This article is part of our FantasyDraft NBA series.
After a robust 10-game slate Monday, we're down to a more modest six-game ledger Tuesday. There's only one player priced above the $20K mark (LeBron James) and just two between $18K and $19K. That leaves us plenty to consider in the mid-tier and affordable levels, and makes balanced lineup construction a very feasible proposition. Without further delay, let's get to the business of determining how best to allocate your resources:
GUARDS:
Premium
Damian Lillard, POR vs. SAC ($18,900): Lillard has lit up the Kings for 33.7 points, 5.3 assists, 1.3 rebounds and 1.7 steals across 33.3 minutes in three games this season, and Sacramento has been even more vulnerable than usual to point guards as of late. The 49.9 and 52.0 fantasy points they've allowed to ones over the last 10 and five games, respectively, represent significant increases over the 38.8 they've yielded to the position on the season. Lillard comes in with two full days of rest and has eclipsed 60 fantasy points in three of his last five contests -- a span during which he's boasting a massive 39.1 percent usage rate and averaging 1.50 fantasy points per minute. The fact the Kings have allowed an NBA-high 34.2 percent of scoring from three-pointers also works in Lillard's favor, considering he's taking an elevated 10.0 attempts from distance over the last five contests.
Mid-Tier
Khris Middleton, MIL vs. WAS ($14,000): Middleton's teammate Eric Bledsoe ($13,700) also makes sense in this spot, but Middleton draws one of the better individual matchups of the slate. The Wizards have struggled against small forwards throughout the season and come in allowing the ninth-most fantasy points (35.7) to the position, along with the second-highest shooting percentage (47.0). Middleton has averaged a solid 18.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.3 steals across three games versus Washington this season, and he's posted 30.25 to 44.75 fantasy points in six of his last seven contests.
Affordable
Jordan Clarkson, CLE vs. BKN ($9,100): There are a few other appealing options in the affordable tier for those who have some extra cash to spend, including Buddy Hield ($10,400), David Nwaba ($10,200) and Bogdan Bogdanovic ($9,900). However, Clarkson is priced right himself for a player that's hit or exceeded 20 fantasy points in 12 of the last 14 games, including three of the five that he's played in a Cavs uniform thus far. The Nets have been porous against essentially every position, and particularly versus point guards, to which they've allowed the sixth-most fantasy points (62.8) over the last five games, along with the fourth-most points (31.0) to the position.
FORWARDS/CENTERS:
Premium
Nikola Jokic, DEN vs. LAC ($18,800): Jokic has taken his already impressive game to a new level of late, scoring 47.75 to 80.75 fantasy points in the last five contests and posting a trio of triple-doubles over his last four. Needless to say, his usage and efficiency are both through the roof during that stretch, as he's posting a 30.2 percent usage rate while averaging 1.24 points per possession and 1.85 fantasy points per minute. The Clippers make for inviting targets as well, as they've yielded 42.8 fantasy points to centers over the last five, a notable uptick from the 33.9 they've allowed to the position on the season. They're also allowing the fourth-highest shooting percentage (64.0) to fives during that stretch, while the floor-spacing Jokic is shooting an impressive 54.7 percent – including 56.3 percent from distance – over the previously mentioned five-game sample.
Mid-Tier
Jusuf Nurkic, POR vs. SAC ($12,500): Nurkic has outpaced his current price on multiple occasions recently, scoring 31.75 to 53.00 fantasy points in four of the last six games. That stretch includes a trio of double-doubles, and his Tuesday matchup could leave him primed for a similar caliber of production. The Kings have ranked in the bottom 10 against centers in fantasy points allowed for most of the season, and accordingly, they're surrendering the eighth-most fantasy points (34.6) to fives coming into Tuesday's contest. Nurkic has also notably been more aggressive on the offensive end lately, as the 15.0 shot attempts he's put up over the last three represent a notable increase over 12.2 he's averaging on the season.
Affordable
Tristan Thompson, CLE vs. BKN ($8,800): Jarrett Allen ($9,200) also holds appeal on the other side of this matchup, as do both Frank Kaminsky ($8,600) and Jabari Parker ($8,200) for those that need to save a few extra hundred. Meanwhile, Thompson has shown signs of life on the offensive end recently, scoring between 22.75 and 29.25 fantasy points in five of the last eight contests. He's scored in double digits in four of those and has continued to be a steady presence on the glass, with the latter especially relevant against a Nets squad that sports the worst team shooting percentage (43.5) in the NBA. They've also allowed the 10th-most points in the paint (45.7), while Thompson is scoring a career-high 84.6 percent of his points in that area of the floor this season.
UTILITY
Dwight Howard, CHA vs. CHI ($15,400): Howard has already trampled the Bulls for 18.0 points, 14.5 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 3.0 blocks across 35.5 minutes in two games this season, and he's eclipsed 40 fantasy points in three of his past five games. That stretch includes four double-doubles, making him an excellent fit against a Bulls squad that's allowed the second-most fantasy points (37.1) to centers, including the most (52.1) over the last five contests. They're also yielding bottom-five or bottom-10 figures to the position over both spans, including the most points (24.0) and second-most blocks (3.0) during the latter. Those two figures could particularly spell trouble against Howard's impressive offensive and rim-protecting skills, considering he's putting up his best scoring and block numbers of the past several seasons.
Will Barton, DEN vs. LAC ($13,000): Barton exploded for 49.75 fantasy points in his most recent contest against the Rockets on Sunday, the latest spectacular effort in a stretch where he's often outproduced his price tag. He's also scored 33.50 to 43.25 fantasy points in six of the prior eight games and has been on an extended heater from the field, shooting 52.3 percent over the last 10. Meanwhile, the 14.2 shot attempts he's putting up over the last five also represents an encouraging bump over his 12.3 season figure. Barton put up 39.00 fantasy points in his one prior meeting against the Clippers on Jan. 17, and Los Angeles comes in allowing the third-most three-pointers (2.3) to small forwards on the season, along with third-highest shooting percentage (46.0).
