This article is part of our FantasyDraft NBA series.
Tuesday affords us a solid eight-game slate that features four of the faster-paced teams in the league matching up to cap off the evening (Nets-Warriors, Pelicans-Clippers), a star-laden Rockets-Thunder tilt and a couple of key Eastern Conference battles. There are multiple game types on the ledger and several individual matchups to attack, so let's get right into sifting through some of the best options to build your lineups around:
GUARDS:
Premium
James Harden, HOU at OKC ($21,100): Harden put together a near-triple-double in his one prior meeting against the Thunder this season -- posting 29 points, 14 assists, eight rebounds, two steals and one block across 39 minutes – and he's scored over 50 fantasy points twice and more than 60 on two other occasions over the last five games. He's also shot appreciably better away from Toyota Center (45.9 percent, as opposed to 43.7 percent at home) and OKC has been a sieve against shooting guards all season, allowing the fourth-most fantasy points (43.0) to the position, including 62.0 over the last five contests. They're surrendering the fourth-most made threes (4.6) to two-guards over that stretch as well, and the third-highest percentage (32.2) of scoring from three-pointers on the campaign overall. The fact the Rockets have one of the highest projected team totals on the night only serves to make Harden's case all the more formidable in a road game that should remain highly competitive for all four quarters.
Mid-Tier
Lou Williams, LAC vs. NO ($13,400): Jrue Holiday ($14,900) is also a viable option on the other side of what should be an up-tempo matchup, but Williams offers good value at $1.5 K cheaper. The sharpshooting veteran saw a one-game downturn to a still-respectable 20.75 fantasy points against the Rockets last Wednesday, but he's bounced back to post 36.75 and 36.50 fantasy points, respectively, in the subsequent two games. Those totals have been par for the course for Williams, who's essentially made the 30-fantasy-point mark his low-water mark on the overwhelming majority of nights. He's demonstrated far greater upside as well, and a matchup against a Pelicans squad playing at the second-fastest pace (105.1 possessions per game) in the NBA and allowing the most fantasy points (44.7) and highest shooting percentage (46.0) to shooting guards on the campaign shapes up as a recipe for success.
Affordable
Joe Harris, BKN at GS ($7,400): Harris provided another strong return on his bargain price Sunday, posting 27.75 fantasy points against the Clippers. That marked his fourth game over the last five eclipsing the 20-mark, a span during which he's shot an impressive 52.4 percent, including 52.0 percent on 5.0 three-point attempts per game. His price has actually come down $100, putting him squarely in play once again in what should be a particularly fast-paced affair. The Nets already come in playing at the sixth-fastest pace in the league (102.8 possessions per game), while the Warriors check in generating the third-most possessions (103.7) per contest. Harris has been averaging a solid 26.4 minutes over the aforementioned five-game sample, giving him plenty of opportunity to put together another rewarding evening for those who roster him. The fact that Golden State has been more susceptible to shooting guards recently (51.8 fantasy points allowed to twos over the last five, compared to 42.0 for the season) only serves to further his case.
FORWARDS/CENTERS:
Premium
Anthony Davis, NO at LAC ($21,300): Once again, there's little reason to look elsewhere than Davis if you're paying up at forward/center, considering he's more or less made 50 fantasy points his bare minimum output on the majority of nights since DeMarcus Cousins' season-ending Achilles injury. The Brow has been a virtual lock for a double-double lately as well -- accomplishing the feat in eight straight – and he's already touched up the Clippers for 25.0 points, 13.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.5 blocks across 40 minutes in two prior meetings this season. Los Angeles doesn't really have an answer down low for Davis, who should thrive in a contest between two teams playing at respective paces that rank within the top five (Pelicans-105.1 possessions per game) and top 10 (Clippers-102.1 possessions per game).
Mid-Tier
Draymond Green, GS vs. BKN ($13,700): For those that need to save a few hundred, Tobias Harris ($12,900) is also an excellent option in the fast-paced Pels-Clippers matchup. However, Green holds plenty of appeal himself against a Nets squad that's been virtually powerless to slow down opposing frontcourts this season. Brooklyn comes in allowing the third-highest offensive efficiency rating (27.3) to power forwards on the season, along with the sixth-most fantasy points (39.2), including the fifth most (53.8) over the last 10. They rank in the bottom five or 10 in multiple other categories against the position as well, while also allowing the most points in the paint (58.7) over the last three contests. Green is logging half of his scoring (50.1 percent) in that area of the floor, and he's scored 28.75 to 55.50 fantasy points in 10 of his last 11 contests. The Nets' league-worst 43.6 percent shooting should afford him plenty of rebounding opportunities, and the fact both teams play at top-10 paces will give him plenty of chances to boost his overall line.
Affordable
Cheick Diallo, NO at LAC ($7,500): Diallo's inclusion is mainly based on the assumption that he'll once again see some extra run in place of Emeka Okafor (ankle), who is listed as questionable. However, the young big has been playing well enough in a reserve role recently and sports a reasonable enough price so as to make him worthy of a tournament flyer under any circumstance. Diallo had logged double-digit fantasy points in nine of the 10 games prior to a Sunday matchup against the Mavericks, a game in which he racked up 39.75 fantasy points on the strength of a 13-point, 15-rebound double-double over a modest 23 minutes off the bench. Diallo would be in a particularly favorable spot should Okafor miss again Tuesday, considering the Clippers come in allowing the sixth-most fantasy points (50.1) to centers over the last five, along with the fifth-most rebounds (15.0) and sixth-highest shooting percentage (64.0) to the position during that stretch.
UTILITY
Bradley Beal, WAS vs. MIA ($16,500): Beal is averaging 26.0 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.5 steals across 39.5 minutes in two games against the Heat this season, and he's scored 41.75 to 53.00 fantasy points in five of the last six contests overall. Miami has been better against two-guards recently, but they're still allowing the fifth-most fantasy points (42.9) to the position on the season, along with the fourth-highest shooting percentage (43.0). Beal continues to sport an impressive usage rate (30.3 percent) and fantasy-point efficiency (1.10 fantasy points per minute) with backcourt mate John Wall off the floor as well, leaving him poised for another potentially strong return Tuesday on a home floor where he's shot a solid 45.6 percent this season.
Kemba Walker, CHA vs. PHI ($13,800): Walker has eclipsed 40 fantasy points in three of his last four games, a stretch during which he's draining 51.3 percent of his 19 shot attempts per contest, including 44.7 percent of his 9.5 tries from distance. The uptick in aggressiveness from long range is helping Walker maximize his overall lines and sets him up well for a matchup against a Sixers squad he already posted 43.25 fantasy points against two games ago in a road matchup. Philadelphia comes into Tuesday's game allowing the seventh-most fantasy points (41.8) to point guards on the season, including a slightly worse 44.6 over the last five games. Priced at a figure that he's often outproduced this season, Walker makes for an intriguing play in a game that may not garner as much attention for tournaments as some of the others on the slate.
