This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
The NBA starts off the week with a modest seven-game slate Monday. The Nets will head back out onto the road, meaning Kyrie Irving will be able to play when they take on the Trail Blazers in Portland.
A matchup between two teams with playoff aspirations in the Eastern Conference will take place when the Hornets face off against the Bucks. Two teams off to disappointing starts will also face each other when the Celtics host the Pacers. The Pacers could be on their way to blowing up their roster, given their 15-25 start.
Let's dig into the matchups and highlight some players to consider for your Yahoo lineups, as well as a few to possibly avoid.
GUARDS
Dejounte Murray, SA at NY ($44): Murray hasn't skipped a beat since returning from the health and safety protocols, scoring at least 52.5 Yahoo points in all three games. He had two double-doubles during that stretch and came one rebound shy of a triple-double in both of those contests. With Derrick White, Devin Vassell and Keldon Johnson all in the protocols, Murray should continue to busy in this matchup.
Anfernee Simons, POR vs. BKN ($23): The news isn't good for Damian Lillard (abdomen), who is now going to miss at least the next seven games. He's not even going to travel with the Blazers for their upcoming six-game road trip. That means more minutes and shot attempts should continue for Simons, who has scored at least 39.6 Yahoo points in three of his last four games.
Guard to Avoid
Cade Cunningham, DET vs. UTA ($28): Cunningham is not an efficient scorer, shooting just 38.1 percent from the field. Since being activated from the protocols, he's shot just 36.7 percent over four games. Considering that the Jazz are tied for the 10th-best defensive rating in the league, this is not an ideal situation for Cunningham to break out of his slump.
FORWARDS
Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL at CHA ($56): These two teams just played each other Saturday, a game that Giannis dominated with 67.9 Yahoo points. The Bucks still lost, part of which can be attributed to the absence of Jrue Holiday (COVID-19). He will be out against Monday, so look for Giannis to continue to shoulder a massive workload. That means plenty of opportunities to stuff the stat sheet could be coming when you also factor in that the Hornets have played at the fastest pace in the league.
Lance Stephenson, IND at BOS ($17): With an outbreak of COVID-19 hitting the Pacers, they brought back a familiar face in Stephenson. He's scored 38.1 and 55.2 Yahoo points, respectively, the last two games, securing a spot on the roster for the remainder of the season. If Malcolm Brogdon and Caris LeVert remain out, then Stephenson could be a bargain at this salary. If they do play, it might be better to pivot to Robert Covington ($17), who has scored at least 32.7 Yahoo points in back-to-back games with Larry Nance Jr. (knee) out.
Forward to Avoid
Harrison Barnes, SAC vs. CLE ($20): Barnes has been quiet on the offensive end, averaging 11.3 points and 9.0 shot attempts over the last seven games. That contributed to him scoring 21.8 Yahoo points or fewer five times. Add in a matchup against a Cavaliers team that has the third-best defensive rating and Barnes isn't very appealing in DFS.
CENTERS
Jusuf Nurkic, POR vs. BKN ($27): Nurkic comes into this matchup on a high note, scoring at least 50.7 Yahoo points Sunday against the Kings. He's scored at least 39.1 Yahoo points in four straight games, averaging 15.8 points and 13.5 shot attempts during that stretch. That's compared to his season averages of 13.5 points and 9.4 shot attempts. As long as Lillard remains out, the Blazers should lean on Nurkic for added scoring.
Hassan Whiteside, UTA at DET ($17): Rudy Gobert (COVID-19) has missed the last three games for the Jazz, and there is no indication yet that he'll be cleared in time for this contest. Whiteside missed the first game that Gobert was out, but has started both of the last two. He wasn't great, scoring 21.9 and 16.6 Yahoo points, respectively. However, he could take advantage of this matchup given that the Pistons have allowed the fourth-most rebounds per game in the league.
Center to Avoid
P.J. Washington, CHA vs. MIL ($18): The Hornets don't have a fantasy-friendly situation up front with Washington and Mason Plumlee splitting minutes. After averaging at least 30 minutes per game in both of his first two seasons in the league, Washington has only averaged 25 minutes this season. That's contributed to him averaging a mediocre 24.9 Yahoo points per game.
