NBA

3 Fantasy Basketball Players to Avoid on 11/20/18

Battling multiple injuries has left Rondae Hollis-Jefferson hard to trust in DFS. Who else are we avoiding on Tuesday?

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 takes only one player to sink a lineup. Searching for the landmines could mean the difference between winning and losing your contests. Which players should we avoid tonight?

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, PF, Brooklyn Nets

FanDuel Price: $6,000

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson has been banged up this year, missing four games and being limited to just 20.4 minutes per game when he does play. His last time out he played just 12 minutes as he was coming off a groin injury. While his per-36 averages are solid -- 16.3 points and 9.2 rebounds -- not being able to consistently play extended minutes limits the Brooklyn Nets' forward's production in DFS. RHJ has posted five games of 20.6 or fewer points in his last eight games played.

The Nets face off with the Miami Heat on Tuesday, with Brooklyn holding the lowest implied point total of the day (106.25). Not an elite defense by any means, the Heat have stepped up their game lately, posting a 103.9 defensive rating in their last three games, a top-10 mark in the league. Power forwards have also had their struggles against Miami, averaging just 0.93 FanDuel points per minute. A tough opponent plus the injury/minutes concerns, make Hollis-Jefferson hard to trust on Tuesday.

Justise Winslow, SF, Miami Heat

FanDuel Price: $5,000

Justise Winslow is finally getting the minutes deserving of a top-10 pick, but the defensive-minded forward is still struggling to score points in the NBA. Over his last five games, Winslow has scored in single digits, averaging just 6.0 points in 26.8 minutes per game. He is shooting a horrific 28.9% from the floor and 20.0% from three-point land during the span. While the Heat forward does contribute across the board -- 5.3 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.0 steals -- his low point totals limit his usefulness in fantasy. Winslow has exceeded 19.7 FanDuel points just once in his last five games, averaging 17.7 FanDuel points per night.

The Heat’s Tuesday matchup with the Brooklyn Nets carries the lowest over/under of the day (216.0) as the Nets run at one of the slower paces in the league (24th). Add in the return of James Johnson, pushing Winslow to play more minutes at small forward, and it will be hard to roster Winslow. The Nets hold small forwards to a league-low 0.78 FanDuel points per minute.

Kevin Knox, PF, New York Knicks

FanDuel Price: $4,800

Kevin Knox has created a lot of buzz in New York, but his play since moving into the New York Knicks' starting lineup three games ago has been ho-hum. In those starts, Knox is averaging just 10.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.0 assists in 24.5 minutes per game. The usage rate is there, at 22.6%, but the problem lies with his shot-making ability. The rookie is sinking just 33.3% of his attempts. Until his shot falls consistently, it will be hard to play Knox, especially against a tough defense like on Tuesday.

The Portland Trail Blazers own a top-eight defensive rating (105.3) and limit opponents to 43.5% shooting, the third-lowest rate in the league this season. The Blazers are also holding power forwards, where Knox plays 78% of the time, to just 0.93 FanDuel points per game, the third-lowest rate on Tuesday.

Dale Redman is not a FanDuel employee. The views expressed in his articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.