NBA DFS Picks: Yahoo Plays and Strategy for Tuesday, December 27

NBA DFS Picks: Yahoo Plays and Strategy for Tuesday, December 27

This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.

Tuesday will bring a ton of action in the NBA with 10 games on the schedule. After a tough loss to the Mavericks on Christmas, LeBron James and the Lakers will look to bounce back on the road against the Magic. One of the more exciting matchups of the evening will feature Luka Doncic and the Mavericks playing host to the Knicks. The Grizzlies will also be in action, taking on a Suns team that is battling injuries. Let's get to the task at hand and highlight some players to consider for your Yahoo lineups, as well as a few to possibly avoid.

GUARDS

Jordan Poole, GS vs. CHA ($30): The Hornets just gave up 124 points in a loss to the Trail Blazers on Monday. LaMelo Ball is back, which means the Hornets are playing at a faster pace. They have the fourth-worst defensive rating in the league, so with them now picking up the pace, they have allowed an averaged of 126.3 points per game since Ball has returned. With Poole now taking on a leading role for the Warriors, he could be primed for a big night in the scoring department.

Donte DiVincenzo, G vs. CHA ($16): Poole isn't the only member of the Warriors who has benefited from the absence of Stephen Curry (shoulder). Andrew Wiggins (groin) isn't ready to return, either, which should lock DiVincenzo into significant playing time again. Over his last five games, he has scored at least 30.1 Yahoo points four times.

Guard to Avoid

Dillon Brooks, MEM vs. PHO ($22): Brooks is never one to shy away from jacking up shots. When Desmond Bane was out, Brooks stepped up to help taking some of the scoring pressure off Ja Morant. However, with Bane back in the fold, Brooks has scored 24.0 and 13.1 Yahoo points, respectively. Bane didn't top 24 minutes in either of those games, so as he starts to play more, it's going to be difficult for Brooks to provide value at this salary.

FORWARDS

Aaron Gordon, DEN at SAC ($27): Talk about efficient. Gordon was great last season when he shot 52.0 percent from the field, but he is shooting a robust 61.1 percent this season. He is even shooting 39.0 percent from behind the arc, which is the best mark of his career by a wide margin. If he can keep up that type of efficiency, he could explode in a matchup against a Kings team that has played at the fourth-fastest pace in the league.

Damion Lee, PHO at MEM ($10): The Suns are running out of healthy guards. They have already ruled out Devin Booker (groin), Cameron Payne (foot) and Landry Shamet (Achilles). That should lead to plenty of playing time for Lee, who has averaged 13.3 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists over four games in which he has logged at least 30 minutes this season.

Forward to Avoid

Tobias Harris, PHI at WAS ($26): Joel Embiid and James Harden are rolling right now, which has helped the 76ers win eight straight games. Harris has hit a quiet stretch, though, scoring 28.3 Yahoo points or fewer in each of the last four games. He can step up his scoring production whenever the 76ers are shorthanded, but with Embiid and Harden healthy and commanding hefty usage rates, Harris may have a difficult time providing value at this salary.

CENTERS

Nikola Jokic, DEN at SAC ($57): Jokic destroyed the Suns on Christmas, posting 41 points, 15 rebounds and 15 assists over 44 minutes. That marked his third triple-double over his last four games. Across his last eight games, he is averaging 31.9 points, 13.8 rebounds, 11.0 assists and 2.0 steals. With the Kings playing at such a fast pace, Jokic is one of the top options for this slate, despite his hefty salary.

Ivica Zubac, LAC at TOR ($18): Zubac recently had a four-game stretch in which he only averaged 3.5 points and 6.0 rebounds. The problem was, he didn't play more than 23 minutes in any of those games. He is back to playing more now, logging at leas 34 minutes in both of the last two games. That helped him score 30.4 and 30.5 Yahoo points, respectively. He's averaging 30 minutes per game for the season, so expect him to continue to play a lot moving forward.

Center to Avoid

Al Horford, BOS vs. HOU ($20): The Celtics are back at full strength up front with Robert Williams III healthy. They don't want to give the veteran Horford a ton of minutes during the regular season, so getting Williams back is important to try and keep Horford fresh for the playoffs. Over the four games that Williams has played, Horford scored 24.2 Yahoo points or fewer in each of them.

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Mike Barner plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: mbarner, DraftKings: mbarner51.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mike Barner
Mike started covering fantasy sports in 2007, joining RotoWire in 2010. In 2018, he was a finalist for the FSWA Basketball Writer of the Year award. Mike also won the 2022-23 FSGA NBA Experts Champions league. In addition to RotoWire, Mike has written for Sportsline, Sports Illustrated, DK Live, RealTime Fantasy Sports, Lineup Lab and KFFL.com.
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