This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
The NBA closes out the week in quiet fashion Sunday with only four games on the schedule, three of which will make up the main evening slate on Yahoo. An exciting matchup between the Bucks and Raptors helps salvage the evening, but there are fewer options than normal for your DFS entry. Here are some players to target and avoid to hopefully bring home some money.
GUARDS
Kemba Walker, CHA at NY ($40): Walker has run into a bit of a shooting slump with a 36.5 percent field goal percentage across his last eight games. However, his career-high 30.9 percent usage rate and ability to contribute in multiple areas still enabled him to score at least 35.4 Yahoo points in six games during that stretch. There aren't many top-tier guard options with so few games Sunday, but Walker stands out as one of the best options based on his floor.
Jeremy Lamb, CHA at NY ($22): Lamb scored 14.8 Yahoo points in his last game Friday against the Nuggets, which wasn't exactly a great matchup for him considering the Nuggets allow the fourth-fewest points per game (103.8) in the league. Prior to that, Lamb had scored at least 31 Yahoo points in seven of eight games. His increased playing time this season has enabled him to average career-highs in points (15), rebounds (5.6) and steals (1.3) per game, so don't let one bad outing scare you away from deploying him Sunday.
Guard to Avoid
Eric Bledsoe, MIL at TOR ($31): Bledsoe has shown excellent upside, scoring at least 43.8 Yahoo points in three of his last seven games. However, he hasn't been a consistent source for production, scoring 28.2 Yahoo points or fewer in each of the other four games during that stretch. This isn't exactly an ideal matchup against the Raptors, who allow the fourth-fewest Yahoo points per game (37.4) to opposing point guards.
FORWARDS
Kawhi Leonard, TOR vs. MIL ($45): Leonard couldn't be playing much better right now, scoring at least 44.5 Yahoo points in seven of his last eight games. Not only has he been an offensive force, but he's also averaging 8.4 rebounds and two steals during that eight-game stretch. The Bucks play at the fourth-fastest pace (104.2 possessions per game) in the league, which could afford Leonard with even more opportunities to stuff the stat sheet.
Derrick Favors, UTA at SA ($19): The Jazz and Spurs just faced each other Tuesday, a game in which Favors scored 25 Yahoo points across 23 minutes. His playing time is down at 23 minutes a game this year, but that hasn't stopped him from averaging 10.9 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game. His upside isn't very high based on his role, but he's also shown to have a relatively high floor with at least 23.6 Yahoo points in six of his last seven games.
Forward to Avoid
Nicolas Batum, CHA at NY ($17): Batum exploded for 41.4 Yahoo points Wednesday against the Timberwolves but came crashing back down to Earth with 15.9 Yahoo points Friday against the Nuggets. Once known for his ability to contribute in multiple areas, Batum is only averaging 9.2 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.4 assists this season. With his miniscule 14.2 percent usage rate and decline in assists, Batum isn't a very appealing option.
CENTERS
Rudy Gobert, UTA at SA ($34): If there is one thing you can say about Gobert it is that he is rested for this matchup. The Jazz last played on Thursday, but Gobert only lasted three minutes before he was ejected. He had scored 44 Yahoo points against these same Spurs on Tuesday, despite logging just 29 minutes in a blowout win. The Spurs don't have a lot of size up front, setting up Gobert with plenty of upside for their rematch, as long as he can keep himself from arguing with the officials.
Jakob Poeltl, SA vs. UTA ($10): Poeltl was one of the players who came over from the Raptors in the Kawhi Leonard deal. He's had a hard time making his mark with the Spurs, in large part because he is only averaging 13 minutes a game. However, they had him log 19 minutes when these two teams met last week, enabling him to score 31.9 Yahoo points. The Spurs need his size to battle with Gobert and Favors, so it wouldn't be surprising to see Poeltl receive expanded playing time in this contest, as well. If you want to save money at center in tournament play, Poeltl is someone to consider.
Center to Avoid
Jonas Valanciunas, TOR vs. MIL ($17): Like many centers have this season, Valanciunas feasted against the Nets on Friday by scoring 36.6 Yahoo points. That was a favorable matchup for him against Jarrett Allen, which enabled him to log 26 minutes. The same can't be said for this game against the Bucks, who play at a very fast pace and have Brook Lopez to stretch the floor. The last time these two teams met, Valanciunas played only 13 minutes and scored 16.6 Yahoo points. Don't be surprised if he's not on the floor much Sunday, either.
