NBA

3 Daily Fantasy Basketball Players to Avoid on 12/27/16

Jordan Sharp  —  @TehSharp Dec 27th, 2016
Hassan Whiteside has a tough matchup against the Thunder. Who else should you be looking to fade on Tuesday's short 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.

Hassan Whiteside, C, Miami Heat

FanDuel Price: $9,200

There are several factors working against Hassan Whiteside tonight as the Miami Heat take on the Oklahoma City Thunder, but the main one may be the health of Goran Dragic. Dragic is dealing with back spasms and is questionable tonight. If he misses, it could have a big impact on Whiteside's production.

According to NBA Wowy, with Dragic off the court this season, Whiteside is averaging 1.09 points per shot attempt, opposed to 1.13 when Dragic is on the court.

Plus, there is the Steven Adams factor. Adams has helped the Thunder allow 0.94 FanDuel points per minute to centers, which is the fifth-best mark in the NBA right now. If Dragic is out, Whiteside might not be worth his price tag, which has now crept up above $9,000 on FanDuel. Our models project him for just 38.7 FanDuel points tonight.

Deron Williams, PG, Dallas Mavericks

FanDuel Price: $6,700

Deron Williams is coming off a huge game of nearly 40 FanDuel points, but that is making him an even bigger landmine tonight as he squares off against Patrick Beverley and the Houston Rockets.

Beverley claims he is the best defender in the league, and he has a case. He is holding players he defends to just 41.3% shooting from the floor and under 30% shooting from deep.

Plus, in his last three games against Beverley, Williams is averaging less than 20 FanDuel points per game. In their lone meeting this season, Williams had only 9 points and 6 assists over 31 minutes.

Avery Bradley, SG, Boston Celtics

FanDuel Price: $6,200

With Al Horford and Isaiah Thomas both healthy and on the court this season, Avery Bradley has taken a back seat on offense. He is still as important as ever defensively, but other than a steal or two per game, that doesn't translate into DFS value very well.

Bradley will also have to deal with the Grindfather himself, Tony Allen, tonight. Allen is holding players he defends to just 40.8% shooting from the floor 33.3% shooting from deep.

This has helped the Memphis Grizzlies allow only 0.84 FanDuel points per minute to opposing shooting guards. With his usage down and a tough matchup, Bradley isn't a wise investment Tuesday.