There are six games on a fairly typical Tuesday NBA schedule. Daily fantasy contests at DraftKings close at 7:00 ET and while there are offerings for every budget, the $375K Tipoff Special is hard to resist. Pick an 8-man lineup within the salary cap, top score earns $50,000 cash. It’s only $3 to enter or an even better deal — free with your first deposit. There are more than 29,000 guaranteed prizes; the top 20 finishers win at least $1,000.
The Cavaliers are 9.5-point favorites to beat the Wizards. In DFS, we don’t care who wins or who covers, we’re looking for big individual numbers. LeBron James $9700 is healthy, Kevin Love $8600 is sharp and Mo Williams $5700 is contributing again. You can also use J.R. Smith $5300 and Tristan Thompson $5900 if you anticipate a high score.
Washington has dropped four straight, scoring less than 90 points in the last three. Marcin Gortat $5600 has been consistent and Bradley Beal $6700 is back at full speed, but John Wall $7800 is in a 16-for-54 shooting slump and Otto Porter $5500 has cooled off.
Plays of the Day
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Those wounded Pelicans are slowly getting healthier, with Tyreke Evans $6800 (knee) and Norris Cole $3000 (ankle) each expected to make their season debut, but Anthony Davis $10600 remains almost a one-man team, playing 44 minutes of a back-to-back on Saturday. He could earn that huge salary, but I’m looking elsewhere.
The Grizzlies’ only losses in nine games were to the Hawks and Spurs. Mike Conley $6700 and Marc Gasol $7100 are affordable, and Zach Randolph $6200 (knee) returned from a 5-game absence with a double-double (17 & 11) on Sunday. While Z-Bo was out, Matt Barnes $4300 was terrific and may still be better value than Jeff Green $5200.
Phoenix is better than the Nets. On Sunday in Toronto, Eric Bledsoe $8300 and Brandon Knight $7900 led the Suns to a hard-fought win. Three bench players were crucial; Jon Leuer $3500 and T.J. Warren $4500 scored a combined 31 points while Mirza Teletovic $3400 drained six more 3-pointers — that’s 15 in five games — and should be pumped against his former team. Alex Len $3200 is in tough against Brook Lopez $7400 and Thaddeus Young $7100 can outplay Markieff Morris $5700, but even at home, Brooklyn is an underdog.
This could be the night for the winless Philadelphia 76ers. Back home off a six-game road trip, Robert Covington $6700, Isaiah Canaan $5000 and Jahlil Okafor $6600 (if he can ignore some off-court issues) are all capable of scoring against the Lakers. This will be the last time Kobe Bryant $5800 plays in his home town, but it’s also the third game in four nights on 37-year-old legs. Jordan Clarkson $5300 and Julius Randle $6100 are more reliable, with D’Angelo Russell $5100 and Nick Young $3500 worth considering. The Sixers have some inexpensive options with upside. Jerami Grant $4700 has been starting, while Hollis Thompson $3900 has scored in double figures four straight times, averaging 30 minutes.
Orlando’s bench outscored the starters 56-54 with Victor Oladipo $6600 responding well to his recent demotion. Aaron Gordon $4000 and Andrew Nicholson $3400 are also playing well. Among the starters, Nikola Vucevic $6600 and Tobias Harris $6200 are the safest bets. For Minnesota, Andrew Wiggins $7400, Karl-Anthony Towns $6900 and Gorgui Dieng $4300 are solid investments. Oft-injured Ricky Rubio $6900 (ankle) is expected to play, sending Zach LaVine $5400 back to the potent second unit.
Dallas at Portland is unlikely to be a masterpiece as both teams played elsewhere last night. The Mavericks lost in Sacramento; the Blazers were no match for the Clippers once Damian Lillard $9200 (abdomen) had to leave the game. C.J. McCollum $6600 will be the PG tonight; he and Mason Plumlee $6000 posted modest double-doubles in L.A., as did Ed Davis $4500 off the bench. The visitors might rest some people. Deron Williams $6300, Zaza Pachulia $6000 and Dirk Nowitzki $6600 are all on the wrong side of 30.
| Pos | Premium | Midrange | Bargain |
| PG | Brandon Knight $7900 | Mike Conley $6700 | Isaiah Canaan $5000 |
| SG | Eric Bledsoe $8300 | C.J. McCollum $6600 | Nick Young $3500 |
| SF | LeBron James $9700 | Robert Covington $6700 | Mirza Teletovic $3400 |
| PF | Anthony Davis $10600 | Kevin Love $8600 | Andrew Nicholson $3400 |
| C | Brook Lopez $7400 | Marcin Gortat $5600 | Gorgui Dieng $4300 |
The Fantasy Spin features DFS advice every day of the NBA season. Follow Kent Williams @SheridanFantasy for updates.