This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
The NBA tips off the week with four more playoff games on the schedule Monday. The Heat will be looking to sweep the Pacers while the Bucks, Rockets and Lakers will all be looking to take commanding 3-1 leads in their respective series. In terms of building your Yahoo lineup, here are some players to target, as well as a few to possibly avoid.
GUARDS
LeBron James, LAL at POR ($51): The Lakers blew out the Blazers in Game 2, which left James to play only 27 minutes. He logged 34 minutes in a close contest in Game 3, which propelled him to score 62.4 Yahoo points. With his ability to contribute in so many areas and his high usage rate, his upside is off the charts. Really, the only risk with James is if the game becomes another blowout, he could see limited minutes again.
D.J. Augustin, ORL vs. MIL ($12): Augustin was excellent off the bench in Game 3, scoring 24 points to go along with three rebounds and six assists across 27 minutes. He also produced a double-double in Game 1, so he's had himself a productive series. The Magic don't exactly have an abundance of potent scorers on their roster, so expect Augustin to continue to receive plenty of opportunities to be productive off the bench.
Guard to Avoid
Victor Oladipo, IND at MIA ($22): The Heat have done a good job of limiting Oladipo. Yes, he's scored 22 and 20 points, respectively, the last two games. However, he did that on a combined 13-for-35 (37.1 percent) shooting from the field. The Heat are a good defensive team who played at the fourth-slowest pace in the league during the regular season, so this type of grinding series might not be the time to deploy Oladipo in daily contests.
FORWARDS
Anthony Davis, LAL at POR ($51): Davis had his best performance of the series in Game 3, finishing with 29 points, 11 rebounds, eight assists, two steals and three blocks. He's recorded at least 28 points and 11 rebounds in all three games and has totaled five steals and six blocks. The Lakers are heavily reliant on him and James to be successful, which should once again leave Davis with an extremely high floor.
Danuel House Jr., HOU at OKC ($15): The Rockets won't be receiving any reinforcements since Russell Westbrook (quadriceps) has already been ruled out for this contest. That should continue to leave plenty of playing time for House, who has averaged 36 minutes across the first three games. He's scored at least 26 Yahoo points in back-to-back contests, so he's a budget-friendly option to at least have on your radar.
Forward to Avoid
Robert Covington, HOU at OKC ($23): It's been a rough series for Covington, who hasn't scored more than 22.9 Yahoo points in any of the three games. He's scored just 18 total points in the series, and he played only 19 minutes in Game 3. Covington normally doesn't receive many opportunities to put points on the board, which has resulted in him attempting only 15 shots all series. Danuel House has been much better, and his salary is significantly lower, making it difficult to justify adding Covington to your entry.
CENTERS
Nikola Vucevic, ORL vs. MIL ($39): After two monster performances to start the series, Vucevic took a step backward in Game 3. Still, he finished with 20 points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals. He's attempted at least 19 shots in all three games and has also logged at least 35 minutes in each contest, so expect him to be extremely busy as the Magic try to even things up a two games apiece.
Jeff Green, HOU at OKC ($16): Green has emerged as a key player in the Rockets' plan to play small. He's played extensively up front, logging at least 32 minutes in all three games of this series. He's scored at least 37.2 Yahoo points in two of the three games, so despite his rising salary, he could still provide excellent value.
Center to Avoid
Jusuf Nurkic, POR vs. LAL ($32): The Lakers are a tough opponent for Nurkic. Not only did they have the third-best defensive rating in the league during the regular season, but they also held opposing centers to the fewest Yahoo points per game. After scoring a respectable 35.5 Yahoo points in Game 1, Nurkic has been held to 23.6 and 19.9 Yahoo points, respectively, across the last two games. Since Vucevic's salary isn't all that much higher, taking a chance on Nurkic breaking out here is a risk that might not be worth taking.
