This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
This Friday-Saturday combo is ridiculous. It feels like the whole league is playing both nights, with eight teams on a back-to-back set. That will cause chaos for this slate, with Boston, Charlotte, Indiana, Milwaukee, New Orleans, Oklahoma City, Orlando and Sacramento making up that bunch. There's surely going to be some resting and strange things going on in the injury reports, so keep an eye on that up until opening tip! With that in mind, let's get into it!
Guards
D'Angelo Russell, MIN vs. MEM ($28)
Russell and the word consistency rarely go together, but that's what we've seen recently. After switching from team to team, it looks like D-Lo is finally comfortable in Minnesota. The southpaw guard has at least 29 Yahoo points in seven straight games, dropping 35-plus in six of those. That's an incredible run of reliability, with D-Lo averaging nearly 40 fantasy points per game in that span. All of that makes him tough to fade against Memphis, with the Grizzlies ranked 29th in both defensive efficiency and points allowed. That was on full display when Russell registered 51 Y! points in their one meeting two weeks ago!
Tyrese Maxey, PHI at POR ($25)
It's hard to understand why Maxey remains so affordable. He has been carrying Philly in the absence of Ben Simmons, starting every game at the point. This increased role has allowed Tyrese to tally at least 23 Y! points in 11 of his last 12 games, averaging 34 Yahoo points per game across 36 minutes a night in that span. You can't ask for any more from a $25 player, and it's even more ridiculous when you see his 38-point average across 39 minutes a game over his last eight fixtures. It's not like facing the Trail Blazers is troublesome either, with Portland sitting 26th in defensive efficiency ratings.
Guard to Avoid
Damian Lillard, POR vs. PHI ($37)
This is a risky fade, but Lillard has struggled all season. The superstar guard is shooting 38 percent from the field and 28 percent from three-point range. The complaints have been flying around, too, with Dame dealing with an abdomen issue and constantly bickering with the officials. That poor shooting has led to the worst start of his career, posting a 38-point average while scoring fewer than 46 Y! points in every game this season. That might not sound terrible, but a 38-point average and 46-point ceiling from a $37 player simply isn't good enough. You need a minimum of 40 fantasy points from someone in this price range and having a 46-point ceiling severely limits that upside. Facing Philly is no picnic either, with the Sixers surrendering the third-fewest points to opposing PGs this season.
Forwards
Jayson Tatum, BOS vs. OKC ($43)
With Jaylen Brown sidelined, Tatum has been taking over in Boston. The talented forward has at least 45 Y! points in five of his last six games, posting a 34 percent usage rate with JB off the floor this season. That's the guy we saw last year, and Tatum could see his rebounding boost with Robert Williams sidelined as well. Those boosts make him hard to fade against Oklahoma City, with the Thunder sitting 12th in pace and 26th in net rating. Not to mention, Boston is one of the teams playing a B2B, and that could force guys like Al Horford and Dennis Schroder to the bench as well.
Tobias Harris, PHI at POR ($31)
Toby is always a target of mine when Joel Embiid is out of the lineup. That's just what we have here, with Harris honing in a 34 percent usage rate with Embiid off the floor this year. That's right on par with what he did last year, averaging about 1.3 Y! points per minute in those stretches and over 40 fantasy points per game. That makes it hard to believe that Toby is still just $31, especially with his 37-point average and 28-point floor this season. The icing on the cake is this matchup with a 26th-ranked Portland defense, though.
Forward to Avoid
Khris Middleton, MIL vs. ORL ($33)
Milwaukee is playing the long-term game this season, and it looks like they'll rest these guys whenever they're given the opportunity. This is the prime spot to rest Middleton, playing the second half of a back-to-back set. This is a guy who missed nearly three weeks recovering from COVID, and they've been hesitant to play him big minutes in his return. In fact, Khris played just 30 minutes in his return to action on Thursday and surely won't surpass that here in a B2B. That's concerning since he's only cracked 37 Yahoo points once all season, which is pretty much the minimum you'd need from a $33 player. This is also a spot where the Bucks will be a massive favorite, likely limiting Middleton even more.
Centers
Clint Capela, ATL vs. CHA ($28)
Capela was slow to get going this season, but now that his minute's restriction has been lifted, Cap is cleaning up the glass once again. The big Swiss has played at least 32 minutes in five straight fixtures, recording a double-double in four of those. He fell one-point shy of that on Wednesday, providing 13.6 points and 13.2 rebounds en route to a 40-point average in that stretch. That's impossible to find from a sub-$30 player, but that's pretty much what Capela did all of last year, anyway. The matchup against Charlotte is sensational, too, with the Hornets ranked fourth in pace and dead-last in points allowed. That means more rebounds and easy baskets for Capela, making him a prime candidate for a 15-15 gem.
Myles Turner, IND vs. NO ($24)
Talk about another mistake from Yahoo! Turner has been turning into a beast the last three weeks, scoring at least 29 Y! points in nine of his previous 11 games. He's also got an absurd 36-point average in that span, despite posting two duds in his two most recent outings. Those subpar performances are why he's dropped to $24, but that's still a criminal number from someone this talented. The main reason we can overlook those two duds is this matchup, with New Orleans ranked 26th in points allowed and dead-last in defensive efficiency ratings.
Center to Avoid
Richaun Holmes, SAC vs. UTA ($25)
The Kings have the worst coach in the NBA right now, and it's just sending this franchise into free-fall mode. They decided to give a fat contract to Holmes at the beginning of the season, but Coach Walton thinks it's better to have that money sitting on the bench. The big man has only surpassed 30 minutes five times all season, playing just 27 minutes a night. This is arguably their best player, and it's held him to a 27-point average over his last six games. He's also scored 20 or fewer fantasy points in four of his last eight games too, which is terrifying in a matchup like this. Not only is Utah a Top-5 defense in nearly every metric, but they also possess the best defensive center in the game with Rudy Gobert.
