We’re really starting to get close to that finish line. These teams are battling for playoff positioning, with only a handful of teams out of the race. This is the time for teams to figure things out and get their rotations tight because they need their stars ready for a full workload in the postseason. The good news is that we have no one on the second half of a back-to-back set, but we do have Brooklyn and Phoenix in the front end.

After a massive slate on Monday, we’re looking at just four fixtures for this Tuesday card. That makes the player pool minuscule, but I love breaking down this sort of slate. It’s much easier to look at eight teams than 18, and it really has me zoning in on each individual rotation. There’s plenty to discuss, so let’s go ahead and get started!

View the best player prop bets for tonight’s slate with our NBA Prop Bet Cheat Sheet

Schedule and Odds

• MEM at IND (MEM -7.5) O/U: 232
• BKN at ORL (BKN -10) O/U: 231
• DET at MIA (MIA -13.5) O/U: 216.5
• PHX at NOP (PHX -5) O/U: 225

Check out our consensus game odds as well as the odds from each sportsbook at BettingPros

Injury Report

• Ben Simmons (Personal) OUT
• Myles Turner (foot) OUT
• T.J. McConnell (wrist) OUT
• Malcolm Brogdon (concussion) Questionable
• Chris Duarte (foot) Questionable
• Seth Curry (ankle) Questionable
• LaMarcus Aldridge hip) OUT
• Joe Harris (ankle) OUT
• Isaiah Stewart (knee) OUT
• Jimmy Butler (toe) Questionable
• Chris Paul (hand) OUT
• Cameron Johnson (quad) OUT
• C.J. McCollum (COVID) Questionable
• Brandon Ingram (hamstring) OUT
• Ja Morant (back) Doubtful
• Jalen Suggs (ankle) Questionable

Core Plays

Kevin Durant (SF – BKN): $11,100 DraftKings, $11,200 FanDuel
It’s tough to fade KD after what we saw on Sunday. The Slim Reaper had 78 DraftKings points in one of the best games of his career. It’s the third time he’s scored at least 59 fantasy points in his last four outings. That makes him the best option on the slate, especially with Orlando owning a 25th OPRK against opposing power forwards.

Jimmy Butler (SG/SF – MIA): $8,600 DraftKings, $8,500 FanDuel
It’s always strange to see Jimmy Buckets well below $9K. This guy has been reliable all season, scoring at least 29 DK points in the 45 of 47 games he’s finished this season. He’s also posting a 43-point average in those outings, a grand total from a guy sitting below $9,000. The best part of this is the matchup, with Detroit ranked 23rd in points allowed and 25th in defensive efficiency.

Tyus Jones (PG – MEM): $3,400 DraftKings, $4,200 FanDuel
With Ja Morant likely sitting this game, Jones should be in for another start. He’s been fantastic in this role all season, averaging 29 DK points per game in his 14 starts. That’s a ridiculous total from a player in this price range because he should be closer to $6K in this expanded role. Facing Indiana is the cherry on top, with the Pacers ranked 26th in defensive efficiency and 24th in points allowed.

Cash Game Considerations

Devin Booker (SG – PHX): $9,600 DraftKings, $10,400 FanDuel
D-Book has taken over the primary ball-handler in Phoenix with CP3 out of the lineup. That’s scary since he had a 30 percent usage rate before that, averaging 25 shots per game in this expanded role. We certainly don’t anticipate New Orleans slowing him down with that monster role, with the Pelicans surrendering the seventh-most fantasy points to opposing shooting guards this season. In their three matchups this year, Book is averaging 44 DraftKings points per game.

Jaren Jackson Jr (PF/C – MEM): $6,500 DraftKings, $6,400 FanDuel
This is a beautiful spot for JJJ. He’s actually seen the most significant bump when Ja has been off the floor, leading the team with a 29 percent usage rate. He’s also averaging 1.3 DK points per minute in those circumstances, providing some of his best fantasy lines of the season. Indiana definitely won’t slow him down, surrendering the sixth-most fantasy points to opposing power forwards.

Wendell Carter Jr (C – ORL): $7,400 DraftKings, $6,800 FanDuel
WCJ is not getting enough credit for how consistent he has been. The big man has at least 38 DK points in seven of his last eight outings, generating a 43-point average in that span. A matchup with the Nets should keep that trend going, with Brooklyn ranked 20th in points allowed and 22nd in defensive efficiency ratings.

GPP Targets

Andre Drummond (C – BKN): $5,800 DraftKings, $5,500 FanDuel
Drum has been all over the map with his new team, but that’s why he’s a great GPP option. This guy has been one of the best per-minute producers in his career, and we love his expanded role with Aldridge out of the lineup. That’s led to Dre scoring at least 25 DK points in three straight outings, averaging 36 fantasy points per game in that stretch. That’s tough to find from a sub-$6K player, particularly with Orlando surrendering the third-most fantasy points to opposing centers.

Desmond Bane (SG/SF – MEM): $6,700 DraftKings, $6,600 FanDuel
Using Grizzlies will be a popular trend, and it’s easy to understand why. With Morant out of the lineup, that means 30 points, 35 minutes, and 30 percent of the team’s usage is out the door. That means Bane will be one of the focal points of the offense, averaging nearly 35 DK points per game when Ja has sat out this season.

Mo Bamba (C – ORL): $5,500 DraftKings, $5,200 FanDuel
Talk about inconsistency. Mo has been tough to trust, but we always want to use him when the minutes are there. That’s been the case recently, playing at least 32 minutes in back-to-back games. We’re talking about a guy who’s averaging 27 DK points per game across 26 minutes a night for the season, and if he continues to play 30-plus, Mo should be a $7K player. He’s crushed Brooklyn this season, too, averaging 34 DK points per game in their two matchups.

Value Plays

Dillon Brooks (SG – MEM): $4,900 DraftKings, $5,000 FanDuel
This is the final piece to our Memphis stack, and Brooks is probably the best value of the bunch. He just made his return from an ankle injury on Sunday and provided 27 DK points across 24 minutes. That means he’ll likely get closer to 30 here, and if he does that, Brooks should be $2,000 more on each site.

Markelle Fultz (PG – ORL): $4,200 DraftKings, $5,400 FanDuel
Fultz was a top pick for a reason. Injuries have completely derailed his career, but he’s showing flashes of why he was a top pick since his return. In fact, Fultz has at least 22 DK points in three straight games, flirting with a 30-point average in that span. That’s tough to find from someone this cheap, and he could be asked to do even more here with Suggs likely sitting.

P.J. Tucker (PF – MIA): $3,600 DraftKings, $4,900 FanDuel
Tucker isn’t a great fantasy producer, but this $3,600 price tag is silly. He’s still averaging over 20 DK points per game for the season, which alone is a massive total from a $3,600 player. He’s also flashed a 40-point upside at times this season and could be the value play of the day if he stumbles into one of those games against one of the worst defenses in the NBA.

Advantageous Pricing

• Goga Bitadze (C – IND): $3,400 DraftKings, $5,600 FanDuel
• James Johnson (SF/PF – BKN): $3,800 DraftKings, $5,100 FanDuel
• Nic Claxton (C – BKN): $3,900 DraftKings, $4,900 FanDuel
• Bam Adebayo (C – MIA): $8,200 DraftKings, $9,200 FanDuel
• Victor Oladipo (SG – MIA): $6,200 DraftKings, $4,000 FanDuel
• Devonte Graham (PG/SG – NOP): $6,800 DraftKings, $5,700 FanDuel
• Herbert Jones (AF/PF – NOP): $6,100 DraftKings, $4,400 FanDuel
• Trey Murphy (SF – NOP): $5,600 DraftKings, $4,000 FanDuel
• Markelle Fultz (PG – ORL): $4,200 DraftKings, $5,400 FanDuel
• P.J. Tucker (PF – MIA): $3,600 DraftKings, $4,900 FanDuel

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