This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
After a couple of monster slates on Thursday and Friday, we have a timid seven-game schedule. What's fascinating about this slate are all the bad defenses on display. That means fantasy points will be flowing at ease, with 300 Yahoo points likely needed to have a chance to cash. That's a tough ask, but we have some great values to get you there, so let's go ahead and get into it!
Guards
Kyle Lowry, TOR at CHA ($33)
Lowry is honestly a $40 player in this sort of role, and this is easily the most egregious $33 tag I've ever seen on Yahoo. What makes him such an enticing option right now is that Toronto is without Fred VanVleet, Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby. Lowry has a 27 percent usage rate with those three off the floor three while averaging 1.3 Yahoo points per minute. That's been on full display recently, with him scoring at least 34 fantasy points in eight-straight outings while averaging 41 Yahoo points during that span. Charlotte is a great matchup as they're ranked 22nd in total defense this season.
Ricky Rubio, MIN vs. POR ($16)
Rubio has been below $20 for most of the season, and it's hard to understand why. With D'Angelo Russell, Jordan McLaughlin and Malik Beasley all out of the picture, this is all Rubio's job. That's allowed him to score at least 21 Yahoo points in 12 of his last 14 games, averaging 27 fantasy points per game in that stretch. That's a monster total from someone in this salary range, and it's not like he faces a scary matchup as the 28th-ranked Portland defense surrenders the third-most fantasy points to opposing point guards.
Guard to Avoid
Devonte' Graham, CHA vs. TOR ($15)
Something had to give with Terry Rozier, LaMelo Ball and Gordon Hayward taking so many touches in Charlotte. It appears that Graham has landed the short end of the stick, playing just 19 minutes off the bench Thursday. That sort of role is terrifying as Graham is one of the least effective shooters in the NBA. Losing volume from a player like this means we can't trust him until this salary drops or his role magically increases.
Forwards
Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL at WAS ($56)
This play really doesn't take a whole lot of explanation. We're talking about one of the best players in fantasy getting the best possible matchup. Let's start by talking about the opposition, with Washington being the most fantasy-friendly team in DFS. We say that because they currently rank 27th in defensive efficiency while playing at the fastest pace in the NBA. That's bad news against Giannis who has scored at least 53 Yahoo points in 11 of his last 13 games, averaging 63 fantasy points per contest. Just get these guaranteed 50-60 Yahoo points and build from there.
Stanley Johnson, TOR at CHA ($10)
This is the definition of a GPP play because Johnson sees too many minutes to fade for a minimum-salary player. We already discussed how Siakam, VanVleet and Anunoby are all out, leaving Johnson with a huge role. In the last two games, SJ is averaging 32 minutes a night and scoring at least 24 fantasy points in both. That's really all you can ask for from such an affordable player, and one has to believe he's slowly getting more comfortable with the increase in playing time. We also like that Charlotte surrenders the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing PFs, which is where Johnson is playing a lot of his minutes.
Forward to Avoid
John Collins, ATL vs. SAC ($26)
Collins has been in this section all season long and he's going to remain here. It's one thing to struggle, but it's even more worrisome with players taking his opportunities. Now that Bogdan Bogdanovic and Danilo Gallinari are both back and fully healthy, Collins has played 27 minutes or fewer in three-straight games. That's already concerning, and it becomes terrifying with Trae Young stealing all the usage and Clint Capela swallowing up all the rebounds. That has left Collins with 30 or fewer fantasy points in six of his last 11 games, which is an unacceptable mark from such a high-value player.
Centers
Enes Kanter, POR at MIN ($28)
Kanter has gotten a lot of heat for his defense and off-the-court antics, but deserves some credit for how well he's played in this expanded role. Since taking over starting center for the injured Jusuf Nurkic (hand), Kanter has scored at least 23 Yahoo points in 22 of his 24 starts, averaging over 34 fantasy points per game. That looks even better when you see his 27-point floor over his last eight outings while averaging 14 points and 14.5 rebounds. Another double-double should be an easy task in a tasty matchup like this, with Minnesota surrendering the second-most fantasy points to opposing centers this season.
Richaun Holmes, SAC at ATL ($22)
Holmes got off to a slow start this year, but he's really hitting his stride recently. In fact, he's got at least 26 fantasy points in seven of eight games since returning from injury and averaging nearly 40 Yahoo points over those seven outings. That's an excellent total from a player barely cracking $20, and it's hard to understand why he remains so affordable. The best part of this play might be the matchup with Atlanta ranked 24th in defensive efficiency. Both defenses in this matchup are awful, so grabbing 15 rebounds should be an easy task for someone who's played at least 30 minutes in five straight fixtures.
Center to Avoid
Deandre Ayton, PHX vs. IND ($25)
Ayton has the ability to be a beast anytime he steps on the floor, but something is off with him right now. He's failed to crack 28 Yahoo points in each of his last three games, dropping a disastrous 17 fantasy points on Thursday. That obviously won't get it done for a $25 player, and it's not like he's offered a big ceiling all season anyway. In fact, Ayton has only surpassed 40 fantasy points five times this campaign, which is not good enough. The tipping point is this matchup facing off against a defensive stud like Myles Turner.
