NBA DFS Picks: Yahoo Plays and Strategy for Tuesday, January 3

It will be a quiet night in the NBA on Tuesday with just three games on the schedule. There is the potential for a couple of blowouts, with the Bucks hosting the Wizards and the Celtics taking on the Thunder. We could also see a high-scoring affair when the Jazz host the Kings. The Jazz will be shorthanded, though, with Collin Sexton (hamstring) expected to miss at least the next week. Let's dig into the options on Yahoo and highlight some players to consider for your entries, as well as a few to possibly avoid.

GUARDS

Jordan Clarkson, UTA vs. SAC ($24): Both the Jazz and the Kings rank inside the bottom-10 in defensive rating. The Kings also play at the fourth-fastest pace, so plenty of points could be scored in this matchup. Enter Clarkson, who is averaging 20.5 points, 4.5 assists and 2.7 three-pointers while logging a career high 33 minutes per game. When he faced the Kings last week, he produced 25 points, four rebounds, nine assists and two steals over 35 minutes.

Malik Beasley, UTA vs. SAC ($15): Sexton being out should provide a boost for Beasley. When Sexton missed a seven-game stretch in December, Beasley provided 16.9 points, 3.3 rebounds and 4.0 three-pointers over 29 minutes per game. He has the potential to lead the Jazz's second unit in scoring by a wide margin.

Guard to Avoid

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, OKC vs. BOS ($46): Gilgeous-Alexander had a rare off night in his last game against the 76ers, recording 26.7 Yahoo points over 32 minutes. That's not the reason to consider avoiding him, though. The Celtics have the seventh-best defensive rating in the league and Gilgeous-Alexander should see a lot of defensive star Marcus Smart, so this might be one of the rare instances to avoid him in DFS.

FORWARDS

Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL vs. WAS ($55): Giannis is listed as probable for this matchup after sitting out Sunday's game against the Wizards with a knee injury. Prior to missing that contest, he had averaged 38.0 points, 14.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists over his last six games. Khris Middleton (knee) is still out, so expect Giannis to continue to have an extremely high floor.

Jalen Williams, OKC vs. BOS ($16): It's ugly right now up front for the Thunder. They don't have many healthy options with Aleksej Pokusevski (leg) and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl (ankle) both out. They've been forced to go small, leaving more playing time for Williams. He's averaging 27 minutes per game for the season but has averaged 30 minutes over nine games since Robinson-Earl went down. During that stretch, he provided 12.7 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.7 assists. At such a cheap salary, he's worth considering in tournament play.

Forward to Avoid

Kyle Kuzma, WAS at MIL ($34): This won't be an easy matchup for Kuzma with Giannis back and the Bucks sporting the fourth-best defensive rating in the league. If you're looking for a forward in this salary range, the better option is Lauri Markkanen ($32). He has scored at least 41.0 Yahoo points in four straight games and has a considerably more favorable matchup.

CENTERS

Domantas Sabonis, SAC at UTA ($43): If Sabonis's hand is bothering him, he's not showing it. After missing one game with the injury that he intends to play through, he has scored at least 43.8 Yahoo points in all three games since making his return. That included a near miss of a triple-double against the Jazz, when he scored 46.2 Yahoo points.

Kelly Olynyk, UTA vs. SAC ($17): Olynyk has seen his playing time increase in each game since missing four straight with an injury. He logged 33 minutes versus the Heat on Saturday, finishing with 14 points, four rebounds, six assists and three steals. He's averaging 29 minutes per game for the season, so with the up-tempo pace at which this game should be played, he's worth considering for those who want to fade Sabonis.

Center to Avoid

Robert Williams III, BOS at OKC ($17): Williams is listed as questionable for this matchup due to left knee management. Since making his return from injury, he hasn't logged more than 22 minutes in any of his seven games. This would seem like a perfect spot to give him the night off, but even if he does take the floor, he's not someone to consider based on his limited playing time.