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Are you ready for some Tuesday night hoops? While there were originally four games on the schedule, the NBA made the executive decision to postpone the CHI/DET matchup as the Bulls have been hit with a wave of COVID. Even still, there will be six teams tipping off on Tuesday night and that is more than enough to be thankful for. The Raptors, Warriors, and Suns will all be playing on the second night of a back-to-back set, so it will be pivotal to pay close attention to injury reports to see if some teams opt to give certain guys the night off, or at the very least lighten their workload.
With all that said, there will be some fun storylines to watch for on Tuesday, such as Stephen Curry likely breaking Ray Allen's three-point record in Madison Square Garden. It will also be interesting to see how Kevin Durant responds after dropping a 51-point burger on the Pistons over the weekend. We are certainly in for an exciting night of hoops! Now, let's jump into my favorite DraftKings and FanDuel plays for Tuesday's slate.
This article will provide you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 12/14/21. Remember to monitor injury news as the slate can completely change before lineups lock.
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DraftKings and FanDuel Guards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Stephen Curry - PG, GSW @ NYK ($11,500 DK; $10,200 FD)
This is essentially an obvious call, as plopping Curry into your lineups is never a good idea, but let's look at the signs: A national TV game at Madison Square Garden with 2 three-pointers separating him from surpassing Ray Allen for the most career three's in NBA history. Any time Steph has the incentive to play with a little extra oomph is a night when I want him in my fantasy lineups. He remains a much better play on FanDuel, however, as he's priced an insane $1,300 less than his DraftKings price tag of $11,500.
Anfernee Simons - PG/SG, POR vs. PHX ($5,600 DK; $5,800 FD)
Simons made his return Sunday after missing ten days with an ankle injury and picked up right where he left off. His 26 points marked a season-high as the Blazers turned to him early and often as the second option behind Damian Lillard with C.J. McCollum out with a collapsed lung. His increased role should continue on Tuesday with McCollum remaining out, and the Suns have typically been middle of the pack when it comes to defending opposing guards this season.
Cameron Payne - PG, PHX @ POR ($4,400 DK; $4,800 FD)
Payne has played well for the Suns this season and has scored at least 22 fantasy points in three of his last five games while averaging 23 minutes per game. The Suns will be on the second night of a back-to-back while traveling to Portland, so they will need Payne to carry more of the load. After all, Chris Paul is 36-years old. Payne is a guy who should have a solid floor with minimal ownership, which is exactly what you want on a slate such as this.
GPP PG:
Quentin Grimes - SG, NYK vs. GSW ($3,800 DK; $5,200 FD)
This is a sneaky play that has the potential to catapult you to glory on a three-game slate. Grimes was spectacular in his first ever NBA start, totaling 27 points and three steals in 40 minutes against the Bucks on Sunday. While Alec Burks was out and looking like he'll return Tuesday, RJ Barrett remains stuck in the league's COVID protocols, which should lead to another increased role and more minutes for Grimes. The masses usually cling to all of the top guys on lighter slates, so throwing a guy like Grimes into your lineup puts you in a great spot to stand out.
Others to consider: Derrick Rose ($5,000 DK), Cam Thomas ($4,000 DK, $4,200 FD), Patty Mills ($5,400 DK, $5,400 FD)
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DraftKings and FanDuel Forwards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Kevin Durant - SF/PF, BKN vs. DET ($11,600 DK, $11,100 FD)
While Durant is the highest-priced player on both slates Tuesday, it's tough to pass on him as the foundation of your lineup. He's averaged just under 55 DK points over his last five games and is coming off a season-high 51 points in Sunday's win over the Pistons. The only downside here is that Durant should be the most rostered play in any tournament or cash game that you enter, so you'll need to put extra emphasis on building out your lineup with some contrarian guys to balance it out.
Cameron Johnson - SF/PF, PHX @ POR ($4,400 DK; $4,900 FD)
Johnson has been a solid fantasy play over the last six games, scoring last least 20 FD points and 22 DK points per game during that span. Believe it or not, he's actually second on the team in PPG (15.4) while Devin Booker has been out with a hamstring injury. DBook will be out again on Tuesday and Johnson should once again flirt with 30 minutes of playing time. The matchup is good too, as the Trail Blazers have surrendered the second-most DK and the fourth-most FD points to opposing small forwards this season.
Chris Boucher - PF/C, TOR @ BKN ($4,800 DK; $5,100 FD)
I know, hearing the name Boucher probably stings a little as he's burned so many of us multiple times in the past. Surprisingly, however, he's been solid with Precious Achiuwa and Khem Birch out of the lineup. In three games, he's totaled 14 points, 6.7 rebounds, 10 FGA, and 1.3 blocks in just under 24 minutes. The matchup with BKN should be a fast one and Boucher averaged greater than 1 FPT/min in their last meeting. It'd be shocking to see him have massive ownership on Tuesday, which makes him a sneaky play with huge upside.
Others to consider: Robert Covington ($3,400 DK), Blake Griffin ($3,400 DK, $3,600 FD), Evan Fournier ($4,300 DK, $4,400 FD)
DraftKings and FanDuel Centers - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
JaVale McGee - C, PHX @ POR ($4,200 DK; $5,400 FD)
While this is basically a no-brainer on DraftKings, McGee would lose a lot of value if Deandre Ayton is able to return to the lineup. McGee is averaging right around 28 FPTS per game on both sites in eight games without Ayton and would essentially be a free space against the Blazers if Ayton missed again. Pay close attention to the injury reports to check Ayton's status prior to Tuesday's 10:00 PM ET tip.
Jusuf Nurkic - C, POR vs. PHX ($7,300 DK; $6,000 FD)
As you can see, Nurkic is a great value on FanDuel, but I'm okay throwing him into my lineups on both sites Tuesday. He's scored at least 30 FD points in five of his last seven games and should get a boost with Damian Lillard back facilitating the offense again. The center position dries up pretty quickly on Tuesday and it wouldn't be surprising to see Nurkic fly under the radar. As long as he can stay out of foul trouble, he should have no problem returning solid value.
Others to consider: LaMarcus Aldridge ($6,900 DK, $5,900 FD), Nicolas Claxton ($3,100 DK), Mitchell Robinson ($3,600 DK, $4,400 FD)
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