This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
Monday brings a packed schedule with 11 games in the NBA. With so many teams taking the floor, there are a lot of great options across the price scale in DFS. Here are some players to target and avoid as you create what will hopefully be a winning entry.
GUARDS
Russell Westbrook, OKC vs. UTA ($53): Known for his propensity to put up triple-doubles, Westbrook is actually coming off of a quadruple-double against the Bulls on Friday. That's not exactly good news since he accomplished the feat with 10 turnovers, but he still recorded 65.9 Yahoo points. The Jazz allow the sixth-most Yahoo points per game (49.7) to opposing point guards, leaving Westbrook with tremendous upside once again Monday.
Tomas Satoransky, WAS at IND ($13):John Wall (heel) is listed as doubtful for this game, potentially leaving an expanded role for Satoransky if he can't play. When Wall sat out Wednesday against the Hawks, Satoransky scored 38.3 Yahoo points across 38 minutes. The Pacers are a much tougher defensive team, but Satoransky could still provide plenty of upside at this price if Wall does indeed sit.
Guard to Avoid
Evan Fournier, ORL at DAL ($17): Fournier is one of the best offensive weapons the Magic have, but he's mired in a shooting slump right now. Scoring is his main source of value, so his upside is extremely limited if his shots aren't falling. Case in point, Fournier has scored 19 Yahoo points or fewer in five of his last seven games. He's bound to come out of this funk sooner rather than later, but it might not make a ton of sense to take a chance on him Monday with so many other quality options available.
FORWARDS
Trey Lyles, DEN vs. MEM ($12): Injuries are starting to pile up for the Nuggets. Already without Will Barton (groin), Gary Harris (hip) and Isaiah Thomas (hip), they've now lost Paul Millsap (toe), as well. The first game that Millsap missed was Saturday against the Hawks, a contest in which Lyles scored 29 Yahoo points across 38 minutes. His production could have been even better, too, had he not shot a dreadful 2-for-13 from the field. Expect him to continue to log plenty of minutes, making him a viable option in tournament play despite facing the stingy Grizzlies defense. As a matter of fact, Lyles scored 34.3 Yahoo points against them earlier this season.
Marcus Morris, BOS vs. NO ($18): It looks like the Celtics will be without several key players Monday with Kyrie Irving (shoulder) and Aron Baynes (ankle) ruled out and Al Horford (knee) and Gordon Hayward (illness) listed as doubtful. Morris already has the third-highest usage rate (21 percent) on the team and should be even more involved in this game. With the Pelicans playing at the third-fastest pace (104.1), Morris has the potential for significant production.
Forward to Avoid
Kyle Anderson, MEM at DEN ($21): Anderson is averaging a career-high 30 minutes per game, but he's only scored 6.7 points per contest. He's never been a significant offense threat during his career, but he only has an 11.7 percent usage rate in his first season with the Grizzlies. With 28.4 Yahoo points or fewer in eight of his last nine games, it's hard to justify paying this much for Anderson based on his limited upside.
CENTERS
Joel Embiid, PHI vs. DET ($51): The rivalry between Embiid and Andre Drummond is becoming one of the best in the league. Embiid sat out Friday's game between these two teams for rest, but he scored 64.7 and 62.9 Yahoo points, respectively, in their first two matchups. He's made comments that he is frustrated by his new role since Jimmy Butler was brought on board, but expect Embiid to be aggressive in this game based on all of the trash talk between him and Drummond.
Bam Adebayo, MIA at LAL ($17):Hassan Whiteside (personal) will miss his third consecutive game Monday. Adebayo has thrived in two starts as his replacement, scoring at least 35.6 Yahoo points in both contests. The Lakers play at the fourth-fastest pace (104 possessions per game), so the combination of added playing time and the potential for an up-tempo game could result in excellent production from Adebayo.
Center to Avoid
JaVale McGee, LAL vs. MIA ($16): The Lakers haven't needed to rely as heavily on McGee since they signed Tyson Chandler, which has left him to log 22 minutes or fewer in six of his last seven games. Even with the Lakers playing at such a fast pace, the reduction of playing time has resulted in McGee scoring 28.6 Yahoo points or fewer in all seven of those contests. He's not overly expensive, but it's hard to justify adding him to your entry when you can roll with Adebayo and his much higher minute's floor for just a dollar more.
