This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
As customary, Tuesday brings us a modest slate, with only five games on tap. At first glance there doesn't seem to be ton of fantasy appeal, but the Kings and Nuggets should be involved in a fast-paced and high-scoring contest. The Wizards and Pelicans may also have some fireworks in store, given that both teams have often-suspect defenses. With Anthony Davis, James Harden and DeMarcus Cousins in action, we'll give you some mid-to-upper-mid-tier plays to fill out your roster, along with a minimum-priced bargain that could be the key to creating enough room to roster two of the night's studs.
Guard
Rajon Rondo, SAC at DEN ($39) - Rondo bookended two 50-plus fantasy point performances around the All-Star break and could be primed for a third straight on Tuesday. The Kings-Nuggets tilt should be the highest scoring of the night, and Rondo figures to feast on a Denver defense giving up the seventh-most fantasy points per game (45.80) to point guards. The veteran point guard has been contributing all across the stat sheet lately, dishing out double-digit assists in four of the last five, and even hauling in 26 rebounds over the last three. He's picked it up considerably on the defensive end as well, with a whopping 26 steals in just seven February contests.
Brandon Jennings, ORL at PHI ($10) - Jennings is a minimum-priced steal, considering he's rattled off two performances with just over 27 fantasy points in his first two games in a Magic uniform, and received more minutes than starter Elfrid Payton in Orlando's most recent contest. The fact that he figures to get a considerable chunk of his minutes against the league's worst defensive team's second unit only furthers his appeal.
Victor Oladipo, ORL at PHI ($28) - Oladipo has come out of the All-Star break a less scoring-dependent player, taking on some of the rebounding responsibility previously assumed by the departed Tobias Harris. He's tallied over 40 fantasy points in both post-All-Star break contests while hauling in 21 boards over that span, including 14 in an overtime victory over the Mavericks on Friday. The Sixers could also be generous facilitators Tuesday, as they rank as the sixth-softest defense against two-guards in fantasy points allowed per game this season (38.57).
Guard to Avoid
Ish Smith, PHI vs. ORL ($34) - Smith has been a bit nerve-wracking to roster recently, and despite a reasonably favorable matchup against Elfrid Payton, he remains priced considerably above recent production. He bottomed out with a forgettable 5.7 fantasy points over 26 minutes against the Mavericks on Sunday, but has also posted lackluster fantasy point totals of 17.2, 22.1, 21.1 and 22.6 within the last 10 contests. With Rajon Rondo priced only $5 higher, C.J. McCollum at the same cost and favorable alternatives Jrue Holiday ($31) and Victor Oladipo ($28) priced cheaper, there are plenty of reasons to avoid Smith.
Forward
Gordon Hayward, UTA vs. HOU ($34) - The normally ho-hum Jazz offense has sprung to life in the last pair of games, scoring 111 points apiece. Tuesday, they get an up-in-pace opponent that should keep them aggressive throughout all four quarters once again. Hayward has been the epitome of consistency over the last six, totaling between 31.0 and 38.5 fantasy points in that span. Meanwhile, his individual matchup Tuesday could hardly be better, with the Rockets surrendering the most points (22.96) and fantasy points (42.84) to opposing threes this season.
Aaron Gordon, ORL at PHI ($21) - Gordon's bargain price isn't exactly correlating to recent production, making it an opportune time to jump on him. His matchup Tuesday only adds to his appeal, as the Sixers are notorious for a submissive frontcourt that yields plenty of fantasy production, particularly in the form of rebounds and steals. Philadelphia gives up the third-most fantasy points (47.05), second-most rebounds (12.96) and second-most steals (1.89) to power forwards. Gordon has also totaled between 30.3 and 44.6 fantasy points over the last five, with double-digit rebounds in each contest and double-digit points in three of those outings.
Forward to Avoid
Al-Farouq Aminu, POR vs. BKN ($18) - After providing some fairly consistent offensive production early in the season, Aminu has been up-and-down over the last several weeks. He's been under 20 fantasy points in eight of the last 14 games, including tallies of 11.2 and 17.7, respectively, in the last pair of contests. While his cost isn't anything that will break your bank, the equally-priced Joe Johnson and Ersan Ilyasova offer better potential, as does Evan Fournier ($20) for only a slightly higher investment.
Center
Marcin Gortat, WAS vs. NO ($27) -Brook Lopez ($37) and Nikola Vucevic ($34) make for some nice high-priced alternatives, but for those looking to save a few dollars, Gortat offers potentially solid value. He's been on a tear as of late, totaling between 31.8 and 47.0 fantasy points in his last three, along with double-digit boards in six of his last seven. In fact, only a single rebound stands between Gortat and seven consecutive double-doubles. The matchup will also be firmly in his favor, as the Pelicans have struggled against centers throughout the season, surrendering a fifth-worst 48.93 fantasy points per game, second-worst 16.09 rebounds per game and sixth-worst 2.59 blocks per game. To make matters worse, they'll very likely be without starting center Omer Asik (ankle).
Center to Avoid
Willie Cauley-Stein, SAC at DEN ($14) - Cauley-Stein checks in as a low-priced but nevertheless uninspiring option. His playing time has seen a notable dip in the last two games, with the rookie totaling 17 and 14 minutes, respectively, in those contests. Cauley-Stein's minutes have actually been an issue over the last several weeks, and his fantasy production has understandably seen a corresponding downturn. Most recently, Cauley-Stein has amassed under 20 fantasy points in seven of his last nine games, and he had a streak earlier in the season where he went 18 consecutive games without surpassing that mark. Even at his appealing price, superior options include the cheaper Clint Capela ($12) or the slightly higher-priced Mason Plumlee ($17) in a plus matchup against Brook Lopez.
