This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
After an abbreviated three-game docket Monday, Tuesday brings us an exciting eight-game slate with many of the elite in action. A couple games should be particularly fast-paced and high-scoring, with plenty of fantasy production to be had. The Thunder and Timberwolves square off in Minnesota, but the game that many in DFS likely will hone in on will be the late Lakers-Pelicans tilt. A matchup between two of the worst defenses in the league certainly provides plenty of fantasy fodder, as we'll detail in some of our selections.
GUARD
Tyreke Evans, NO at LAL ($33) - Evans has been outstanding lately and always seems to have a little extra to his game when Anthony Davis is out of the lineup. That could well be the case Tuesday, with the Pelicans' power forward questionable with his back injury. Irrespective of whether Davis plays, Evans draws a fantastic matchup and has tallied 32.8 to 48.4 fantasy points over his last six. The Lakers continue their season-long struggle versus point guards, surrendering 23.4 points and a league-high 6.5 rebounds and 8.9 assists to the position. Consider Evans a better bargain than higher-priced options Reggie Jackson ($36) and Brandon Knight ($39).
Jrue Holiday, NO at LAL ($19) - We're going with a special Pelicans double-dip at point guard, with Holiday getting an honorable mention. The matchup and Holiday's bargain price allow you to either choose between him and Evans, or even play them both in a nice contrarian move in GPPs. The precedent is there for both to thrive within the same game, with the most recent example being Sunday's loss to the Clippers, a game where Holiday tallied a whopping 51.7 fantasy points while Evans had 44.9 of his own. Far from a one-hit wonder, Holiday had been heating up in the three games before that explosion, posting 35.1, 27.7 and 30.5 fantasy points over that stretch.
Lou Williams, LAL vs. NO ($22) - Staying with what should be one of the fastest-paced games of the night, Williams gets the call at the two-guard spot. His price remains extremely reasonable despite his recent 44-point explosion, and Williams demonstrated in his last game that he remains capable of providing solid fantasy production even when his shot is off, something that hasn't always been the case. Despite only draining five of 17 attempts from the field Sunday vs. Utah, Williams nevertheless managed 35.1 fantasy points by supplementing his modest 18 points with eight rebounds, six assists and a pair of steals. He'll draw a fine matchup Tuesday as well, as the Pelicans continue as a bottom-five defense in average points surrendered to shooting guards (22.4) and as the worst unit in the league in rebounds allowed to the position (7.6).
Guard to Avoid:
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, DET vs. SA ($21) - Caldwell-Pope is a streaky shooter to begin with, and even though he's improved his consistency some this season, he remains difficult to trust in tough matchups. Such will be the case Tuesday when KCP will collide with a Spurs defense that allows the second-fewest points (17.1 per game) to two-guards. San Antonio also boasts the sixth-best ranking in three-pointers allowed per game to the position (1.9), significantly neutralizing one of KCP's most consistent sources of fantasy production. The three-year veteran has notably been held to 17.8 and 10.8 fantasy points, respectively, in the last two games that he's failed to drain at least one trey.
FORWARD
Carmelo Anthony, NY vs. BOS ($39) - Anthony has been playing at a near-MVP level for the last month, yet still remains priced significantly below LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Kawhi Leonard despite often providing comparable production. He's ripped off four straight games of 40.0 to 49.5 fantasy points, posting double-doubles in three of those. He took the Celtics to task in their last meeting Dec. 27 to the tune of a 29-point, 10-rebound double-double that netted 43.0 fantasy points and will catch their small forward defense on a bit of a downswing this time around. Boston has slipped to sixth-worst in points surrendered to the position (20.4 per game) and also yields a league-high 8.3 rebounds per game to opposing threes.
Zach Randolph, MEM vs. HOU ($24) - Randolph presents another opportunity to nab a scorching player at a very reasonable price, and in a great matchup to boot. Zebo has thrived since his move to the bench, and actually started the second half in the struggling Jeff Green's stead on Sunday versus the Celtics. He promptly posted a mammoth 48.1 fantasy point-performance, but it was far from his only impressive outing in recent games. The 15-year veteran also has 51.6 and 38.7 fantasy point-tallies in two of his last four, and has double-digit actual points in nine of his last 10. A matchup against a Rockets defense ranked second-worst in both points (23.3) and rebounds (12.3) surrendered to opposing fours is just the icing on the cake.
Forward to Avoid:
Marcus Morris, DET vs. SA ($23) - Morris comes into Tuesday suffering from knee tendinitis, which is no way to go into a matchup against the scoring vacuum that is Kawhi Leonard. The Spurs continue to stifle opposing threes, and Morris is slumping considerably. He's posted less than 20 fantasy points in four consecutive games and 11 of his last 16.
CENTER
Robin Lopez, NY vs. BOS ($11) - There's certainly plenty of opportunity to pay up at center with Andre Drummond and the Gasol Brothers on the slate. However, a couple of stellar value options lurk near the bottom of the price range, with Lopez leading the way. The veteran center has quietly been coming on offensively, posting double-digit scoring performances in four of his last five and tallying 20.1 to 37.7 fantasy points in his last five games. He posted a modest 18.2 fantasy points in the last meeting with the Celtics, and even that total would represent solid value on his near-minimum price. However, given his scoring resurgence since that game, and a Celtics defense against centers ranked in the bottom half of the league, the potential for a much more handsome return exists Tuesday. For those wishing to pivot to another value option down low, Ian Mahinmi ($14) continues to post excellent scoring and rebounding numbers relative to his price point, and will draw a Suns defense struggling lately versus centers.
Center to Avoid:
Andre Drummond, DET vs. SA ($46) - Drummond is obviously a double-double threat every time he takes the floor, but the combination of his sky-high price and matchup render him an avoid candidate Tuesday. The ageless Tim Duncan continues to make life miserable for opposing centers, with the Spurs checking in as the third-stingiest defense against the position (17.8 points allowed per game). Drummond will also have to contend with a bit of LaMarcus Aldridge down low, further dampening his prospects. While he'll inevitably get his share of points and rebounds, the potential for paying off his elevated price remains low.
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