This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
Tuesday brings a fairly quiet night in the NBA with six games on the schedule. Several teams could be resting players, which will make for a bit of a tricky slate. Let's discuss some players to consider for your entries, as well as a few to potentially avoid.
GUARDS
Malcolm Brogdon, IND vs. POR ($36): The Pacers are set to play their fifth straight game without Domantas Sabonis (back) and Myles Turner (toe). Brogdon has stepped up with them sidelined, scoring at least 39.7 Yahoo points in four straight contests. This is a great matchup for him to keep things rolling given that the Blazers have the second-worst defensive rating in the league.
D'Angelo Russell, MIN at HOU ($21): Russell has hit his stride lately, scoring at least 32.1 Yahoo points in four straight games. That's even more impressive when you consider that two of those contests came against the Jazz, who have one of the best defenses in the league. The same can't be said for the Rockets, who have the sixth-worst defensive rating.
Guard to Avoid
Ricky Rubio, MIN at HOU ($16): Rubio produced another underwhelming stat line Monday, scoring 22.0 Yahoo points across 22 minutes. He's now logged 23 minutes or fewer in three of his last five games and has continued to see his role decline since Russell returned from injury. Even with this favorable matchup, Rubio might be someone to avoid.
FORWARDS
Jaylen Brown, BOS vs. OKC ($37): The Celtics will be playing the first game of a back-to-back set, so they will take this matchup against one of the worst teams in the league as an opportunity to rest Jayson Tatum and Kemba Walker. That will leave Brown, who is already averaging 39.0 Yahoo points per game, to lead their offense. Expect him to shoot at will, leaving him as one of the safer options at forward.
Dorian Finney-Smith, DAL at GS ($14): This is a tricky spot for the Mavericks, who will be playing the second game of a back-to-back set. In addition to that, they have another back-to-back set later this week, so they could give some players an opportunity to rest. Finney-Smith hasn't usually received rest days, so he should be on the floor for this contest. He's not flashy, but his ability to contribute in multiple areas has helped him score at least 30.3 Yahoo points in three of the last five games.
Forward to Avoid
Robert Covington, POR at IND ($17): Covington laid an egg against the Grizzlies on Sunday, shooting 0-for-7 from the field on his way to 17.6 Yahoo points. He's only shooting 40.7 percent from the field for the season, which really hurts when you also factor in his miniscule 11.9 percent usage rate. With his limited upside, it's difficult to make a case for adding Covington to your entry, even with only six games on the schedule.
CENTERS
Kelly Olynyk, HOU vs. MIN ($24): The Rockets are another team that has been resting players down the stretch, but Olynyk hasn't been one of them. In fact, he's averaged 31 minutes across their last 16 games. He's turned that added playing time into averages of 18.1 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists. Add that to this favorable matchup and Olynyk is a great option at his reasonable salary.
Khem Birch, TOR vs. BKN ($11): It will be interesting to see what the Raptors do in this game. They are one game behind the Wizards for the 10th spot, so they definitely have a clear path to the playoffs. Despite that, though, they have been giving their starters added rest lately. They just played Monday, so we could see some combination of Kyle Lowry, Fred VanVleet, Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby sit. That could create even more opportunities for Birch, who enters having scored at least 25.2 Yahoo points in five of the last seven games.
Center to Avoid
Enes Kanter, POR at IND ($21): Jusuf Nurkic seems to be rounding into form as the playoffs approach. In back-to-back games against the Grizzlies, he recorded a total of 42 points, 36 rebounds, 10 assists and three blocks. He's now logged at least 29 minutes in three straight games, which contributed to Kanter logging fewer than 19 minutes in each contest. As long as Nurkic is healthy, Kanter's role will remain limited.
