NBA

3 Daily Fantasy Basketball Players to Avoid on 1/5/17

Jordan Sharp  —  @TehSharp Jan 5th, 2017
Paul Millsap has a difficult matchup tonight against Anthony Davis. Which other players are in a tough spot for Thursday's slate?

In daily fantasy basketball, finding players you want to roster is a lot easier than finding players to avoid.

You can find a ton of great information and research on guys you might want to include in your DFS NBA lineups, but what about guys you may want to lessen your exposure to, or even fade altogether?

Avoiding players whose matchups or situations aren't as great as they seem can often be just as important as finding the best targets. After all, it only takes one player to sink a lineup. Searching for the landmines could mean the difference from winning or losing your contests.

Paul Millsap, PF, Atlanta Hawks

FanDuel Price: $8,200

Paul Millsap and Anthony Davis are the two highest-priced power forwards on the slate tonight, and they are facing off with one another. At least for Millsap, that may end up costing him some fantasy value.

Both of these forwards rank inside the top five in defensive real plus-minute, but it's Millsap who has struggled in recent battles with Davis.

In their last five matchups against one another, Millsap is averaging just 30.4 FanDuel points per game, far from the 40-plus he needs to reach value tonight. With that in mind, it's likely a night to fade Millsap against the Brow.

Gary Harris, SG, Denver Nuggets

FanDuel Price: $4,700

Gary Harris has been solid for the Denver Nuggets since rejoining the team after his injury, but tonight he and the Nuggets face off against Danny Green and the San Antonio Spurs.

Green ranks sixth among all shooting guards in defensive real plus-minus, and he is holding players he defends to just 45.0% shooting from the floor this season. Add on that the Spurs are allowing opposing two guards to average just 0.80 FanDuel points per minute, and you have a matchup worth avoiding.

Marcus Morris, SF, Detroit Pistons

FanDuel Price: $4,300

Marcus Morris has been featured on the landmines several times this season. With the Detroit Pistons' rotation very fluid right now, it's hard to trust Morris, even at his depressed price.

Plus, he and the Pistons are up against Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and the Charlotte Hornets tonight, which is far from a good matchup for fantasy. The Hornets are allowing small forwards only 0.77 FanDuel points per minute while Kidd-Gilchrist is holding players he defends to just 43.3% shooting from the floor.