This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
The NBA starts off the week in style with eight games on the schedule Monday. One of the most exciting matchups of the evening will be the 76ers hosting the Bulls. In addition to their injuries at guard, the Bulls added another big name to their injury report with Nikola Vucevic (hamstring) listed as questionable.
The Warriors will be playing the first game of a back-to-back set when they take on the Nuggets, and they've decided to rest Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins. The Trail Blazers, who already don't have a ton of talent left on the roster, will be even further depleted with Anfernee Simons (quadriceps) out for their matchup against the Timberwolves.
Let's get down to the task at hand and highlight some players to consider for your Yahoo lineups, as well as a few to possibly avoid.
GUARDS
James Harden, PHI vs. CHI ($50): Harden did not play Saturday in what was the second game of a back-to-back set for the Sixers. He had been dealing with a hamstring issue recently, so it was an opportunity to give him some added rest. He's off the injury report for this matchup, making him one of the top guards to target. The Bulls have been floundering of late, mostly because of their struggles on the defensive end. They have the 11th-worst defensive rating in the league now, and they likely won't be getting any better in that department with Lonzo Ball (knee) and Alex Caruso (wrist) still out.
Jordan Poole, GS at DEN ($24): With the Warriors resting their star trio, this could be Poole's night to shine. When given the opportunity, he's been a terrific offense force this season. They also rested Curry, Thompson and Wiggins in a game against the Spurs in February, and Poole recorded 31 points, six rebounds and five assists with them out.
Guard to Avoid
Kevin Porter Jr., HOU at MIA ($22): Porter has been all over the map lately. Over his last six games, he's scored at least 37.9 Yahoo points three times. However, he scored no more than 27.8 Yahoo points in any of the three other games during that stretch. Facing a Heat team that has the fifth-best defensive rating leaves the potential for Porter to produce another underwhelming stat line.
FORWARDS
RJ Barrett, NY at SAC ($29): Barrett helped lead the Knicks to a much-needed win over the Clippers on Sunday, posting 24 points, nine rebounds and four assists across 33 minutes. He's been on a scoring surge since returning from injury, averaging 28.8 points of the last five games. This is a great opportunity for him to stay hot considering that the Kings have the third-worst defensive rating.
Jonathan Kuminga, GS at DEN ($18): With so many players out for the Warriors, Kuminga has a chance to take on an expanded role. In the aforementioned game against the Spurs in which Curry, Thompson and Wiggins all sat out, Kuminga recorded 19 points, three rebounds, three assists and one block. There should be a clear path for him to at least approach 30 minutes in this game.
Forward to Avoid
Tobias Harris, PHI vs. CHI ($23): Harris scored 16 points against the Heat on Saturday, which was the most points that he's scored in a game since Harden made his debut with the Sixers. It's no surprise that he achieved that feat in a game in which Harden didn't actually play. As long as Harden and Embiid are both healthy, Harris could continue to see a limited usage rate, compared to what he was accustomed to earlier in the season.
CENTERS
Joel Embiid, PHI vs. CHI ($53): Embiid usually destroys the Bulls. Last season, he averaged 31.5 points, 13.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists across two games against them. This season, he's provided 29.3 points, 11.7 rebounds and 4.3 assists over three meetings. The addition of Tristan Thompson does help the Bulls up front, but Embiid still enters this matchup with an extremely high floor.
Trendon Watford, POR at MIN ($13): The dearth of healthy big men for the Blazers has forced Watford into extended playing time. He's logged at least 30 minutes in back-to-back games, scoring 33.4 and 37.8 Yahoo points, respectively. There's no reason to believe that he won't continue to play more, especially considering how few players will even be available to take the floor for the Blazers.
Center to Avoid
Hassan Whiteside, UTA at DAL ($19): Not only is Watford appealing for this slate, but so is his teammate Drew Eubanks ($12), who has scored at least 23.6 Yahoo points in three straight games. That means there isn't much of a case to be made for rolling with Whiteside, who has a significantly higher salary than both players. As long as Rudy Gobert is healthy, Whiteside should remain limited. Over the last six games, he's scored 23.6 Yahoo points or fewer five times.
