This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
Saturdays usually tend to have games spread throughout the day, but they start at 8ET today. That means it's going to be a late-night for all of the east coasters out there, but it's perfect for a Mountain Time person like me! What's also interesting about this slate are all the close games, with many of them having narrow spreads. That means we're going to have a fun night of basketball ahead of us, so let's go ahead and get into it!
Guards
Damian Lillard, POR at CHI ($48)
Portland has been one of the unluckiest teams the last few years when it comes to injuries, and they're in the midst of another snake-bitten season. As of now, they're currently without CJ McCollum, Jusuf Nurkic and Robert Covington. That's a ton of shots and usage out of the lineup, but Lillard is happy to take it on and take over. With those three off the floor, Lillard has a 31 percent usage rate while averaging 1.2 Yahoo points per minute. That's certainly evident when you see that Lillard has at least 45 fantasy points in five-straight games, playing nearly 40 minutes a night. That doesn't even consider that Chicago surrenders the sixth-most fantasy points to opposing point guards this season.
Wayne Ellington, DET at GS ($11)
Yahoo was slow to adjust to Delon Wright's price last week, and they're doing something similar here with Ellington. The sharpshooter has been lights out for two weeks now, and it makes no sense why he's just $1 above a minimum price. We're talking about someone who's scored at least 22 Yahoo points in six-straight games, firing up 10 three's a night. Most $11 players are barely getting off the bench, and it's hard to understand why he remains this cheap. The matchup makes it even more difficult to understand, with Golden State surrendering the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing SGs this season.
Guard to Avoid
Marcus Smart, BOS vs. LAL ($25)
Smart has been fantastic filling in with so many of these Boston players out, but it's time for him to cede some touches and see his price drop below $20 again. Jayson Tatum, Kemba Walker and Daniel Theis are all back and fully healthy, making Smart an afterthought in the offense. Smart's usage rate sits at just 18 percent with all these guys on the floor while averaging 0.9 Yahoo-points-per-minute. That's not good enough from a $25 player, and we absolutely hate it against the best defense in the NBA.
Forwards
Jerami Grant, DET at GS ($36)
Grant might be the frontrunner for Most Improved Player this season. He's currently averaging 23.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 0.9 steals and 1.2 blocks per game. That equates to 40 Yahoo points per outing, which alone makes this price tag too cheap. What's most enticing about Grant is his floor, scoring at least 31 Yahoo points in all but two games this season. That's an astounding total from a $36 player, and we haven't even discussed this superb matchup, with Golden State ranked 24th in total defense.
Carmelo Anthony, POR at CHI ($18)
We already discussed how many players Portland is missing right now, which earned Melo a starting job. While he's been struggling with his shot, he's been getting them up at will. In fact, Melo has scored at least 22 fantasy points in four-straight games, averaging 16 shots a game in that span. It's scary that he's scoring that much despite shooting just 33 percent in that stretch, and it's just a matter of time before he starts dropping 30-spots at ease. We also love that he has a 26 percent usage rate with this current roster, and the 73 combined minutes over the last two games makes it hard to believe he's below $20.
Forward to Avoid
Eric Gordon, HOU at NO ($19)
This is a similar situation to Smart. Much like the Boston shooting guard, Gordon is losing many opportunities because his team is getting healthier. John Wall, Victor Oladipo, Danuel House and Christian Wood are all back, and it's forced Gordon back into a bench role. That's a lot of players that need the ball, and we haven't even discussed how much usage DeMarcus Cousins takes out of the bench unit as well. The diminished role led to Gordon dropping just 13 Yahoo points in his most recent outing, and one would have to believe his shots and minutes will only drop from here on out.
Centers
Bam Adebayo, MIA vs. SAC ($41)
Bam has actually been playing a lot of point-center for the Heat, and he's proven that he can be a beast in that role. In fact, Adebayo is averaging 20.5 points, 9.6 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 0.7 steals and 0.8 blocks over his last 13 games played. That equates to 43 Yahoo points per game, and one has to believe that's the floor in such a supreme matchup. The Kings currently sit 29th in points allowed and 30th in defensive efficiency while sitting 10th in pace. That's a godsend for a hustle player like this, and a 50-spot would be far from surprising in such a tasty situation. If Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro and Goran Dragic all sit again, Bam would be impossible to fade.
Enes Kanter, POR at CHI ($24)
Let's cap off our Portland stack with Kanter. He has been a per-minute monster throughout his career, and now that he's getting the playing time, Kanter is feasting. We're talking about a guy who's averaging 1.4 fantasy-points-per-minute for his career, and now he's a starter with Nurkic sidelined! In this current role, Kanter is averaging 39 Yahoo points per game across 29 minutes a night. That means a 50-burger is in play if he plays the 33 minutes we saw in Portland's most recent outing. All of that makes it hard to believe that Kanter is only $24, particularly with Chicago ranked 28th in total defense.
Center to Avoid
DeMarcus Cousins, HOU at NO ($25)
Much like Gordon, Cousins' role is collapsing. The guy who's taking his touches is Wood, though, and it's clear that C-Wood is the go-to center in the frontcourt. His reinsertion into the lineup moved Cousins back to the bench and held him to just 11 minutes on Thursday. That's a really scary workload, especially when you see that Cousins has scored 20 or fewer fantasy points in nine of the 10 games he's come off the bench this year. He's actually averaging just 13 minutes a game in that role too, and it's clear that Coach Silas doesn't care that he was a beast in the four games he started.
