Welcome to the Tuesday edition of FanDuel NBA Lineup Advice. You’re a brave soul if you’re still putting out lineups amid all of April’s chaos. Some of those risks are mitigated tonight, as the smaller slate features four games that all carry playoff implications of some sort. There are still tough choices to make, as 10 players check in with salaries over $9,000 tonight, and none of their availability appears to be in question as of this writing.
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Point Guard
Bryn Forbes (SA): $4,500
There are some really nice point guard options tonight, but I’m starting with some solid value in Forbes. Here’s your first of many reminders throughout this article: The Atlanta Hawks are awful defensively. They give up the most FD points all around and the most to point guards. Teammate Derrick White may have the higher ceiling, but he certainly hasn’t been reaching it lately. Meanwhile, Forbes has averaged 30 minutes over the past six games. If given that kind of playing time against the Hawks, he should produce enough to pay off his salary and provide a solid start to your lineup.
Welcome to the Tuesday edition of FanDuel NBA Lineup Advice. You’re a brave soul if you’re still putting out lineups amid all of April’s chaos. Some of those risks are mitigated tonight, as the smaller slate features four games that all carry playoff implications of some sort. There are still tough choices to make, as 10 players check in with salaries over $9,000 tonight, and none of their availability appears to be in question as of this writing.
Create FanDuel lineups using our DFS Lineup Optimizer tool
Point Guard
Bryn Forbes (SA): $4,500
There are some really nice point guard options tonight, but I’m starting with some solid value in Forbes. Here’s your first of many reminders throughout this article: The Atlanta Hawks are awful defensively. They give up the most FD points all around and the most to point guards. Teammate Derrick White may have the higher ceiling, but he certainly hasn’t been reaching it lately. Meanwhile, Forbes has averaged 30 minutes over the past six games. If given that kind of playing time against the Hawks, he should produce enough to pay off his salary and provide a solid start to your lineup.
Others to consider:
Russell Westbrook (OKC): $11,700
Westbrook and the Thunder are trying to dig themselves above the eighth spot in the Western Conference. The Los Angeles native will do all he can to get a win over the Lakers tonight and should put up a hefty stat line along the way.
Trae Young (ATL): $9,100
Before the All-Star break, it seemed like Luka Doncic had Rookie of the Year wrapped up. Since then, Young has put up 25.1 points and 9.3 assists per game. The Spurs aren’t a matchup concern, and the Hawks don’t have much else to play for. Look for Young to keep rolling tonight.
Shooting Guard
DeMar DeRozan (SA): $9,200
Just like point guards, it’s usually a good idea to target shooting guards against the Hawks, who once again give up the most FD points to the position. The Spurs are leaning on DeRozan as they try and climb a few spots in the playoff standings. He’s averaged 21.6 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 6.4 assists in March. Those numbers should be even more impressive tonight against Atlanta.
Others to consider:
Take your pick from the Hawks. They have three shooting guards who all offer tremendous value tonight, as John Collins and Taurean Prince are expected to sit. I’ll give a quick rundown of each.
Kevin Huerter (ATL): $4,500
Huerter is the most expensive, but also the most consistent option. He’s played between 26 and 31 minutes over the last six games and averaged 20.5 FD points over that time. A slight usage bump with the absence of Collins and Prince would see him hit a solid value tonight.
Kent Bazemore (ATL): $3,800
Bazemore is a little harder to predict. He played 24 minutes Sunday and put up 21.3 FD points, but that was the only time in the last three weeks that he eclipsed 20 FD points. His price tag makes him easier to get into your lineup, but he carries some risk.
Justin Anderson (ATL): $3,600
Anderson has been a reserve player most of the season, but he exploded with 47.9 FD points when drawing the start on Sunday. He’s likely to get the starting nod again tonight, though it’s tough to count on a repeat performance.
Small Forward
Kevin Durant (GS): $9,600
I end up playing Durant a lot, maybe too much, but his $9,600 price tag still feels too cheap. Though he may not have as many ceiling games as we’re used to — only three over 50 FD points since the All-Star break — he also hasn’t disappeared in any games. Tonight’s matchup against the Nuggets is great, as Denver gives up the fifth-most FD points to small forwards. Look for Durant to have a big night as the West’s two best teams battle for the top playoff seed.
Others to consider:
Rudy Gay (SA): $6,500
Have I mentioned that the Hawks are bad on defense? Gay is an extremely safe mid-range play tonight at $6,500.
DeAndre’ Bembry (ATL): $4,300
Bembry should also benefit from Collins and Prince sitting out for the Hawks tonight. He’s put up over 37 FD points in two of his past three games, and it wouldn’t be shocking if he did again tonight.
Power Forward
PJ Tucker (HOU): $4,100
Tucker is another value to plug into your lineup and put studs around tonight. He has almost no ceiling, but will likely be on the court for 25-35 minutes in a fast-paced game against the Kings. At $4,100, he makes for a nice low-cost option tonight.
Others to consider:
Marvin Bagley III (SAC): $7,000
The talented rookie is looking to finish an up-and-down season strong. He missed Sunday’s game due to a stomach bug, but he put up 35.4 FD points in his last game against the Rockets, who he plays tonight.
Draymond Green (GS): $7,000
Green tends to show up big in important games, and he may look to make a statement tonight as the Warriors and Nuggets jockey for the Western Conference’s number one seed. It wouldn’t surprise anyone if he put up a signature triple-double.
Center
Nikola Jokic (DEN): $10,500
Jokic is the safest center on the slate, and with the amount of value available tonight I’m not looking to discount the position. The Joker has seen his numbers decline slightly in March as the rest of his teammates have regained health, but his salary has also come down accordingly. He has the safest floor of the big men playing tonight to go along with an equal or higher ceiling.
Others to consider:
Clint Capela (HOU): $9,000
Capela has been fantastic lately, averaging 43.73 FD points over his past three games. Pair this with the Kings giving up the fourth-most FD points over the past seven games, and you have a recipe for a big game.
Alex Len (ATL): $5,300
If you are looking for some value at the position, you won’t find a better cheap option then Len. Dewayne Dedmon is shut down for the season and Collins is sitting tonight, leaving the Hawks with a serious lack of big men against the Spurs. Len will get all the minutes he can handle.
Check out today’s NBA Shot from FanDuel
If you start your lineup with my five featured players, you’ll have an average of $5,525 per player to spend on your remaining four roster spots, which should be plenty if you plug in some of the cheap Atlanta options. Make sure you’re paying attention this afternoon, as updates will undoubtedly come in all the way up until lock (and hopefully not after). Good luck out there!
Aaron Larson is a correspondent at FantasyPros. For more from Aaron, check out his archive and follow him @aalarson.