After a quiet night with just three games on the schedule to essentially leave the night to the College Football Playoff Championship Game, Tuesday's NBA schedule consists of nine games. That's good news for FanDuel participants, who won't lack for options as they look to fill out their rosters. There are five players with salary values of $10,000 or higher in action, with Houston's James Harden ($11,700) having the highest value. Harden's averaging 53.6 FanDuel points per game on the season, and in his most recent outing "The Beard" tallied his tenth triple-double of the season in Houston's win in Toronto. Harden finished the game with 40 points, 11 assists and ten rebounds, and while the turnover count (ten) was high he still managed to accrue 66.5 FanDuel points.
So what will Harden do for an encore? Tuesday brings about a matchup with a Charlotte squad that ranks 11th in the NBA in scoring defense and ninth in defensive rating. But the Hornets will likely be down a man, with Nicolas Batum listed as doubtful due to a hyperextended knee suffered last week. That leaves Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, another solid wing defender, as the best option to defend Harden, but who does Charlotte call upon when MKG needs a break? But matchup questions aside, Harden's going to be a good choice due to how important he is to the Rockets' offense.
Here are our FanDuel picks for Tuesday, using the rules of a nine-player roster and a $60,000 salary cap. Linked stats are from Basketball Reference and Rotowire. (Getty)
PG: D'Angelo Russell, Los Angeles Lakers
Opponent: vs. Portland
Price: $6,700
Since struggling mightily in a loss to Utah December 27, Russell has surpassed his FanDuel season average (27.5 ppg) in each of his last six games. In Sunday's win over over Orlando Russell tallied 17 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and three steals, with his overall stat line working out to 43.2 FanDuel points. Portland's had some issues defensively this season, and if he can be more efficient than he was in the first meeting between the two teams (22 points on 6-for-18 shooting) Russell could be in line for a good night. (Getty)
PG: Marcus Smart, Boston
Opponent: vs. Charlotte
Price: $5,700
While the usual starting guard alongside Isaiah Thomas, Avery Bradley, recently returned to practice, the Celtics are likely to be cautious when it comes to his return from a right Achilles injury. With that being the case Smart can still be a good option for the second point guard slot, as he's surpassed his season average of 23 FanDuel points per game in four of his last five outings. Smart didn't do much scoring in the last meeting with the Hornets, finishing with five points, but he did tally seven rebounds and five assists in a reserve role. (Getty)
SG: James Harden, Houston
Opponent: vs. Charlotte
Price: $11,700
With Charlotte shooting guard Nicolas Batum listed as a game-time decision due to a knee injury, this is an interesting game for Harden. He's obviously going to have the ball in his hands a lot, whether Batum is able to play or not. If Batum can't go that would likely mean that Charlotte looks to Michael Kidd-Gilchrist to defend Harden at times, and he's another athletic wing who is a good defender. Harden's going to rack up FanDuel points, but the hope is that he can do so without the turnover count (he had ten against Toronto on Sunday) getting too high. Having to deal with only one of Charlotte's quality wing defenders would help in that regard. (Getty)
SG: Tim Hardaway Jr., Atlanta
Opponent: at Brooklyn
Price: $4,500
Hardaway's scored 12 points or more in each of the last four games for the Hawks, and with Kyle Korver being traded to Cleveland he'll have even more chances to contribute off the bench. In the last two games, the first since reports of Korver being traded first surfaced, Hardaway's averaged 18.0 points and 4.0 rebounds per game. And with Brooklyn having its issues to address defensively, this is a game where Hardaway could wind up being a steal given his salary cap number. (Getty)
SF: Rudy Gay, Sacramento
Opponent: vs. Cleveland
Price: $6,900
With LeBron James being the opposing small forward, it goes without saying that this will be a difficult individual matchup for Gay. That being said, his status as Sacramento's second-best scorer means that the Kings will need to get him touches in order to supplement DeMarcus Cousins' production. In his fourth game removed from a stretch in which he missed ten of 11 games due to injury, Gay will have every opportunity to at the very least get close to his FanDuel season average of 32.1 points per game. (Getty)
SF: Trevor Ariza, Houston
Opponent: vs. Charlotte
Price: $5,800
Ariza has accounted for 32 FanDuel points or more in four of the last six games for the Rockets, most recently tallying 32.9 points in their win over Toronto Sunday night. And during that six-game stretch he's averaging 13.7 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game, with all three numbers being better than his averages for the season. Charlotte's done a good job against opposing small forward units recently, allowing just 34.1 FanDuel points per game over the last five according to Rotowire. But given how Ariza's played of late, he wouldn't be a bad player to have on your roster. (Getty)
PF: Jabari Parker, Milwaukee
Opponent: at San Antonio
Price: $6,900
Admittedly this will be a tough matchup for Parker, as the Spurs allow just 38.1 FanDuel points per game to opposing power forward units, and that number is down to 34.1 points per game over San Antonio's last ten contests. But, Parker's ability to step out onto the perimeter will help him some here, as he's shooting 49.7 percent from the field and 40.8 percent from beyond the arc. And in the first meeting between the two teams this season, Parker finished with 23 points, eight rebounds and three assists. (Getty)
PF: Taj Gibson, Chicago
Opponent: at Washington
Price: $4,700
Averaging 11.8 points and 6.9 rebounds per game on the season, Gibson hasn't been as productive in recent games. He's failed to score in double figures in three of the last four games, averaging 10.3 points and 7.0 rebounds per game with the scoring average being boosted by his 18-point outing against Cleveland on January 4. But he's had some success against the Wizards, averaging 15.0 points and 8.0 rebounds per contest in their two meetings this season. With his price tag, it may not be a bad idea to count on Gibson approaching those numbers while saving some cap room for other positions. (Getty)
C: Al Horford, Boston
Opponent: at Toronto
Price: $7,400
Averaging 34.5 FanDuel points per game on the season, Horford's accounted for 34 FanDuel points or more (three games of 40 or more) in six of his last ten outings. And Horford was productive in the first meeting with the Raptors, posting a stat line of 19 points, seven rebounds and six assists in a seven-point home loss on December 9. Toronto's been good of late when it comes to defending opposing center units from a fantasy standpoint, allowing 38.3 FanDuel points per game over their last five. But even with that being the case, Horford's ability to step away from the basket should help him here. (Getty)
FanDuel NBA Lineup Picks, Advice & Analysis for January 10