This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
It will be a busy day in the NBA on Saturday with 10 games on the schedule, nine of which will make up the main evening slate on Yahoo. There will be no shortage of stars to choose from with the Sixers, Rockets and Clippers among the teams in action. Let's take a look across the entire price scale and highlight some players to consider, as well as a few to avoid, while creating your entry.
GUARDS
Trae Young, ATL vs. ORL ($43): Young came out firing in the Hawks' season opener, scoring 38 points in a win over the Pistons. That wasn't the only area in which he excelled, either, with him also accumulating seven rebounds, nine assists and one steal. The Hawks played at the fastest pace in the league last year and Young had a 28.4 percent usage rate, so expect him to continue to put up gaudy numbers in this matchup against the Magic, who will try to slow him down with the duo of D.J. Augustin and Markelle Fultz.
Luke Kennard, DET vs. PHI ($16): Kennard has shown he can produce when given extended playing time, but the problem is that the Pistons have rarely given him significant minutes during his first two seasons in the league. That could be changing this season with him logging 28 and 31 minutes, respectively, in their first two contest. He followed up his 30-point performance in the season opener with 13 points, four rebounds, three assists and one steal in their second game against the Hawks. The Pistons will need him to continue to shoot more with Blake Griffin (knee/hamstring) out, making him a viable option at this reasonable price.
Guard to Avoid
Darius Garland, CLE vs. IND ($21): The good news is that Garland started in his first career game in the NBA and played 32 minutes. The bad news is that he only produced eight points, two rebounds and five assists. While the Cavaliers' roster is lacking talent, overall, they do have a couple of players who will command a high usage rate in Kevin Love and Collin Sexton. Garland could still be a valuable contributor in terms of assists, but expect him to be an inconsistent scorer, making him too risky at this price.
FORWARDS
Pascal Siakam, TOR at CHI ($37): With Kawhi Leonard gone, Siakam has been charged with a leading role this season. He's come through with flying colors in their first two games, averaging 33.5 points, 13 rebounds and 3.5 assists. The Bulls have shown plenty of defensive deficiencies through their first two games, setting up Siakam with another favorable opportunity to shine.
Jonathan Isaac, ORL at ATL ($18): Isaac has loads of potential, but he hasn't been able to put everything together through his first couple of seasons in the league. Part of that is possibly due to his limited playing time since he hasn't averaged more than 27 minutes per game. He was once again limited to 24 minutes in the Magic's first game of the season, scoring three points to go along with eight rebounds, two assists, one steal and two blocks. With the up-tempo pace at which this game will likely be played, there is some potential here for the ultra-athletic Isaac to shine.
Forward to Avoid
Kevin Knox, NY vs. BOS ($15): The Knicks made plenty of strange moves over the summer, including adding several veteran to their frontcourt. One of which was Marcus Morris, who will start at small forward over Knox. As a result, Knox has logged 21 and 29 minutes, respectively, in their first two games. He already has enough problems contributing in areas outside of points and rebounds, so the limited minutes isn't going to make things any better.
CENTERS
Clint Capela, HOU vs. NO ($24): With all the hype surrounding the duo of James Harden and Russell Westbrook, don't forget about Capela. He burst out of the gate with a huge night against the Bucks, recording 13 points, 12 rebounds, three blocks and one steal. That should come as no surprise considering he averaged 16.6 points, 12.7 rebounds and 1.5 blocks last season. The Pelicans have limited depth up front with Zion Williamson (knee) out, which will result in them playing a lot of small lineups. That should set up Capela with a favorable opportunity to produce a meaty stat line.
Tristan Thompson, CLE vs. IND ($14): If Thompson can get enough playing time, he's almost a lock to provide a double-double. In just 28 minutes a game last season, he averaged 10.9 points and 10.2 rebounds. He logged 33 minutes in their season opener, once again shining with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Don't expect much from him outside of those two categories, but another double-double would be enough for him to exceed his price point.
Center to Avoid
Alex Len, ATL vs. ORL ($16): The Hawks have some very talented young players on their roster, but they are weak at center. Len is their starter out of the gate, but it's hard to have much confidence in him considering he's never averaged more than 23 minutes per game during his career. He logged only 24 minutes in their opener and underwhelmed with four points and six rebounds. He'll have the occasional explosive performance, but his overall inconsistency doesn't make him very appealing on a packed slate with so many other viable options.
