This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
Monday brings a fairly quiet night in the NBA with just six games on the schedule. Luckily, there are still a couple of great matchups with the Grizzlies taking on the Rockets and the Pelicans facing the Clippers. Let's dive into the entire slate and highlight some players to target and avoid while creating your Yahoo entry.
GUARDS
Donovan Mitchell, UTA vs. DET ($38): With all of the Jazz's injuries at point guard, Mitchell has been tasked with running their offense. The initial results have been excellent with Mitchell scoring at least 49.3 Yahoo points in each of his last three games. Not only is he racking up more assists, but he also scored at least 33 points in all three of those contests. With no reinforcements coming Monday, Mitchell is a great option to consider.
Evan Turner, POR at SAC ($11): Turner's scoring numbers certainly don't jump off the page with averages of eight points and 0.1 three-pointers per game for the season. However, his contributions with rebounds and assists still leaves him with some upside. He's scored at least 20.2 Yahoo points in five of his last six games and could see some extra playing time if Maurice Harkless (knee) is once again unable to play. The added minutes could really be beneficial since the Kings play at the second-fastest pace (104.7 possessions per game) in the league.
Guard to Avoid
Spencer Dinwiddie, BKN vs. BOS ($18): Dinwiddie is in an offensive slump right now, shooting 25-for-72 (34.7 percent) from the field across his last eight games. The Celtics are tied for the fifth-fewest points allowed per game (105.6) in the league, so this isn't exactly a favorable spot for Dinwiddie to right the ship. Since he doesn't come at much of a discount, adding him to your entry comes with plenty of risk.
FORWARDS
Royce O'Neale, UTA vs. DET ($15): Mitchell isn't the only player on the Jazz who has been significantly more productive due to their lack of options at point guard. O'Neale has logged at least 37 minutes in back-to-back games, which is up drastically from his average of 17 minutes per contest for the year. He scored 30.9 and 36.2 Yahoo points, respectively, during that stretch. His price has increased by five dollars, but he's still a bargain based on his upside.
JaMychal Green, MEM at HOU ($14): Green feasted on the Heat on Saturday, scoring 39.2 Yahoo points across just 22 minutes. That marked his second consecutive game with at least 32.2 Yahoo points. The Grizzlies lost Kyle Anderson (ankle) in that game against the Heat, which could open up few extra minutes for Green. His minute's upside is not as high as O'Neale's, but Green is also a viable option in tournament play.
Forward to Avoid
Jayson Tatum, BOS at BKN ($26): Tatum's role in the Celtics' offense has expanded with him posting a 22.6 percent usage rate this year compared to his 19.5 percent mark last season. The problem is, he provides very little in terms of assists and blocks and his 1.1 steals per game don't really stand out all that much. As a result, he's scored 28.7 Yahoo points or fewer in five of his last six games. On a night with several high-priced stars in action, it might not make sense to pay this much for Tatum based on his limited upside.
CENTERS
Jusuf Nurkic, POR at SAC ($35): When these two teams faced off earlier this month, Nurkic absolutely destroyed the Kings on his way to 88.1 Yahoo points. He finished that game with 24 points, 23 rebounds, seven assists, five steals and five blocks. It's going to be nearly impossible for Nurkic to repeat such a robust, well rounded stat line. However, the Kings have allowed the 10th-most Yahoo points per game (48.7) to opposing centers, so Nurkic is still in a great spot to be extremely productive.
Al Horford, BOS at BKN ($21): Horford recently missed some time due to a knee injury and had been playing limited minutes since he returned. That changed over the weekend when his minute's restriction was increased to 30 minutes. He wasted no time making his mark, scoring 42.2 Yahoo points Saturday against the Magic. The Nets allow the seventh-most Yahoo points per game (49.8) to opposing centers, so the added playing time could propel Horford to another meaty stat line.
Center to Avoid
Willie Cauley-Stein, SAC vs. POR ($26): Cauley-Stein enters this game on a hot streak with at least 40.4 Yahoo points in four of his last five games. However, this is not a great matchup against the Blazers, who allow the sixth-fewest Yahoo points per game (43.2) to opposing centers. The last time these two teams met, Cauley-Stein scored just 25.7 Yahoo points. Horford at least has similar upside and is five dollars cheaper, so this might be the night to pass on Cauley-Stein.
