Yahoo DFS Basketball: Monday Picks

Yahoo DFS Basketball: Monday Picks

This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.

If you're trying to figure out which games are worth stacking, look no further than Kings-Nuggets. Denver will face Sacramento, which lost a tough one in overtime to the Jazz on Sunday. The Nuggets are coming off a tough loss to the Hornets and have plenty of affordable targets behind top-priced Nikola Jokic ($48). No other Denver player is more than $27. The Kings are also insanely cheap, with Darren Collison their highest-priced player at $21. This game should have close to the highest over/under for Monday's 12-game slate.

GUARDS

Kyrie Irving, CLE vs. MIA ($43): The Cavaliers opted to rest Irving for the first game of the home-and-home with the Heat on Saturday. Prior to that, he dropped 43 points on the Hawks in a wild win, dishing out nine dimes with four steals for a season-high 68.4 fantasy points. Irving is averaging 30.6 points per game in five starts since the All-Star break, plus he's averaging 6.8 assists per game while shooting 40.1 percent from 3-point range at home this season. The 12-game slate has plenty of elite point guards, so rolling with Irving for tournaments should provide some variance.

Gary Harris, DEN vs. SAC ($19): Expect a bounce back from Harris after posting a goose egg against the Hornets on Saturday. He finished with no points on one shot and had an assist and a steal (2.5 fantasy points) in just over 21 minutes. Charlotte is a much better defensive team than Sacramento, and Denver is a much better offensive team at home, averaging 113.6 points per game. In two games against the Kings this season, Harris is averaging 19.0 points per game while shooting 53.3 percent from distance.

Guard to Avoid

Lou Williams, HOU at SA ($23): It seems the honeymoon period between Williams and the Rockets is over. In two straight wins, Williams had a combined 14 points on 2-of-13 shooting from downtown (28.1 fantasy points). The Spurs are second in the NBA in points allowed per game at home (98.2) and are tied for second in opponent 3-point percentage (33.8). Those numbers don't bode well for Williams and the Rockets, who are averaging 100.3 points in three games against San Antonio this season.

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FORWARDS

Draymond Green, GS at ATL ($36):Green is at his best when he's got the ball in his hands, making plays to set up his teammates. With Kevin Durant out, Golden State will need some extra offense from Green, who has scored in double figures in four straight games. Atlanta struggles to defend the three, allowing opponents to shoot 36.5 percent from distance this season. Additionally, Green actually shoots the ball pretty well (47.4 percent) from the field on no days rest (the Warriors beat the Knicks on Sunday).

Khris Middleton, MIL at PHI ($19): After missing much of the season due to injury, Middleton has worked his way back into the starting lineup. He's played over 30 minutes in each of the past three games, shooting 56.4 percent from the field (23-for-39) during that stretch. Middleton also has a surprising 14 assists in those games (his career average is 2.7 per game). Considering his price, Middleton is an appealing tournament play with a high ceiling.

Forward to Avoid

Robert Covington, PHI vs. MIL ($31): Covington, and teammate Dario Saric, are each over $30, which has cut into their value a bit. In two games against the Bucks this season, Covington is averaging 11.0 points on 27.3 percent shooting from beyond the arc. Clearly Milwaukee's length has given Covington problems, and both the 76ers and Bucks' offenses are sub-par, which has driven the over/under down. Covington will also have his hands full trying to contain Giannis Antetokounmpo.

CENTERS

Marc Gasol, MEM vs. BKN ($34): Gasol against the Nets is the ideal cash-game play because of his middling price and high floor. He had 19 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists (43.8 fantasy points) against Brooklyn on Feb. 13, and has hit eight 3-pointers in his past four games. Gasol is incredibly consistent throughout pretty much all stat categories, with at least four assists and four rebounds in eight straight games. He's essentially a poor man's Nikola Jokic for $14 less.

Pau Gasol, SA vs. HOU ($19): Marc's brother, Pau, comes in as an extreme value play against the Rockets at home. Pau has carved out his niche in a role off the bench for the Spurs and has been on the rise since returning from injury. He's scored in double figures in five straight, hitting 10 from beyond the arc in that span. San Antonio has done a nice job slowing Houston's high-powered offense down, which plays into Gasol's strengths in half court sets. He should be able to exploit the matchup against the Rockets' second unit as well.

Center to Avoid

Brook Lopez, BKN at MEM ($27): The Nets' only real option on offense is Lopez, who should be held in check by the Grizzlies on the road. Lopez's numbers take a hit across the board away from Brooklyn, the most notable his 4.9 rebounds per game in 26 road appearances. Memphis limited Lopez to 17 points, three rebounds and five assists (28.6 fantasy points) on Feb. 13, and while his floor isn't that low, he lacks upside in a tough matchup. Lopez is an easy fade given the other options at center (the Gasols, Andre Drummond, Rudy Gobert are all affordable).

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Benjamin Zweiman plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: Fanduel: packattack521, DraftKings: bzweiman521.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Benjamin Zweiman
Benjamin Zweiman is a copy editor and fantasy contributor for NHL.com and writes about daily fantasy basketball for RotoWire. Follow him on Twitter @BZweimanNHL.
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