This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
We only have three games in the NBA on Sunday, so there aren't exactly a ton of options to choose from in DFS. Injuries are a common theme, as well, which only further complicates matters. Let's dive into the matchups to see which players to target and avoid while creating your Yahoo lineup.
GUARDS
Devin Booker, PHO at MIN ($35): Saturday brought Booker's best game since his return from a back injury. He logged 38 minutes and scored 50.9 Yahoo points, an encouraging sign for his prospects moving forward. As long as he's receiving his normal allotment of minutes, he has tremendous upside based on his 32 percent usage rate. Even though he's the most expensive guard on the slate, his price is still low enough that he won't kill your budget.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, LAC at SA ($14): Lou Williams (hamstring) was unable to take the floor Friday against the Warriors and seems unlikely to play Sunday. Gilgeous-Alexander logged 43 minutes during his absence Friday and scored 42.1 Yahoo points against the Warriors. If Williams does indeed sit, Gilgeous-Alexander should have a clear path to extended playing time. Across nine games this season in which he has logged at least 30 minutes, he's averaging 17.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.4 steals and one block. Don't be surprised if he ends up as one of the better cheap value plays of the evening.
Guard to Avoid
De'Anthony Melton, PHO at MIN ($16): Melton logged only 13 minutes Saturday against the Hornets, marking his second straight game in which he played 16 minutes or fewer. He's still starting, but it's hard for him to be productive with such limited playing time. Since Gilgeous-Alexander is priced two dollars cheaper, it makes little sense to take a chance that this is the game in which Melton logs extended minutes.
FORWARDS
Tobias Harris, LAC at SA ($30): Williams isn't the only prominent player on the Clippers who could be sidelined for this contest. Danilo Gallinari (back) is listed as doubtful, leaving a significant scoring void in their offense if he can't play. Harris already has a career-high 23.6 percent usage rate and should get all of the shots that he can handle in this contest. It also helps his cause that the Clippers play at the eighth-fastest pace (102.6 possessions per game) in the league. The only risk here is that the Clippers get blown out on the road, but that's still not a good enough reason to fade Harris.
Marco Belinelli, SA vs. LAC ($11): DeMar DeRozan (ankle) was unable to play Friday against the Timberwolves, which propelled Belinelli to play a season-high 34 minutes. He came through in a major way, scoring 32.5 Yahoo points. DeRozan is expected to return for this matchup with the Clippers, but Belinelli is still a viable option in tournament play considering he's scored at least 23.9 Yahoo points in four straight games.
Forward to Avoid
Josh Jackson, PHO at MIN ($18): Jackson played extremely well when Booker was out, which increased his price on Yahoo significantly. However, over the three games Booker has played since he returned, Jackson has scored 15.3 Yahoo points or fewer in each contest. His price has come back down some, but it's still too high based on his limited upside.
CENTERS
Karl-Anthony Towns, MIN vs. PHO ($46): Towns stands out as the lock of the night despite being by far the most expensive option at any position. He's coming off of a quiet couple of performances, but don't get too worried. He only logged 28 minutes in a blowout loss to the Sixers on Tuesday and 21 minutes Saturday against the Spurs due to foul trouble. Deandre Ayton (ankle) and Richaun Holmes (foot) were both injured Saturday, so if they both can't play, Dragan Bender and Quincy Acy might be the players tasked with slowing down Towns. That's not exactly ideal for a team that already allows the second-most Yahoo points per game (53.5) to opposing centers.
Bismack Biyombo, CHA at IND ($10): With the Suns losing their top-two centers Saturday against the Hornets, Biyombo destroyed them for 45.1 Yahoo points across 27 minutes. That's clearly an outlier performance, but Biyombo has now scored at least 22.7 Yahoo points in three of his last four games. He remains the starter at center with Cody Zeller (hand) out, making him a viable option in tournament play despite this much tougher matchup against Myles Turner and the Pacers.
Center to Avoid
Willy Hernangomez, CHA at IND ($12): Hernangomez also had his way with the Suns on Saturday, scoring 22.6 Yahoo points across just 17 minutes. That performance came on the heels of him scoring 36.7 Yahoo points against the Kings on Thursday. The problem with Hernangomez is that he just doesn't receive enough playing time, logging 17 minutes or fewer in five of his last six contests. Both Hernangomez and Biyombo have similar upsides based on their new roles, so it might be wise to save the two dollars and roll with Biyombo if you're looking for a cheap center.
