Bryan Armetta breaks down Tuesday’s two-game NBA slate to find three undervalued players to slot into your lineups.

At long last, the NBA has finally returned. Hoops fans will be treated to a marquee two-game slate to open up the new season. Things get started with the defending champion Thunder hosting old friend Kevin Durant ($9,700) and the Houston Rockets. Later, Luka Doncic ($11,000) and the LeBron-less Lakers will take on the Warriors, led by Steph Curry ($9,300).

On a limited slate with plenty of firepower, there’s only so many big names to slot in your DFS lineups. Finding a few diamonds in the rough certainly helps. Still, getting a lesser-known player at a cheap price isn’t so easy. Here are three names that could deliver value for fantasy managers on Tuesday night.

Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $750K Opening Tip Off [$200K to 1st]

PG/SG Reed Sheppard, Houston Rockets at OKC ($4,900)

A season-ending torn ACL for Fred VanVleet could be a decisive blow to Houston’s title-contending chances. An already thin group of guards will need to rely on some unproven names in the backcourt. That includes Reed Sheppard, the third overall pick of the 2024 NBA Draft. Last season wasn’t one to remember for the then-rookie. Through 52 games, he averaged 4.4 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists on 12.6 minutes. However, last season’s Rockets had far more guard depth.

Right now, Sheppard has a path to 25+ minutes per game, at minimum. Houston invested plenty of draft capital into the 21-year-old, so they’ll want to give him an opportunity. It helps that the youngster brings excellent offense to a Rockets squad that might be starved for points. Other than Kevin Durant, nobody else on this roster possesses elite shooting. During his only collegiate season at Kentucky, Sheppard knocked down 52.1% of his three-point attempts. Even against an elite Oklahoma City defense, the sharpshooter is poised for a solid workload tonight.

SF/PF Jake LaRavia, Los Angeles Lakers vs. GSW ($3,600)

It was a busy offseason for the Lakers, who brought in several role players to deepen their bench. One name that flew under the radar was former Grizzlies forward Jake LaRavia. The 23-year-old signed a two-year, $12 million deal with LA over the summer. Last season, the Wake Forest alum averaged 6.9 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists. Most important, he knocked down 42.3% of his attempts from beyond the arc. That’s perfect for Los Angeles, a team in need of floor spacing around Luka Doncic.

An unheralded angle to the LaRavia deal is the third-year pro’s youth. It’s not as if this is an experienced veteran. On a Lakers roster missing LeBron James, there’s also a clear need for decent forwards. Among LA’s bench pieces, Marcus Smart ($4,300) is the only other player capable of guarding opposing wings. To make things more enticing, the Warriors allowed the sixth-highest three-point percentage to opponents last season (36.5%). LaRavia might only need a handful of shots to come through for fantasy managers on Tuesday.

SG Josh Okogie, Houston Rockets at OKC ($3,300)

Let’s go deeeep with our final bargain pick of the evening. As previously mentioned, the Rockets are dealing with a slew of injuries. Other than VanVleet, they’ll also be without Dorian Finney-Smith (ankle) and Jae’Sean Tate (ankle). That leaves the team somewhat thin on the wings. Outside of Tari Eason ($5,300), there aren’t many bench options there for head coach Ime Udoka. Fortunately for Houston, there’s still a few proven NBA talents on this roster.

Josh Okogie was an afterthought during a busy offseason for the Rockets. However, the scrappy role player is the kind of personality that will endear himself to the Houston faithful. Last season, over 40 games between the Suns and Hornets, he averaged 7.1 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.2 steals. That level of all-around production, in just under 16 minutes per game, is valuable. There’s a chance the 27-year-old flirts with 20 minutes tonight vs. the Thunder. Unlike other options, Okogie’s fantasy value isn’t as dependent on shooting. That gives the veteran a decent fantasy floor considering his dirt-cheap $3,300 price tag. On a limited slate, Okogie makes sense tonight as an end-of-lineup dart throw.