Yahoo DFS Basketball: Saturday Picks

Yahoo DFS Basketball: Saturday Picks

This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.

Most eyes will be fixated on March Madness, but the NBA has some madness of its own. March means it's time for these NBA teams to show exactly who they are, with the trade deadline right around the corner. The NCAA games do leave us with a meager four-game slate here, though, but there's still a lot of great action to discuss. With that in mind, let's kick things off with some of the best values on Yahoo! 

Guards 

De'Aaron Fox, SAC at PHI ($41) 

Many people may not realize it, but Fox has been one of the best point guards in the NBA over the last month. Where that's really evident is his floor, scoring at least 35 Yahoo points in each of his last 10 games while posting an absurd 48-point average in that span. That's on par with many of the $50 players, and one has to believe he'll be blazing up and down the court with Philly ranked sixth in pace. We also like many of the Sixers options on this slate, and if you're going to use those players, you have to believe Fox will go off as well in what should be an absolute shootout.  

Jordan Poole, GSW at MEM ($12) 

Stephen Curry, Kelly Oubre Jr. and James Wiseman are all expected to miss this game, and it wouldn't be surprising to see Draymond Green rested in the second half of a back-to-back set as well. That leaves this roster in shambles, and it will likely force Poole into the starting lineup. That's fantastic news for someone that's already stepping up with those guys suiting up, scoring at least 24 fantasy points in five of his last six games while averaging 27 Yahoo points per game in that span. Receiving 30-35 minutes and 15-20 shots would be far from surprising with so much usage sitting on the sidelines. 

Guard to Avoid 

Malik Monk, CHA at LAC ($11) 

Monk appeared to be in the midst of a breakout two weeks back, but that was clearly a mirage. Now that everyone is back and fully healthy, Monk has been moved way down on the totem pole. In fact, he's failed to crack 20 minutes in each of his last five games, scoring 0.5 Yahoo points across 13 minutes in his most recent outing. The matchup against LA only makes him riskier, with the Clippers sending out a backcourt with defensive studs like Patrick Beverley and Paul George.  

Forwards 

Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL vs. SAN ($56) 

With so many studs missing on this slate, Giannis is the free square of the day. The simple fact is, there's so much value out there that you need to pay up and grab these guaranteed 50-60 fantasy points. That might sound lofty, but it's a fair projection when you look at Antetokounmpo's recent form. The two-time MVP has scored at least 52 Yahoo points in 14 of his last 16 outings, providing a ridiculous 63-point average in that span. Just take that production and build your lineup from there! 

Tobias Harris, PHI vs. SAC ($38) 

Harris has always been one of the most underrated players in the NBA, and he's truly taking over in the absence of Joel Embiid. With Embiid off the floor this season, Harris has a 28 percent usage rate while averaging 1.24 Yahoo points per minute. That brilliant rate is on full display when you see that Harris is posting a 48-point average over his last three games played. That directly correlates with Embiid's injury, and we haven't even discussed this brilliant matchup. Sacramento currently owns the NBA's worst defensive rating while surrendering the most fantasy points in the league to opposing PFs.  

Forward to Avoid 

Kyle Anderson, MEM at GSW ($19) 

Anderson was fantastic in the first month when Memphis was shorthanded, but now that Ja Morant, Jonas Valanciunas, Brandon Clarke and Justise Winslow are all healthy, his role is free-falling in this offense. That's evident by the fact that he's failed to surpass 24 Yahoo points in each of his last seven games, averaging just 20 fantasy points per game in that span. That's very concerning, and it's terrifying that he has to face a Warriors team that ranks seventh in defensive efficiency as well.  

Centers 

Dwight Howard, PHI vs. SAC ($18) 

Weirdly, Howard is fantasy relevant yet again, but here we are! The Embiid absence is clearly the thing that's caused this mayhem, with Howard combining for 24 points, 27 rebounds, and four blocks over his last two games. That has made him the more valuable option over Tony Bradley, and it's really no surprise when you see that Howard is averaging 1.2 Yahoo points per minute with Embiid off the floor this year. The matchup with Sacramento is the jelly in the donut, with the Kings surrendering the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing centers this year.  

Ivica Zubac, LAC vs. CHA ($13) 

Basketball fans and Bosnians across the world have been calling for Zubac to start throughout his career, and we're finally getting our wish! The big man has started each of the last two games, playing 35 minutes in each outing. That's a great minute total from someone who was below 20 minutes a night before that, and it led to him scoring at least 30 fantasy points in each of those games. Zubac is going to be a monster if he plays 30-plus minutes on a nightly basis and likely needs a $10 increase on Yahoo if that remains. The matchup with Charlotte isn't too shabby either, with the Hornets ranked 20th in defensive efficiency and 21st in points allowed.  

Center to Avoid 

Serge Ibaka, LAC vs. CHA ($16) 

If we like Zubac in this new role, we have to be discouraged by Ibaka. He's not given us a whole lot of reason to be encouraged by anyway, scoring more than 36 Yahoo points once all season. That's a very low ceiling, and it's even more concerning when you see that he's failed to crack 20 Yahoo points 14 times this year. The Zubac insertion takes a ton of rebounds away from Ibaka as well, and he'll have a hard time reaching double figures in scoring or rebounding in this diminished role. Not to mention, Serge enters this matchup with a questionable tag! 

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Joel Bartilotta plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: DraftKings: Joelbartilotta Yahoo: Joelbartilotta.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Joel Bartilotta
Joel has 20 years of Fantasy experience, and can recall riding a young Daunte Culpepper to a championship in the 2003-04 season in his inaugural fantasy year. He covers NBA, NFL, daily fantasy, EPL, and MLB for RotoWire.
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