NBA DFS Picks: Yahoo Plays and Strategy for Tuesday, January 16

NBA DFS Picks: Yahoo Plays and Strategy for Tuesday, January 16

This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.

Tuesday brings a limited three-game slate that comes with a lot of injury question marks. That makes for a tricky DFS slate. With that in mind, here are some players to consider on Yahoo, as well as a few to possibly avoid.

GUARDS

Devin Booker, PHO vs. SAC ($43): The return of Bradley Beal has dealt a slight blow to Booker's production. Still, he has averaged 25.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, 6.6 assists and 1.2 steals over the last nine games with Beal healthy. Given the lack of depth around the Suns' star trio which also includes Kevin Durant, Booker has a high floor that makes him one of the safer options for this slate.

Malik Monk, SAC at PHO ($19): After logging just 22 minutes per game last season, Monk has averaged 26 minutes per game this season. Never one to shy away from jacking up shots, that bump in playing time has enabled him to average 15.3 points per game. Not only that, but he has dished out a career-high 5.4 assists per game. As a key member of the Kings' second unit, don't expect his role to decline anytime soon. If Keegan Murray (hip), who is listed as questionable, can't play, Monk could receive even more shot attempts.

Guard to Avoid

Eric Gordon, PHO vs. SAC ($16): Beal's return has pushed Gordon into a smaller role. While he's averaging 31 minutes for the season, he has averaged just 26 minutes since Beal came back. That left him with paltry averages of 9.9 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.3 assists during that span. It might take an injury to one of his star teammates for Gordon to be worth considering in DFS again.

FORWARDS

Kawhi Leonard, LAC vs. OKC ($40): Given his past injury history, it's impressive that Leonard has missed only four games this season. Not only has he not missed much action, but he is logging 35 minutes per game. That has enabled him to average 42.8 Yahoo points per game. In what is a battle between two of the better teams in the Western Conference, expect Leonard to be a safe option.

Norman Powell, LAC vs. OKC ($11): Powell is instant offense off the bench for the Clippers. He has settled into that role nicely as the season has worn on, averaging 15.2 points and 2.7 three-pointers over his last nine games. He shot 52.7 percent from the field during that span and is shooting a career-high 50.4 percent for the season. The last time he faced the Thunder, he scored 24.3 Yahoo points over just 23 minutes.

Forward to Avoid

Tobias Harris, PHI vs. DEN ($31): When Joel Embiid was out with an injury, Harris stepped up his production to keep the 76ers afloat. With Embiid returning Monday against the Rockets, Harris scored 10 points on just seven shot attempts, despite logging 31 minutes. This is the second game of a back-to-back set, so there is a chance that Embiid is rested. If he's not, Harris is someone to avoid.

CENTERS

Joel Embiid, PHI vs. DEN ($59): This one will require some monitoring for Embiid because it is the second game of a back-to-back. He was great in his return Monday, scoring 61.5 Yahoo points. It's also important to note that Nikola Jokic (hip) is questionable for the Nuggets. If Jokic doesn't play and Embiid does, Embiid would have a considerable advantage over the Nuggets' backups.

Daniel Theis, LAC vs. OKC ($10): The center options shrink even further with Ivica Zubac (calf) ruled out for the Clippers. He did not play Sunday against the Timberwolves, which left Theis to log 22 minutes in a start. Theis scored only 10.8 Yahoo points, but it wasn't a good matchup for him against Rudy Gobert. The Thunder don't have the same size and defensive presence in the paint, so Theis is at least worth considering in tournament play.

Center to Avoid

Jusuf Nurkic, PHO vs. SAC ($27): Nurkic is starting to see his role dwindle within the Suns' offense. Over the last six games, he has scored nine or fewer points four times. With Booker, Durant and Beal all healthy, that could be a trend that continues for him moving forward.

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. Mike Barner plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: mbarner, DraftKings: mbarner51.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mike Barner
Mike started covering fantasy sports in 2007, joining RotoWire in 2010. In 2018, he was a finalist for the FSWA Basketball Writer of the Year award. Mike also won the 2022-23 FSGA NBA Experts Champions league. In addition to RotoWire, Mike has written for Sportsline, Sports Illustrated, DK Live, RealTime Fantasy Sports, Lineup Lab and KFFL.com.
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