Yahoo DFS Basketball: Tuesday Picks

Yahoo DFS Basketball: Tuesday Picks

This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.

Guards

James Harden, HOU at POR ($51): Harden has at least 61 fantasy points in back-to-back games, as he continues to solidify his case as the favorite for MVP. Harden has at least 39 fantasy points in 26 straight games, unbelievable reliability from a player at any position. In his one previous matchup with the Blazers this season, Harden collected 69 fantasy points, and he averaged better than 50 fantasy points per game in three matchups with Portland in 2016-17.

Ish Smith, DET at PHX ($13): Smith has been disappointing in recent weeks, but it's lowered his price to this appealing number. Smith is averaging over 22 fantasy points per game as the starting point guard this season, which is already strong value for a $12 player. The reason he could bounce back here is the matchup, as he faces a Phoenix defense that ranks dead last in both points allowed and defensive efficiency.

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Guard to Avoid

Corey Brewer, OKC at BOS ($19): Brewer has skyrocketed into fantasy relevance with his revived role in OKC, but this price has risen far too high for someone of his ilk. While he is approaching 30 fantasy points per game in his last six games, that number is bloated because of a high number of steals (14).

Forwards

Anthony Davis, NOP vs. DAL ($56): Davis is impossible to fade right now. He's been the best fantasy player in the league since the All-Star break. Davis is averaging nearly 70 fantasy points per game since DeMarcus Cousins went down, as he's reached that 70-fantasy-point threshold in seven of his last 15 games. Dallas is a defense that can be exploited, as the Mavs are allowing the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing power forwards in their last 10 games. Davis is averaging 55 fantasy points per game in his three meetings with the Mavericks this season.

Harrison Barnes, DAL at NOP ($23): Barnes has quietly had a strong season for the struggling Mavericks, and it's surprising that his price is barely cracking the $20 threshold. Not only has he reached 24 fantasy points in eight straight outings, but Barnes is averaging over 30 fantasy points per game for the season. That production should come as no surprise when examining his expanded role, as he leads this team in minutes, shots taken, scoring and usage.

Forward to Avoid

Dirk Nowitzki, DAL at NOP ($15): The aforementioned Davis is one huge reason to avoid Dirk, as he'll be hard to play in such a difficult matchup. Not only is Nowitzki outmatched in age and athleticism, but Dirk has seen a major drop off in role recently. Nowitzki hasn't surpassed 25 fantasy points in six straight outings, and he's only played more than 24 minutes twice in his last 10 games. Serge Ibaka, Al-Farouq Aminu and Trevor Ariza are all forward options within $2 of Nowitzki and it's hard to justify using Dirk with all three of those players holding considerably higher upside.

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Centers

Andre Drummond, DET at PHX ($40): The fact that Drummond is averaging 46 fantasy points per game already makes him a great value, and he's scored at least 42 fantasy points in four of his last five games. What really makes him intriguing Tuesday is the matchup, with Phoenix ranking last in both points allowed and defensive efficiency. Not to mention, the Suns allow the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing centers and will be without their starting center, Tyson Chandler (neck).

Alex Len, PHX vs. DET ($10): When Tyson Chandler is out of the lineup, Len is always a good choice. In fact, Len is averaging over 25 fantasy points per game when starting, and he'll be in line to get that designation Tuesday against Andre Drummond. The Pistons' defense is allowing the third-most fantasy points to opposing centers over the last five contests.

Center to Avoid

Steven Adams, OKC at BOS ($28): Adams has had some ridiculous outings as of late, but his inconsistency and a tough matchup make him a fade here. While Adams has had some highs, he's failed to crack 33 fantasy points six times in his last nine games, with five of those outings resulting in fewer than 30 fantasy points. Matchup-wise, Boston allows the fifth-fewest fantasy points to opposing centers, while also ranking first in defensive efficiency.

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. Joel Bartilotta plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: DraftKings: Joelbartilotta Yahoo: Joelbartilotta.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Joel Bartilotta
Joel has 20 years of Fantasy experience, and can recall riding a young Daunte Culpepper to a championship in the 2003-04 season in his inaugural fantasy year. He covers NBA, NFL, daily fantasy, EPL, and MLB for RotoWire.
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