This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
Tuesday brings six games on the NBA schedule, five of which will make up the main slate on Yahoo. There will be several top-tier defensive teams in action with the Celtics, Heat, Clippers and Magic all set to take the floor.
While that might make scoring hard to come by in some games, that doesn't mean you can't still finish in the money. Here are some players to consider for your entry, as well as a few to potentially avoid.
GUARDS
James Harden, HOU at POR ($54): Harden exploded in the Rockets' first game back against the Mavericks, scoring a whopping 88.8 Yahoo fantasy points. Despite a tough matchup against the Bucks, Harden still scored 57.9 YFP on Sunday. Now he'll take on a Blazers team that has the fourth-worst defensive rating in the league. Add that to his 36.1 percent usage rate and the sky is the limit for Harden.
Gary Trent Jr., POR vs. HOU ($11): The Blazers lost a key part of their starting five when Trevor Ariza decided to opt out of the season. Although Carmelo Anthony has taken over his spot in the starting five, Trent has emerged as a key contributor off the bench, scoring at least 24.2 Yahoo points in both games since the league resumed. He logged 26 minutes against the Grizzlies on Friday and followed that up by playing 34 minutes against the Celtics on Sunday. With the Rockets playing at the fourth-fastest pace and using a lot of small lineups, Trent could see plenty of action here.
Guard to Avoid
Kemba Walker, BOS at MIA ($26): The Celtics continue to limit Walker's workload as they try to keep his knees healthy for the playoffs. He logged 19 minutes in their first game back against the Bucks and followed that up by playing 22 minutes versus the Blazers on Sunday. It would seem unlikely that he jumps up to 30 minutes in this contest, making him too risky at this price.
FORWARDS
Kawhi Leonard, LAC vs. PHO ($): The Clippers destroyed the Pelicans on Saturday, which contributed to Leonard playing only 27 minutes. He was still productive, recording 24 points, six rebounds, five assists and a steal. It helped his cause that the Pelicans have played at the third-fastest pace in the league this season. While the Suns aren't quite at that level, they do check in having played at the ninth-fastest pace, right behind the Clippers at eight. The Suns have had no answer for Leonard so far this season, allowing him to average 23.7 points, 9.3 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 2.3 steals across three previous meetings.
Cameron Johnson, PHO at LAC ($11): The Suns pulled off a close win against the Mavericks on Sunday and Johnson proved to be a big reason why they emerged victorious. He registered a double-double, finishing with 19 points, 12 rebounds and four assists. He logged a whopping 40 minutes and has started both games since the season resumed. The Clippers are a good defensive team, but Johnson should be locked into heavy playing time regardless of the score, making him a viable cost-effective option.
Forward to Avoid
Dario Saric, PHO at LAC ($18): Now that Johnson is starting, Saric has moved to the second unit. He has struggled in that role this season, averaging 6.6 points and 3.5 rebounds across 10 games. With Johnson priced seven dollars cheaper, taking a chance on Saric producing well off the bench seem like an unnecessary risk.
CENTERS
Kristaps Porzingis, DAL at SAC ($41): It's been a disappointing start to the bubble for the Mavericks, who have lost both of their games so far. On the bright side, Porzingis looks locked in. After scoring 68.2 Yahoo points against the Rockets, he contributed 56.1 Yahoo points versus the Suns. He's averaging a career-high 9.6 rebounds per game to go along with his 26.8 percent usage rate, so expect him to have a high floor in this contest, as well.
Ivica Zubac, LAC vs. PHO ($11): Zubac took advantage of added playing time against the Pelicans, scoring 29.3 Yahoo points across 24 minutes. He's not going to see many scoring opportunities most nights, but he was still productive in that matchup thanks to his nine rebounds, three assists, two steals and one block. Montrezl Harrell is set to miss his third straight contest, which should leave Zubac with the potential for added playing time once again.
Center to Avoid
Hassan Whiteside, POR vs. HOU ($22): It's safe to say that Whiteside is firmly behind Jusuf Nurkic on the Blazers' depth chart at this point. Not only has Nurkic returned to the starting five, but he's played at least 32 minutes in both of their games. That has left Whiteside to log 18 and 16 minutes, respectively. On top of that, the Rockets deploy a ton of small lineups, which is not exactly suited for Whiteside's style of play. Look elsewhere if you are trying to save money at the position.
