This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
This week has been beyond crazy. Whether it's trades, injuries or COVID protocols, there's just so much going on right now. Luckily, we have just four games on this main slate but there's still a ton of question marks out there. Most notably, the Sixers, Grizzlies and Heat continue to deal with COVID craziness. It's unclear what these rosters will look like at this point but we'll do our best to break things down and offer up some values for this Saturday slate.
Guards
Shake Milton, PHI at MEM ($17)
It would be easy to sit here and write about the Trae Young-Damian Lillard matchup. That's why we're going to go cheap here in order to squeeze those expensive guys into your lineup. Milton is just that and he should be ready for a big workload with Joel Embiid missing this game. Despite coming off the bench in his return to action on Thursday, Milton dropped 52 Yahoo points in just 27 minutes of action. One would have to believe he'll re-enter the starting lineup here and play 30-plus minutes after getting his feet wet on Thursday. If that's the case and he gets the minutes/role we anticipate, Milton is an incredible value at just $17.
Delon Wright, DET at MIA ($11)
Wright can be a frustrating guy to roster at times but this price limits any of that risk. We say that because he's nearly minimum priced and needs just 15-20 Yahoo points to provide value. That seems like the floor when you look at his recent numbers, averaging 28 fantasy points per game across 34 minutes of action in his last three games. Those are astounding numbers from a player this cheap and it makes him the best value play of the day.
Guard to Avoid
Tyus Jones, MEM vs. PHI ($18)
It looks like Ja Morant might return here and that would make Jones impossible to use. Not only would that force Jones into bench duties, it will also likely cut his minutes in half. It's not like he was that special as a starter anyway, surpassing 28 Yahoo points only twice in this expanded role. That's right around what you'd need from a player sitting at $18 and it would be hard to imagine him reaching 20 Yahoo points if Morant does return here. We also hate that he faces a Philly team that ranks fifth in defensive efficiency.
Forwards
Tobias Harris, PHI at MEM ($29)
Harris is easily my favorite play of the day. It's one thing to have his price below $30 but it's another to price him like this when he's going to be running the show for the Sixers. We say that because Embiid is out for this game while Ben Simmons is questionable. With Embiid off the floor, Harris has a 30 percent usage rate since the beginning of last season while averaging 1.4 fantasy points per minute. That would equate to 42 Yahoo points if he played only 30 minutes which is way below the 33 minutes a night he averages. The icing on the cake is the matchup though, with Memphis surrendering the second-most fantasy points to opposing small forwards this season. Just get Harris into your lineup and build from there.
P.J. Washington, CHA at TOR ($23)
Ever since Cody Zeller went down with injury, Washington has been amazing. In fact, he's averaging 14.4 points, 7.9 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 0.9 steals and 2.0 blocks over his last seven games played. That equates to 36 fantasy points per game in that span which means his price is way too low. The matchup isn't too bad either, with Toronto surrendering the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing power forwards. That certainly appeared to be the case when P.J. dropped 41 Yahoo points on them earlier in the week.
Forward to Avoid
John Collins, ATL at POR ($30)
Collins simply hasn't been the same guy we saw throughout most of last season. Where that's really evident is in his ceiling, scoring more than 36 Yahoo points once all year. Scoring 36 should be a regular thing from a $30 player and it's hard to understand why he remains so expensive behind his 31-point average. He's been even worse recently, scoring just 72 combined Yahoo points over his last three games, failing to crack 30 in any of them. The only silver lining with him is this matchup against Portland but it's hard to trust a guy who hasn't lived up to this price tag all year.
Centers
Enes Kanter, POR vs. ATL ($18)
Kanter has always been a per-minute stud and an injury to Jusuf Nurkic is the thing that could get him going. We're talking about a guy who's averaging 23.5 Yahoo points across 18.6 minutes a game this season. That equates to 1.3 Yahoo points per minute which happens to be right around his career average. With Nurkic out, Kanter should receive a start and could be looking at 25-30 minutes. If he plays 30 minutes at this rate, we're talking about 42 fantasy points. Getting that sort of production from an $18 player is unheard of and it makes Kanter one of the best values out there.
Dwight Howard, PHI at MEM ($10)
This is another center we like because of injury. Howard has been solid as a backup the last few seasons but Embiid's absence should force him into a start and 25 minutes here. Much like Kanter, Howard is the sort of player that goes off when given the minutes. That's evident by his 17-point average in fewer than 17 minutes a game. Anytime you get a fantasy-point-per-minute producer getting a drastic increase in playing time, you have to use them, especially when they're a minimum priced player. We also love the fact that the Grizzlies rank 25th in fantasy points allowed to opposing centers.
Center to Avoid
Bam Adebayo, Joel Embiid and Jusuf Nurkic
Adebayo is questionable because of COVID protocols while Nurkic and Embiid are currently injured. That means there's no center above $30 on this slate which is why we want to pay up for guys like Young, Harris and Lillard while saving up at center.
