This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
There's not a lot going on in the NBA on Sunday with just three games on the schedule. The slate kicks off at 3:30 p.m. EST., so be sure to get your lineups in early. Here are some players to target and avoid on your way to creating what will hopefully be a winning entry.
GUARDS
Kyle Lowry, TOR vs. ORL ($34): Lowry is the most expensive guard on the slate and for good reason. He has the highest floor of the bunch, scoring at least 30.7 Yahoo points in 13 of his last 15 games. His scoring is down this year at 14.4 points per game, but he's helped offset that by averaging a career-high 9.1 assists. The only concern with deploying Lowry is the potential for the Raptors to blow out the Magic, but he's still a great option.
Jeremy Lin, TOR vs. ORL ($10): The Raptors are lucky they were able to snatch up Lin after Fred VanVleet (thumb) required surgery. VanVleet was one of their key reserves and was averaging 27 minutes a game. Lin logged 25 and 19 minutes, respectively, in his first two games with the team and should at least hover around 20 minutes a night until VanVleet returns. He could see even more playing time if this game becomes a blowout, potentially making him worth the risk in tournament play.
Guard to Avoid
Monte Morris, DEN vs. LAC ($18): It's been an injury-filled season for the Nuggets. Amazingly, they still find themselves with the second seed in the Western Conference. Things finally seem to be looking up for them down the stretch on the health front with Trey Lyles (hamstring) the only part of their rotation set to miss Sunday's contest. Morris has been a key reserve for them, but he's scored 19.6 Yahoo points or fewer in three of his last four games. It's hard to have much confidence in him at this price.
FORWARDS
DeMar DeRozan, SA at NY ($35): DeRozan couldn't lead the Spurs to a win over his former team in the Raptors on Friday, but he was still productive with 44.8 Yahoo points. His first season with the Spurs couldn't be going much better since he's averaging 21.4 points, 6.1 rebounds and 6.2 assists. That leaves him with a high floor and plenty of appeal since his price tag won't destroy your budget, as well.
Damyean Dotson, NY vs. SA ($10): The Knicks continue to be short-handed in their backcourt with Frank Ntilikina (groin) set to miss his 12th consecutive contest. Emmanuel Mudiay did make his return Friday, but that didn't stop Dotson from scoring 29.1 Yahoo points across 34 minutes. He can pile up points in a hurry, so consider adding him to your lineup at the minimum price.
Forward to Avoid
Kevin Knox, NY vs. SA ($15): Knox has shown plenty of promise during his rookie season and should play a lot down the stretch for the tanking Knicks. The problem from a DFS perspective is that he's extremely inconsistent. He's only shooting 36.4 percent from the field and hardly contributes anything in assists or defensive stats. As a result, he's scored 19.5 Yahoo points or fewer in four of his last seven games. Both of these teams are in the bottom half of the league in pace of play, as well, so this doesn't exactly set up Knox with a favorable chance to thrive.
CENTERS
Nikola Jokic, DEN vs. LAC ($49): Jokic is the player to build your entry around. He's scored at least 42.2 Yahoo points in 12 of his last 14 games and topped at least 50 Yahoo points eight times during that stretch. This is a great matchup for him against the Clippers, who allow the most Yahoo points per game (46.8) to opposing centers. The last time these two teams met in January, Jokic scored 54.8 Yahoo points.
Mitchell Robinson, NY vs. SA ($17): If you decide to slot in Jokic at center, don't hesitate to then deploy Robinson at your utility spot. He's in a great position to be productive with DeAndre Jordan (ankle) listed as doubtful. Robinson has already scored at least 28.4 Yahoo points in six of his last seven games and comes with tremendous upside with the likelihood for added playing time.
Center to Avoid
Marc Gasol, TOR vs. ORL ($23): Gasol has come off of the bench and logged 22 minutes or fewer in all four games since joining the Raptors. They won each time, so it's hard to argue with the results. However, the lack of playing time held Gasol to 30.2 Yahoo points or fewer in each contest. As long as he remains a part of the second unit, it's hard to justify rostering him at this price.
