This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
The NBA begins the week with eight games on the schedule Monday. We could be looking at some lopsided scores, such as when the Hornets take on the Celtics and when the Wizards face the Bucks. Let's dig into the Yahoo DFS slate and highlight some players to consider for your lineups, as well as a few to possibly avoid.
GUARDS
De'Aaron Fox, SAC at NO ($40): Injuries have taken a toll on the Pelicans, who are particularly thin at guard. Fox comes into the matchup on fire, starting the season with averages of 31.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 1.9 steals per game. With his 32.3 percent usage rate, he has one of the highest floors of any guard included in this slate.
Malik Beasley, MIL at WAS ($12): The Wizards are always a team to attack in DFS. They have played at the second-fastest pace, and they have the sixth-worst defensive rating in the league. If there is one thing that Beasley can do, it's score. Over his last three games, he scored at least 20 points two times. At near the minimum salary, he could be well worth the risk in tournament play.
Guard to Avoid
Klay Thompson, GS vs. HOU ($20): It has been a rough start for Thompson, who is shooting only 40.0 percent from the field. He is shooting just 33.0 percent from behind the arc, which is on pace to be the lowest mark of his career. Facing a Rockets team that has the fourth-best defensive rating might not help Thompson come out of his funk.
FORWARDS
Jayson Tatum, BOS at CHA ($44): Like the Wizards, the Hornets are one of the other top teams to attack in DFS. They have played at the 10th-fastest pace and they have the worst defensive rating in the league. This is the second game of a back-to-back set for the Celtics, so if they race out to a big lead early, they could rest some of their starters in the fourth quarter. However, if the game does get out of hand, Tatum likely would have played a significant role in getting it to that point. His scoring is down a bit, but he still has stellar averages of 26.9 points, 8.7 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.2 steals per game.
Duncan Robinson, MIA at CHI ($15): Robinson is one of the best three-point shooters in the league. He has made at least four three-pointers in each of the last four games, leaving him with a 41.1 percent mark from behind the arc for the season. After scoring at least 29.0 Yahoo points in four straight games, Robinson makes for a great option versus a Bulls team that he just scored 30.1 Yahoo points against Saturday.
Forward to Avoid
Khris Middleton, MIL at WAS ($21): Middleton is expected to return after sitting out the second game of the Bucks' back-to-back set Saturday. They continue to limit his playing time after an injury-plagued 2022-23 campaign, which has resulted in him not playing more than 22 minutes in a game this season. Don't let this excellent matchup tempt you. Middleton is not playing enough to warrant rolling with in DFS.
CENTERS
Alperen Sengun, HOU at GS ($33): The Warriors are currently without their best defensive big man in Draymond Green (suspension). That puts them in a difficult spot against Sengun, who is averaging a career-high 32 minutes per game this season. He has used his added playing time to average 40.2 Yahoo points per game.
Kevon Looney, GS vs. HOU ($17): The Warriors are going to need Looney's size to battle with Sengun. After coming off the bench for two straight games, Looney returned to the starting five Saturday and scored 34.7 Yahoo points over 35 minutes. Don't expect him to score much, but with him averaging 9.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists over just 24 minutes per game, he's a viable target for those who don't want to allocate a significant portion of their budget to the center position.
Center to Avoid
Nikola Vucevic, CHI vs. MIA ($32): Vucevic has a difficult matchup against Bam Adebayo, who is one of the better defensive big men in the league. When these two teams met Saturday, Vucevic was held to 15 points and eight rebounds. With that disappointing performance, Vucevic has scored 30.3 Yahoo points or fewer in three straight games. Sengun's salary is only one dollar more, and he has a more favorable matchup, so there's no need to take a chance on Vucevic.
