This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
It's hard to understand what the schedule makers are doing this week. We've had three days with three games or fewer and three days with at least 10 games. That's really annoying for us as DFS players, and it has us looking at a tiny three-game card here. Competing with the NFL is a big reason for the small slate, but we're going to keep grinding nonetheless!
Guards
Darius Garland, CLE vs. OKC ($34)
The injury to Collin Sexton sucks, but it's made Garland an All-Star player. It's given him full reign within the Cavaliers' offense, leading the team in scoring, assists and usage. All of that is really evident in his recent play, with DG scoring at least 33 Yahoo! points in 11 of his last 12 games. He's averaging over 42 fantasy points per game in that span and has at least 40 Y! points in five straight fixtures coming into this matchup. Facing the Thunder is a tremendous matchup, too, with Oklahoma City surrendering the second-most fantasy points in the NBA.
Terence Davis, SAC at MIL ($19)
I'm going to cheat here because Davis is SF eligible on Yahoo! That doesn't make sense though because TD has been playing SG while doing a ton of ball-handling for the Kings. Davis hasn't had a huge role for most of the season, but he's the focal point of the offense right now with Tyrese Haliburton in COVID protocols. Davis has 93.9 combined Yahoo! points in the last two games without Haliburton. That's the production you usually see from a $40 player, and it makes it hard to understand why he remains so affordable. When given the minutes, he's been productive all season, scoring at least 28 Y! points in all six games he's played at least 27 minutes. We also don't mind that Milwaukee plays at the seventh-fastest pace in the NBA.
Guard to Avoid
Buddy Hield, SAC at MIL ($18)
This dude has some serious stinkers! Hield has scored 26 or fewer fantasy points in nine of his last 14 games, dropping 4.9 Y! points or fewer in three of those. Getting 4.9 fantasy points from someone in this price range is absolutely horrifying, and that's going to happen with a guy who only relies on his scoring. We talked about how Milwaukee might be a good matchup with their pace, but they're surely going to stick some elite defender on Hield. That means a date with Jrue Holiday or Khris Middleton could cripple his value once again, and that'd inevitably lead to another one of those aforementioned duds. Dating back to 2019, Hield hasn't had more than 28 Y! points in any of their four matchups with the Bucks.
Forwards
Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL vs. SAC ($56)
Sometimes you can't fade a guy on a three-game slate. Giannis is definitely one of those studs, ranked second in the NBA with 55.3 Yahoo! points per game. He's actually been even better recently, scoring at least 43 fantasy points in 12 straight games while generating a 58-point average in that span. It's impossible to avoid that sort of production with only six teams in action, especially with Antetokounmpo getting to face a Kings team that ranks 28th in points allowed and 27th in defensive efficiency. Giannis provided a cool 38 points and 18 rebounds in their most recent meeting while attempting an absurd 24 free throws.
Mikal Bridges, PHX vs. IND ($16)
Bridges always remain cheap on these DFS sites, and it's hard to understand what they're thinking. The upside is definitely limited, but he's is too productive to be sitting below $20. We're talking about a guy averaging 23 Y! points per game, regularly playing 30-35 minutes a night. All you really need is 20-plus fantasy points from someone this cheap, and he's reached that total in 31 of 44 games this season. That should be easy to duplicate against Indiana, with the Pacers ranked 21st in defensive efficiency.
Forward to Avoid
Cameron Johnson, PHX vs. IND ($19)
Why is Johnson $3 more than Bridges? Not only does Mikal start ahead of CJ, but he also averages 2.8 more Y! points per game and plays 10 more minutes a night. That makes Johnson a silly choice with Bridges being cheaper, especially since Cam has seen limited minutes in his return to action. In fact, Johnson has played just 20 minutes in the first two games back, averaging just 16 Yahoo! points per game. Just ride Bridges instead of Johnson!
Centers
Richaun Holmes, SAC at MIL ($16)
Holmes playing 28 minutes in the most recent outing is hopefully a sign of things to come. He was a $30 player in his 30-minute role last season, and some injuries and COVID problems have led to this massive price drop. He was even a beast at the beginning of this season, averaging 31 Y! points per game across 28 minutes a night through his first 20 games. We expect him to return to that player sooner rather than later, which means Holmes is about $10 too cheap!
Goga Bitadze, IND at PHX ($13)
The center was on his way to a monster performance if he didn't get ejected on Thursday. The big man had 13 points, nine rebounds and five assists against the best defense in the NBA and looked well on his way to a 40-point gem. What's made him so valuable are the injuries in Indiana, with Myles Turner and Domantas Sabonis both out. That means Goga is one of the only centers remaining, guaranteeing him for 30-40 minutes. If you look at the six games Bitadze has played at least 23 minutes since the start of last season, Goga is generating a 30-point average. Good luck finding that from another player in this price range!
Center to Avoid
Kevin Love, CLE vs. OKC ($17)
It's honestly incredible how good Love has been in limited minutes off the bench. The problem is that he is coming off the bench, and it seems like his minutes have been falling off a cliff. In fact, Love has played 21 or fewer minutes in each of the last seven games, failing to crack 27 Y! points in eight straight outings. Those are concerning numbers from a veteran like this, and it's hard for him to get on the floor with big men like Jarrett Allen, Evan Mobley and Lauri Markkanen swallowing up so many minutes. This game does have some blowout potential, too, and if that's the case, Love's minutes will be limited even more.
