This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
Tuesday brings us another set of In-Season Tournament Group Play games, with eight contests on the docket overall. The injury report isn't overly extensive, but it does have its share of big names on it. Fortunately, the player pool is certainly formidable enough to withstand some absences considering there are 16 teams in action.
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.
Spreads are essentially at either extreme Tuesday, with a pair of double-digit lines at FanDuel Sportsbook as of Tuesday morning for the Hornets-Knicks and Bulls-Celtics clashes offset by the six other games carrying figures of 4.5 points or less.
The majority of projected totals reside somewhere in the 220s, but there are especially appealing numbers attached to the Hawks-Cavaliers (238.5 points) and Warriors-Kings (236 points) clashes.
Injury Situations to Monitor
For all the latest updates, visit RotoWire's NBA Injury News page and our comprehensive NBA Injury Report.
LaMelo Ball, CHA (ankle): DOUBTFUL
In Ball's expected absence, Ish Smith is likely to draw a start at point guard and the likes of Terry Rozier and Miles Bridges should especially see elevated usage.
Kristaps Porzingis, BOS (calf): OUT
With Porzingis unavailable, Al Horford could be due for a start at center while Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown see a boost in usage.
Jimmy Butler, MIA (ankle): QUESTIONABLE
If Butler were to sit out, Caleb Martin or Jaime Jaquez would likely enter the starting five at small forward.
Zach LaVine, CHI (foot): QUESTIONABLE
If LaVine were to sit out, Patrick Williams or Ayo Dosunmu would be in line to draw a start at small forward while DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic would benefit from a boost in usage.
Jrue Holiday, BOS (ankle): QUESTIONABLE
If Holiday sits, Derrick White and Payton Pritchard could see more usage.
Other notable injuries:
Tyler Herro, MIA (ankle): OUT
Ben Simmons, BKN (back): OUT
Keegan Murray, SAC (back): DOUBTFUL
Khris Middleton, MIL (Achilles): QUESTIONABLE
Nic Claxton, BKN (ankle): QUESTIONABLE
Bam Adebayo, MIA (hip): PROBABLE
Duncan Robinson, MIA (thumb): PROBABLE
Fred VanVleet, HOU (thumb): PROBABLE
Derrick White, BOS (illness): PROBABLE
Elite Players
We have five players with five-figure salaries on Tuesday's slate – Luka Doncic ($11,800), Giannis Antetokounmpo ($11,700), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ($11,500), Jayson Tatum ($10,600) and De'Aaron Fox ($10,000).
Doncic comes in having scored 54.5 FD points or more in three of his last four games but faces a Rockets team that's been improved significantly on the defensive end this season thanks to offseason additions and new head coach Ime Udoka.
Antetokounmpo is on a scoring heater that's led to four tallies of 31 points or more in four of his last five games and three totals of 69.2 FD points or greater on three occasions during that span. It's worth noting he also posted a triple-double in one of two games against the Heat last regular season.
SGA has tallies of 66.4 and 74 FD points in two of his last four games and is averaging 54.4 per contest for the season, but he draws the toughest matchup in the league on paper for point guards in the Timberwolves.
Tatum will take the floor without Porzingis and potentially Jrue Holiday (ankle), which would give a boost to his already massive usage.
Fox will be a key part of the game with the second-highest projected total of the night and is coming off having scored 63.4 FD points in 37 minutes against the T-Wolves in his most recent contest. He also posted 53.8 against this same Warriors team back on Oct. 27.
Expected Chalk
Other likely chalk plays include:
Domantas Sabonis, SAC ($9,900)
Sabonis is averaging 47.4 FD points per contest for the season and put up 46.2 against the Warriors this season, which should keep him very popular Tuesday.
Trae Young, ATL ($9,700)
Young's Hawks are playing some very high-scoring games thus far, and he's playing a major role in all of them by scoring 52.2 FD points or more in three of his last four games alone.
Damian Lillard, MIL ($9,000)
Lillard has hit his stride in Milwaukee of late, scoring 43.5 FD points or more in four of his last five games.
Miles Bridges, CHA ($8,000)
Bridges has already delivered several noteworthy performances since making his delayed season debut – he's scored 41 FD points or more in three straight – and figures in for a big usage bump with Ball expected to be sidelined.
Terry Rozier, CHA ($7,900)
Rozier should also be in plenty of lineups due to Ball's absence and scored 37.7 FD points against the Magic on Sunday in his return from a nine-game absence.
Key Values
Max Strus, CLE vs. ATL ($6,000)
Strus has been a hit early on in his Cavs tenure, becoming a key complementary source of production across the board despite sharing the floor with a very high-usage backcourt. The versatile wing has upped his rebounding production significantly in his new small forward role while scoring at a career-best rate, leading to averages of 14.4 points and 5.8 rebounds per contest. Strus still has occasional dips in production, but the upside he brings at his salary is illustrated by the 41.7 FD points he scored in his most recent contest against the Raptors, as well as the other four tallies of more than 40 he's already compiled this season. The Hawks make good targets for him as well given their defensive deficiencies and very brisk pace of play, and Atlanta checks in allowing 42.4 FD points per game to threes while ranking No. 24 in offensive efficiency rating conceded to the position (25.3).
Brandon Miller, CHA at NYK ($5,800)
Miller had recently drawn a string of starts with Rozier sidelined and performed reasonably well with the opportunity, averaging 13.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists in that eight-game stretch. Miller came off the bench in his Rozier's return Sunday and actually upped his production, posting 28.5 FD points across 30 minutes versus the Magic. He makes for a viable play at his salary again Tuesday against the Knicks, which have allowed 40.1 FD points per contest to small forwards and the fifth-most points per game to shooting guards (23.8), the two spots Miller will see action in. Ball's expected absence will also heap more responsibility on the rest of the rotation, and Miller notably sees a team-high 5.9% usage increase when Ball is off the floor.
Dario Saric, GSW at SAC ($5,600)
Saric has been a seamless fit for the Warriors off the bench, playing a key role off the bench for the Dubs even when Draymond Green hasn't been suspended. Green is due to return Tuesday, but Saric remains a consideration at his salary considering he'd put up 24 FD points or more in four of his first 12 games of the season and then has been at 32 or more in three of his last five. Saric's minutes haven't changed substantially even with Green out, so the latter's return shouldn't impact the former's playing time much. Additionally, this game carries the second-highest total of the night, and the Kings have given up 48.9 FD points per contest to power forwards, along with 52.3 percent shooting and the third-highest offensive efficiency rating to the position (31.0)
ALSO CONSIDER: Jaime Jaquez, MIA vs. MIL ($6,000); Mike Conley, MIN vs. OKC ($5,400); Kyle Lowry, MIA vs. MIL ($5,200)
