NBA

3 Daily Fantasy Basketball Players to Avoid on 2/7/17

Elfrid Payton has to go up against Patrick Beverley tonight. Which other players should you avoid in NBA DFS?

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.

Elfrid Payton, PG, Orlando Magic

FanDuel Price: $6,600

Despite the Orlando Magic and Houston Rockets having a 223-point over/under, the Magic only have an implied total of 105.75 tonight. With Elfrid Payton having to square off against Patrick Beverley, it's a night to avoid the Magic point guard.

Beverley and the Rockets rank 11th against point guards, allowing just 0.87 FanDuel points per minute to the position. Beverley is also holding players he defends to just 43.8% shooting, including 30.1% shooting from beyond the arc.

With Evan Fournier back in the lineup, Payton's offense has taken a hit. He is averaging just 20 FanDuel points per game over his last three games. According to NBA Wowy, with Fournier on the floor, Payton's points per play (PPP) goes from 1.19 to 1.14. If you want a piece of the Orlando backcourt, Fournier is the better option.

Trevor Booker, PF, Brooklyn Nets

FanDuel Price: $5,200

Trevor Booker is coming off a nice game against the Toronto Raptors, but he has a much tougher matchup tonight against Marvin Williams and the Charlotte Hornets. Williams and the Hornets are holding opposing power forwards to just 0.87 FanDuel points per minute.

In their last meeting, Williams got the better of Booker, holding him to just 19.8 FanDuel points. In their three meetings this season, Booker is averaging a solid 25.3 FanDuel points per game. However, both his big games came in Brooklyn, whereas tonight is in Charlotte.

Evan Turner, SF, Portland Trail Blazers

FanDuel Price: $4,800

The Portland Trail Blazers have started to give Evan Turner more minutes, and he has been playing better. He has two games with at least 30 FanDuel points over his last four outings, but he scored less than 15 FanDuel points in the other two games. We might see more of the latter tonight.

Turner has a tough matchup versus the Dallas Mavericks, even with Dallas coming off a back to back. According to our defensive-versus-position matchup chart, Turner and Maurice Harkless have the toughest matchup of any small forwards on tonight's slate. With the Mavericks allowing just 0.7 FanDuel points per minute to small forwards this season, it's best to lay off Turner tonight.