This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
This NBA season has been wild and the chaos is going to continue for DFS managers. It was tough before when we had to worry about injuries and resting but now the COVID situation adds a whole new dynamic. That means paying attention to news is critical and we have all of that covered for you here on the RotoWire page! So, with that in mind, let's talk about this Sunday slate.
Guards
Bradley Beal, WAS vs. MIA ($43)
This dude is absolutely crushing it right now. Not only has he scored at least 40 fantasy points in every game this season, Beal is also averaging 51 Yahoo points per game for the year. He's been even more ridiculous recently, averaging over 58 fantasy points per game across his last three outings. It's scary to think that could improve here but we believe the Wizards will be without Russell Westbrook. With him off the floor this season, Beal has a 39 percent usage rate while averaging 1.5 Yahoo points per minute. All of that makes it shocking that Beal is outside of the Top-5 in terms of pricing and it makes him the best player to pay up for.
Cole Anthony, ORL at DAL ($14)
There's always a couple of sparkling deals on Yahoo and Anthony is certainly one of those guys here. What makes him attractive is the fact that the Magic are expected to be without Markelle Fultz, Evan Fournier and Aaron Gordon. That means Anthony will start and play 30 minutes which was nearly the case on Friday. Anthony played 28 minutes in a blowout loss to the Rockets, tallying 15 points, two rebounds, three assists and two steals in a very solid performance. We're certainly not worried about him dealing with Luka Doncic's subpar defense either.
Guard to Avoid
Russell Westbrook, WAS vs, MIA ($46)
This might be the easiest fade we've had all year. We say that because there's really nothing to like about Westbrook today. We'll start by talking about his dislocated finger which hampered him to his worst performance of the season on Friday. He ended up committing seven turnovers in that game while shooting just 4-of-16 from the field, finishing with a season-low in fantasy points. The fact that he played on Friday might be even more concerning for today, as he's been sitting in one half of each back-to-back set so far this season. If all of that doesn't make you want to stay away, maybe facing a Top-10 Miami defense will.
Forwards
Jimmy Butler, MIA at WAS ($31)
Butler is having a terrible start to his season but he's way too good of a player to be sitting at just $31. We're talking about a guy who flirted with a 40-point average last season and some small nicks have kept him from doing that this year. He does appear to be getting healthy though, dropping 48 Yahoo points across 33 minutes in his last game. He's actually scored at least 48 fantasy points in every game that he's played at least 30 minutes this year and that should continue to be the case. What we really love is this matchup though, with Washington ranked dead-last in points allowed and 27th in defensive efficiency. In his four matchups with the Wizards last year, Butler had at least 40 Yahoo points in three of those, if you needed any more incentive.
Harrison Barnes, SAC vs. POR ($22)
No one gets excited about sticking Harrison Barnes into their lineup but this guy has been surprisingly solid all season long. In fact, he's scored at least 27 Yahoo points in all but one game this year. That's quite the floor from a $22 player, especially when you see his 31-point average. The matchup against Portland is the icing on the cake though, with the Trail Blazers ranked 25th in points allowed and 24th in defensive efficiency.
Forward to Avoid
John Collins, ATL at CHA ($31)
While Collins is an awesome player, it's clear that he's not the fantasy contributor we saw throughout most of last season. Where that's really clear is in his workload, averaging just 28 minutes a game this season while generating a meager 22 percent usage rate. Those numbers simply aren't high enough for a guy who's priced above $30, particularly when you take into consideration that Collins has only surpassed 38 Yahoo points once all year.
Centers
LaMarcus Aldridge, SAN at MIN ($24)
A knee injury killed Aldridge's price and numbers at the beginning of the season but 28 points, five rebounds and three assists on Thursday night show just how good this veteran can be when healthy. We're talking about a guy who's usually $30 on Yahoo and it's just a matter of time before he gets back there. What makes that Thursday game even more impressive is the fact that he did that damage against an elite Lakers defense. That certainly won't be a problem here, facing a Minnesota team that owns the worst defensive efficiency in the NBA.
Richaun Holmes, SAC vs. POR ($22)
Holmes got off to a slow start because of the Hassan Whiteside nonsense but now that Whiteside is seemingly out of the rotation, this is Holmes' job. Where that's really evident is in his floor, scoring at least 28 Yahoo points in five of his last six games. That's the stud we saw throughout most of last year and it's gotten his average up to nearly 30 fantasy points per game. The best part about using Holmes is the matchup though, with Portland surrendering the sixth-most fantasy points to opposing centers this season. In his final three games against them last year, Holmes averaged over 32 Yahoo points per game.
Center to Avoid
Myles Turner, IND vs. PHX ($25)
While Turner has been a nice surprise for fantasy owners this season, one has to believe that he's bound to regress. We say that because most of his fantasy value is coming through blocks and steals. He has 5.7 combined blocks and steals per game which is simply an unsustainable rate. His other averages come to 11.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 0.8 assists. That means if he doesn't provide elite numbers on the defensive end, he shouldn't even be above $20. What makes that even worse is the fact that he faces a Phoenix defense that's allowing the fewest points in the NBA.
