This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
Tuesday brings a six-game slate with the likes of Kyle Lowry, Damian Lillard and Carmelo Anthony in action. We dig up a nice array of bargains and solid mid-tier options, along with one stud in a tantalizing matchup that's worth paying up for.
Without further ado, here's our look at Tuesday Yahoo Daily Fantasy Basketball:
GUARD
D'Angelo Russell, LAL vs. ORL ($23) - Russell's price continues to considerably lag behind recent production, as he's totaled between 32.1 and 53.7 fantasy points in five of his last six. His offensive pedigree has come to the forefront in his recent string of starting opportunities, and he's largely managed to avoid an inordinate amount of turnovers. He'll draw a matchup ripe for fantasy production Tuesday, as the Magic rank just outside the bottom half of the league in fantasy points allowed to point guards per game on the season (43.59), and are in the bottom 10 in assists surrendered per game to the position as well (9.04).
Elfrid Payton, ORL at LAL ($19) - We also have to mention the player on the other side of the Orlando-Lakers game, as Payton checks in at $4 cheaper than Russell and draws an even better matchup. He'd totaled between 22.4 and 41.4 fantasy points in five of the last six heading into Monday night's matchup against the Warriors. Meanwhile, the Lakers give up the second-most fantasy points per game to opposing point guards on the season (48.34) and are tied with the Magic for sixth-most assists surrendered per game (9.04).
C.J. McCollum, POR vs. WAS ($32) -Bradley Beal (ankle) has already been ruled out for Tuesday's game, leaving McCollum with an even more appealing matchup. He'll likely draw a heavy dose of Garrett Temple defense, which has played a large part in the Wizards giving up the eighth-most fantasy points per game to opposing two-guards on the season (37.96). McCollum has also been hot as of late, totaling between 30.6 and 37.7 fantasy points in three of his last four games.
Guard to Avoid:
Donald Sloan, BKN at TOR ($13) - The problem with Sloan on Tuesday is certainly not price, but rather, recent production and matchup. He typically has a limited ceiling, and even more so in recent games despite some good matchups. He managed just 19.9 and 6.5 fantasy points in his last two games while playing under 20 minutes in each contest. With the Nets likely looking to give younger players such as Shane Larkin more playing time in a lost season, Sloan is an easy avoid candidate against Toronto's excellent defense.
FORWARD
Carmelo Anthony, NY at DEN ($41) -Gordon Hayward ($32) is a solid pivot down for those who need to save a few dollars, but Anthony gets the nod as the top play at small forward. He's been between 40.2 and 47.5 fantasy points in four of his last five and scored 38.9 fantasy points in the other game during that span. That stretch also includes three double-doubles, as Anthony has been doing excellent work on the glass as well. Meanwhile, the Nuggets have struggled against opposing threes all season, giving up the sixth-most fantasy points (39.91), sixth-most points (21.02) and the most assists (4.2) to the position per game.
Julius Randle, LAL vs. ORL ($25) -Kenneth Faried ($24) is certainly a viable option, particularly if Kristaps Porzingis misses the Knicks-Nuggets tilt with his leg injury. However, the Lakers forward makes for a nice pivot from the cheaper Faried and Randle's higher-priced counterpart Tuesday, Aaron Gordon ($29). The appeal with Randle lies in both consistency and matchup. He's basically established a floor of about 25 fantasy points over his last 10 games, and has demonstrated a ceiling of over 40 fantasy points as well. He's put in solid work across the stat sheet, and has three double-doubles in the last four contests. Additionally, despite Gordon's stellar play on the offensive side, he's proven to be vulnerable on defense, as the Magic give up the seventh-most fantasy points per game on the season to power forwards (44.77)
Forward to Avoid:
Paul Millsap, ATL at UTA ($38) - While Millsap's presence in this spot may seem odd given his 20-point, 18-rebound double-double on Saturday versus the Clippers, he draws one of the toughest matchups for power forwards Tuesday. The Jazz are the second-stingiest unit in the league against the position, just behind the Heat with 39.62 fantasy points surrendered per game. They also allow the fewest rebounds per game (10.39) to opposing fours and are a top-10 unit in terms of points yielded per game (19.65). Millsap is priced as the second-most expensive forward on the slate, but LaMarcus Aldridge ($32), Gordon Hayward ($32) and Derrick Favors ($31) are all considerably cheaper and in better matchups.
CENTER
Marcin Gortat, WAS at POR ($27) - Gortat's price is in the sweet spot between the higher-end selections at the positions and some appealing, albeit riskier, bargain-priced options. The Polish Hammer has taken a significant step forward offensively this season and will likely shoulder some extra responsibility with Bradley Beal (ankle) sidelined in what could be a high-scoring affair against the Blazers. Gortat posted between 24.8 and 54.5 fantasy points in five of his last six, and has games with tallies of 17 and 20 rebounds during that span. He enjoyed some of his most prolific fantasy outputs during Beal's extended absence earlier this season and should be able to capitalize on a Blazers defense that gives up the fifth-most fantasy points (49.10), second-most points (22.26) and fifth-most rebounds (15.51) per game to opposing centers.
Nikola Jokic, DEN vs. NY ($19) - Jokic gets a mention as a nice underpriced alternative that nevertheless always carries foul trouble risk. However, he can pay off in a big way when he avoids the whistle, as evidenced by his respective fantasy point totals of 29.2, 37.4 and 34.9 over the last three games. He's also coming off consecutive double-doubles and faces a Knicks defense that surrenders the most points per game to opposing centers (22.38).
Center to Avoid:
Karl-Anthony Towns, MIN vs. SA ($40) - Much like Millsap, Towns seems like a counterintuitive inclusion in this spot, but it once again comes down to pricing and matchup. He draws a Spurs unit centers that surrenders the fifth-fewest fantasy points per game to centers (44.16) as well as the sixth-fewest points (19.52). While he's coming off back-to-back 50 fantasy point outings, Towns has also shown he's capable of producing a clunker from time to time, and coach Sam Mitchell has also been erratic with his usage on occasion. Towns will also be in the second game of a back-to-back after logging 38 minutes Monday night.
