Here are the top sleeper picks for Tuesday's six-game NBA slate:
PG Shaun Livingston, Warriors (vs. Lakers)
Livingston is a dependable veteran who has been getting some run off the Warriors' bench, averaging 21.2 minutes in his last three games. He's priced near the salary floor and can rack up fantasy points in a variety of ways.
With much of Livingston's potential tied to game time, he could be in line for a big return Tuesday; it's hard to envision this being a close game and there will be no need for Steph Curry and Klay Thompson to play down the stretch.
SG Gary Harris, Nuggets (vs. Clippers)
Harris was somewhat of a forgotten man coming into this season, especially with backcourt partner Emmanuel Mudiay stealing the headlines in Denver. Harris' slow start has kept his price very low, even though his usage and role have increased in the last couple of games.
This year, Harris has seen his field goal percentage rise from 30.4% to 49.5%. He's playing close to 30 minutes per game and his coaches are trusting him to take close to 10 shots a night. He's scored 12 or more points in four straight games, with a career high of 20 points against Phoenix on Friday.
SF Jeff Green, Grizzlies (vs. Mavericks)
Green has been a solid, if flawed, scorer throughout his career. Dallas' perimeter defense is hit-or-miss due to health concerns for key players Wes Matthews and Chandler Parsons.
Memphis' Zach Randolph accounts for 14.5 points per game but has been banged up and might not play Tuesday night; if Z-Bo is out, or even simply limited, Green stands to receive some of those additional scoring opportunities.
PF Dwight Powell, Mavericks (at Grizzlies)
Another result of a hampered Randolph is the increased upside of the Mavs' Powell. Though he doesn't have the 3-point range of a prototypical stretch-four, he can shoot the mid-range ball and spread the floor - an important factor in mitigating Memphis' strong interior defense.
Powell consistently scores around 10 points per game but his DFS peak comes from the ability to grab rebounds. That will be an easier task if Randolph isn't able to play at full strength.
C Nikola Jokic, Nuggets (vs. Clippers)
Jokic has his work cut out for him against DeAndre Jordan and Blake Griffin but the first-year center has performed admirably when forced into big minutes. When he gets 30 minutes of floor time, he's an honest double-double threat.
The interesting aspect about Jokic is that he doesn't fit perfectly into the mold of what a center should be. He steals the ball very well and makes free-throws at a 75% clip - not bad, given his age and size.
At an affordable price, he is worth the risk against a talented Clippers' team, especially with J.J. Hickson starting in place of the Nuggets' leading-rebounder, Kenneth Faried.
