This article is part of our DraftKings NBA series.
Team Analysis
Defenses to avoid: None: This is the last Tuesday of the season, and none of the teams playing on Tuesday really have any playoff motivations to work towards. As such, the expectation is rested veterans and young players/contract-year players going for theirs on offense. The Mavericks and Thunder are probably the two best fantasy defenses going Tuesday based on their work during the season, but on Tuesday there aren't any defenses that need to be avoided.
Offense to use: All lottery teams with young players: This is another broad statement, but it's noentheless applicable. The lottery teams with young impact players are the ones most likely to play their guys, and let them go for it against other bad defenses. The Timberwolves have the best young players, but there's the mystery of them playing the Thunder with no news yet on who all the Thunder may play or sit. But the Pelicans (sans Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins) at Lakers and Suns at Kings look like extended open gym opportunities. Depending on who plays and sits, the Nuggets at the Mavs could be the same. There's lots of potential offense on Tuesday.
Teams on Back-to-Backs:
First game: Hawks, Mavericks, Nuggets, Lakers, Timberwolves, Pelicans, Thunder, Kings
Second game: Hornets
Devin Booker, PHO at SAC ($8,400): There's just no reason for Russell Westbrook to play on Tuesday, so Devin Booker is in this slot. If news comes that Westbrook is playing, he could slot in here as well. Booker is a young player that the Suns have been funneling their offense through for weeks, he's facing a young lottery Kings team with no impetus for defense on Tuesday, and he has the proven ability to drop 70 points on a given day.
Jordan Clarkson, LAL vs NO ($5,700): Ricky Rubio or Jrue Holiday may be safer picks here, but price and opportunity earned Clarkson the spot. D'Angelo Russell is sitting, which gives Clarkson the keys for the Lakers offense. And the Pelicans are sitting Davis and Cousins, which means that the Pelicans defense has no teeth.
Yogi Ferrell, DAL vs DEN ($5,000): The Mavericks sat most of their perimeter players on Sunday, and though nothing has been announced there's no real rationale for those vets to play on Tuesday either. If they sit again, Ferrell would get the keys against a Nuggets defense that was terrible against point guards anyway, but that just got mathematically eliminated from the playoffs and thus may take some steps back on Tuesday.
Andrew Wiggins, MIN vs OKC ($7,000): Wiggins has averaged 40.8 fantasy points in his last six games, and is one of those young upside guys that could reasonably go nuts on Tuesday. His biggest weakness may be that he has a teammate that is even better suited for that. Either way, though, Wiggins is playing at a high level and has a good opportunity to produce on Tuesday.
Larry Nance Jr., LAL vs NO ($5,300): Take your pick of about 10 young power forwards that have produced lately and have a green light on Tuesday against a team featuring little in the way of defense. Nance has averaged 32.3 fantasy points in his last five games, and is facing a Pelicans squad that is sitting both of their superstar big men.
Skal Labissiere, SAC vs PHO ($5,100): The same lead from Larry Nance works here, as well. In his last game, Labissiere scored 25 points with six boards, three assists and two steals in 31 minutes. That level of production is in play again on Tuesday, against a Suns squad that also has pure lottery, youth and little defense.
Karl-Anthony Towns, MIN vs OKC ($10,200): Towns is the only mega-star on Tuesday that seems to have no reason to sit or have a different expected value than usual. Towns has averaged 53 fantasy points in his last six games, about his norm for much of the season, but exploded for 76.8 fantasy points on Sunday. And that level of upside is in play for Tuesday, as well. Shout out to Nikola Jokic as well, because if the Nuggets don't sit him he has massive upside as well.
Julius Randle, LAL vs NO ($6,700): Another young, high-upside big man on a lottery team facing a lottery team with no anticipated defense. The Lakers will also be without D'Angelo Russell, and Randle may be the best established player on the team, and he also has shown sporadic ability to put up 50 to 60 fantasy points in given games this season. That potential upside is at least in play, on Tuesday.
Alex Len, PHO at SAC ($4,000): Len has averaged 26 fantasy points in his last six games, but has three games over 33 fantasy points in his last 10 outings and has the same "young big man/lottery team/lottery opponent" upside that has been described for several prospects on Tuesday. He also has a really low price for his recent production, which helps.
