After enjoying an absolutely loaded slate of NBA action on Monday, our focus for Tuesday night will narrow significantly with just four games on the schedule in the association. With just eight teams to choose from, the room for error shrinks significantly when it comes to finding the perfect balance between superstar talent and smart value options. It’s still onwards and upwards, though, as we have to deal with what we’ve got. Here is some important fantasy advice to consider for Tuesday’s NBA action.
Weak Defense To Target: Sacramento Kings
Sacramento owns the worst scoring defense in the NBA with an average of 107.2 points allowed per game this season and while it’s worth targeting them more often than not, Tuesday’s matchup against the Dallas Mavericks should provide some particularly lucrative fantasy options. Dirk Nowitzki is the obvious star option but there are two extremely smart value options that are worth targeting on Tuesday night instead with Wesley Matthews and Zaza Pachulia both playing at a very high level of late and available at a bargain price. Matthews has averaged a team-high 16.3 points, 4.0 three-point shots and 3.0 rebounds per game over the past week while Pachulia has averaged 14.8 points, 11.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.8 steals per game over that span so consider both players in Tuesday’s fantasy contests.
Player Who’s Hot Right Now: Jimmy Butler, Chicago Bulls
The Bulls are rolling right now with four straight wins and Butler is among the biggest reasons for it. That includes Sunday’s outburst in which he broke Michael Jordan’s record with 40 second-half points en route to a 115-113 win over the Toronto Raptors. Butler finished that game with 42 points, five assists, four rebounds, one steal and one block. While he might not have another epic second half like that again in his entire career, he has been very good for Chicago all season as a player that continues to stuff the stat sheet in a number of different categories. The Bulls will host the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday night, so it might be worth building your fantasy basketball lineup around Butler.
Injuries, Rest Create Opportunities For… Klay Thompson, Jerryd Bayless
The Golden State Warriors are easily the most loaded team in the NBA right now and while that makes them fun to watch it could drive fantasy owners crazy on some nights where a player as talented as Klay Thompson becomes a secondary option since Stephen Curry is putting on a show. The Warriors’ elite talent can limit the production of their individual players but Curry is dealing with a nagging shin injury and that could mean some big performances for Thompson. The second half of the Splash Brothers has averaged 32.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.0 steal per game over Golden State’s last two games and should be in for another strong performance.
Meanwhile, the Milwaukee Bucks don’t score nearly as many points as the Warriors but Bayless has been one of the most consistent sleeper fantasy options all season. That should continue on Tuesday night against Chicago. Bayless has averaged 13.5 points, 3.5 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 1.8 three-point shots over the past week. With Giannis Antetokounmpo and Greivis Vasquez both injured, he should be a strong value option once again on Tuesday night. He’s offering just about two threes per game, which makes him a nice asset even though the rebounding and assist numbers are low.
Highest Scoring Game Of The Night: GS @ LAL
The Lakers have strung together three straight wins for the first time since February of last season and while there is every reason to believe that run will end when they host the Warriors on Tuesday night we can at least expect them to put up a fight at home. Golden State has averaged a league-best 114.0 points per game this season and while Los Angeles will struggle to slow them down the Lakers should be able to score enough points to make this the highest scoring matchup on a relatively quiet Tuesday night.
