This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
This is one of the largest Saturday slates of the season, with 10 games in total. Nine of them make up this night card beginning at 7ET, and it looks like we could have many close games. The good news is that most players have returned from COVID protocols, and it's left us with a massive player pool. That's why most of our recommendations will sit below $30, so let's go ahead and get into it!
Guards
Spencer Dinwiddie, WAS vs. POR ($29)
This price tag is laughable. Dinwiddie is probably a $25 player when Bradley Beal is in the lineup, but he should be closer to $40 when Beal is out. That's just what we have here, with Dinwiddie leading the team with a 32 percent usage rate with BB off the floor. The fantasy numbers speak for themselves, though, with Spencer scoring at least 29 Yahoo! points in all seven games Beal has missed while averaging 46 Y! points per game. That's an absurd total from a sub-$30 player, and this happens to be one of the best matchups in fantasy too. In fact, Portland ranks 27th in points allowed and dead-last in defensive efficiency.
Anfernee Simons, POR at WAS ($27)
It's sad what's happened to this Portland team, but all of the absences have opened up a huge role for Simons. It was one thing to have Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum out, but missing Norman Powell and Larry Nance has left this rotation in shambles. With all of those guys off the floor, Simons leads the club with a 31 percent usage rate while posting some of the best numbers of his career. Simons has scored at least 30 fantasy points in all five games since taking over as the starting point guard, generating a 43-point average in that stretch. We also don't mind that Washington ranks 22nd in defensive efficiency ratings.
Guard to Avoid
Jalen Suggs. ORL at DAL ($19)
Suggs just returned from a long absence on Friday, and it's hard to understand why Yahoo! made him $19. He wasn't even playing at that level before his injury, averaging 23 fantasy points per game. That's concerning since he did that damage when Cole Anthony was sidelined and Franz Wagner was developing, with those two guys running the show now. That means fewer shots and ball-handling opportunities for Suggs, which is concerning since he wasn't doing much before. The fact that this is the second half of a back-to-back set is the straw that breaks this camel's back, though, because that makes it likely that Suggs will be limited or sit altogether.
Forwards
Amir Coffey, LAC at SAS ($16)
Los Angeles is another team dismantled by injuries, playing without Paul George and Kawhi Leonard. Having two superstars out of the lineup would cripple any team, but it's made Coffey a fantasy-relevant option. In the last three games without those guys, Coffey is averaging 14.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.7 steals across 34 minutes a night. That equates to a 31-point average on Yahoo, an astounding total from a $16 player. The Spurs are not a scary matchup either, sitting fourth in pace and 24th in points allowed.
Maxi Kleber, DAL vs. ORL ($11)
Kleber has remained around the minimum all season on Yahoo! and it makes no sense why. He's been playing at a $20 level ever since Kristaps Porzingis went down, scoring at least 17 Y! points in eight straight games. He's also got a 24-point average across 31 minutes a night in that span, which is ridiculous since he's only $11. That role should continue with KP out again, and we love that Orlando ranks 22nd in points allowed and 25th in defensive efficiency ratings.
Forward to Avoid
Al Horford, BOS vs. CHI ($22)
Big Al was a revelation in the first month of the season, but regression has hit him like a brick wall. The big man has scored 19 or fewer fantasy points in each of his last five fixtures, seeing his minutes drop along with his production. He's playing fewer than 25 minutes a night in that span, a terrifying total from a $22 player. It's clear that Boston is running small and playing Robert Williams at center more, and it's sending Horford into a secondary role. The worst part of this is the matchup, though, facing a Top-10 Chicago defense that traditionally only plays one big at a time.
Centers
Nikola Jokic, DEN vs. LAL ($56)
We've had every recommendation below $30, so let's get those guaranteed 50-60 fantasy points in your lineup with the $56 Jokic. That might sound like a lofty projection, but Jokic leads the NBA with 56 Yahoo! points per game. His floor might be the most impressive thing, with The Joker scoring at least 40 fantasy points in all but one game this season. That makes him an excellent pairing with all of the value plays we mentioned before, especially with the Lakers ranked third in pace and 26th in points allowed. They've also been playing LeBron James at center, and while he's a good defender, that's a horrible mismatch for the King.
Robin Lopez, ORL at DAL ($13)
With Wendell Carter Jr and Mo Bamba both nicked up in Orlando, Lopez has taken over center duties. He's been brilliant in this role all season, too, averaging 31 Y! points per game across 31 minutes a night in his six starts this year. Any $13 player averaging 31 fantasy points is impossible to avoid, particularly since there are few players to take minutes away from him. Dallas is a dandy matchup, too, surrendering the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing centers this season.
Center to Avoid
Andre Drummond, PHI at MIA ($27)
This is probably the most mind-boggling price on this slate. Drummond is stuck behind Joel Embiid in Philly, and the only way he could play at a $27 level is if Embiid were out. That hasn't been the case recently, and it means Drummond won't crack 20 minutes. In fact, Dre hasn't played more than 20 minutes in the 24 games he's come off the bench, averaging 20 Y! points per game across 15 minutes a night. That's a great rate but getting 15 minutes from a $27 player is silly. Not to mention, a matchup with a Top-5 Miami defense makes things even tougher on Drummond.
