Building a winning DraftKings lineup starts by scrutinizing the NBA injury report, which is loaded with value plays on this Tuesday slate. With stars like Victor Wembanyama and Paolo Banchero sidelined, their absences create crucial opportunities for NBA sleepers to boost their NBA player stats. We leverage the most recent NBA projections to spotlight players like De'Aaron Fox and Jalen Johnson—who are dominating in their NBA lineups—alongside top mid-range value.
Slate Overview
GSW at ORL: Warriors on three-game win streak; Magic 4-3 at home
DET at ATL: Pistons on 10-game win streak; Hawks on five-game win streak
BOS at BKN: Celtics on two-game win streak; Nets 0-6 at home
MEM at SAS: Grizzlies on four-game slide; Spurs 6-2 at home
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.
Injuries to Monitor
For all the latest updates, visit RotoWire's NBA Injury News page and our comprehensive NBA Injury Report.
GSW - Jonathan Kuminga (knee): OUT
ORL - Jalen Suggs (groin): Questionable; Paolo Banchero (groin): OUT
DET - Cade Cunningham (hip), Tobias Harris (ankle), Ausar Thompson (ankle): Questionable; Caris LeVert (ankle): OUT
ATL - Onyeka Okongwu (knee), Kristaps Porzingis (knee), Zaccharie Risacher (hip): Questionable; Trae Young (knee): OUT
MEM - Ja Morant (calf): OUT
SAS - Stephon Castle (hip), Victor Wembanyama (calf): OUT
Elite Players
Guards
De'Aaron Fox, Spurs 
($8,300) vs. Grizzlies
Fox topped 50 DK points with 20-point, 10-assist double-doubles in each of the last two games. He is averaging 22.0 points, 3.6 rebounds, 6.8 assists and 1.0 steals through five appearances this season, surpassing 20 field-goal attempts in the two most recent outings. He has a great chance to build on the recently-established momentum while he must look to step up his contribution in the absence of Victor Wembanyama. He should also thrive against the Grizzlies, who are shorthanded in the backcourt.
Dyson Daniels, Hawks 
($7,500) vs. Pistons
Daniels has done a great job as a distributor in the absence of Trae Young, averaging 6.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, 8.6 assists and 2.0 steals over the last five games, including two with a minimum of 12 assists. He should keep up the boosted production while his side remains shorthanded. However, he faces a tough matchup against the Pistons, where he could find a break if either Cade Cunningham, or Ausar Thompson remain out.
Forwards/Centers
Jaylen Brown, Celtics 
($8,800) at Nets
Brown racked up 61.3 DK points in the last game and is averaging 27.0 points, 7.8 rebounds and 3.6 assists over five outings. He is doing a great job leading the charge for his shorthanded squad, and he has an ideal chance to prosper against the Nets, who are giving up the league's eighth-most points and fifth-highest shooting percentage to opposing small forwards.
Jalen Johnson, Hawks ($9,500) vs. Pistons
Johnson is on an absolute tear, averaging 24.0 points, 12.0 rebounds, 9.3 assists and 2.5 steals over four games since a one-game injury absence on November 8. He has topped 20 points in nine of his 12 appearances on the season and despite a tough matchup against the Pistons, he should find opportunities to pad his stats at the foul line, as they are giving up the league's fifth-most free throws per game to opposing power forwards.
Jalen Duren, Pistons 
($8,000) at Hawks
Duren bounced back from a two-game absence by delivering 31 points, 15 rebounds and three assists for a total of 55.3 DK points in the last outing. He has a great chance to keep rolling against the Hawks, who are dealing with injury trouble in the frontcourt, while also giving up the league's third-most offensive rebounds per game.
Expected Chalk
Stephen Curry, Warriors 
($9,300) at Magic
After back-to-back games with over 45 points, Curry came up flat with just nine points and 18.3 DK points in the last outing. Regardless, he is likely to get back on track against the Magic, who are shorthanded, and who are giving up the league's eighth-most turnovers, and the league's 10th-most points per game to opposing point guards.
Mid-Range Money
Santi Aldama, Grizzlies 
($5,500) at Spurs
Aldama has scored in double digits in eight straight games, averaging 14.4 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.4 assists over that span. He faces a favorable matchup against the Spurs' shorthanded frontcourt, and he should continue to stand out as a key contributor off the bench for his side.
Nic Claxton, Nets 
($6,400) vs. Celtics
Claxton is averaging 16.0 points, 6.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 2.2 blocks over the last five games, including two with at least 44 DK points. He is likely to do well against the Celtics, who are giving up the league's second-most free throws per game to opposing centers, and the league's seventh-most offensive rebounds.
Value Picks
Anfernee Simons, Celtics ($4,500) at Nets
Simons is coming off his least-productive outing of the season but averaged 15.4 points, 2.2 rebounds and 3.8 assists through the five games prior. He faces an ideal opportunity to get back in a groove against the Nets, who are giving up the league's sixth-most points and third-highest three-point shooting percentage per game.
Anthony Black, Magic 
($4,900) vs. Warriors
Black topped 15 points twice in the last three games, averaging 12.3 points, 2.0 rebound, 3.0 assists and 1.0 steals over that span. He has been in-and-out of the starting lineup while Jalen Suggs has dealt with injury trouble, but he is expected to come off the bench against the Warriors. Nonetheless, he should find room to make his mark, as the Warriors are giving up the league's fourth-most points per game to opposing point guards.
Julian Champagnie, Spurs ($4,700) vs. Grizzlies
After starting in the first eight games of the season, Champagnie is averaging 9.2 points and 2.0 rebounds out of a bench role over the last five games. He is back in line for a boosted role due to the absence of Victor Wembanyama, and he has a good chance to thrive against the Grizzlies, who are giving up the league's eighth-highest field-goal percentage to opposing small forwards.
