This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
We don't have much action to speak of in the NBA on Monday with only three games on the schedule. The good news is that there will still be a couple of exciting matchups with the Nuggets hosting the Bucks and the Raptors taking on the Jazz. As far as Yahoo DFS goes, here are some favorable options to consider for your entry, as well as a few to potentially avoid.
GUARDS
Devonte' Graham, CHA at ATL ($24): Maybe a night off did Graham some good. After sitting out Tuesday's matchup against the Spurs, Graham has recorded at least 23 points and six assists in back-to-back contests. Just as encouraging is that he shot 15-for-27 from the field across those two games. With the Hawks allowing the second-most points per game in the league, Graham is facing a favorable matchup to keep things rolling.
Eric Bledsoe, MIL at DEN ($20): The big news for this slate is that Giannis Antetokounmpo (knee) won't play. He also sat out Sunday against the Suns, which helped propel Bledsoe to 42.1 Yahoo points. He attempted 19 shots in that contest, which is a significant increase from his season average of 11.8 shot attempts a night. Expect him to continue to receive more scoring opportunities for however long Giannis is sidelined.
Guard to Avoid
Mike Conley Jr., UTA vs. TOR ($19): Conley has provided a couple of juicy stat lines lately, but he's been largely underwhelming by scoring 27.4 Yahoo points or fewer in five of his last seven games. During that stretch, he averaged only 4.4 assists and 11.3 shot attempts per contest. Facing a Raptors team that has the second-best defensive rating in the league doesn't exactly put him in an ideal position to produce one of his better stat lines.
FORWARDS
Khris Middleton, MIL at DEN ($29): Whenever Giannis has been out this season, Middleton has stepped up to become the Bucks' main offensive weapon. Sunday was no different considering he scored 39 points on 26 shot attempts. At this reasonable price, expect to see him include in a lot of entries, and rightfully so.
PJ Washington, CHA at ATL ($18): Combine the Hornets' lack of depth at power forward with their overall desire to play their young players more down the stretch and an ideal situation is unfolding for Washington. He's averaged 33 minutes across their last 11 games, which helped him score at least 26.5 Yahoo points eight times. Considering how poorly the Hawks have played on defense, this could be a great spot to deploy the cost-effective Washington.
Forward to Avoid
Joe Ingles, UTA vs. TOR ($15): After a strong performance against the Celtics on Friday, Ingles came crashing back down Saturday with only 16.4 Yahoo points against the Pistons. That's been closer to the norm for him lately since he has scored 20.1 Yahoo points or fewer in six of his last nine games. Although he's not pricey, his limited upside makes it difficult to justify adding him to your entry.
CENTERS
Brook Lopez, MIL at DEN ($19): Lopez is yet another player on the Bucks who should see more scoring opportunities in this game. His usage rate for the season checks in at 17.5 percent, but he has a 22.1 percent usage rate when Giannis isn't on the floor. Nikola Jokic isn't exactly a great defender, either, so Lopez is certainly an intriguing option.
Dewayne Dedmon, ATL vs. CHA ($13): Dedmon went cold from the field against the Grizzlies on Saturday, scoring only six points on 1-for-11 shooting. He went 0-for-7 from behind the arc, which really put a drag on his production. On the bright side, he did start again and hauled in 10 rebounds. With the Hornets allowing the sixth-most Yahoo points per game to opposing centers, Dedmon might be worth a look in tournament play.
Center to Avoid
Cody Zeller, CHA at ATL ($14): The Hornets are a mess at center right now, rotating DNP's between Zeller and Bismack Biyombo. After sitting out three straight games, Zeller has now played in each of the last three contests. With the uncertainty surrounding this situation on a nightly basis, Zeller might not be worth the risk.
