This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
We're down to the final week of the season. Next Sunday will be the final DFS slate and that's going to cause some serious chaos over the next seven days. We've already been treated to some weird resting and rotations and it's only going to get more bizarre. That leaves us with a lot to discuss, so let's go ahead and get into it.
Guards
Delon Wright, SAC vs. OKC ($28)
Wright was a $30 player while starting for Detroit earlier this year and he's essentially taken on the same role with the Kings. That was not the case in his few weeks with Sacramento, but injuries to Tyrese Haliburton, De'Aaron Fox and Harrison Barnes have allowed Wright to run the show. Delon is averaging 52.4 Yahoo points per game in 39 minutes a night in his three games as a starter. That's a scary total from a sub-$30 player and it shouldn't be hard to duplicate against a 26th-ranked Thunder defense.
Theo Maledon, OKC at SAC ($14)
Oklahoma City is in full rebuild mode, and it's made Maledon a fantasy-relevant option. They'll definitely be without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Al Horford here and it seems likely more players will sit in the second half of a B2B set. That's big news with Theo averaging over 22 Yahoo points per game as a starter while generating a 30-point average across his last three fixtures. The best part of this play is the matchup with the Kings and their league-worst defensive rating.
Guard to Avoid
Luguentz Dort, OKC at SAC ($18)
Dort is a victim of the Thunder tank and it's sad they've ruined an otherwise breakout year from the former Arizona State standout. The defensive stud is averaging a career-best 23 Y! points per game for the season, but has recently been a shell of himself. In fact, Dort has 21 or fewer fantasy points in five straight averaging just 18 Y! points per game in that span. A big reason for the falloff is that OKC continue to rest him regularly thereby stopping Dort's rhythm. They actually played on Saturday, and that could lead to him sitting.
Forwards
Jalen McDaniels, CHA vs. NO ($14)
With Miles Bridges, Devonte' Graham and Cody Martin all sidelined, McDaniels has recaptured the starting PF job in Charlotte. He's been brilliant in that role all year by averaging 26 Yahoo points across 31 minutes a night in his 13 starts this season. Those are incredible numbers from a $14 player and it makes it hard to understand why he remains so affordable. What makes it even more mind-boggling is this matchup facing a Pelicans team ranking 22nd in defensive efficiency while also missing three of their starters.
James Johnson, NO at CHA ($10)
We just mentioned how New Orleans is missing three of its starters and that's why Johnson is a great option. He's actually expected to start here with Zion Williamson, Steven Adams and Brandon Ingram all expected to sit. That's plenty of usage out of the lineup and even more minutes. In JJ's seven starts this year, he's averaging 28 Y! points across 28 minutes a night. That's the performer we've seen in the past and the Pelicans need his playmaking ability with so many talented players missing. That makes Johnson a fantastic option at the minimum, especially with Charlotte surrendering the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing PFs.
Forward to Avoid
Jerami Grant, DET vs. CHI ($28)
Everything we said for Dort goes for Grant. The big signing for Detroit was in the midst of a breakout season before they started resting him regularly and it really hurt his momentum. JG has actually scored 36 or fewer fantasy points in seven of his last eight and is posting a 30-point average over his last 12 fixtures. He's also sat out 11 games since the second week of April and that could definitely happen again here with Detroit playing the second half of a back-to-back set.
Centers
Mo Bamba, ORL vs. MIN ($27)
Bamba has proven to be a per-minute monster. And now that he's the starting center in Orlando, he's really tough to fade. Trading off Nikola Vucevic and Aaron Gordon made him a 20-minute player off the bench, but the Wendell Carter injury has turned Mo into a 30-minute starter. That has allowed Bamba to drop at least 42 fantasy points in each of his last three games, averaging nearly 1.4 Y! points per game for the year. Minnesota is a majestic matchup with the T-Wolves sitting 29th in points allowed and 28th in defensive efficiency.
Isaiah Stewart, DET vs. CHI ($24)
Stewart has been up and down all year, but it's easy to see why when you dig into the injury reports. He's been relegated to bench duties when Mason Plumlee starts, but has been awesome when entering the starting unit while Plumlee rests. That's expected to be the case here, with Plumdog playing on Saturday night in the front end of a B2B. In Stew's 12 starts this season, he's averaging 33.3 fantasy points per game. That's plenty at $24 and we love he faces a Bulls team carrying a 23rd OPRK against opposing centers.
Center to Avoid
Montrezl Harrell, LAL vs. PHX ($17)
Harrell is definitely talented enough to be a $25 player, but the rest of this rotation has hurt his role. He was already struggling for minutes before Andre Drummond entered the fold and it's only gotten worse since Marc Gasol and Anthony Davis both got healthy. Over his last 12 games, Trez is playing fewer than 18 minutes a night while averaging 19 Y! points during that span. Those are poor numbers from a $17 player and it's hard to imagine it improving against a top-10 Phoenix defense after a DNP in LA's most recent game.
