This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
Tuesday won't bring a ton of action with just four games in the NBA. Still, there is money to be won on Yahoo. Let's dig into some of the top players to consider at each position, as well as a few to possibly avoid.
GUARDS
Anfernee Simons, POR vs. PHO ($26): Simons made it through only one game before going down with an injury that kept him out for over a month. He hasn't skipped a beat since returning, scoring at least 34.2 Yahoo points in five of his last six games. The Trail Blazers don't have a lot of talented scorers around him, so Simons should continue to receive all of the shot attempts that he can handle.
Brandin Podziemski, GS vs. BOS ($14): Podziemski has been earning himself more playing time. He has even started three straight games, logging at least 32 minutes in each of them. During that span, he averaged 11.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.3 steals. The Celtics aren't the easiest of matchups, but an expanded role and a cheap salary still make Podziemski worth targeting.
Guard to Avoid
Malcolm Brogdon, POR vs. PHO ($29): When the Trail Blazers were dealing with injuries at guard earlier this season, Brogdon filled in well and provided valuable production. However, his role has shrunk with Simons back in the fold. Brogdon has scored fewer than 17.0 Yahoo points in each of the last three games. Given that his salary doesn't come at a discount, it's difficult to justify taking a chance on him in his current role.
FORWARDS
Kevin Durant, PHO at POR ($45): Yet another extended absence for Bradley Beal (ankle) means that Durant will be asked to provide even more scoring for the Suns. He has played well with Beal missing most of the season already, averaging 30.6 points, 6.2 rebounds and 5.6 assists. With the Trail Blazers ranked inside the bottom half of the league in defensive rating, don't expect them to be able to slow Durant down.
Jonathan Kuminga, GS vs. BOS ($10): The suspension of Draymond Green means that the Warriors will have even less size up front. Although Kuminga is not a reliable option by any means, he has averaged 15.4 points and 6.2 rebounds across his last five games. At the minimum salary, that makes him an interesting option in tournament play.
Forward to Avoid
Herbert Jones, NO vs. MEM ($20): It has been a quiet stretch for Jones, who has scored 20.9 Yahoo points or fewer in three straight games. His usage rate is only 15.0 percent for this season, which doesn't leave him with much scoring upside. The Pelicans' starting five is all healthy, which should leave Jones in a limited offensive role.
CENTERS
Jusuf Nurkic, PHO at POR ($25): Nurkic comes into this matchup against his former team having scored at least 33.3 Yahoo points in five straight games. When he faced the Trail Blazers about a month ago, he scored 44.4 Yahoo points across 29 minutes. The Suns don't have a ton of size behind Nurkic and they need added scoring with Beal out, so look for him to produce another valuable stat line versus the Trail Blazers.
Zach Collins, SA at MIL ($18): After he began the season as the Spurs' starting center, Collins has come off the bench in each of the last five games. In that role, he averaged only 8.4 points and 5.4 rebounds in 18 minutes per game. However, the injury to Victor Wembanyama (ankle) likely means that Collins will start again. As a starter, Collins has averaged 13.8 points, 6.1 rebounds and 3.9 assists.
Center to Avoid
Brook Lopez, MIL vs. SA ($26): Lopez hasn't been struggling. He's averaging 31.4 Yahoo points per game for the season. The issue is that the Bucks could win this game in lopsided fashion. The Spurs are one of the worst teams in the league and will be without Wembanyama for at least this game. If the Bucks do race out to a big lead early, we might not see much of Lopez in the second half.
