This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
We have a compact three-game Tuesday night slate on tap. Injuries are encouragingly light, but there is one big name that remains out due to COVID-19 protocols, although his absence creates opportunities for multiple players on his team. There's also plenty of high-powered offensive talent taking the floor, so there could be some particularly noteworthy individual scores.
Slate Overview
Golden State Warriors at Brooklyn Nets (-3) (O/U: TBD)
Philadelphia 76ers at Utah Jazz (-8.5) (O/U: 218.5 points)
San Antonio Spurs at Los Angeles Clippers (-6.5) (O/U: 219.5 points)
There are six big-name squads in action, and the Warriors-Nets matchup that kicks off the night carries the potential to be the most entertaining and competitive of the night. Golden State just saw its winning streak come to an end Saturday in a 106-102 loss to the Hornets, but the Dubs still boast an 11-2 mark and are 3-1 on the road. Meanwhile, the Nets have seemingly hit their stride with three consecutive 120-point efforts and are now 10-4 after a shaky start.
The 76ers are still dealing with the absence of Joel Embiid and are 0-4 without the big man, so they're unsurprisingly heavy underdogs despite the fact the Jazz have lost four of their last five themselves. Meanwhile, the Clippers just saw their seven-game winning streak ended by the Bulls on Sunday night but are fairly heavy favorites to start a new one against a Spurs squad that's dropped three of their last four contests and is just 2-5 on the road.
Injury Situations to Monitor
NOTE: Injury reporting is especially fluid in the NBA, where the status of multiple players can change during the course of a day. Therefore, although the following serves as a foundation for the latest injury report as of the time the article is written, check back throughout the course of the day with RotoWire for the latest news regarding the status of all players on that night's slate.
Joel Embiid, PHI (COVID-19 protocols)/ Status: OUT
In Embiid's ongoing absence, Andre Drummond will continue to start at center, while Tobias Harris and Tyrese Maxey should see bumps in usage.
Danny Green, PHI (hamstring)/ Status: OUT
Furkan Korkmaz is likely to draw into the first unit in Green's absence, while Georges Niang could also draw extra minutes.
Joe Harris, BRO (ankle)/ Status: OUT
With Harris out Tuesday, Patty Mills could draw the start at two-guard.
Other notable injuries:
Kyrie Irving, BRO (personal)/ Status: OUT
Marcus Morris, LAC (knee)/ Status: OUT
Jakob Poeltl, SAN (COVID-19 protocols)/ Status: OUT
Terance Mann, LAC (ankle)/ Status: QUESTIONABLE
Matisse Thybulle, PHI (COVID-19 protocols)/ Status: OUT
Nicolas Claxton, BRO (illness)/ Status: OUT
Paul Millsap, BRO (personal)/ Status: OUT
Elite Players
We have four players with five-figure salaries on Tuesday's slate: Stephen Curry ($10,800), Kevin Durant ($10,600), James Harden ($10,200) and Paul George ($10,000).
Curry is averaging 49.4 FD points per contest and has scored 52.3 to 86.4 in three of his past four contests. Prior to his 7-for-22 night against the Hornets on Saturday, he'd also shot 53.6 percent over his previous four games, but it's worth noting the Nets are allowing the second-lowest three-point shooting percentage (31.0) in the league.
Durant should have some extra motivation facing some of his old Warriors teammates and checks in averaging 46.9 FD points over his last seven games, a stretch that includes three tallies over 50.
Harden is progressively kicking it into high gear, which had led to a bump in salary of several hundred dollars. The Beard is averaging 46.4 FD points across his last nine games while shooting 47.0 percent, including 42.6 percent from distance. In a game as fast-paced as Tuesday's should be, he could be in for a bump in volume.
George bounced back to score 49.2 FD points across 41 minutes against the Bulls on Sunday night and has been over 45 in three of his past four games as he continues to shoulder the primary offensive burden for the Clippers in the absence of Kawhi Leonard (knee).
Expected Chalk
In addition to the players just mentioned in the prior section, other likely chalk plays include:
Dejounte Murray, SAN ($9,800)
Murray is averaging career bests across the board this season and comes into Tuesday's matchup averaging 45.2 FD points per contest. The fact he's coming off having scored 58 FD points against the Lakers on Sunday – his third tally of more than 50 in the last six – should keep him extremely popular.
Donovan Mitchell, UTA ($8,800)
Mitchell always enjoys a high roster rate but he should be even more popular on this small slate, plus he's scored 46.1 to 54.6 FD points in five of his last six.
Andre Drummond, PHI ($8,500)
Drummond has three double-doubles in his first four games in Embiid's stead, and that plus the overall scarcity of centers on this slate should earn him plenty of clicks.
Tyrese Maxey, PHI ($8,100)
Maxey has scored over 40 FD points in three of the first four games Embiid has missed and is averaging just over six more shots per game (19.3) than his season average of 13.2 during that span, all of which should factor into him once again appearing in plenty of lineups.
Tobias Harris, PHI ($7,700)
Harris has scored 36.9 and 45.7 FD points in his first two games back from the COVID-19 protocols and averaged 20.0 shot attempts in those games. With Embiid out again Tuesday, he should once again be set for elevated usage.
Key Values
LaMarcus Aldridge, BRO vs. GSW ($5,600)
Aldridge continues to enjoy a solid role off the bench with Nicolas Claxton (illness) out of action and has averaged 26.9 FD points over his last nine contests while shooting 56.7 percent, including 56.3 percent from behind the arc. Aldridge eclipsed 30 FD points in three of his past four games as well, and although the Warriors have been tough statistically against centers, Aldridge's height advantage on Kevon Looney and Draymond Green should enable him to deliver another strong return in what should be an especially fast-paced contest.
Jordan Clarkson, UTA vs. PHI ($5,300)
Clarkson's production still has its fluctuations, but the veteran guard has a pair of tallies over 30 in the last six games, a reminder of the upside he brings at a very reasonable salary. Clarkson's biggest issue this year has been career-worst inefficiency – he's shooting just 35.6 percent – but he's facing a 76ers team allowing 47.5 percent shooting to second-unit players and a 37.2 percent success rate from three-point range to point guards specifically.
Derrick White, SAN at LAC ($5,200)
Much like Clarkson, White has opened the season in a shooting slump he hasn't quite shaken, as he's draining a career-low 38.1 percent of his attempts thus far. However, he's propping up his production with career bests in assists (5.5) and steals (1.2), and he's scored at least 25 FD points in 10 games, including a pair of tallies over 40. He's very capable of overdelivering on his currently depressed salary, and a matchup against a Clippers team allowing the ninth-most FD points per game (40.9) to shooting guards could coax such a performance out of him.
ALSO CONSIDER: Patty Mills, BRO vs. GSW ($4,000)
