This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
The calendar flips to December on Saturday with seven games in the NBA, six of which make up the main slate on Yahoo. Let's try to start the month off in style with a winning entry. Below are some players to target or avoid that will hopefully help put some extra money in your pocket.
GUARDS
Spencer Dinwiddie, BKN at WAS ($20): Dinwiddie has been stellar off the bench for the Nets, so much so that he received his first start of the year Friday against the Grizzlies with Joe Harris (groin) out. He wasn't overly impressive with 22.9 Yahoo points, but the Grizzlies are one of the best defensive teams in the league. If Harris returns Saturday, there is a chance that Dinwiddie goes back to the bench. Either way, Dinwiddie is a great option against a Wizards team that plays at the sixth-fastest pace (103.9 possessions per game) in the league. When these two teams met earlier this season, he scored 49.8 Yahoo points.
Bogdan Bogdanovic, SAC vs. IND ($16): The Kings took a cautious approach with Bogdanovic's return from a knee injury, but he's logged at least 28 minutes in each of their last four games. He certainly played well, averaging 18.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.8 assists during that stretch. The Pacers are excellent defensively, but the Kings play at the second-fastest pace (106), which should leave Bogdanovic with enough opportunities to at least be worth considering in tournament play.
Guard to Avoid
Quinn Cook, GS at DET ($17): With the Warriors battling injuries, Cook has stepped up to score at least 22 Yahoo points in six of his last seven games. However, Stephen Curry (groin) will be back for this contest, which will send Cook back to the bench. Curry might not receive his normal allotment of minutes in his first game back, but Cook likely won't play enough to make much of an impact.
FORWARDS
Blake Griffin, DET vs. GS ($42): The Pistons will be playing in the second game of a back-to-back set, but at least Griffin only had to log 31 minutes Friday during their route of the Bulls. He was stellar despite his limited time on the floor, scoring 37.5 Yahoo points. The Warriors could still be extremely thin up with Draymond Green (toe) expected to miss this contest, potentially leaving Griffin with a great opportunity to stuff the stat sheet once again.
Markieff Morris, WAS vs. BKN ($19): Things couldn't have gone much worse for the Wizards against the Sixers on Friday, losing 123-98 on the road. Morris only played 22 minutes in the blowout, scoring a disappointing 7.9 Yahoo points. However, he had scored at least 32.5 Yahoo points in each of his previous four games. The loss of Dwight Howard (lower body) should continue to create added playing time for Morris, so don't be scared off from rostering him due to one bad performance.
Forward to Avoid
Gordon Hayward, BOS at MIN ($20): With all of the depth that the Celtics have, there's no reason to push Hayward to play significant minutes. He only logged 24 minutes Friday against the Cavaliers, marking his third straight game playing 24 minutes or fewer. Since this is the second game of a back-to-back set, this wouldn't seem to be a situation where he receives a significant increase in minutes.
CENTERS
Domantas Sabonis, IND at SAC ($28): Sabonis (back) is on fire right now with at least 36 Yahoo points in six of his last seven games. He is questionable for this contest, so you'll need to monitor his status leading up to tip off. Luckily, if he does sit, you could plug his teammate Myles Turner ($21) into your entry using the late swap and still likely receive valuable production. However, if Sabonis does play, he's an extremely appealing option.
Tristan Thompson, CLE vs. TOR ($21): Thompson bounced back from a 9.4 Yahoo point dud against the Thunder on Wednesday to score 35.4 Yahoo points Friday versus the Celtics. He recorded another double-double in that contest, marking the fifth time in the last six games that he's achieved that feat. This isn't exactly an eye-popping matchup against a tough Raptors team, but Thompson's minute's floor is high enough to make him a viable option in tournament play.
Center to Avoid
Larry Nance Jr., CLE vs. TOR ($19): Nance is getting plenty of playing time lately with at least 31 minutes in each of his last three games. However, he scored 21 Yahoo points or fewer in two of those contests. Even though the Cavaliers have suffered a litany of injuries, Nance still only has a 14.7 percent usage rate. Since he doesn't come at much of a discount, rolling with Nance in your entry could be a risky proposition.
