This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
This is a challenging slate to navigate. We just had the trade deadline Thursday, and many of the players who got moved are still unpacking boxes in their new homes. It also makes the new-look rotations unpredictable, but we'll try our best to guess how they'll play out. With that in mind, let's get started with some guards!
GUARD
Tyrese Maxey, PHI at WAS ($44)
It's going to be nearly impossible to fade Maxey as long as Joel Embiid is sidelined. With the MVP off the floor, Maxey leads the Sixers with a 37 percent usage rate. He's averaging about 40 minutes and 20-25 shots when Embiid is out, providing a 49-point average in this expanded role. We'd use him against anyone, but Washington is a wonderful matchup. The Wizards rank 27th in defensive efficiency and 29th in points allowed, with Tyrese scoring at least 36 Yahoo points in all three of their matchups this year. With all that said, Maxey did miss Friday's game with an illness, so keep an eye out for his status. If Maxey does sit, don't forget about Buddy Hield ($14).
Amen Thompson, HOU at ATL ($13)
The rookie's talent was never in question, but now he's finally seeing a full workload. The Fred VanVleet injury has forced Amen into the starting lineup, and he's scored at least 39 Yahoo points in two of his three starts this year. He's playing 35 minutes in this new role and should be a lock at this salary the way he stuffs the stat sheet. Facing Atlanta is amazing too, as the Hawks rank 28th in defensive efficiency and last in points allowed.
Guard to Avoid
Darius Garland, CLE at TOR ($28)
Garland is one of my favorite players in the NBA, but he hasn't looked right since returning from an injury. The Cleveland guard hasn't played 30 minutes in any of his six games since returning, scoring fewer than 28 Yahoo points in all of them. He averaged well over 30 Y! points per game last season and needs a price drop if this form and limited workload is going to continue. DG will get better, but this is another game in which he could be limited because Cleveland is projected to blow Toronto out.
FORWARD
Josh Hart, NYK vs. IND ($25)
Hart's run as an elite DFS option might come to an end when the Knicks' roster is at full health, but that's not the case right now. Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle are both nicked up, allowing Hart to play 35 minutes a night as a starter. Since the promotion, Hart has been averaging 35 Yahoo points per game across 39 minutes a night. He's also recorded two triple-doubles in that seven-game span, which is incredible since he faces an Indiana team that plays at the fastest pace in the NBA. Pace means more possessions, which is critical for a stat-stuffer like Hart.
Vince Williams, MEM at CHA ($26)
This Memphis team has been mauled by injuries, losing Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, Marcus Smart and Luke Kennard. Then the Grizzlies traded Xavier Tillman, leaving Williams as one of the only healthy bodies left. He's thrived in this wasteland though, establishing himself as the primary playmaker for the shorthanded team. He's scored at least 25 Yahoo points in 12 straight games, generating a 35-point average in that span. The matchup with the Hornets is the icing on the cake, with Charlotte sitting 25th in points allowed while posting the worst defensive rating in the NBA.
Forward to Avoid
Scottie Barnes, TOR vs. CLE ($43)
This is a risky fade, but the game script scares us. These are two teams going in opposite directions, and it wouldn't be shocking to see the Cavs blow the Raptors out of the water. Scottie's recent form is also suspect, as he's scored fewer than 32 Yahoo points in eight of his last 17 games. You need over 40-45 fantasy points from a player in this salary range, and Barnes is likely still adjusting to the roster changes around him. Not to mention, Cleveland is second in both points allowed and defensive efficiency. Barnes has also scored 32 or fewer fantasy points in four of their last six matchups since the start of last season.
CENTER
Onyeka Okongwu, ATL vs. HOU ($18)
Okongwu can be challenging to trust when Clint Capela is healthy, but that's not the case right now. That means Big O is the starting center in Atlanta, and he's a $30 player when given that type of opportunity. In his six starts this season, Okongwu is averaging 32 Y! points per game across 34 minutes a night. He has an even higher per-minute average throughout his career and will have to play 35 minutes to oppose Alperen Sengun. Even in a reserve role, OO had 35 fantasy points across 33 minutes against the Rockets earlier in the year.
Nick Richards, CHA vs. MEM ($18)
This Hornets team has been horrid, but Richards has been a pleasant surprise for them. The big man has had to step into the starting center job for Mark Williams, and his role will rise even more with P.J. Washington and Gordon Hayward getting traded. LaMelo Ball is still out as well. Richards has scored at least 21 Yahoo points in 19 of his last 27 starts. He's also got a 26-point average in that span, which is all you can ask for from such an affordable player. Facing the Grizzlies is great, too, as they allow the seventh-most fantasy points to centers. It's also a rare game where these bad teams won't get blown out, and that makes all of them even more enticing.
Center to Avoid
Andre Drummond, CHI at ORL ($25)
Yahoo has kept Drummond's price elevated because they know he's one of the best per-minute producers in the NBA. That makes him an easy fade though, because he's in a reserve role behind Nikola Vucevic. He's only cracked 20 minutes in two of his 44 games coming off the bench, averaging 18 Y! points per game across 14 minutes as a backup. Those are nightmarish totals in this salary range, even though Drum is coming off two of his best games of the year.
