This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
Tuesday's six-game slate features the impressive quintet of Anthony Davis, Russell Westbrook, LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant, making it imperative to identify quality value. Here are a few breakdowns of the stars and valuable cheaper options to make a lineup fit:
GUARDS
Stephen Curry, GS at NO ($46): The top shelf at guard is interesting Tuesday, with Russell Westbrook ($60) always an option for those who can afford him. However, for a $14 discount, Curry shapes up as an solid value against the Pelicans, who have surrendered the seventh-most fantasy points per game (46.68) to point guards this season, along with the fifth-most points (24.0). Particularly notable in Curry's case is their propensity for giving up three-pointers to point guards, as they've yielded a league-high 2.8 treys per game to the position. Curry clearly brings 50-fantasy-point upside every time he steps on the floor, and the stage could be set for such a return Tuesday.
Tony Allen, MEM at CLE ($11): Allen offers some sneaky value at just a dollar away from minimum, considering he's scored between 21.2 and 41.8 fantasy points in four of the last five games, including two double-doubles. Allen also draws a Cavs defense that's surrendering the fourth-most fantasy points (41.23) per game to the position. With Marc Gasol out, in addition to the injured Mike Conley, Allen could play a major offensive role against Cleveland.
Guard to Avoid
J.R. Smith, CLE vs. MEM ($13): Smith's shooting has really taken a dive over the last month, as he's failed to score 20 fantasy points in the last nine games. Even though he's bargain priced and receiving plenty of minutes, it hasn't translated to meaningful production, particularly with Kevin Love, LeBron James and Kyrie Irving sporting such significant usage.
FORWARDS
Kevin Durant, GS at NO ($50):Anthony Davis ($57) and LeBron James ($53) are always options, though the latter draws one of the toughest matchups in the league for small forwards in the Grizzlies. Meanwhile, Durant, despite having had some down games by his standards recently, scoring fewer than 40 fantasy points in four of his last five, shapes up as my favorite call on the high end at forward. He could be in for a bounce-back against a Pelicans defense that's yielded the sixth-most fantasy points (41.56) per game to small forwards. While he hasn't quite paid off his price lately, Tuesday's game could have the pace to coax the 50-plus fantasy point performance that Durant was achieving with regularity earlier in the season.
Thabo Sefolosha, ATL vs. ORL ($10):Terrence Jones ($14) is also a viable bargain-priced option at forward, but Sefolosha looks like the best potential fantasy-points-per-dollar player at the position Tuesday. He's primed to draw another start at small forward for Kent Bazemore, an opportunity that he's parlayed into scores of 24.6, 25.5 and 28.2 fantasy points, over the last three games, respectively. The Magic have been about middle-of-the-pack against small forwards, allowing 37.37 fantasy points per game to the position, along with 20.1 points.
Forward to Avoid
Noah Vonleh, POR vs. OKC ($10): Vonleh hasn't recorded double-digit fantasy points since Nov. 17, and he hasn't played more than seven minutes since Nov. 23. He simply isn't getting the necessary floor time to provide a good return, even at minimum price. Kyle Korver, Jeff Green and Mike Muscala all shape up as better options at the same cost.
CENTERS
Karl-Anthony Towns, MIN at CHI ($41): There isn't an overwhelming number of elite options at center Tuesday, making Towns the clear-cut choice for those with cash to spend. The Bulls reside just outside the top 10 in fantasy points allowed to centers (47.80) per game, and they have been particularly vulnerable over the last five. Towns bounced back with 49.1 fantasy points against the Warriors on Sunday after a trio of games under 40, and he should be able to win more than his fair share of battles against Robin Lopez on Tuesday.
Enes Kanter, OKC at POR ($17): Kanter is listed at center but often deployed at power forward, where he'll draw one of the more favorable matchups in the league in the form of the Trail Blazers. Portland will be playing the second game of a back-to-back and has given up the most fantasy points (48.95), points (23.9) and blocks (2.0) per game to fours, along with the third-highest field-goal percentage (50.6). Kanter can always be a bit uneven with his production, but he has scored 34.5 and 28.2 fantasy points in two of his last four, along with 44.0 fantasy points on Nov. 28. In what should be a fast-paced game, he stands a good chance of returning solid value on a reasonable price.
Center to Avoid
Mason Plumlee, POR vs. OKC ($23): Plumlee has struggled some in the last three games, scoring between 17.8 and fantasy points in that span. Those are decent returns when considered in a vacuum but not at his current price. He draws a tough matchup against the Thunder, who has given up the sixth-fewest fantasy points (42.96) to centers. Notably, they've also been the stingiest in terms of rebounds allowed to the position (12.4) pe rgame, and boards typically represent a considerable portion of Plumlee's fantasy production.
