This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
Tuesday brings a light slate in the NBA with only eight teams in action. The good news is, there are still plenty of intriguing storylines. The Nets, who are off to a disappointing start and just fired head coach Steve Nash, will face a Bulls team that has also been underwhelming at 3-4. The Heat, who are only 2-5, will try to avoid falling further in the hole when they host the Warriors. The night will be capped off by the Suns hosting the Timberwolves, a battle between two Western Conference teams that have hopes of making deep runs in the playoffs. Let's dig into the options on Yahoo and discuss some players to consider for your lineups, as well as a few to avoid.
GUARDS
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, OKC vs. ORL ($45): This is the least exciting game on the schedule, but there are still a few young players who can put up juicy stat lines. One of them is Gilgeous-Alexander, who is averaging 31.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 7.0 assists, 2.4 steals and 1.2 blocks per game. His usage rate has shot up to 33.2 percent, and he's shooting 49.6 percent from the field. The Magic have been decimated by injuries at guard, setting up Gilgeous-Alexander to potentially go off again.
Max Strus, MIA vs. GS ($13): The Heat are lacking at power forward right now, forcing them to play a lot of small lineups. Strus averaged only 23 minutes per game last season, but he's logged 31 per game this season. That has helped him score at least 26.0 Yahoo points in four of seven games.
Guard to Avoid
Klay Thompson, GS at MIA ($20): It's been a slow start to the season for Thompson, who's averaging only 12.3 points in 25 minutes per game. He's shooting just 34.6 percent from the field, including 28.6 percent from behind the arc. His salary doesn't come at much of a discount, so it might be best to avoid him until he shows signs of coming out of his slump.
FORWARDS
Paolo Banchero, ORL at OKC ($33): Banchero finally had an off night, scoring 18 points while shooting 6-for-20 from the field Sunday against the Mavericks. Prior to that, he had begun his career by scoring at least 20 points in six straight games. The Thunder have some talented guards, but their options up front leave a lot to be desired. Banchero could bounce back in a big way during this matchup.
Cameron Johnson, PHO vs. MIN ($14): Johnson enters this season with a starting role since Jae Crowder has requested a trade and is away from the Suns. It may have taken him some time to adjust, but Johnson has scored at least 28.9 Yahoo points in back-to-back games. He should be looking at plenty of minutes and three-point attempts for this matchup, making him an intriguing budget-friendly option.
Forward to Avoid
Draymond Green, GS at MIA ($20): Green has been scoring more this season, but his average of 9.6 points per game is nothing to write home about. The problem is that he's taken a step back in other departments, providing 6.0 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game. The Heat are one of the tougher defensive teams in the league, so don't be surprised if Green provides a muted stat line.
CENTERS
Nikola Vucevic, CHI at BKN ($31): Andre Drummond (shoulder) was playing well for the Bulls' second unit before missing the last game with a shoulder injury. Vucevic stepped up in a big way with Drummond out Saturday against the Sixers, posting 23 points, 19 rebounds and three assists over 36 minutes. Drummond has already been ruled out for this matchup, leaving Vucevic with increased upside.
Bismack Biyombo, PHO vs. MIN ($14): Deandre Ayton (ankle) is going to miss at least a week for the Suns, opening up an expanded role for Biyombo. The Suns won't ask him to score much, but he can be a good source for rebounds and blocks when given enough minutes. He had 13 rebounds and two blocks over 23 minutes in the game that Ayton went down against the Pelicans, and he followed that up with five rebounds and five blocks while starting against the Rockets on Sunday. Although a matchup against Rudy Gobert isn't ideal, Biyombo's salary is still low enough to at least make him worth considering.
Center to Avoid
Kevon Looney, GS at MIA ($14): Looney provided another underwhelming stat line against the Pistons on Sunday, scoring 15.8 Yahoo points over 22 minutes. He hasn't reached 30 Yahoo points in a game yet this season, and he's failed to score at least 20 Yahoo points in a game three times. A matchup against Bam Adebayo likely won't help his cause.
