This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
Perhaps the toughest lineup decision for Monday's nine-game slate will be choosing which guards to use. With nine priced $40 or higher, there are plenty of elite options, highlighted by James Harden ($56), who has been the early season fantasy MVP, and Stephen Curry ($48), who is the reigning NBA MVP. Harden gets a tough draw against the Pistons, but matchups haven't given him any trouble this season considering he hasn't scored fewer than 40 fantasy points in a game. Curry hasn't had many big performances this season, but he gets an excellent draw against the Pacers. There's also DeMar DeRozan ($45), who is leading the NBA in scoring at 33.0 points per game. The Raptors All-Star is an appealing play, but the Clippers have been stingy on defense and DeRozan is very reliant on high point totals for fantasy production. It's not easy to fade Harden on any given night, but it might not be a terrible idea Monday with so many options.
GUARDS
John Wall, WAS vs. PHO ($44): The Wizards have struggled this season, but that hasn't affected Wall's numbers, as he's averaging 24.0 points per game, 4.1 more than his career-high set last season (19.9). Wall has scored at least 41.3 fantasy points in each of his past three games and faces the NBA's worst defense in the Suns, who are allowing 114.9 points per game. The point guard has also hit eight 3-pointers in his past two starts, a trend that should continue against Phoenix considering it has allowed opponents to shoot 38.9 percent from downtown.
Dion Waiters, MIA at PHI ($14): If you're looking for a cheap guard with a high ceiling, Waiters is one of the better scorers on a pretty bad Heat offense. He normally needs a heavy number of shots in order to be productive, but he should get looks against the Sixers, who are allowing 1.21 points per shot and their opponents have an adjusted field goal percentage of 51.9. Waiters has at least 33.3 fantasy points in three of his past four games, and while he isn't very consistent, he has the chance to provide nice value in tournament lineups.
Guard to Avoid
Kemba Walker, CHA vs. MEM ($43): The Grizzlies have allowed fewer than 71 points in back-to-back games and limited the Mavericks to just 64 on Saturday. As a result, Walker should struggle with Mike Conley and Tony Allen shadowing him for most of the game, as Memphis limited Ricky Rubio, Andrew Wiggins and Zach LaVine to a combined 31 points in Sunday's 93-71 win. There are plenty of similarly priced point guards such as Wall and Isaiah Thomas ($41).
FORWARDS
Blake Griffin, LAC vs. TOR ($41): Of the elite power forward options for Monday's nine-game slate, Griffin has the best chance of returning value. He's scored at least 20 points in eight of his last nine games and has at least 45 fantasy points in three straight. The Raptors have allowed at least 102 points in six straight games and should keep the game competitive, which will favor Griffin's minutes. He may be heavily owned, so he'd be the preferred play for cash games.
Otto Porter, WAS vs. PHO ($25): The Wizards will be an appealing team to stack against the Suns, but if you'd rather not pay up for Wall, Porter and shooting guard Bradley Beal ($28) would only cost $9 more. Porter has been inconsistent on offense, but that shouldn't be a problem against Phoenix, plus he provides plenty of coverage on the boards (8.2 per game) and steals (10 in his past three games).
Forward to Avoid
Harrison Barnes, DAL at SA ($28): After a scoring binge last week, Barnes has come back to Earth with a combined 26 points in his past two games. If Barnes isn't scoring, don't play him; he's averaging just 5.7 rebounds and 1.0 assist per game, and he has hit three 3-pointers in his past six starts. Additionally, Barnes is also playing the Spurs and will most likely be guarded by Kawhi Leonard, which doesn't bode well. The Mavericks are on a five-game losing streak in which they haven't scored more than 95 points. There aren't many options at small forward Monday, so it may be a good idea to pay up for elite players like Kevin Durant ($51) or Leonard ($46).
CENTERS
Al Horford, BOS at MIN ($31): After struggling in his first three games with the Celtics and missing time because of a concussion, Horford returned and had a season-high 18 points with 11 rebounds, five assists, three blocks and two steals (48.7 fantasy points) in a tough matchup against the Pistons on Saturday. The T-Wolves aren't a great defensive unit and the Celtics will want to get Horford going. He provides a lot of secondary stat coverage as well, dishing out at least five assists in three of four games this season, and he can stretch the floor, having hit two 3-pointers Saturday against Detroit.
Clint Capela, HOU at DET ($18): Capela is coming off a career-high 20 points in Saturday's victory against the Jazz, a tough defensive matchup against Rudy Gobert. He also had eight rebounds and five assists for 39.1 fantasy points. Capela has had at least 27.9 fantasy points in each of his past five games, providing excellent value considering his low price. For cash games, Capela might be the most appealing option at the position, but he's also viable in tournaments with the low salary.
Center to Avoid
Marc Gasol, MEM at CHA ($31): It's tough to find a center who has struggled lately, but Gasol barely fits the bill. He's coming off six points, seven rebounds and three assists in over 35 minutes Saturday against the T-Wolves, and he has failed to eclipse 25 fantasy points in three of his last four games. Gasol has gone seven straight games without reaching double-digit rebounds, and he has only two blocked shots in his past four. The Hornets aren't imposing down low, but this is more about Gasol struggling than about Charlotte's defense.
