This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
We have a combined two-game slate on tap with only one game each Monday and Tuesday. It features both of the Western Conference semifinal matchups, with the Warriors looking to sweep the Jazz and the Rockets eyeing another hot start against the Spurs. The best strategy in these situations is to pick a team and roll with them, so go for a heavy stack, possibly against-the-grain like San Antonio.
GUARD
Klay Thompson, GS at UTA ($32): Thompson is very clearly struggling to find his shot in this series, failing to score more than 15 points in three games. He's shooting 38.2 percent from the floor and 36.4 percent from 3-point range. The thing is, it's Klay Thompson, and the dude can explode at any moment. The Warriors may want to get Thompson going early in Game 4 so his poor shooting doesn't carry over into the next series. He's risky, but could pay off big with a heat check performance.
Shelvin Mack, UTA vs. GS ($10): Mack should be in line for another start with George Hill questionable to play with a toe injury. In two starts, Mack has been productive replacing Hill, scoring in double figures in each game. He has at least four assists and three rebounds in each game in the series versus the Warriors, and is a solid cash-game play, lineup pending.
Guard to Avoid
Stephen Curry, GS at UTA ($47): Considering the price, it's just not realistic to consider Curry over James Harden. In three games against the Jazz, Curry has been held in check, failing to score more than 23 points each time. His peak performance was 41.8 fantasy points, which just isn't cutting it if you're going to spend $47. He's also ceding a lot of shots to Kevin Durant and has looked more like a natural point guard than pure scorer.
FORWARD
Gordon Hayward, UTA vs. GS ($39): Let's face it, the Jazz don't really have any choice but to feed Hayward the rock and hope he can get them to Game 5. He's fought admirably, combing for 62 points in back-to-back losses. Hayward was successful getting to the line in Game 3 (13-of-14) and the Warriors aren't going to pull out all the stops in order to contain him. He is a safe play regardless of how the game script goes.
Trevor Ariza, HOU at SA ($20): Ariza has been great for the Rockets the past two games, scoring at least 16 points with five assists and five rebounds in each contest. He's posted 30-plus fantasy points in three of four games against the Spurs in the series, hitting at least five 3-pointers in two games. As long as Houston needs Ariza for his defense, his fantasy production should benefit.
Forward to Avoid
LaMarcus Aldridge, SA vs. HOU ($29): Aldridge has the capability of putting up a solid fantasy outing, but the likelihood that happens isn't high enough to warrant this price. He's failed to reach a point-per-dollar return in three of four games during this series. You're better off paying up for Hayward, or down for a veteran like David West ($10), who will cost next to nothing and has some contrarian appeal.
CENTER
Rudy Gobert, UTA vs. GS ($34): Gobert trumps pretty much every center on the slate by a very wide margin. For this reason, he's almost a must-play with the highest possible ceiling. Gobert has killed the Warriors on the glass the past two games, combining for 31 rebounds to go with 37 points. Golden State employed a hack-a-Gobert strategy, which will only help his point total, giving him high odds for another double-double.
Center to Avoid
Clint Capela, HOU at SA ($19): In playing Devil's Advocate, we've got to think about fading Capela in Game 5. There's a shot Nene Hilario ($10) sits out, which would give Capela a chance at playing close to 35 minutes. He's affordable and has posted solid rebounding numbers against the Spurs (13.5 per game), but you'll feel much more comfortable paying the price for Gobert rather than risking a dud from Capela, so shy away from him in this spot.
