Mikal Bridges is one player to watch on Tuesday night as the Suns face the Hornets.
There will be seven games played across the NBA on Tuesday, one of which features the Lakers taking on the Clippers. The Lakers made a move Monday to bolster their chances of making a playoff run, acquiring Rui Hachimura in a trade with the Wizards. There will also be some teams playing the second game of a back-to-back set, including the Bulls, Celtics and Hornets. Let’s dig into the matchups and highlight some players to consider for your Yahoo lineups, as well as a few to possibly avoid.
Guards
Chris Paul, PHX vs. CHA ($29): After missing seven straight games with a hip injury, Paul made his return Sunday against the Grizzlies. He jumped right back into the fire, recording 22 points, six rebounds, 11 assists and three steals over 38 minutes. The Suns continue to be hammered by injuries at guard, so Paul should get all of the minutes that he can handle against a Hornets team that has played at the 10th-fastest pace in the league.
Delon Wright, WAS at DAL ($13): Wright is only averaging 21 minutes per game, but that hasn’t prevented him from recording 2.1 steals per game. His lack of playing time does limit his upside, but his defensive prowess has helped him score at least 25.7 Yahoo points in three straight games. At this salary, he could be worth the risk in tournament play.
Guard to Avoid
Kyle Lowry, MIA vs. BOS ($18): The Heat enter this matchup with a mostly clean injury report. They won’t be missing any member of their starting five, putting them at a distinct advantage over a Celtics team that just played Monday. As good as Lowry has been throughout his career, he has scored 24.6 Yahoo points or fewer in eight of his last nine games.
Forwards
Kyle Kuzma, WAS at DAL ($33): Not only is Hachimura no longer in town, but the Wizards are set to be without Kristaps Porzingis (ankle) for at least the next week. Kuzma has already been one of the Wizards’ leading scorers, providing a career-high 21.8 points per game. Expect him to receive a ton of shot attempts moving forward, leaving him with a high floor.
Mikal Bridges, PHX vs. CHA ($29): If there is one bright spot that has come out of all of the injuries that the Suns have dealt with, it’s that Bridges is having the best season of his career. He’s been particularly productive of late, scoring at least 40.9 Yahoo points in five straight games. Add in this favorable matchup and Bridges might be too good to ignore.
Forward to Avoid
Jimmy Butler, MIA vs. BOS ($37): Butler is a tricky option in DFS. He can go off on any given night, as he did a couple of weeks ago when he scored 68.4 Yahoo points against the Thunder. However, with the Heat seeing their health situation improve lately, he’s scored 23.3 Yahoo points or fewer in two of his last five games. At this salary, he might be too risky.
Centers
Daniel Gafford, WAS at DAL ($13): The injury to Porzingis means that Gafford should be in line for added playing time. He has already been productive of late, averaging 12.1 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.2 blocks over his last 10 games. During that span, he logged just 24 minutes per game. The potential for an expanded role against a Mavericks team that doesn’t have much size up front makes Gafford worth considering.
Jericho Sims, NYK vs. CLE ($10): With Mitchell Robinson (thumb) out, the Knicks have turned to Sims as their starting center. Not only is he starting, but he played at least 28 minutes in both of the last two games. That helped him score 26.6 and 24.9 Yahoo points, respectively. The Knicks will need his size against the Cavaliers’ big frontcourt, so expect Sims to continue to see additional playing time.
Center to Avoid
Thomas Bryant, LAL vs. LAC ($22): Bryant exploded against the Trail Blazers on Sunday, scoring 52.3 Yahoo points. The key was he logged 33 minutes, which was rare for him considering he had played 24 minutes or fewer in each of his previous five games. During that span, he didn’t score more than 23.9 Yahoo points in a single game. If the Clippers decide to deploy more small lineups when they take Ivica Zubac off the floor, Bryant could revert back to limited playing time.
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Mike 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.
