being considered questionable, with an update likely to come at the conclusion of morning shootaround. Considering his lengthy absence, even if he gains clearance to return, he'll be a risky fantasy play, as he'll likely be on a minutes restriction.
Maurice Harkless, LAC
Harkless missed Saturday's game against the Pelicans with a sore back, but the team expects him back in action Tuesday. He should take on his usual role in the starting lineup, assuming he's cleared prior to tipoff.
