This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
A packed 10-game slate presents itself Monday. That leaves us with a bevy of options to sift through on Yahoo. Here are some of the top players to consider for your lineups, as well as a few to potentially avoid.
GUARDS
Stephen Curry, GS at UTA ($39): This has the potential to be a high-scoring game between two teams that rank inside the top 12 in the league in pace of play. The Jazz also have the seventh-worst defensive rating. Curry has already averaged 45.5 Yahoo points over his last 10 games, so expect him to have a high floor again.
Tre Mann, CHA vs. IND ($10): There continues to be no timetable provided for the return of LaMelo Ball (ankle). That leaves open the Hornets' starting point guard spot, which was filled by the newly-acquired Mann on Saturday. He made an immediate impact, scoring 31.3 Yahoo points. At the minimum salary, he could be well worth the risk against a Pacers team that has played at the second-fastest pace in the league.
Guard to Avoid
Tyrese Maxey, PHI at CLE ($44): It has been a bit of a struggle lately for Maxey, who has shot 38.5 percent from the field over his last four games. This is not a great matchup for him to get back on track in that department since the Cavaliers have the second-best defensive rating in the league. Combine that with some blowout potential because of Joel Embiid (knee) being out and Maxey is risky at his hefty salary.
FORWARDS
RJ Barrett, TOR vs. SA ($28): Barrett has showcased his versatility since joining the Raptors, averaging 20.8 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game. However, the Cavaliers held him in check Saturday, as he posted 14 points, seven rebounds and one assist over 33 minutes. This is a much better matchup against a Spurs team that has the sixth-worst defensive rating in the league, so look for Barrett to bounce back in a big way.
Dillon Brooks, HOU vs. NY ($13): Brooks scored a modest 14 points against the Hawks on Saturday. However, the key was that he attempted 19 shots from the field. While he made only five of them, he has averaged 15.7 shot attempts over the last three games without Fred VanVleet (thigh). He had scored at least 31.9 Yahoo points in both of the previous two games before Saturday's dud, so he's an appealing tournament option at his cheap salary.
Forward to Avoid
Tobias Harris, PHI at CLE ($34): The 76ers need more scoring from Harris with Embiid out. However, he has averaged only 15.5 points over the last four games. They did just acquire Buddy Hield, who is never one to shy away from shot attempts. He has taken at least 16 shots in both games since he joined the team, so Harris might not see as many shot attempts as he had been accustomed to in previous games without Embiid.
CENTERS
Nikola Vucevic, CHI at ATL ($33): Vucevic continues to have his problems on the defensive end, but we don't care about that for DFS. He has been churning out excellent stat lines, scoring at least 42.5 Yahoo points in five straight games. The Hawks have played at the third-fastest pace and have the third-worst defensive rating in the league, which should leave Vucevic with a high floor.
Precious Achiuwa, NY at HOU ($20): The additions of Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks didn't mean less playing time for Achiuwa, who logged 43 minutes Saturday against the Pacers. He scored 35.2 Yahoo points, marking the fifth time over the last six games that he has scored at least 31.5 Yahoo points. If Isaiah Hartenstein (Achilles) is out again, Achiuwa should have a clear path to a ton of minutes.
Center to Avoid
Zach Collins, SA at TOR ($20): Collins logged just seven minutes against the Nets on Saturday. Over his last nine games, he has only averaged 18 minutes. As long as Victor Wembanyama is healthy, Collins will remain in a limited role off the bench for the Spurs. His salary doesn't reflect that role.
