This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
Tuesday's eight-game slate features some star power, with four players priced at $10,000-plus. Russell Westbrook ($12,000) is up against the Clippers, Joel Embiid ($10,800) and Ben Simmons ($10,000) are facing the Raptors, while Damian Lillard ($10,400) is matched up against the Rockets.
76ers at Raptors marks the day's highest over/under at 226.5. The lowest over/under is 209.0, courtesy of Pistons at Celtics. The latter contest is also expected to be the most lopsided, with Boston being favored by 8.5 points. Clippers at Thunder and Wizards at Grizzlies are -2.0 in favor of the home team and represent the closest spreads on the night.
Let's dive in:
Point Guard
Mike Conley ($7,700), MEM vs. WAS
Fantasy owners may have a tendency to avoid deploying point guards who are matching up against John Wall, who made an All-Defensive team in 2014-15. However, that shouldn't apply this year, at least for the time being. The Wizards are allowing the third-most fantasy points to point guards on the season behind the Pelicans and Kings. Conley is averaging 34.5 fantasy points this season, though both of his worst outings occurred during blowout wins against Atlanta and Phoenix. His other three performances carry an average of 41.5 fantasy points. With Memphis only a -2.0 favorite over Washington, the game should stay close enough for Conley to see the run he needs to reach value.
Shooting Guard
Eric Gordon ($6,400), HOU vs. POR
Gordon is averaging 22.3 fantasy points over the past two games with one of Chris Paul (suspension) or James Harden (hamstring) out. Harden will miss Tuesday's game, and he could be out beyond Friday. Given the circumstances, 22.3 fantasy points isn't great for Gordon. But, it's not due to a lack of involvement. He's taken averaging 17.5 shots over the past two games, including 9.0 threes, but has hit just 22.9 percent of his looks overall and 11.1 percent from beyond the arc. Considering how sparse the Rockets' offense is without one of its two best players, I expect Gordon to continue firing away. When he took over 17 shots last season, he averaged 25.3 real points, not fantasy points. Portland presents a good opportunity for him to find the bottom of the net, as the Blazers allow the sixth-most fantasy points to shooting guards on the campaign.
Small Forward
Josh Richardson ($7,200), MIA vs. CHA
The last time Richardson faced Charlotte, he played just 27 minutes while dealing with foul trouble. Those 27 minutes mark his smallest workload of the year, as he has yet to see fewer than 35 minutes in any other contest. He's been highly involved in Miami's offense, taking over 20 field goals and 10 threes in half of the Heat's games. Richardson is more than just a scorer; he has upside across the board. He's racked up at least five rebounds in three of the Heat's six games, has dished out five assists in two games and is averaging 1.0 steal and 1.0 block. Despite the presence of Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, a strong defensive presence on the wing, the Hornets have coughed up the fourth-most fantasy points to shooting guards this year.
Power Forward
Al-Farouq Aminu ($5,100), POR at HOU
This is a tournament play only. Aminu is one of the most inconsistent fantasy players out there. That said, Houston has been hemorrhaging fantasy points to power forward at a rate far above anyone else. The Rockets allow 86.3 fantasy points per game to power forwards. That's 23.5 more fantasy points than the second-ranked team, the Bulls. Breaking it down, the Rockets allow the most points (43.8), rebounds (17.8), blocks (2.8) and threes (3.4) to the position. I almost never trust Aminu in my lineups, even in tournaments. Tuesday's matchup is just too favorable to ignore. Aminu's best performance so far is 35 fantasy points against Washington, which was the result of 16 points, 15 rebounds and one steal.
Center
Willie Cauley-Stein ($7,100), SAC at ORL
Cauley-Stein got off to a modest start this season, averaging 31.9 fantasy points in 27.5 minutes across the Kings' first four games. Although relative to the minutes he was receiving, Cauley-Stein was being productive. Over the past three games, we've seen that strong per-minute production continue, but Cauley-Stein has settled into a larger role. He's seeing 34.0 minutes per game and averaging 41.3 fantasy points. In addition to the usual center production of points, rebounds and defense, Sacramento involves Cauley-Stein in the passing game. Friday against the Wizards, he racked up seven dimes, which marked a season high. On the year, he's averaging 2.9 assists. Furthermore, Orlando doesn't match up well against centers, allowing a league-high 47.4 fantasy points to the position.
