Daily Games Cheat Sheet: Tuesday

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Updated on January 27, 2015 3:17AM EST

TEAM ANALYSIS

Defenses to Avoid
Washington Wizards at Los Angeles Lakers: Besides the Wizards being a good defensive team, it's wise to avoid expecting much from any single Laker at this point. Byron Scott has been tinkering with his lineups, and after benching Nick Young at halftime last game, it's clear there are no guarantees for minutes on this club. There may be values here salary-wise, but it's certainly a buyer-beware type of situation.

Offenses to Use
Cleveland Cavaliers at Detroit Pistons: The Cavaliers offense is roaring right now, and it's one to invest in until they slow down. Cleveland claims the highest offensive rating in the league over their last five games and have a variety of mid-tier players and studs to help construct your rosters on Tuesday.

First game of a back-to-back: Cleveland Cavaliers, Washington Wizards, Detroit Pistons, Toronto Raptors, Dallas Mavericks
Second game of a back-to-back: Memphis Grizzlies

DraftKings.com DAILY PLAYER RECOMMENDATIONS
If you've never played on DraftKings before, we recommend reading our Daily Fantasy Basketball 101: How to Win on DraftKings strategy article. Want to play in a $50,000 daily NBA contest on DraftKings? Check it out here.

Point Guard
D.J. Augustin, PG, DET ($5,800): Augustin is the starter for Detroit in the wake of Brandon Jennings' season-ending injury, and in his first start, he dropped 53.5 DraftKings points. Clearly, that's not the expectation going forward, but Augustin is capable of putting up stats, and he's priced fairly enough that he's worth a look.

Other suggestions: Stephen Curry (vs. CHI), John Wall (at LAL)

Shooting Guard
J.R. Smith, SG, CLE ($5,000):Iman Shumpert's return from injury hasn't hurt Smith's production so far, and as long as the Cavaliers keep rolling, he should see his normal amount of minutes. He has the go-ahead to launch from three, and it will continue to lead to solid scoring numbers as long as LeBron James is kicking out to him on the wing.

Other suggestions: Jimmy Butler (at GS), Bradley Beal (at LAL)

Small Forward
LeBron James, SF, CLE ($10,700): If you're shopping for an elite player on Tuesday, it's hard not to recommend James as the top option. He's finally playing MVP-caliber basketball again, and his DraftKings numbers are thanking him for it. The King is averaging 52.75 DraftKings points over his last six games.

Other suggestions: Luol Deng (at MIL), Harrison Barnes (vs. CHI)

Power Forward
Greg Monroe, PF, DET ($8,500): As far as elite options go, Monroe is the perfect combination of price and statistical upside. He's the clear number one option for the Pistons, and they'll look for him to provide enough scoring to keep pace with the scorching hot Cavaliers.

Other suggestions: David West (vs. TOR), Zach Randolph (at DAL)

Center
Zaza Pachulia, C, MIL ($5,200): Pachulia has worked his way down in salary, and now is a candidate once again to be a bargain at the center position. The Heat have had their struggles with opposing bigs, so there's potential for a nice game from the Bucks center on Tuesday.

Other suggestions: Timofey Mozgov (at DET)

INJURY REPORT

Out
Larry Sanders (suspension)

Game-Time Decision
Nick Young (ankle)
C.J. Miles (groin)
Mike Dunleavy (ankle)
Tony Allen (ankle)
John Henson (ankle)
Tyson Chandler (knee)

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire.