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Basketball fans everywhere were prepared to see this year's second head-to-head matchup between Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic in Tuesday's main slate, but the former bowed out ahead of the rematch between Fantasy giants and MVP frontrunners. Jokic put up his usual impressive numbers, but so did plenty of others. We'll go over some of the notable stat lines and trends here before picking out a strong DFS play for Tuesday.

Who's hot 

Nikola Jokic
DEN • C • #15
PPG24.9
RPG11.9
BPG.66
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Jokic didn't disappoint in his second and final meeting against the Philadelphia 76ers this season. The two-time MVP posted 25 points, 17 rebounds, and 12 assists against the Embiid-less road team. He tallied more Fantasy points than any player on the main slate in what could have been an epic battle between this year's MVP frontrunners. Jokic is primed to finish as this NBA's most productive Fantasy player this season regardless, though. 

Immanuel Quickley
TOR • PG • #5
PPG14.1
APG3.3
SPG.91
3P/G1.933
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Jalen Brunson missed his second consecutive game on Monday, which allowed Quickley to step into the spotlight again. The third-year guard scored a career-high 40 points against the struggling Houston Rockets He flirted with a double-double but fell just short with nine assists in 30 minutes. He sank a ridiculous 14 of his 19 field goal attempts, which included five triples. Quickley is now averaging 24.4 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game without Brunson this season. 

Tyrese Maxey
PHI • PG
PPG20.5
APG3.6
SPG.82
3P/G2.625
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Embiid and James Harden might've taken Monday off, but Maxey kept chugging along amid his hot streak. The 76ers guard rattled off his sixth straight game with at least 21 points. He totaled 29 points, four rebounds, five assists, and three steals against the Nuggets. Maxey's been exceptional all season when either of his team's top options can't suit up.

Who's not

Deandre Ayton
POR • C • #2
PPG18.2
RPG10.1
BPG.76
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Maybe Ayton deserves a grace period after returning from a four-game layoff, but he's been far from his best in the games he has appeared in recently. He tallied 14 points and eight rebounds in 30 minutes against the Utah Jazz on Monday. That's not a terrible stat line, but Ayton has fallen short of his scoring and rebounding averages in three consecutive games while shooting under 47 percent from the field.

DFS play

Jalen Williams
OKC • SF • #8
PPG13.7
APG3.2
SPG1.35
3P/G.971
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J Dub has gradually worked his way into being recognized as one of the best rookies from the 2022 NBA Draft class and has an opportunity to put together another masterful performance against the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is out with an ankle injury and Williams has thrived without the All-Star. Williams has scored 20 or more points in seven of the nine games he's appeared in without SGA this season. He averaged 5.9 assists and 5.3 rebounds per game in those contests while also being engaged on the defensive end.

Still deciding who to lock in for your DFS roster? We've identified a player worth locking in and one to avoid ahead of tip-off below, but you can get my full selection of stud and value plays at each position by heading over to SportsLine.