This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
Tuesday night's six-game slate may be modest in size, but it's not short on star power. Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum face off against Eric Bledsoe and Devin Booker in what should be a fast-paced and high-scoring affair, while two of the Eastern conference's best tangle when the Cavs and Hawks hook up in another star-studded affair. A late-night battle between DeMarcus Cousins and Anthony Davis caps off the evening, leaving us to sort through how best to combine the many stars in action with some value plays for some winning lineups.
GUARDS
Damian Lillard, POR vs. PHO ($48): Lillard is the clear-cut top choice at point guard Tuesday, both for his primary scoring role on the Blazers and the matchup. The Suns surrender the fifth-most fantasy points (48.23) and second-most points (28.71) per game to point guards, while Lillard leads the Blazers in shot attempts (141), points (224) and usage (33.2 percent).
Kyrie Irving, CLE vs. ATL ($35):Jeff Teague's solid defense is now in Indiana, and Dennis Schroder hasn't exactly filled his shoes very well in this specific regard. The Hawks allow the most fantasy points to point guards per game (50.30), and are also a bottom-10 team in assists, rebounds and points given up to the position. Irving had a down game against the Sixers on Saturday, but he still leads the Cavs in points (138) while checking in just behind LeBron James in usage (29.8 percent).
Zach LaVine, MIN at BKN ($27): LaVine was dreadful against the Thunder in his most recent game, but he has a nice bounce-back opportunity against a Brooklyn team yielding the second-most fantasy points (44.03), most rebounds (8.0) and second-most steals (2.67) per game to shooting guards. Factoring out the outlier performance his last time out, LaVine has scored between 27.5 and 38.3 fantasy points in his four other games this season.
Guard to Avoid
Ty Lawson, SAC vs. NOP ($19): Lawson filled in as the starting point guard for the first eight games of the season while Darren Collison served a suspension, and he was a bit up-and-down in that role, scoring 10.4 and 13.0 fantasy points in two of those games. He's projected to head back to the bench Tuesday with Collison's return, making him a stay-away candidate.
FORWARD
DeMarcus Cousins, SAC vs. NOP ($52): Cousins may get locked up frequently in an epic battle with Anthony Davis, but it's a matchup he had no problem with last season, when he averaged 29.5 points and 12.5 rebounds per game in four appearances against the Pelicans. New Orleans also gives up the fourth-most fantasy points (50.37) and points (23.3) to power forwards, along with the second-most boards per game (15.5) despite Davis' presence. Cousins already has two games with over 50 fantasy points and another pair over 40, making him worth the investment.
Kevin Love, CLE vs. ATL ($33): Love has scored between 34.5 and 45.4 fantasy points in five out of six games this season, making his price all the more appealing. The Cavs and Hawks figure to be locked in a back-and-forth battle that should ensure Love's involvement for all four quarters, and though Paul Millsap is an offensive threat, he's been far from an elite defender against power forwards.
T.J. Warren, PHO at POR ($22): Warren is a bargain considering he's scored between 35.2 and 44.8 fantasy points in five of his six games. He's become one of the steadiest sources of offense for the fast-paced Suns and already tallied 41.4 fantasy points against this Blazers squad in their Nov. 2 meeting. In what should be another competitive and high-scoring contest, Warren presents as one of the best values on the slate.
Forward to Avoid
Luol Deng, LAL vs. DAL ($22): While the Lakers have been a pleasant surprise in the early going, Deng has struggled, scoring between 10.8 and 16.4 fantasy points in three of his last four games. He's also played fewer than 21 minutes in all three of those contests and will face off against one of the stingiest defenses against small forwards, as the Mavericks have allowed the fifth-fewest fantasy points per game (34.33) to the position this season.
CENTER
Karl-Anthony Towns, MIN at BKN ($44): The Nets surrender the fifth-most fantasy points (50.37) and the most assists (6.0) per game to centers this season, while Towns has scored at least 30 fantasy points and as many as 56.8 in his first six games. With averages of 32.5 points and 10.0 rebounds per game over his last pair of contests, as well as a team-leading 28.2 percent usage rate, Towns is one of the stars worth paying up for Tuesday.
Brook Lopez, BKN vs. MIN ($31): On the other side of the matchup, the T-Wolves have actually surrendered the most points (28.75) and second-most fantasy points (54.48) per game to centers, and are right behind Brooklyn with the second-most assists (4.75) yielded to the position as well. Lopez is also pivotal to the Nets' offense, particularly with Jeremy Lin sidelined, and has taken a team-high 74 shots while also sporting a team-high 33.7 percent usage rate.
Tyson Chandler, PHO at POR ($15): Chandler comes at a deep discount and draws a matchup against the team right behind the T-Wolves in fantasy points allowed to centers, as Portland has given up 52.90 per game. They've also struggled on the glass, allowing 18.4 rebounds per game to the position, which is particularly relevant in Chandler's case considering he's had double-digit boards in five of six games, including each of the last three.
Center to Avoid
Anthony Davis, NOP at SAC ($57): Davis admittedly seems odd sporting an avoid designation, but there's a case to be made for it Tuesday due to price and potential foul trouble. The cost to acquire him is the highest of any player on the slate, and he'd have to provide a massive return to offer adequate value. After an incredible first two games, he's largely cooled off, scoring fewer than 30 fantasy points in two of his last four. He'll also frequently bang down low against DeMarcus Cousins, putting him at risk for a few whistles from the refs, and making him too risky a play at his price.
