This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
After a monster slate on Friday, we're back to just seven games here. Having seven games instead of 11 makes things much easier on us and it's a slate that I absolutely love. There's so much good value out there with all of the injuries and I can't wait to discuss it more. With that in mind, let's go ahead and get into it!
Guards
Victor Oladipo, HOU at DAL ($33)
Oladipo is posting a 53 percent usage rate with Christian Wood and John Wall off the floor. While that's obviously a small sample size, it's scary that he's providing 1.9 Yahoo points per minute in that span as well. That led to him scoring at least 47 fantasy points in each of his first two games with Houston, taking at least 22 shots in both of those games. That already makes him a solid value and we're certainly not worried about him facing a shorthanded Dallas team with a backcourt consisting of Jalen Brunson and Luka Doncic.
Delon Wright, DET vs. PHI ($11)
Wright was in our article at this same price last week. Wright has been playing at a $20 level for the majority of the season and he's been even better recently. In fact, Delon has at least 25 fantasy points in six of his last seven games. What makes that even more amazing is the fact that he's shooting just 35 percent from the field and 25 percent from three-point range in that span, stuffing the stat sheet at ease. If he has a hot shooting night and continues to provide rebounds, assists and steals at ease, we could be looking at a 40-spot from a near minimum priced player.
Guard to Avoid
Shake Milton, PHI at DET ($20)
It's hard to deny just how good this guy has been but it's hard to see him continuing this form. We say that because everyone is back for Philly. That includes guys Joel Embiid, Tobias Harris, Ben Simmons and Seth Curry. Milton provided 91 Yahoo points in two games without most of those guys but has free fallen back to earth since then. In fact, Shake has just 29 combined fantasy points over the last two games seeing his minutes fall from 32 to 29 to 18. Playing 18 minutes is a bad sign for anyone's fantasy value and it's clear that his role will not be the same with all of these guys back.
Forwards
Kristaps Porzingis, DAL vs. HOU ($29)
Out of all the big names on this slate, this is undoubtedly the most mind-boggling price tag. We're talking about a guy who's averaging 38 Yahoo points for the year, despite seeing limited minutes in his first few games. That appears to have been lifted though, with KP playing at least 32 minutes in four straight fixtures. That recent bump in playing time has led to some massive production, scoring at least 36 Yahoo points in each of those en route to a 42-point average. That is ridiculous production at this price and we haven't even discussed how Houston ranks 20th in total defense and sixth in pace. That was certainly the case when KP averaged nearly 60 Yahoo points per game in three meetings with the Rockets last year.
Bojan Bogdanovic, UTA vs. GS ($14)
Bojan has been a disappointment this season but he's too good to be this cheap. This is a sharpshooter who sat in the $20-range for most of last season and it's just a matter of time before he gets back there. We say that because he's returned to his 2019 form recently, scoring at least 22 fantasy points in five straight games. That's a heck of a floor from a $14 player and anyone attempting double-digit shots while playing 30 minutes a night is worth a shot at this price. The matchup against a 24th-ranked Warriors defense isn't too shabby either.
Forward to Avoid
Blake Griffin, DET vs. PHI ($21)
Why is Griffin still above $20? The former All-Star is a complete shell of himself, averaging just 12.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game. That looks even worse when you consider that he has just one block on the season, ceding touches to Jerami Grant. What really scares us here is that Griffin has to play the second half of a back-to-back set. He's dealt with injuries the last few years and we believe he'll be limited or rested in this game. That doesn't even take into consideration that Philly is a Top-5 defense.
Centers
DeAndre Jordan, BRK vs. MIA ($15)
No one gets excited about using Jordan but it appears he's the go-to center with Jarrett Allen being shipped off to Cleveland. Since picking up a DNP last week, Jordan is averaging 26 fantasy points per game across 28 minutes a night. That's the old Jordan we used to know and love, providing dunks, rebounds and blocks at ease. That 26-point average makes this price tag hard to understand, as he's performing at a $20-level. The matchup against Miami isn't as scary as it sounds either, with the Heat ranked 22nd in defensive efficiency so far this year.
DeMarcus Cousins, HOU at DAL ($14)
Cousins was the chalk on Friday's slate and he somehow dropped $4 in terms of price. While he did shoot just 2-of-16 from the field, Cousins provided 15 rebounds and seven assists thanks to a season-high 33 minutes. That minute total is the thing we've been waiting for, with Cousins averaging 1.4 Yahoo points per minute for the year. That allowed him to drop 35 fantasy points on Friday despite making just two shots and it's scary to think how good he could be if he made even 40 percent of those shots. As long as Christian Wood is out, Cousins is impossible to fade. Not to mention, Dallas is missing half of their frontcourt due to COVID protocols, opening things up even more for Cuz.
Center to Avoid
Montrezl Harrell, LAL at CHI ($19)
The most important factor in DFS is minutes played and that's making Harrell hard to trust. Over his last 12 games, Harrell has played more than 23 minutes only five times. That's a low workload for a $19 player, especially with superstars like Anthony Davis and LeBron James soaking up so much usage. The simple fact is, you can't get big statistics when you don't get big minutes. That's evident when you see that Harrell has only surpassed 32 Yahoo points once in that stretch. Obviously, that's not good enough when there's so much value at center with cheaper guys like Cousins, Jordan and Naz Reid available.
