NBA DFS First Look & Optimal Lineup Picks Today

The Slate Starter is a daily first look at to get your daily fantasy basketball lineup-building process started before lock tonight. Each day, we will go through some of the best NBA DFS picks, top stacks and optimal lineup construction for DraftKings and FanDuel. Be sure to check Awesemo’s NBA Starting Lineups page, as it will be updated throughout the day as the NBA injury reports are released and breaking news surfaces. Let’s dive into some players who stand out as key options on Tuesday’s 10-game main slate.

Want to see how your lineup stacked up against yesterday’s winning NBA DFS lineups on DraftKings, FanDuel and Yahoo? Check out Awesemo’s Optimal Lineup Review, which uses Fantasy Cruncher Rewind to analyze the winning plays from the night before.

DraftKings & FanDuel NBA DFS Lineup Advice Today

Luka Doncic, PG, Dallas Mavericks

Tuesday’s slate is absolutely loaded with star power. Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Joel Embiid are all available, but Doncic stands out as my favorite option in this tier.

Doncic has done some incredible work for the Mavericks recently. He’s scored at least 64.5 DraftKings points in four of his past five games, and he’s hit at least 71.0 DraftKings points in three of them. The only exception was 53.5 DraftKings points in his last outing, but he was limited to just 27.7 minutes. He dealt with foul trouble and the game turned into a bit of a blowout, which ultimately kept his fantasy production in check.

Doncic had racked up at least 40.4 minutes in his previous two contests, so he should see much more playing time if Tuesday’s matchup vs. the Pistons is more competitive. Doncic has averaged 1.67 DraftKings points per minute in games without Kristaps Porzingis and Tim Hardaway Jr. this season, so he can do some serious damage in this spot. The Pistons rank just 26th in defensive efficiency, so expect Doncic to own one of the top marks in our NBA Projections.

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Patty Mills, G/SF, Brooklyn Nets

The Nets have the potential to be without their entire “Big Three” on Tuesday. Kevin Durant remains out of the lineup with an MCL sprain, while Kyrie Irving is ineligible to suit up in Brooklyn. James Harden is currently questionable with a hamstring injury. Even guys like LaMarcus Aldridge and Paul Millsap are out of the lineup, so there is potential for plenty of shots and minutes for the rest of the roster.

Mills would be one of the biggest beneficiaries if Harden is ultimately ruled out. He’s seen a massive +13.7% bump to his usage rate with Harden, Durant, Irving, and Aldridge off the court this season, resulting in an average of 1.02 DraftKings points per minute.

Mills has been a decent source of value even with Harden and Irving available of late, so he would be worth heavy consideration if both players are sidelined. That said, it will be important to monitor his projected ownership. If it gets too high, he will own a negative leverage score in the Boom/Bust Probability Tool.

Malik Beasley, SG, Minnesota Timberwolves

The Timberwolves are another team that will be important to monitor on Tuesday. They have an extensive injury report at the moment, with D’Angelo Russell, Patrick Beverley, Josh Okogie, Naz Reid, and Taurean Prince all listed as questionable. The Timberwolves also have one of the best matchups of the day vs. the Kings, so they would be an elite target if they’re shorthanded.

Beasley would likely see a strong boost in playing time if Russell and/or Beverley are ruled out, and he’s arguably too cheap at $4,100 on DraftKings even if the team is at full strength. He’s been on a tear recently, and he’s coming off 36.75 DraftKings points in just 21.6 minutes in his last outing.

Beasley could also be worth some consideration in the player prop market. He’s scored at least 18 points in three of his past five games, despite a pretty pedestrian minute count. The over on his scoring prop could have value if he’s expected to see more minutes. Make sure to take advantage of the Awesemo Player Prop tool, which highlights the most exploitable player prop bets each day.

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