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.
Devin Booker, SG, Phoenix Suns
FanDuel Price: $6,800
Devin Booker opened the season as cold as ice from the floor, but he is starting to pick things up, and his fantasy owners in season-long and DFS have been rewarded lately. He has scored at least 20 points in 12 straight games, but that streak is in serious jeopardy tonight against the Memphis Grizzlies.
As a team, Memphis is limiting opposing shooting guards to just 0.77 FanDuel points per minute this season, and Tony Allen has a lot to do with it. He is holding players he defends to just 41.8% shooting and 31.9% shooting from downtown.
While they've only had two meetings to this point, Booker is shooting just 7-for-19 against Allen in his young career, and with this being a huge pace-down game for the Phoenix Suns, I'm taking the 35-year-old's defense over the 20-year-old's offense tonight.
Harrison Barnes, SF, Dallas Mavericks
FanDuel Price: $6,600
With Kevin Love sitting out on Monday night with a sore back, the Cleveland Cavaliers will likely elevate Richard Jefferson into the starting lineup on Monday. That gives them a lot of flexibility defensively that they don't have with Love on the court.
More specifically, it gives them the ability to stick Jefferson on Wesley Matthews if they want to, which leaves Harrison Barnes to be defended by LeBron James.
On the heels of playing last night, that spells bad news for the Dallas Mavericks and Barnes. The Cavs are holding opposing power forwards to just 0.85 FanDuel points per minute this season, so look for them to play James more at power forward tonight, which likely means he will be glued to Barnes on defense.
Jaylen Brown, SG, Boston Celtics
FanDuel Price: $3,900
Jaylen Brown has played well as a starter over the last two games, and with Avery Bradley likely still not ready to return, he could earn another start on Monday.
However, there is a chance this is a poor matchup for Brown. His 20-point outburst came against C.J. Watson, and he regressed some against the Milwaukee Bucks with 25.1 FanDuel points on Saturday.
I see him falling back to earth tonight, especially against a talented defender like Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. Pope and the Detroit Pistons are holding opposing shooting guards to just 0.74 FanDuel points per minute this year. Even at his cheap price, you can do better tonight, especially in cash games.