This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
Tuesday brings a tricky three-game slate in the NBA. Not only will DFS be impacted by some key players in the health and safety protocols, but injuries could also be an issue. As things currently stand, here are some players to consider for your lineups, as well as a few to potentially avoid.
GUARDS
Victor Oladipo, HOU vs. WAS ($34): Oladipo should be fresh for this matchup after sitting out Saturday for rest. He was coming off of a rough outing Friday against the Pistons in which he scored only 13 points. However, he attempted 16 shots in that contest and has averaged 22.3 points, four rebounds, six assists and two steals across three games with his new squad. He should remain one of the focal points of the Rockets' offense, which is big against a Wizards team that has that the second-worst defensive rating in the league.
Luke Kennard, LAC at ATL ($10): The Clippers will be without Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Patrick Beverley for this game since all three players were placed in the health and safety protocols Monday. Losing Leonard and George is huge given their leading roles in the offense. Kennard has seen his playing time decline by 10 minutes a game compared to last season when he was a member of the Pistons, but he should see more minutes in this game, as well as added scoring opportunities.
Guard to Avoid
Elfrid Payton, NY at UTA ($18): Payton's days as the Knicks' starting point guard may be numbered. Even if he doesn't lose his starting job, he could see his playing time decrease because of the emergence of Immanuel Quickley. In fact, Payton has already logged 24 minutes or fewer in three of the last six games. His role is just too inconsistent right now to take a chance on him in a bad matchup against one of the best defensive teams in the league.
FORWARDS
Eric Gordon, HOU vs. WAS ($21): This should be the first game in which Gordon, Oladipo and John Wall all play for the Rockets. However, Christian Wood (ankle) is listed as doubtful after missing two straight games. If he is forced to sit again, that would leave the Rockets' without one of their top scorers. Gordon has scored at least 20 points in four straight games and has a favorable opportunity to keep things rolling against the aforementioned porous Wizards' defense.
Marcus Morris, LAC at ATL ($10): It's been a quiet start to the season for Morris, who is averaging 10.8 points and 3.6 rebounds across just 23 minutes a night. With that being said, he is the most likely candidate to replace Leonard in the starting five. He could play around 30 minutes in this contest, which makes him someone who could be well worth the risk at the minimum salary.
Forward to Avoid
Bojan Bogdanovic, UTA vs. NY ($15): Despite recording seven rebounds and eight assists against the Warriors on Saturday, most of Bogdanovic's production comes from the scoring column. The problem is that he's only shooting 37.7 percent from the field, which has limited him to an average of 13.5 points a night. He's awfully risky facing a Knicks team that has the fourth-best defensive rating.
CENTERS
DeMarcus Cousins, HOU vs. WAS ($25): With Wood sidelined, the Rockets turned to Cousins to start their last two games. He's only played limited minutes this season, so it was a bit surprising to not only see him play both games of their back-to-back set, but also log at least 30 minutes in both contests. The results were 34.5 and 51.9 Yahoo points, respectively. His salary has nearly doubled since their last game, but he still brings significant upside.
Serge Ibaka, LAC at ATL ($23): Ibaka has seen his scoring number decline this season, in large part because of his 19.7 percent usage rate. To put that into perspective, he had a 24 percent usage rate for the Raptors last season on his way to averaging a career-high 15.4 points a game. More shot attempts could be coming his way thanks to the Clippers limited depth chart, making him an intriguing option.
Center to Avoid
Mitchell Robinson, NY at UTA ($21): Robinson hasn't been great lately, scoring 25 Yahoo points or fewer in five of his last six games. Facing Rudy Gobert likely won't help him break out of his slump. Add in Cousins and Ibaka being available for similar salaries and it might be best to just avoid Robinson, altogether.
