Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks host Steph Curry and the Warriors tonight.
There will be no shortage of star power for Tuesday’s five-game slate in the NBA. The highlight matchup of the evening is Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks hosting Stephen Curry and the Warriors. An underrated matchup could take place in Philadelphia when the 76ers play the Kings, who are off to a 14-11 start. Let’s highlight some of the top players to consider on Yahoo, as well as a few to possibly avoid.
GUARDS
James Harden, PHI vs. SAC ($40): Harden has jumped right back into the thick of things since returning from a foot injury, logging at least 38 minutes in all three games. He was a little rusty in his first game back, but he has scored 54.8 and 52.8 Yahoo points, respectively, in the last two games. The Kings have played at the sixth-fastest pace in the league, which could set up Harden for another monster stat line.
CJ McCollumNO at UTA ($25): McCollum had a 29.4% usage rate after joining the Pelicans last season, but his usage rate is only 24.4 percent this season with Zion Williamson healthy. McCollum is also shooting just 40.5% from the field after shooting at least 45.1% in each of the last four seasons. Still, he hasn’t exactly been bad with averages of 17.5 points, 4.9 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game. The Jazz have the seventh-worst defensive rating in the league, leaving McCollum with a chance to provide value.
Guard to Avoid
Shake Milton, PHI vs. SAC ($20): The return of Harden has dealt a significant blow to Milton’s production. He has not scored more than 21.6 Yahoo points in any of the three games since Harden has returned, and he only scored 17.9 Yahoo points in his last game against the Hornets. With him resuming a smaller role, it’s difficult to justify rolling with him in DFS at his salary.
FORWARDS
Mikal BridgesPHO at HOU ($26): Booker also sat out Sunday against the Pelicans, leaving Bridges to take on an expanded scoring role. He finished with 27 points on a season-high 23 shot attempts, 13 of which came from behind the arc. The Rockets have the third-worst defensive rating in the league, leaving Bridges with a great opportunity to thrive again with Booker out.
Torrey CraigPHO at HOU ($12): Craig has proven to be a key contributor to the Suns with Cameron Johnson (knee) out and Jae Crowder still away from the team after requesting a trade. He scored 26.9 Yahoo points with Booker out Sunday and has scored at least 21.5 Yahoo points in four of his last six games. At near the minimum salary, he’s worth the risk in tournament play.
Forward to Avoid
Draymond GreenGS at MIL ($23): Green (ankle) is on the injury report for this game, but he is listed as probable. His playing status isn’t a concern, but his matchup against Giannis is. With the prospect that Green gets into foul trouble, his already limited offensive upside makes him someone to avoid.
CENTERS
Deandre AytonPHO at HOU ($29): Booker being out creates a lot of opportunities for others on the Suns. Ayton torched the Pelicans on Sunday, putting up 28 points, 12 rebounds and five assists over 33 minutes. In what should be a fun matchup with Alperen Sengun, look for Ayton to emerge with a juicy stat line.
Walker Kessler, UTA vs. NO ($14): The Pelicans have a lot of size up front, which could open up more minutes for Kessler. He’s already started to play more, averaging 22 minutes over the last six games. That helped him score at least 26.6 Yahoo points four times.
Center to Avoid
Jonas ValanciunasNO at UTA ($19): McCollum has not been the only player on the Pelicans who has seen a statistical decline with Williamson back. After averaging 17.8 points and 11.4 rebounds per game last season, Valanciunas is averaging just 13.2 points and 9.2 rebounds this season. That has contributed to him scoring 22.0 Yahoo points or fewer in three of the last four games.
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Mike Barner started covering fantasy sports in 2007, joining RotoWire in 2010. In 2018, he was a finalist for the 2018 FSWA Basketball Writer of the Year award. In addition to RotoWire, Mike has written for Sportsline, Sports Illustrated, DK Live, RealTime Fantasy Sports, Lineup Lab and KFFL.com.
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