This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
I've grown accustomed to making DraftKings selections over this season, but am giving FanDuel a shot on a weekly trial basis. The game I'm highlighting during this small six-game slate Tuesday is Lakers-Magic. Kobe and crew are coming off their biggest win of the season Sunday against the Warriors and fall into a great matchup at home against a Magic team playing their second game in as many nights. Nobody on the Lakers cost more than Julius Randle's $6,200, making them a very appealing stack option. If you're looking for a team out for blood Tuesday, look no further than the Spurs, who dropped a tough road game to the Pacers on Monday. They'll look to bounce back against a Timberwolves squad that hasn't held an opponent to under 100 points since Jan. 31 versus the Trail Blazers. If you're looking to spend a bit more salary, a stack centered around Kawhi Leonard ($8,600) and LaMarcus Aldridge ($7,400) could pay dividends.
Point Guards:
D'Angelo Russell, LAL vs. ORL ($5,900): Russell is finally starting to look like the scoring guard every thought he could be after the Lakers selected him second overall this past draft. He's posted 30 or more fantasy points in five of his past six games and will go up against a Magic squad on the second game of a back-to-back following their loss to the Warriors on Monday. Chances are Russell will have a very high ownership percentage, but it's hard to justify fading him considering his shot to post five times his salary.
Kyle Lowry, TOR vs. BKN ($9,000): It's usually a good practice to pay up for point guards in FanDuel contests and out of the three elite options at the position Tuesday, Lowry has the best matchup. The Nets are allowing the third-most points to opposing point guards this season and Lowry is the most affordable out of him, John Wall ($9,600) and Damian Lillard ($9,200), who face each other in Portland. Lowry may lack some of the upside that those two offer, but he's got a very safe floor, making him ideal for cash games.
Shooting Guards:
Aaron Afflalo, NY at DEN ($5,000): The Nuggets have struggled against two-guards this season, allowing the fourth-most fantasy points per game (38.35) to the position. Afflalo was hot in Saturday's win over the Pistons, shooting 9-of-12 from the field en route to 20 points (31.9 FPts). Chances are Afflalo won't shoot lights out again Tuesday, but if he can manage 20-5-5 in a plus matchup that should help him net six times his salary in fantasy points.
Markel Brown, BKN at TOR ($4,100): Brown figures to be a hot commodity Tuesday coming off the two best performances of his career -- 21 points Friday against the Nuggets and 23 points Saturday against the T-Wolves. That has netted him 67.8 fantasy points over the last two games, and at a very affordable price tag, makes him an extreme value play particularly in cash games. The Nets have essentially thrown in the towel on the season, so expect Brown to receive big minutes again Tuesday as Brooklyn explores what they have in their young shooting guard.
Small Forwards:
Kawhi Leonard, SA at MIN ($8,600): With so very little options at small forward Tuesday, it's hard not to play Leonard, who has been as consistent as ever in terms of fantasy lately. He's gone seven straight games with at least 30 fantasy points while posting 45+ FPts in four of those contests. The Spurs weren't themselves on offense in Monday's tough loss to Indiana, but expect a much stronger showing against a very weak T-Wolves defense playing the second game of a back-to-back.
Kent Bazemore, ATL at UTA ($4,900): If you're looking for more of a sneaky contrarian play, Bazemore is probably the most appealing of the under-$5,000 group. He's a cheap starter who consistently gets big minutes and has posted double-digit scoring in five straight games. Bazemore is averaging right around five times his salary in fantasy points over that five-game stretch, making him a solid play in both cash games and tournaments despite an unappealing over/under.
Power Forwards:
Julius Randle, LAL vs. ORL ($6,200): Over their last nine games, the Magic are allowing the eighth-most fantasy points per contest (46.15) to opposing power forwards. Randle has posted 25 or more fantasy points in six straight games, four of which he's posted a double-double. This makes for an easy pick when taking into consideration the odds of Randle scoring five times his salary and the high projected over/under for this game.
Aaron Gordon, ORL at LAL ($6,000): Opposite Randle is another promising young front court option in Gordon, who is coming off a monster 20-point, 16-rebound performance Monday against the mighty Warriors. The absence of Nikola Vucevic (groin) likely had a lot to do with Gordon's big game, but with the quick turnaround it's hard to imagine him returning Tuesday. Consistency is a bit of a concern for Gordon, but he has scored 30 or more fantasy points in eight of his last 10 games and has recorded a double-double in two of his last three. The same criteria assessed to Randle can be applied to Gordon, so don't be afraid to insert both into your lineup.
Center
Kyle O'Quinn, NY at DEN ($3,600): This is very much a "punt play" for tournaments, but O'Quinn posted an efficient 10 points in 16 minutes during Saturday's win over the Pistons with big man Kristaps Porzingis sidelined with a leg injury. Derrick Williams got the start, but he essentially split time with O'Quinn, who had the better showing. Porzingis is questionable to play Tuesday, so of course monitor his status up until tip-off. Should he remain out, O'Quinn has a shot to play 20 minutes and could provide nice value as a contrarian play for tournaments.
