Today's compact three-game schedule demands a sharp NBA DFS strategy focused on volume and value. We leverage the current NBA injury report, which confirms key absences like Trae Young, Paolo Banchero, and Deandre Ayton, dramatically altering NBA depth charts and unlocking high-upside plays. Our analysis provides crucial NBA player projections for elite options like Luka Doncic and Jalen Johnson, as well as essential value NBA sleepers like Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Jaxson Hayes. Use our FanDuel NBA lineup optimizer plays and data on NBA starting lineups to build winning rosters and dominate this Tuesday night slate.
Slate Overview
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.
Listed spreads/totals are from FanDuel Sportsbook and current as of Tuesday, Nov. 25 @ ET:
Atlanta Hawks (-10.5) at Washington Wizards (O/U: 236.5)
Orlando Magic (-2) at Philadelphia 76ers (O/U: 229.5)
Los Angeles Clippers at Los Angeles Lakers (-6.5) (O/U: 229.5)
The Magic-76ers clash looks like the top DFS spot of the three games by a good margin, considering the tight spread and elevated total that's actually been on the move up since the open. However, with the amount of star power taking the floor in the battle of LA, that's also a game that could turn out to be much more competitive than the line suggests.
Injury Situations to Monitor
For all the latest updates, visit RotoWire's NBA Injury News page and our comprehensive NBA Injury Report.
Joel Embiid, PHI (knee): QUESTIONABLE
If Embiid is able to return Tuesday, Andre Drummond will head back to the bench.
VJ Edgecombe, PHI (calf): OUT
In Edgecombe's absence, Quentin Grimes could draw a spot start at shooting guard, while Tyrese Maxey's usage could see a slight increase.
Deandre Ayton, LAL (knee): OUT
In Ayton's absence, Jaxson Hayes is likely to draw a start at center, and the rest of the starting five could see at least a slight increase in collective usage.
Other notable injuries:
Trae Young, ATL (knee): OUT
Paolo Banchero, ORL (groin): OUT
Tyrese Maxey, PHI (shoulder): PROBABLE
Elite Players
We have three players with five-figure salaries on Tuesday's slate – Luka Doncic ($12,400), Jalen Johnson ($10,300) and Tyrese Maxey ($10,300).
Doncic has scored over 61 FD points in three straight games and in doing so, has shown the availability of LeBron James won't affect his overall usage much. The star guard should be especially busy in what could be a wire-to-wire affair against the Clippers on Tuesday.
Johnson scored over 56 FD points for the second time in four games his most recent time on the floor Sunday against the Hornets, and he continues to shoulder the biggest load on the Hawks by far in the ongoing absence of Trae Young.
Maxey may welcome back Joel Embiid to the floor Tuesday, but with both VJ Edgecombe and Kelly Oubre sidelined, the star guard should still see the level of usage that's led to him scoring over 50 FD points in three of the last five games.
Expected Chalk
Other likely chalk plays include:
James Harden, LAC ($9,700)
Harden dipped to 30.4 FD points in a tough matchup against the Cavs last time out, but the combination of the small slate and marquee matchup against the Lakers, as well as his average of 47.8 FD points per game, should keep him very popular.
LeBron James, LAL ($8,700)
LeBron has scored 34.6 and 37.2 FD points in his first two games and already played 34 minutes his most recent time on the floor, so he should be very popular at a salary that's still lower than at any other point in his DFS history.
Franz Wagner, ORL ($8,500)
Wagner continues in an elevated role due to the absence of Paolo Banchero and will be an integral part of the best DFS environment of the night.
Kawhi Leonard, LAC ($8,200)
Kawhi scored 31.6 FD points in 26 minutes against the Cavs in his return from an ankle injury Sunday, and he should be due for a minutes and production bump in Tuesday's star-studded matchup against the Lakers.
Austin Reaves, LAL ($8,000)
Reaves has at least 40 FD points in three of the last four games and should see plenty of usage in what could be a wire-to-wire battle against the Clippers.
Key Values
Nickeil Alexander-Walker, ATL at WAS ($6,400)
Alexander-Walker continues to do a fine job filling in for Trae Young (knee), averaging 32.7 FD points overall during his ongoing 11-game starting tenure. NAW has shot 49.0 percent, including 38.2 percent from deep, during that span, and he's putting up a robust 14.1 shot attempts per game in the process. The veteran guard has flashed a strong ceiling for his salary by hitting or exceeding 40 FD points twice, and Tuesday, he draws what is arguably the best matchup in the league for any position. The Wizards are surrendering an NBA-high 131.8 points per home game while playing at the league's third-fastest rate in that split as well, and they've given up an NBA-high 58.1 FD points per game to point guards, including 59.8 over the last seven contests. Washington is also facilitating the third-most assists per home contest (30.0), furthering Alexander-Walker's case.
CJ McCollum, WAS vs. ATL ($5,700)
McCollum makes for an intriguing play at his salary on the other side of the Wizards-Hawks matchup, as the veteran has been one of the steadier components of a reeling squad. McCollum has been less efficient than usual on the offensive end, but he's still averaging 32.5 FD points over his last eight games while shooting an improved 46.9 percent overall, including an excellent 42.4 percent from behind the arc. McCollum also draws a favorable positional matchup Tuesday, as the Hawks are surrendering 51.1 FD points to PGs on the season. McCollum has already flashed a ceiling north of 37 FD points on three occasions this season, so the upside is certainly there at his salary.
Anthony Black, ORL at PHI ($5,300)
Black has been very productive in a second-unit role and during his occasional spot starts, averaging a career-best 11.8 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.4 steals per contest. He checks into Tuesday in the midst of an especially productive five-game stretch where he's drawn a pair of starts and averaged 30.7 FD points overall on the strength of 15.2 points, 3.8 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 2.2 steals per contest. Black has shot 47.4 percent in that span as well, and Tuesday, he'll face a short-handed Sixers backcourt that's allowing 40.4 FD points to two-guards in the last seven contests, along with the eighth-highest offensive efficiency rating to the position on the season (25.1).
ALSO CONSIDER: Jalen Suggs, ORL at PHI ($6,500); Paul George, PHI vs. ORL ($6,300)
