This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
We're winding down to the final weeks of the regular season! We only have two weeks of articles left after this weekend, and it's starting to get chaotic in the NBA. We're in the middle of "silly season" right now, and this is when teams try to drive us crazy from a fantasy perspective. Not only do we have tanking teams sitting players but we also have playoff clubs resting players as well. That should open up a ton of value, though, so let's get started with two of the best scorers in the Eastern Conference!
GUARD
Tyrese Maxey, PHI vs. CHA ($43)
The Sixers season is falling apart, but Maxey is doing everything possible to keep their heads above water. The reason they've been free-falling is the Joel Embiid injury, but it's even worse since De'Anthony Melton and Tobias Harris are nicked up too. That should force Maxey to do everything, posting a 35 percent usage rate with those guys off of the floor. He's also averaging 1.3 Y! points per minute in those circumstances and could be staring at 40 minutes for this shorthanded team. The matchup with the Hornets is the icing on the cake, with Charlotte sitting 26th in defensive efficiency ratings. When they played two weeks ago, Tyrese totaled 52 Yahoo points against them!
Cam Thomas, BKN at IND ($25)
Kevin Ollie has been vocal about how much he trusts Thomas and it's starting to become evident in his role. The Nets leading scorer has taken at least 19 shots in all three games since his return from an injury, scoring at least 36 Yahoo points in all of those. He's also got a 35-point average across his last 17 games in total and should annihilate Indiana. Not only do the Pacers play at the fastest pace in the NBA, but they also rank 25th in defensive efficiency and 29th in points allowed. In their one matchup last season, Cam collected 36 fantasy points in a bench role!
Guard to Avoid
Klay Thompson, GSW at LAL ($21)
Thompson has been better recently, but we still can't trust him in this price range. The former All-Star hasn't scored more than 36 Yahoo points in 19 of his last 20 games, scoring 29 or fewer Yahoo points in 15 of those. He's also got a 23-point average in that span, playing just 27 minutes a night in a reserve role. This veteran has had way too many injuries to remain this expensive, and we hate that he had just 18 Y! points in his last matchup with LA.
FORWARD
DeMar DeRozan, CHI vs. WAS ($39)
The Bulls can't seem to keep any guards on the floor right now, with Zach LaVine, Lonzo Ball and Coby White all missing this game. That's put the offense in DeRozan's hands, and he's scored at least 32 Yahoo points in 22 of his last 25 games. That floor is paired with a 42-point average, with DeRozan dropping 66 Y! points just a few nights ago. One of those ceiling games could be in play against Washington's woeful defense, ranked last in points allowed and defensive efficiency. That was clear when DD averaged 44 Y! points per game in their three matchups last year.
Kyle Anderson, MIN at UTA ($16)
Here we are with another injured roster. Karl-Anthony Towns' absence opened things up for Anderson, who has started five of Minnesota's last seven games. Anderson has been slow to get going since the promotion, but he averaged 30 Yahoo points per game in his 46 starts last year. That would be an amazing total from such an affordable player, and it's much more likely to reach against Utah. The Jazz rank 29th in defensive ratings while surrendering the second-most fantasy points to opposing forwards. He actually started two games against them last year, scoring 43 and 47 Y! points in that expanded role.
Forward to Avoid
Andrew Wiggins, GSW at LAL ($15)
It's strange to have two Warriors in the fade section but it's easy to understand why when examining Wiggins' season. This former All-Star hasn't gotten anything going all year, averaging just 22 Yahoo points per game. What's truly remarkable is his lack of upside, scoring fewer than 30 Yahoo points in 49 of 56 games. That's hard to understand, but it makes Wigs an off-limits option for the remainder of the season.
CENTER
Nikola Vucevic, CHI vs. WAS ($35)
We've been exploiting Washington in DFS all season, and we're going right back to the well. We already talked about how shorthanded Chicago is right now, and that should force Vooch into a prominent role against the worst defense in the NBA. We love that when examining his recent form, averaging 40 Yahoo points per game across his last 30 fixtures. He's also scored at least 33 Y! points in 16 straight games against the Wizards, averaging over 40 fantasy points per game against them.
Naz Reid, MIN at UTA ($14)
It was frustrating to see Reid play behind KAT and Rudy Gobert all year, but he should be a huge part of this offense going forward with Towns sidelined. That's led to Reid scoring at least 43 Y! points in two of his last three games. He also averaged 33 Y! points per game as a starter last year and is clearly one of the best per-minute producers in the NBA. The bump in usage and playing time makes him impossible to fade against Utah, ranked 27th in points allowed and 29th in defensive efficiency. If Gobert has to sit as well, Reid should be locked into everyone's lineup.
Center to Avoid
Jonas Valanciunas, NOP vs. POR ($27)
What's going on with this guy's role? We knew JV would see a drop-off with CJ McCollum, Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram doing everything for this offense, but losing minutes to Larry Nance and Trey Murphy is something we didn't expect. The emergence of those bench players has limited Valanciunas to 20 minutes or fewer in five straight fixtures. That doesn't even include a seven-minute dud he had two games prior, and we obviously can't trust minutes like those in a game that could be over at the half.
