This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
If you love volatility and wacky decisions, the final month of the NBA season is just for you! These coaches and organizations continue to make baffling decisions night after night, and it's led to a few teams being unplayable in DFS. What makes that even more frustrating is that there's so much value on these shorthanded teams, but these coaches are not making it easy to figure out who that is. We do have a good read on some of them, though, so let's go ahead and get into it!
Guards
John Wall, HOU at GS ($34)
Wall sat out on Friday in the front end of a back-to-back, but that tells us that he should be ready to go here. We say that because he suited up on Wednesday and provided yet another gem in what's become an amazing stretch. The former All-Star has scored at least 36 Yahoo points in nine of his last 10 games while generating a 42-point average in that span. That's a rare sight to see from a $34 player, and this matchup happens to be fantastic. Not only do the Warriors rank 24th in total defense, but they also play at the second-fastest pace in the NBA as well. That's huge for a speedster like Wall, who should cruise to 25 points and 10 assists.
Kenrich Williams, OKC vs. PHI ($15)
Williams isn't really a shooting guard, but Yahoo has him positioned as such, and we're going to take advantage. What's allowed him to thrive recently is that Oklahoma City is sending out a G-League roster every night, missing Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Al Horford, Darius Bazley, Isaiah Roby, and Luguentz Dort. That's forced Williams into a ton of minutes and a pseudo-playmaking role. In the last two games without those guys, Kenrich is averaging 9.0 points, 8.5 rebounds, 9.0 assists, and 2.5 steals per game. That's 37.5 Y! points per game, which is obviously a ridiculous total from a $15 player.
Guard to Avoid
Bradley Beal, WAS at PHX ($39)
We're going to go big with our fades today! Beal just returned from a two-week absence on Wednesday and has been a shell of himself since suffering his injury. In fact, the All-Star has scored 38 or fewer fantasy points in six straight outings. That alone makes him hard to use around $40, and he's even said that his hip issue is still bothering him. That's terrifying for a team that's pretty much out of it at this point, and it wouldn't be surprising to see him rested altogether here in the second half of a back-to-back set. Not to mention, Phoenix owns a top-5 defense, if you needed any more incentive to fade him.
Forwards
Tobias Harris, PHI at OKC ($35)
We actually anticipate Joel Embiid sitting out here in the second half of a B2B, and that's going to free Harris into the playmaking role that earned him All-Star consideration a month ago. Harris leads the team with a 29 percent usage rate with Embiid off the floor while providing over 1.2 Y! points per minute. That's led to a 40-fantasy-point average over his last 16 games played and most of that came with Embiid on the bench. The matchup only adds to his intrigue, with the Thunder sending out a G-League lineup.
Talen Horton-Tucker, LAL at BKN ($11)
We all know that the Lakers are struggling without Anthony Davis and LeBron James, but it's allowed THT to have a breakout season. He's been terrific recently, scoring at least 28 fantasy points in each of his last three games. That's all you can ask for from an $11 player, and it's really no surprise when you see that he has a 25.4 percent usage rate with those guys off the floor, one of the highest on the team. It's also possible that Kyle Kuzma will be out, too, and if that's the case, THT is impossible to avoid. The matchup isn't too bad either, with Brooklyn ranked 25th in both points allowed and defensive efficiency.
Forward to Avoid
Kevin Durant, BKN vs. LAL ($44)
We told you we're going big with these fades! The simple fact is, we don't think Durant will play enough to provide the value you need. To get value from a $44 player, you need at least 50 fantasy points. What scares us is that he played just 19 minutes in his return to action on Wednesday and looks unlikely to play more than 20-25 minutes here. That means he needs at least 2.0 Y! points per minute which is almost impossible to accomplish. Even if he did do that, 50 Yahoo points is a ceiling game, and that's hard to trust from a guy who won't play enough. We also don't like that this game has blowout potential written all over it, which could limit KD's numbers even more.
Centers
Chris Boucher, TOR at CLE ($22)
Toronto is yet another team that's been dismantled by injuries, but it's finally forced Boucher into the monster role we've been waiting for. He's now started each of the last four games, playing at least 33 minutes in the last two. That minute total is the big thing here, with Boucher dropping 67 Y! points in his most recent outing. That's one of the best games of the season from anybody, but he has proven to be an elite per-minute producer when given the opportunity. Facing Cleveland is simply the icing on the cake, with the Cavaliers ranked 21st in defensive efficiency.
Isaiah Stewart, DET at POR ($15)
Detroit is a disastrous team to trust in DFS right now, but we have to believe Stewart will be their starting center for the remainder of the season. While Mason Plumlee has been solid, it's time to see what this kid can bring to the table. In the last two starts for Plumlee, Stew has at least 28 Y! points in each, combining for 73 fantasy points. You obviously can't ask for any more from a $15 player, and we definitely expect him to do that again versus a 29th-ranked Trail Blazers defense.
Center to Avoid
Joel Embiid, PHI at OKC ($50)
Yes, we're fading Beal, Durant, and Embiid! Those are some big-name players, but that's the nature of DFS right now. We're actually fading Embiid for similar reasons, with the big man returning from an injury earlier this week. That has already limited his minutes, and we believe he'll actually sit here in the second half of a back-to-back set. Facing Oklahoma City is obviously an easy matchup, but that makes it even more likely that he'll sit or be limited in a game that could be over rather early. If he is out, don't forget about Dwight Howard as a fantastic value play!
