This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
I'm excited to write about this slate! There were some plays that really stuck out, with the San Antonio-Washington matchup looking like the most stackable game on the board. That's a rare opportunity for both of those terrible teams to win, and we could see many players in the optimal lineup from that beautiful matchup. With that in mind, let's get started with two point guards in that game.
GUARD
Tyus Jones, WAS vs. SAS ($20)
Tyus started slowly in his first month with the Wizards, but he's been cruising since then. The Washington PG is averaging 34 Yahoo points per game across his last 17 outings. He even had 34 Y! points despite making just one shot on Thursday, showcasing what makes him such a reliable option in this distributing role. That playmaking should be on display in this sensational matchup with San Antonio, sitting 24th in defensive efficiency and 26th in points allowed. He faced them as a starter twice last season when filling in for Ja Morant, averaging 46 Y! points per game in those matchups.
Tre Jones, SAS at WAS ($16)
Having two brothers as our two guard recommendations is pretty wild, but you better believe these siblings will go at it in this magical matchup. Let's start there because Washington's defense is even worse than San Antonio. The Wizards rank last in points allowed and 29th in defensive efficiency while surrendering the second-most fantasy points to opposing guards. That's scary with how Tre has performed since his reinsertion into the starting lineup, scoring at least 27 Yahoo points in six of his eight starts while averaging 30 Y! points per game. In his last start against Washington, Tre picked up a double-double en route to 34 fantasy points.
Guard to Avoid
Bogdan Bogdanovic, ATL vs. CLE ($19)
Bogdan was one of the best bench players in the NBA through the opening two months of the year, but he hasn't been the same recently. The Serbian has 28 or fewer fantasy points in 11 of his last 13 games, ceding touches to Trae Young and Dejounte Murray. That poor stretch also directly correlates with the return of Jalen Johnson, with Bogdan playing 28 or fewer minutes in 10 consecutive outings. The matchup with Cleveland is concerning, too, as it ranked second in points allowed and fourth in defensive ratings.
FORWARD
Deni Avdija, WAS vs. SAS ($22)
Let's keep stacking this Wizards-Spurs matchup. These horrible defenses should allow big stat lines from all of these undervalued players, particularly a stat-stuffer like Avdija. The Israeli guard is averaging 34 Yahoo points per game across his last 10 outings, despite playing fewer than 30 minutes a night. The limited workload is mainly due to blowouts, but that shouldn't be an issue against a horrid team like the Spurs. Not to mention, San Antonio surrenders the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing forwards. In their two matchups last year. Avdija accrued 44 and 40 Y! points.
Vince Williams, MEM at CHI ($22)
It's laughable how many injuries this Memphis team has suffered. They're expected to be without Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, Marcus Smart, and Steven Adams, leaving Williams with the most prominent role of his career. He's actually the primary ball-handler for Memphis, scoring at least 36 Yahoo points in three straight outings. He's also got at least 44 fantasy points in two of those and should continue to stuff the stat sheet at will for this shorthanded team.
Forward to Avoid
Keldon Johnson, SAS at WAS ($27)
This one is risky given how much we love this game, but numerous factors are keeping us away from Johnson. The first is that he's been relegated to the bench, averaging just 25 Y! points per game since the demotion. His recent form is even more terrifying, scoring 15 or fewer Yahoo points in three of his last five games. The nail in the coffin is the return of Victor Wembanyama because that's going to steal more usage and opportunities away from KJ.
CENTER
Joel Embiid, PHI at CHA ($59)
It's tough to fade the MVP right now. Embiid is playing better than he did last season, scoring at least 60 Yahoo points in 15 of his last 17 games. He's also got his season average north of 60 Y! points per game, recording at least 30 points and 10 rebounds in 17 of his last 19 outings. That's scary for Charlotte, surrendering the second-most fantasy points to opposing centers while sitting 25th in points allowed and last in defensive efficiency. In their three matchups since the start of last season, Embiid is averaging 44 points, 13.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.3 blocks against the horrid Hornets.
Xavier Tillman, MEM at CHI ($16)
It's hard to believe that Tillman is just $16 given how this Grizzlies roster looks right now. We already discussed how half of the team is on the injury report, forcing Tillman into a huge role. That's allowed X to play 32 minutes a night across his last five fixtures, scoring at least 27 fantasy points in four of those. That's all you can ask for from such an affordable player, and he should be locked into 35 minutes with how shorthanded this roster is right now.
Center to Avoid
Walker Kessler, UTA at HOU ($18)
It's hard to understand why Utah has shifted Kessler to the bench after a remarkable rookie season, but that will keep him out of our DFS lineups. The big man is playing just 22 minutes a night in his 22 games coming off of the bench. He's also never scored more than 35 Yahoo points since the demotion, which is too shallow of a ceiling when looking at his 25-point average. We know this kid can be a stud in a 30-minute role, but that's just not happening right now. The matchup with Houston is horrible, too, ranked Top 10 in points allowed and defensive efficiency.
