This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
This is a weird time of the year. Teams are getting eliminated daily, and we're stuck between series right now. That's left us with just one game to talk about for this Saturday slate, but it's a good one. Phoenix and Denver face off in Game 1 of the Western Conference Semi-Finals. Many people believe the Western Conference Champion will come out of this series, and it's hard to argue when looking at the personnel. With that in mind, let's get into some picks!
Guards
Devin Booker, PHX at DEN ($43)
It was tough to gauge how Booker would look after the Kevin Durant trade, but he's been as good as ever. The All-Star scored at least 54 Yahoo points in the final four games of the Clippers series, posting a 64-point average in that span. The role makes him really tough to fade, with DB taking 25 shots while playing 43 minutes a night.
Jamal Murray, DEN vs. PHX ($32)
Murray has quietly developed into one of the best postseason performers in the NBA. The Denver PG is averaging 24.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 1.0 steals in 35 total playoff games. He's been even better this postseason, averaging 45 Yahoo points per game in the Minnesota series. He's actually been playing like that for two months, generating a 39-point average over his last 38 games. We also don't mind that Murray has at least 39 fantasy points in eight of his last nine matchups with the Suns.
Guard to Avoid
Chris Paul, PHX at DEN ($30)
Paul is a safe bet to score 35 fantasy points, but he doesn't have much upside, with Booker and Kevin Durant doing everything for this team. That's led to one of CP3's lowest usage rates of his career, scoring 36 or fewer fantasy points in nine of his last 12 games. You might feel safe picking Paul in this price range, but there's so much more upside when you pay up for Jokic, Booker and KD instead.
Forward
Kevin Durant, PHX at DEN ($43)
Durant hasn't been asked to do much in this postseason, but he's just killing it with efficiency. The Slim Reaper has scored at least 41 Yahoo points in six straight outings, totaling a 49-point average in the LA series. He did that damage with just 17 shots a night, and we truly believe he'll average 20-25 in this series. He's destroyed Denver over recent years, too, averaging 51 Y! points per game in their last four meetings.
Bruce Brown, DEN vs. PHX ($17)
We can't use all of these superstars, so let's get one cheap player into our build. Many people will overlook Brown because he's a bench player for the Nuggets, but he's one of the best playmakers on this team. Brown has scored at least 20 Yahoo points in 14 straight outings, tallying a 29-point average in that span. That's all you can ask for from such an affordable player, and BB should feast against a Phoenix team with no depth. In their last two matchups, Brown has averaged over 36 Y! points per game against the Suns.
Forward to Avoid
Aaron Gordon, DEN vs. PHX ($24)
Gordon has been massive for Denver at times this season, but he's the fourth option in this starting lineup right now. That's scary, with Jokic, Michael Porter and Murray swallowing up all of the usage, leaving AG with a 24-point average across his last six games. He also never scored more than 29 fantasy points in any of those, and it's terrifying since he's only taken more than 12 shots four times across his last 19 games.
Center
Nikola Jokic, DEN vs. PHX ($53)
If you want to fade Jokic on a single-game slate, good luck! This has been the best option in fantasy for a few years now, averaging nearly 60 Yahoo points per game during the regular season. He actually had triple-double averages before being rested a ton in the final month, and we saw Joker score 68 and 73 Yahoo points in the final two matchups with Minnesota. That's the ridiculous upside this two-time MVP presents, averaging 31 points, 16 rebounds and 12 assists in his two matchups with the Suns this year.
Center to Avoid
Deandre Ayton, PHX at DEN ($25)
Things just haven't been the same for Ayton since Phoenix acquired KD. That's limited DA's already limited upside, scoring 35 or fewer fantasy points in 12 of his last 13 games. Ayton has also failed to crack 29 Yahoo points in nine of those, accruing a 28-point average in that span. That won't get it done from such an expensive player, and we saw him score just 21 and 28 Y! points in his two most recent meetings with Denver.
