This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
Friday and Saturday brought some monster slates, so this one was inevitable. While there are five games today, only three make up the night slate beginning at 8 p.m. ET. That makes the pickings slim, but there are still some fun matchups to discuss. The Suns-Nuggets is definitely the one everyone's looking forward to, and it'll be a nice dessert after NFL Sunday. With that in mind, let's get into it.
Guards
Stephen Curry, GS vs. TOR ($50)
If you don't think Curry is the best basketball player in the world right now, you should probably tune into this contest. The best shooter of all time is averaging 29.5 points, 6.1 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 1.7 steals. What's scary is Curry's been doing a lot of that damage of late with at least 53 Yahoo points in five of his last six while providing an absurd 59 fantasy points average over that span. That makes him impossible to fade on a three-game docket, especially with the Raptors ranked 20th in defensive efficiency ratings.
Monte Morris, DEN at PHX ($18)
The Nuggets have been dealing with more injuries than any other team having missed Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr over recent weeks. That'd be enough to make Morris valuable, but Will Barton and Nikola Jokic have also been dealing with their own ailments. All of this has made Morris fantasy-relevant again with at least 19 Y! points in 11 of his last 12 games. He's also produced a 25-point average during that stretch while providing 30 Y! points across his last four. Good luck finding that from anyone else in this salary range, especially with Monte dropping 28-plus in the final two playoff outings against Phoenix last year.
Guard to Avoid
Kemba Walker, NYK at CHI ($15)
It's unfortunate what's happened to Kemba this season, but he's just not comfortable in a Knicks uniform right now. It was already tough to battle RJ Barrett and Julius Randle for touches, but this backcourt is also extremely congested. Derrick Rose, Alec Burks and Immanuel Quickley have been swallowing up point guard minutes and usage, leaving the margin thin for Walker. That has led to Kemba scoring 25 or fewer fantasy points in 11 of 15 while posting 17 or fewer in eight. That's an ugly average and an even more disastrous floor, making Walker really hard to trust in a matchup like this. We'll discuss that a little later on...
Forwards
DeMar DeRozan, CHI vs. NYK ($39)
We figured DeRozan would fit just fine in Chicago, but no one could have seen this coming. The former Raptor has been playing at an MVP-type level, leading the Bulls with 26.6 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game. His floor has been equally as impressive having scored at least 28 Y! points in every contest and at least 32 fantasy points in 15 of 16. It's easy to see why when you consider DD has taken at least 15 shots and played at least 34 minutes in all but one outing this season. His role has only been increasing with Nikola Vucevic off the floor generating a 34 percent usage rate. New York is far from scary ranked 17th in both points allowed and defensive efficiency.
Aaron Gordon, DEN at PHX ($23)
We already talked about how shorthanded Denver is, and it's led to AG's best stretch as a Nugget. The former Orlando forward is averaging 31 Yahoo points per game across his last five. Gordon has even done some of that damage with Jokic and Barton in the lineup and finally finding his footing in the offense. That makes his salary way too reasonable, and we love he dropped 27 fantasy points against the Suns earlier this season.
Forward to Avoid
Chris Boucher, TOR at GS ($11)
To say Boucher is in the doghouse would be like saying the sky is blue. He's simply been out of the good graces of Nick Nurse for two years, and it's currently at an all-time low. Before some garbage time in a 30-point blowout Friday, Boucher averaged 12 Y! points per game across 13 minutes over his last 13. He actually failed to crack 8.8 Y! in eight of those. That's concerning since Boucher didn't even receive an opportunity when Pascal Siakam was out, making him off-limits for fantasy purposes. Not to mention, Golden State boasts the NBA's best defense based on defensive efficiency ratings.
Centers
Deandre Ayton, PHX vs. DEN ($29)
Ayton has experienced some troubles off the court with injuries and contract negotiations, but it certainly hasn't affected his play. The big man has posted at least 34 Y! points in six straight outings while averaging 17.2 points and 14.3 rebounds. Those are dominant numbers, and it'd be scary to see what Ayton could do if he started providing defensive statistics. As a Denver fan, I can tell you he feasts on the Nuggets. In fact, Ayton has scored at least 31 Yahoo points in eight of his last 10 meetings while posting career-bests with 21.1 points and 12.1 rebounds.
Khem Birch, TOR at GS ($12)
It's absurd Khem is flirting with the minimum on Yahoo. He's done nothing but perform when given the opportunity by averaging 22.3 Y! points per game in fewer than 24 minutes a night across the last seven. That's a massive total from someone this affordable, especially since Birch got a start the last two appearances. That means he's usurped Chris Boucher and Precious Achiuwa in the rotation, which is excellent news since OG Anunoby is also sidelined. All of that should guarantee Birch 25 minutes, and he'll surely provide value if that happens. We also don't mind Golden State's major weakness is their frontcourt as they send out an undersized Draymond Green and Kevon Looney at center.
Center to Avoid
Mitchell Robinson, NYK at CHI ($15)
We love Mitch-Rob as a player, but he's been struggling all season. The big man has only surpassed 28 Yahoo points in two games while failing to crack the 20-point mark in 10 of 15 matchups. That's not good enough for a $15 player, and it's even more troubling with declining minutes. That court time will only drop with Nerlens Noel having returned and Robinson suffering a nasal injury. Not to mention Chicago is playing a lot of small-ball with Vucevic out, and NY will be happy to comply by playing Julius Randle at center.
