This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
We have just six games on tap Tuesday night, making it a solid mid-sized slate that is about as light on key short-term injuries as any in recent memory. There's also just two five-figure salaries in play, and each of those factors makes building truly balanced lineups more viable without having to take on an inordinate amount of risk to fit in superstars.
Slate Overview
Oklahoma City Thunder at Washington Wizards (-9) (O/U: 216.5 points)
Phoenix Suns (-4) at Toronto Raptors (O/U: 222.0 points)
Golden State Warriors (-1.5) at Memphis Grizzlies (O/U: 218.5 points)
Detroit Pistons at Chicago Bulls (-14) (O/U: 220.5 points)
Minnesota Timberwolves (-3.5) at New Orleans Pelicans (O/U: 227.0 points)
Denver Nuggets (-2) at Los Angeles Clippers (O/U: 213.5 points)
In addition to things looking positive on the health front, the other good piece of news is that the slate projects to be fairly competitive if oddsmakers are dialed in with their point spreads. Even the biggest favorite of the night, the Bulls, will have to be wary of a Pistons team that just upset the Jazz on Monday night after overcoming a 22-point deficit and which gave Chicago some trouble in one meeting this season before succumbing by six.
The Suns-Raptors and Warriors-Grizzlies clashes both have the potential to deliver as true marquee matchups, and with the likelihood each contest is very close, we should have an extra layer of certainty the star players we invest in will play plenty of minutes. The Timberwolves-Pelicans battle could also make for a very interesting pivot due to the probability of high scoring on both sides.
Injury Situations to Monitor
NOTE: Injury reporting is especially fluid in the NBA, where the status of multiple players can change during the course of a day. Therefore, although the following serves as a foundation for the latest injury report as of the time the article is written, check back throughout the course of the day with RotoWire for the latest news regarding the status of all players on that night's slate, including those carrying injury designations that aren't listed in this section.
Draymond Green, GSW (calf): OUT
With Green sidelined, Juan Toscano-Anderson or Otto Porter (shoulder) could enter the starting five in his stead.
Dillon Brooks, MEM (ankle): OUT
In Brooks' absence, rookie Ziaire Williams may draw another start, while Kyle Anderson and De'Anthony Melton could also be beneficiaries off the bench.
Will Barton, DEN (COVID-19 protocols): OUT
With Barton out, Austin Rivers could enter the starting lineup at small forward.
Other notable injuries:
Paul George, LAC (elbow): OUT
Jerami Grant, DET (thumb): OUT
Patrick Beverley, MIN (groin): QUESTIONABLE
Gary Trent, TOR (ankle): QUESTIONABLE
Scottie Barnes, TOR (knee): QUESTIONABLE
Cameron Johnson, PHO (ankle): OUT
Steven Adams, MEM (COVID-19 protocols): QUESTIONABLE
Zion Williamson, NOP (foot): OUT
Elite Players
We have two players with five-figure salaries on Tuesday's slate: Nikola Jokic ($11,400) and Stephen Curry ($10,800).
Jokic is averaging 56.3 FD points per contest for the season and has scored over 65 FD points in two of the last three games. He also scored 72.4 FD points in his one prior meeting with the Clippers on Dec. 26.
Curry scored 39.5 FD points against the Cavs on Sunday night in his return from a one-game absence and is averaging 44.7 FD points per contest for the season. The return of Klay Thompson could certainly lead to a hit to Curry's usage over time, but Tuesday, he'll benefit from Green's absence.
Expected Chalk
In addition to the players just mentioned in the prior section, other likely chalk plays include:
Ja Morant, MEM ($9,900)
Morant played through a thigh injury against the Lakers on Sunday and produced 34.3 FD points in 31 minutes, a performance that included one very prominent block. Even with an elevated salary, Morant's upside and the well-deserved buzz surrounding him should make him very popular, especially on the mid-sized slate.
Pascal Siakam, TOR ($9,800)
Siakam has scored over 50 FD points in two of the last three and has put up 47.3 to 67.3 FD points in five of the last seven contests overall.
Karl-Anthony Towns, MIN ($9,700)
Towns is averaging 44.3 FD points and is coming off a career-high 40 points against the Rockets on Sunday, a performance that netted 62.3 FD points.
Fred VanVleet, TOR ($9,700)
VanVleet just posted 71 FD points against the Jazz two games ago and has scored 46.8 to 65.4 FD points in six other contests dating back to Dec. 14.
Kyle Kuzma, WAS ($8,800)
Kuzma has scored over 50 FD points in three of the last five contests and has scored no less than 39.8 in any of the last six games.
Key Values
Klay Thompson, GSW at MEM ($6,300)
Thompson showed no hesitation in his long-awaited debut after his two-year-plus layoff Sunday night, posting a quick 17 points over 19 minutes on his way to 23.1 FD points. He impressively averaged just under a shot per minute when on the floor as well, and he should be in for a solid bump in minutes during Tuesday's matchup against a short-handed Grizzlies backcourt. Draymond Green will also sit out the contest for the Warriors with a calf injury, which could bump Thompson's usage up even further. The Grizzlies have also given up 40.6 FD points per game to two-guards, and Memphis is tied for the fourth-highest three-point shooting percentage allowed as well (36.4).
Kyle Anderson, MEM vs. GSW ($5,700)
Anderson is an intriguing play on the other side of the Warriors-Grizzlies matchup, as he should be in position to benefit from Dillon Brooks' absence with an ankle injury. The versatile veteran turned in 45.4 FD points with Brooks out in Anderson's return from a four-game absence while in COVID protocols, and he's averaging 32.8 FD points per 36 minutes without his teammate on the floor this season. There's also a chance Steven Adams remains in the COVID-19 protocols as well Tuesday, which would serve to benefit Anderson further.
Luguentz Dort, OKC at WAS ($5,600)
Dort has posted 28.1 and 24.5 FD points in his first two games back from a two-game stay in health and safety protocols, and he's averaged 25.2 FD points across his last six games overall. The third-year guard is still struggling with efficiency at times, but he's facing a Wizards team that's allowing elevated 37.1 percent three-point shooting to two-guards and the 12th-highest offensive efficiency to the position as well (21.6 percent). Dort has delivered over 5x value on his current salary on 12 occasions this season, and given the matchup, he could well be poised to repeat the feat Tuesday.
ALSO CONSIDER: Trey Lyles, DET at CHI ($5,700); Austin Rivers, DEN at LAC ($5,300)
