This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
Tuesday has the makings of a quiet night in the NBA with only five games on the schedule. While injuries will also eliminate a few of the top options in DFS, there are still some intriguing players to consider across the salary scale. Let's highlight some of them at each position, as well as discuss a few players to potentially avoid.
GUARDS
Kyrie Irving, BKN at NO ($47): The Nets will be shorthanded again with James Harden (hamstring) and Kevin Durant (thigh) out. That means Irving, who already has a 30.5 percent usage rate, will be left to carry the scoring load. That could leave him with a monster stat line against a Pelicans team that has the fourth-worst defensive rating in the league.
Landry Shamet, BKN at NO ($12): Shamet exploded after Durant went down Sunday against the Heat, scoring 30 points on 15 shot attempts. He was dialed in from behind the arc and has now made 13 of 23 attempts from deep over his last two games. Although he generally doesn't provide much outside of the scoring column, the combination of his cheap salary and this favorable matchup makes him an intriguing option.
Guard to Avoid
Eric Bledsoe, NO vs. BKN ($18): Bledsoe finally had a strong performance, scoring 30.8 Yahoo points over 38 minutes Sunday against the Knicks. Prior to that, he had scored 23.9 Yahoo points or fewer in five straight games. He's only averaging 23.1 Yahoo points per game for the season, so he's likely going to disappoint, more often than not.
FORWARDS
Zion Williamson, NO vs. BKN ($46): After foul trouble limited him Friday against the Wizards, Williamson stormed back to score 56.3 Yahoo points against the Knicks on Sunday. That marked the fourth time over his last six games that he has scored at least 50 Yahoo points. With the Nets sporting the sixth-worst defensive rating, look for them to have a hard time slowing down one of the most potent offensive players in the league.
Kevin Huerter, ATL vs. ORL ($13): The Hawks will be shorthanded up front again with Danilo Gallinari (foot), De'Andre Hunter (knee) and Tony Snell (ankle) all out. Their overall lack of depth has helped Huerter average 33 minutes over the last nine games. He hasn't disappointed with his added playing time, averaging 15.7 points, 3.2 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.0 steals during that stretch.
Forward to Avoid
John Collins, ATL vs. ORL ($27): After missing nine games with an ankle injury, Collins made his return Sunday against the Pacers. However, he only posted eight points and two rebounds across 21 minutes. The Hawks could limit Collins' playing time again in this game, especially since they will be facing a rebuilding Magic team that they should defeat by a wide margin.
CENTERS
Karl-Anthony Towns, MIN at SAC ($48): Towns suffered a brief scare after leaving Sunday's game against the Clippers with a knee injury. However, he's not even listed on the injury report for this game, so he should be safe to deploy as normal. That makes him someone to consider building your entry around in what should be a high-scoring affair between two of the worst defensive teams in the league.
Hassan Whiteside, SAC vs. MIN ($12): Whiteside stands out for this game for two reasons. First, he should continue to see more playing time with Richaun Holmes (hamstring) out. Second, the Timberwolves have allowed the most Yahoo points per game to opposing centers. If you want to fade Towns in tournament play, Whiteside should be on your radar.
Center to Avoid
Cody Zeller, CHA at NY ($11): Although Zeller's salary isn't that high, there's not much of a reason to take a chance on him when Whiteside's salary is only a dollar more. Zeller continues to play limited minutes off the bench, which has contributed to him scoring 20.4 Yahoo points or fewer in four straight games. Making matters even worse for this matchup is that the Knicks have allowed the fifth-fewest Yahoo points per game to opposing centers.
