This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
This next week is going to be nuts. It's already been one of the craziest seasons I've seen with the COVID protocols earlier in the year, but we have the trade deadline right around the corner. That means moves will alter these slates, and we already had one on Friday. It involves one of the teams we have here, and it's undoubtedly going to play a part in this article. There's a lot to discuss, though, so let's go ahead and get into it!
Guards
Josh Giddey, OKC at SAC ($28)
This 19-year-old has been a revelation this season, and it looks like he's going to run OKC's offense in the absence of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (ankle). If you look at the last five games SGA has missed, Giddey has scored at least 32 Yahoo points in all of them en route to a 40-point average. That's a ridiculous total from a $30 player, and it should continue here with Sacramento sitting 29th in both points allowed and defensive efficiency. Not to mention, this is a rare OKC game that's expected to stay close, and that limits any blowout potential we usually have when using Giddey.
Spencer Dinwiddie, WAS vs. PHX ($25)
Dinwiddie is in the same boat as Giddey. He runs Washington's offense when Bradley Beal is out, generating a 33 percent usage rate in these circumstances. He's got at least 27 fantasy points in all 11 games Beal has sat, scoring at least 38 Yahoo points in eight of those. That has led to his absurd 42-point average in those outings, which is more indicative of a $35 player. The matchup with Phoenix is challenging, but it really doesn't matter with this sort of price, role and production.
Guard to Avoid
Kyle Lowry, MIA at CHA ($23)
Lowry missed almost two weeks of action because of personal issues, and he certainly didn't look right in his return to action Thursday. The former Raptor had two points, three rebounds and four assists while committing six turnovers across 25 minutes of play. That's a guy who's not there mentally, and we have to believe whatever held him out is still lingering around. The on-court issues are there, too, with Miami being healthy for the first time all season. With Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo all back in the lineup, there are just too many cooks in the kitchen to trust Lowry until we know he's 100 percent.
Forwards
Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL at POR ($55)
Playing six-game slates can be tricky, but taking the guaranteed 50-60 fantasy points from a guy like Giannis is much easier. The Greek Freak has scored at least 29 fantasy points in every game this season, reaching 40-plus in 39 of 43 total games. He's been even better recently, though, averaging 31.7 points, 10.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists over his last 17 games played. The matchup with Portland is the icing on the cake, with the Trail Blazers ranked 26th in points allowed and 28th in defensive efficiency.
Darius Bazley, OKC at SAC ($15)
Most people realize that Giddey is taking on the most usage in the absence of Gilgeous-Alexander, but Bazley has taken the most significant bump. The big man played a season-high 36 minutes in OKC's most recent game, scoring at least 26 Yahoo points in three straight outings. That's tough to find from a $15 player, and that run directly correlates with SGA's injury. Baze is also averaging 29 fantasy points per game in the 18 games he's played at least 28 minutes, and that looks like his floor with Gilgeous-Alexander on the sidelines. Not to mention, we already discussed how good of a matchup Sacramento is.
Forward to Avoid
Gordon Hayward, CHA vs. MIA ($25)
Hayward has been out since Jan. 21 with a foot issue and then COVID but made his return to action on Friday. That means this is the second half of a back-to-back set, which will likely limit Hayward or land him a rest day altogether. That's concerning already, but he has 26 or fewer fantasy points in five of seven games before getting injured. That's terrible from a $25 player, and he's simply not the same guy with Terry Rozier and LaMelo Ball swallowing up so much usage. The matchup with Miami is troubling, too, with the Heat ranked seventh in defensive efficiency and fifth in points allowed.
Centers
Jusuf Nurkic, POR vs. MIL ($32)
Portland made the first of many moves on Friday, shipping off Robert Covington and Norman Powell to LA. This rotation was already thin with Damian Lillard and Larry Nance out, leaving Anfernee Simons, CJ McCollum and Nurkic to feast. Nurkic is our favorite play of the three, as he's playing the best basketball of his career right now. The big man has at least 28 fantasy points in 17 of his last 18 games, averaging 40 Yahoo points per game in that span. That's scary since his usage and minutes could bump even more here, especially since Milwaukee doesn't really have a center to cover Nurk with Brook Lopez sidelined.
Mason Plumlee, CHA vs. MIA ($15)
Plumlee has been excellent recently, and it's hard to understand why he's just $15. He's scored at least 23 Yahoo points in seven straight outings, generating a 29-point average in that span. That's all you can ask for from a $15 player, and we love that he's playing over 30 minutes a night across his last six games. Playing time has been the only thing holding Plumlee back in the past, and if he's playing 30 minutes a night, he should be a $25 player. Miami is no easy matchup, but it does mean Plumlee needs to stay on the floor to match up with traditional big men like Bam Adebayo and Dewayne Dedmon.
Center to Avoid
Bismack Biyombo, PHX at WAS ($16)
Biyombo was amazing filling in for Deandre Ayton and JaVale McGee, but he's impossible to trust with both guys back. Biz played just six minutes in the most recent game with those guys, scoring 1.2 Yahoo points. That makes the $16 price tag egregious and makes Biyombo the easiest fade on the board. With that said, we also don't like Ayton with his limited minutes, and we can't trust McGee in this reserve role either. Just fade the Phoenix center situation altogether!
