NBA

3 Daily Fantasy Basketball Players to Avoid on 4/4/17

Jordan Sharp  —  @TehSharp Apr 4th, 2017
Myles Turner has struggled in his previous meetings with Jonas Valanciunas, and the Raptors have been stingy against opposing centers. Which other players are in a tough spot?

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.

Kawhi Leonard, SF, San Antonio Spurs

FanDuel Price: $9,200

It's really hard to fade Kawhi Leonard on any given night. However, tonight against the Memphis Grizzlies, the San Antonio Spurs are nine-point favorites. With the Grizzlies' growing injury report, this one could get out of hand in a hurry.

There is also the fact that Leonard hasn't played well against the Grizzlies. He has yet to score at least 35 FanDuel points against Memphis this season, and with the potential for this one to be a blowout, Leonard's upside could be limited if he isn't in the game by the fourth quarter.

The Grizzlies are holding opposing small forwards to 0.73 FanDuel points per minute this season, and considering these two teams are pretty much locked into their seeds in the Western Conference, they may choose to use tonight to hold guys out. If they stay where they're currently at in the standings, Memphis and San Antonio would face one another in the first round, which could lead them to not want to tip their hands tonight.

Myles Turner, C, Indiana Pacers

FanDuel Price: $6,500

Myles Turner has started to play really well since the All Star Break, and while it may not be enough to get the Indiana Pacers into the playoffs, his play and the rest of the Pacers' play tonight will go a long way in deciding whether they are in or out.

However, Turner has had a lot of trouble against Jonas Valanciunas in past meetings -- both this season and last year. If that continues, Turner could be a huge landmine tonight at his price tag of $6,500.

Turner has been struggling lately, too, averaging fewer than 10 points per game in his last three. Turner has never scored in double figures (in real-life points) against Valanciunas in their three career meetings, and the Raptors are holding centers to 0.95 FanDuel points per minute this season.

Buddy Hield, SG, Sacramento Kings

FanDuel Price: $5,500

Buddy Hield has been breaking out with the Sacramento Kings lately and he was recently named the Western Conference Rookie of the Month.

However, Hield has been very hit or miss in DFS. When he is contributing in other areas outside of scoring, he has been a huge fantasy asset, but on nights where he does very little other than score, he usually misses the mark.

There is also the issue of him going against the Dallas Mavericks. Dallas is holding shooting guards to just 0.75 FanDuel points per minute this year, and that's enough to make Hield a scary play tonight.