This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
Sunday brings nine games in the NBA, six of which make up the main slate on Yahoo. There aren't exactly a lot of exciting matchups, so let's try to add a little fun to the evening with a winning entry. Here are some players to target and avoid while combing through the options.
GUARDS
Rajon Rondo, LAL vs. PHO ($20): To say Rondo played well Thursday in his first game in almost a month is an understatement. He finished with a well-balanced stat line of 15 points, six rebounds, 13 assists, one steal and two blocks. The key is he played 37 minutes with the Lakers missing Lonzo Ball (ankle). LeBron James (groin) will be out again Sunday, as well, which should leave Rondo with plenty of playing time. That could result in him excelling one again considering the Suns allow the second-most Yahoo points per game (49.5) to opposing point guards.
Jerryd Bayless, MIN vs. UTA ($13):Jeff Teague (foot) and Tyus Jones (ankle) have already been ruled out for this matchup and Derrick Rose (ankle) is listed as questionable. With all three players sidelined Friday against these same Jazz, Bayless started and scored 31.1 Yahoo points across 40 minutes. If Rose is out, Bayless is too good to pass up based on this price.
Guard to Avoid
Fred VanVleet, TOR at DAL ($17): VanVleet has proven he can be productive when given a chance to start. In 20 starts, he's averaging 12.8 points, 3.5 rebounds and 5.3 assists in 32 minutes per game. Across 25 games off the bench, he's averaging 8.5 points, 2.2 rebounds and 3.9 assists in 23 minutes a night. With Kyle Lowry and Kawhi Leonard both healthy, VanVleet doesn't bring much upside to the table Sunday.
FORWARDS
Aaron Gordon, ORL at HOU ($25): Gordon's usage rate of 21.7 percent is down three percentage points compared to last season. Luckily, he's been more efficient by shooting 45.5 percent from the field, which has helped him average 15.8 points per game. He's a good rebounder who has helped facilitate the offense more with the Magic lacking talent at point guard, leaving him with a career-high 3.4 assists per game. This is a great opportunity for him to take advantage of a small Rockets frontcourt. The last time these two teams met, Gordon scored 42.1 Yahoo points.
Noah Vonleh, NY vs. MIA ($22): It's hard to feel too confident in predicting what the Knicks are going to do on a nightly basis. However, Vonleh seems to be an important part of their plans since he has started 40 of his 47 games. He's even starting at center now with Luke Kornet (ankle) out and Enes Kanter seemingly out of the rotation. In the last two games when both Kornet and Kanter didn't play, Vonleh scored 32 and 48.1 Yahoo points, respectively.
Forward to Avoid
Kevin Knox, NY vs. MIA ($19): Knox has flashed his potential this year, but it's hard to get excited about him from a fantasy perspective. He's way too reliant on his scoring numbers, which makes him extremely risky considering he's shooting 37 percent from the field. The Heat allow the fourth-fewest points per game (105.7) in the league, so stay away from Knox at this price.
CENTERS
Rudy Gobert, UTA at MIN ($36): Gobert had a tough time slowing down Karl-Anthony Towns when these two teams met Friday, leaving Towns to score 60 Yahoo points. However, Gobert did plenty of damage in his own right with 57.2 Yahoo points. That marked the fifth time across his last seven games that Gobert has finished with at least 50.2 Yahoo points. With Gobert priced $13 cheaper than Towns, it might not be a crazy idea to deploy him at center instead of Towns if you want to play one of the top options.
Ivica Zubac, LAL vs. PHO ($12): The center position is loaded with viable cheap options Sunday. Zubac is certainly one of them after averaging 27.2 Yahoo points over his last four games. He even worked his way into the starting lineup in the Lakers last game Thursday against the Timberwolves. This is a fantastic matchup for him against a Suns team that allows the second-most Yahoo points per game (53.3) to opposing centers.
Center to Avoid
Enes Kanter, NY vs. MIA ($19): It appears Kanter's days with the Knicks are numbered. He might be the most talented center on the team and has played well by averaging 14.4 points and 10.8 rebounds per game. However, he hasn't played in either of their last two games and hasn't been shy about voicing his displeasure with his current situation. With so many quality options at center to pick from, there's no reason to take a chance on this being the game that Kanter is released from David Fizdale's dog house.
