This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
The NBA starts off the week in style Monday with nine games on the schedule. While there are a lot of games, there aren't exactly a ton of exciting matchups.
The marquee game might actually be the Clippers hosting the Warriors. None of the nine games will feature two teams with winning records. The Nets will try to snap their 11-game losing streak when they take on the Kings, but that task will be made more difficult by Kyrie Irving having to sit out with the game being played in Brooklyn.
Let's break down 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 CHI ($50): Murray has scored at least 27 points in four of his last six games and has averaged 25.7 points, 8.0 rebounds, 11.3 assists and 2.5 steals over that stretch. That included a masterful performance against these same Bulls in which he recorded 29 points, nine rebounds and 12 assists. With the Bulls missing their best defensive guards in Lonzo Ball (knee) and Alex Caruso (wrist), Murray could continue to dominate in their rematch.
Ayo Dosunmu, CHI vs. SA ($22): Not only will Ball and Caurso be out, but so will Zach LaVine (knee). With so many players on the Bulls injured, they have had rely heavily on their second-round rookie Dosunmu. He has responded by scoring at least 35.1 Yahoo points in three of his last five games.
Guard to Avoid
Jrue Holiday, MIL vs. POR ($31): This game has blowout written all over it. The Bucks are one of the best teams in the league, while the Trail Blazers just blew up their roster at the trade deadline. If Milwaukee races out to a big lead, then Holiday could spend added time on the bench in the fourth quarter.
FORWARDS
DeMar DeRozan, CHI vs. SA ($45): DeRozan is on another planet right now. He has scored at least 31 points in six straight games and has scored at least 35 points in five straight. He's not just scoring in bunches, either, providing 6.0 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.0 steals over the last six games. With LaVine out, he should continue to receive all of the shot attempts that he can handle.
Justise Winslow, POR at MIL ($16): With the Blazers gutting their roster at the deadline, Winslow finally has a chance to see extended playing time. While health has been an issue for him throughout his career, he has shown that he can be productive when he can stay on the floor. Case in point, he's scored at least 32.9 Yahoo points in each of the last three games.
Forward to Avoid
Brandon Ingram, NO vs. TOR ($33): For most of the season, Ingram has been the unquestioned leader of the Pelicans' scoring attack. He's averaged 22.7 points and 18.4 shot attempts per game. He's also been one of their best playmakers, providing 5.3 assists per game. However, with CJ McCollum in the fold the last two games, Ingram has scored 18.2 and 24.4 Yahoo points, respectively. He attempted a total of 31 shots over those two games, while only chipping in three assists. Initial indications are that the addition of McCollum will have a negative impact on Ingram's production.
CENTERS
Nikola Vucevic, CHI vs. SA ($42): Vucevic has worked his shooting percentage up to 47.4 percent after struggling from the field to start the season. He's shot 55.6 percent from the field over the last 15 games, posting 22.4 points, 12.9 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.3 block per game. Expect him to continue to be one of the Bulls' top scoring options with LaVine out.
Thomas Bryant, WAS vs. DET ($12): The Wizards will remain thin at center for this game with Kristaps Porzingis (knee) and Daniel Gafford (conditioning) having already been ruled out. Bryant has scored at least 25.5 Yahoo points in back-to-back games, despite not logging more than 22 minutes in either game. He still likely won't play a ton, but he can do enough in his limited minutes to be worth considering at near the minimum salary.
Center to Avoid
Nicolas Claxton, BKN vs. SAC ($19): The Nets center spot could be a mess for the remainder of the season. They acquired Andre Drummond from the Sixers, adding him to an already productive duo of Claxton and LaMarcus Aldridge. All three players are expected to be available for this game, so Claxton might not see enough minutes to be able to provide value.
