This article is part of our DraftKings NBA series.
Defenses to avoid: Miami Heat, vs PHO: For the season, the Spurs or the Grizzlies may have been the pick. But both of those teams have tough matchups on Tuesday, plus the Grizzlies in particular have struggled with their perimeter defense of late. The Heat, on the other hand, have a home game against a Suns team in rebuild mode. The Heat have allowed the second-fewest fantasy points to guards, the fourth-fewest to forwards, and the 10th-fewest to centers in the last 10 games.
Offense to use: Portland Trail Blazers, vs MIL: The Trail Blazers have been hot lately, with an outside/inside combination that is difficult to slow. Damian Lillard just popped for 49 points on only 21 shots against the same Heat defense that has been dominating everyone else, and new center Jusuf Nurkic is averaging a 16-and-10 double-double in his last three games. Add in C.J. McCollum and shooters at all the role player slots, and the Trail Blazers are a handful. The Bucks are solid defensively, but they are beatable by dead-eye shooters and aggressive bigs. Plus, the defense is keyed around Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is questionable Tuesday with an ankle injury.
Teams on Back-to-Backs:
First game: Bulls, Pistons, Bucks
Second game: Warriors, Clippers
Damian Lillard, POR vs MIL ($8,800): Lillard had a tough matchup on Sunday, and responded with 49 points, nine 3-pointers, five assists and a blocked shot against the Heat. Overall, he's averaged 48.7 fantasy points in his last six games, with a min of 37 and five games over 44 fantasy points. The Bucks are solid on the perimeter, but Lillard is playing at home and in the zone right now.
Jordan Clarkson, LAL vs LAC ($6,400): Clarkson and D'Angelo Russell ($6100) are a fun backcourt, and both recommended right now. On Sunday, the pair combined for more than 90 fantasy points against the Cavaliers and have that potential in any given game. Clarkson, in particular, has averaged 34.6 fantasy points in his last five games with a min of 26 and a max of 52.5.
Denzel Valentine, CHI at TOR ($4,500): Valentine has quietly stepped into the void left by the injury to Dwyane Wade in recent games. He has scored between 20 and 37 fantasy points in four straight games, and five of his last six. He is coming off his best game, an 11-point, 12-rebound double-double with four assists against the Jazz.
Jimmy Butler, CHI at TOR ($8,900): Butler has been the primary option for the Bulls all season, but he also has stepped up his production recently in the wake of Dwyane Wade's injury. He has produced between 47 and 57 fantasy points in three of his last four games, including a 47.5 fantasy point effort against an elite Jazz defense in his last outing.
James Johnson, MIA vs PHO ($6,300): Johnson has been solid for much of the season. He had a couple of down games last week of only 18-22 fantasy points, but bounced back in his last two with efforts of 34 and 49.5 fantasy points. On Tuesday, he faces a Suns defense that has allowed the eighth-most fantasy points to power forwards over the last 10 games.
Shabazz Muhammad, MIN vs SA ($4,500): Muhammad has stepped into the void left when Nemanja Bjelica went down. In his last three games, Muhammad has averaged almost 28 minutes per game off the bench and translated that to games of 28.25, 18.75 and 31 fantasy points. The Spurs, in particular Kawhi Leonard, have dominated Andrew Wiggins this season which could leave the lane open for Muhammad to be a primary contributor from the wing off the bench on Tuesday.
Karl-Anthony Towns, MIN vs SA ($9,700): Towns is facing a Spurs defense that is dominant against centers, which is why DraftKings has lowered his price under $10k for the first time in eight games. The last time they lowered his price like this was against this same Spurs team, who he proceeded to torch for 24 points and 14 rebounds on the road. Playing at home this time, Towns has a good chance to match that level of production again on Tuesday.
Jusuf Nurkic, POR vs MIL ($6,900): Nurkic is averaging 16.3 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, three blocks and two steals in his last three games. The Bucks, meanwhile, have allowed the 11th-most fantasy points to centers over the last 10 games.
Alan Williams, PHO at MIA ($5,900): Williams has double-doubles in eight of his last 10 games, and is averaging a solid double-double over the whole stretch. While the Heat have allowed the 10th-fewest fantasy points to centers in the last 10 games, Williams should still be able to crash the boards and get his garbage-man buckets.
