This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
Tuesday brings a robust eight-game slate with DeMarcus Cousins as the one clear-cut elite option, and plenty of stellar players just a level below such as John Wall, Isaiah Thomas, Kawhi Leonard, Gordon Hayward and Karl-Anthony Towns. Incorporating multiple players of this caliber is within reach with the right mix of value, so let's dive in to where the dollars might best be spent Tuesday:
GUARDS
Isaiah Thomas, BOS vs. UTA ($37): Despite other big names at the position Tuesday and a tough matchup on the surface, the explosive Thomas gets the call as the guard to spend on. His ceiling seems to be getting higher all the time, with his 52-point outburst against the Heat on Friday night serving as the latest example. Thomas also had 50.1 fantasy points the night prior against the Cavs, and had a 65.1 fantasy points against the Grizzlies on Dec. 20. While the Jazz have rightfully earned a reputation as a stingy defense, it's likely to be Shelvin Mack and not George Hill (concussion) spending a lot of time on Thomas, a matchup he should be able to exploit frequently.
Tony Parker, SA vs. TOR ($11): There's an array of affordable guard options Tuesday, including Tyler Johnson ($21), Will Barton ($19), Kentavious Caldwell-Pope ($19) and T.J. McConnell ($12), but Parker, with his near-minimum price, has the potential of offering the best fantasy-point-per-dollar value. He's scored between 23.7 and 34.1 fantasy points in his last four, including 13 to 22 points during those contests. While Kyle Lowry is not normally a player one would target for fantasy purposes, a look at the numbers reveals the Raptors have only been middle-of-the-pack against point guards this season, giving up 43.71 fantasy points per game to the position, along with 24.2 points and a 46.3 percent success rate from the field.
Guard to Avoid
John Wall, WAS at DAL ($49): Wall carries the second-heftiest price on the slate and is simply too expensive for a matchup against one of the stingiest defenses in the league against point guards. The Mavs give up the second-least fantasy points per game (38.18) to ones, and despite their forgettable 10-24 record, the fifth-fewest points per game in the league (100.6) overall. Wall certainly carries a ton of upside, but he isn't in the right matchup to really maximize his production.
FORWARDS
Gordon Hayward, UTA at BOS ($39): Despite playing on the second game of a back-to-back, Hayward still shapes up as the best of the higher-end values at forward. He's scored between 32.8 and 49.8 fantasy points over his last six games, and he has flashed a ceiling of over 50 fantasy points this season. The Celtics continue to struggle against small forwards, giving up the fifth-most fantasy points per game (41.04) to the position, along with the third-most rebounds (8.5) and third-most assists (4.1). George Hill (concussion) is also likely to miss out again, and Hayward's usage is notably a robust 28.7 percent whenever Hill has been sidelined this season.
Josh Richardson, MIA at PHO ($12): There are some nice bargains in good matchups from the mid-tier down at forward, starting with Andrew Wiggins ($29) and continuing on to the likes of Danilo Gallinari ($24), Ersan Ilyasova ($18), Zach Randolph ($18) and JaMychal Green ($16). However, Richardson, who will actually be deployed at either guard spot depending on if Goran Dragic (back) plays, gets the call as the best potential combination of price and upside. Richardson has been on a tear over the last four, scoring between 30.2 and 48.2 fantasy points over that span. His usage sits at 22.0 percent with both Dragic and Hassan Whiteside (who'll miss Tuesday's game with an eye injury) off the court this season, and he'll draw a terrific matchup against a Suns that allows the most points per game (25.7) to point guards, and the second-most (23.9) to shooting guards this season.
Forward to Avoid
DeMarre Carroll, TOR at SA ($13): While Carroll is undeniably affordable, his recent performances still render him avoidable. He's scored fewer than 10 fantasy points in four of his last five contests, and he should see a heavy dose of Kawhi Leonard defense Tuesday to boot. With Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan commanding such a large share of the Raptors' offense, Carroll's involvement remains too inconsistent.
CENTERS
Karl-Anthony Towns, MIN at PHI ($43): Towns draws a matchup against a Sixers defense that's surrendered the fourth-most fantasy points (49.40), fourth-most points (21.6), most steals (1.6) and fifth-highest field-goal percentage (55.3) to centers. The second-year big man will be in the marquee individual battle of the game against Joel Embiid, and he should have plenty of motivation for a standout performance. Towns has also scored over 40 fantasy points in three of his last four, and he has been over 40 twice, over 50 once and over 60 once in his last 10.
Tyson Chandler, PHO vs. MIA ($15): Chandler has turned in relatively modest returns in recent games, but he has still scored between 20.2 and 28.1 fantasy points in his last three, which is very good production relative to his price. He draws the right matchup for another solid outing Tuesday, as the Heat were already giving up the ninth-most fantasy points (48.42) and eighth-most points (20.6) per game to centers with Hassan Whiteside starting, and they could be even more vulnerable without him.
Center to Avoid
Jonas Valanciunas, TOR at SA ($18): Valanciunas draws the short straw for centers Tuesday, as the Spurs have given up the fewest fantasy points (40.79) and second-fewest points (16.9) per game to the position this season. Valanciunas has also scored fewer than 20 fantasy points in two of his last three.
