This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
The NBA starts off the week with a modest six-game slate Monday. However, the Lakers, Warriors and Mavericks are among the teams in action, so there will be no shortage of star power. Let's highlight some of the best options to consider on Yahoo, as well as a few players to possibly avoid.
GUARDS
James Harden, LAC at ATL ($37): This is the second game of a back-to-back set for the Clippers. That shouldn't be a problem for Harden, who hasn't missed a game in almost three months. He has scored at least 45.4 Yahoo points in five of his last eight appearances and has a great matchup against the Hawks, who have played at the fourth-fastest pace in the league. His salary also won't destroy your budget, making him an appealing option.
Brandin Podziemski, GS at BKN ($16): The Warriors are expected to face the Nets without Andrew Wiggins (ankle), who is listed as doubtful. Podziemski logged 39 minutes with Wiggins going down early against the Hawks on Saturday, scoring 38.7 Yahoo points along the way. The game prior, he torched the Grizzlies for 50.4 Yahoo points over 34 minutes. The Warriors need any spark that they can get right now, so expect Podziemski to play a lot again.
Guard to Avoid
Darius Garland, CLE vs. SAC ($28): The Cavaliers are being cautious with Garland. He has not played more than 24 minutes in any of the three games that he has appeared in since returning from a jaw injury. Even if his restrictions are lifted a bit in this matchup, he might be hard-pressed to play 30 minutes. That makes him too risky at this salary.
FORWARDS
Jonathan Kuminga, GS at BKN ($28): Kuminga couldn't take advantage of a favorable matchup against the Hawks on Saturday, scoring just 24.3 Yahoo points and eventually fouling out. Before that, he had scored at least 30.2 Yahoo points in eight straight games. He has logged at least 34 minutes in four straight games and should continue to play a lot with Wiggins out.
Kelly Oubre Jr., PHI vs. DAL ($19): The 76ers could be without Joel Embiid (knee) for the rest of the regular season. Tyrese Maxey is now their top scoring option, and they'll need Oubre to step up and be one of his top secondary scoring options. Never one to shy away from jacking up extra shots, Oubre has averaged 19.4 points and 5.0 rebounds over the last five games. The Mavericks have the sixth-worst defensive rating in the league, further tilting things in Oubre's favor.
Forward to Avoid
Max Strus, CLE vs. SAC ($23): Strus continues to struggle with his efficiency, shooting just 39.2 percent from the field over his last 17 games. During that span, he provided modest averages of 9.2 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists. Combine his struggles with the returns of Garland and Evan Mobley possibly taking shot attempts away from him and Strus isn't that appealing for DFS.
CENTERS
Nic Claxton, BKN vs. GS ($28): The Warriors have been getting torched by big men. The duo of Clint Capela and Onyeka Okongwu combined to record 39 points and 31 rebounds Saturday. When Claxton faced them earlier this season, he posted 19 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks across 33 minutes. Another juicy double-double could be in the cards for this rematch.
Onyeka Okongwu, ATL vs. LAC ($15): The Hawks announced Sunday that Capela (thigh) is going to be out for at least the next seven days. That should leave a clear runway for a lot of playing time for Okongwu. In the last game that Capela missed, Okongwu scored 37.7 Yahoo points against the 76ers. He has the potential to be one of the best value plays for this slate.
Center to Avoid
Anthony Davis, LAL at CHA ($52): There are a lot of appealing center options for this slate, most of which have cheaper salaries. Davis (Achilles/hip) comes with a hefty salary and enters the day listed as questionable. This game has blowout written all over it against an inferior Hornets' squad, so don't be surprised if Davis doesn't play a ton as the Lakers try to manage his health situation.
