This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
It's rare to see 10 games on a Sunday, but that should become a more common occurrence with the NFL regular season coming to an end. That's exciting for us NBA fans, with six matchups making up the card starting at 7 p.m. ET. There are many question marks coming in with players like Luka Doncic and Ja Morant listed as questionable, but we still have a good read on the other 10 teams in action. With that in mind, let's get into it.
Guards
De'Aaron Fox, SAC at POR ($28)
Fox was subpar the first two months of the season, but the last two weeks show just how special he can be. The speedster from Kentucky has scored 30 raw points in three straight games while averaging 28.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 1.0 steals over his last four fixtures. That's led to a 39-point floor during that span and an impressive 44-point average. Those are ridiculous numbers from a sub-$30 player, and it should be easy to duplicate in a matchup like this with Portland ranking 27th in points allowed and ast in defensive efficiency while surrendering the second-most fantasy points to opposing PGs. That's on full display when you see Fox's 37-point average in their two most recent meetings.
Malik Monk, LAL vs. MEM ($18)
Yahoo seems to be sleeping on Monk. Many teams were doing that in the offseason, but he's proving many of them wrong with his Lakers resurgence. The sharpshooter has scored at least 30 Yahoo! points in five of his last seven contests while providing a 36-point average in that stretch. It's rare to see an average that's double a salary, but that's a good indicator of how good a value Monk is right now. Memphis isn't the most challenging matchup sitting 12th in pace and 15th in total defense.
Guard to Avoid
Klay Thompson, GSW vs. CLE ($14)
As someone who tore their ACL six months ago, I completely feel for Thompson. Recovering from this is a grueling task, and I can't imagine following it up with an Achilles injury. That has kept him sidelined for over 950 days, and everyone is ecstatic to see him make his long-awaited debut. While we're happy for Klay, we simply can't trust him for DFS purposes. Having a limited workload is already enough reason to fade him, but you have to believe there's going to be some rust after missing nearly three years of basketball. That's even more concerning against a top-10 Cavs defense.
Forwards
Norman Powell, POR vs. SAC ($27)
Portland is trying to figure things out without Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum. While they haven't solved much, they have discovered Powell is their most valuable offensive weapon. In fact, he leads the team with a 29 percent usage rate with those two off the floor while averaging nearly 1.1 Y! points per minute. That's evident by the fact Powell's averaging 20 shots and 39 minutes per game during those outings. That sort of role is hard to fade in a matchup like this, with Sacramento seventh in pace, 28th in points allowed and 27th in defensive efficiency.
Maxi Kleber, DAL vs. CHI ($10)
There seems to be one minimum-salary steal on every Yahoo! slate, and it's looking like Kleber is today's featured pick. What makes him so valuable is the absence of Kristaps Porzingis, leaving Maxi with a 30-minute starting role. Dating back to last season, he's averaging 27 Yahoo points per game when KP has sat. That's an unbelievable average from a $10 player, and Kleber's a threat for a double-double every time he receives this opportunity. He's also posted at least 19 Y! points in seven straight coming into tonight, which is an incredible floor from such a value player.
Forward to Avoid
Aaron Gordon, DEN at OKC ($18)
Denver fans are becoming disappointed with the rest of the roster around Nikola Jokic, and AG is a major reason why. He was expected to play second-fiddle to Joker once Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr went down, but he's currently playing like a role player. In fact, Gordon has produced 30 or fewer fantasy points in 12 of his last 13 games while generating a 24-point average. That's not terrible for an $18 player, but that limited upside makes him impossible to trust with so many better options on the board.
Centers
Jusuf Nurkic, POR vs. SAC ($27)
Powell isn't the only one stepping up for Portland, as Nurkic has also become on the offense's focal points. It's the absence of Larry Nance Jr that's really allowed Nurkic to thrive, keeping him on the floor for over 30 minutes a night. That has led to scoring at least 32 Yahoo! points in four straight fixtures while averaging nearly 40 Y!. He's dominated this subpar Sacramento defense all year averaging 24 points, 15.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists in their two head-to-heads.
Brandon Clarke, MEM at LAL ($14)
Memphis never seems to carry a full roster, and it's led to Clarke's best career stretch. It's who's missing right now that's made him such a solid option, with the club expected to be without Steven Adams, Dillon Brooks and Kyle Anderson. All those players have taken minutes from Clarke throughout the season, but it looks like he's in line for 25-35 minutes with all of those players out. That's stellar news with the way he's rolling with at least 27 Yahoo! points in four of his last five games en route to a 32-point average. Good luck finding that from another $14 player, especially against a Lakers team ranking second in pace and 26th in points allowed.
Center to Avoid
Naz Reid, MIN at HOU ($17)
Reid was incredible when he filled in for Karl-Anthony Towns last week. But with KAT back in action, Naz has been relegated to bench duties. He can be effective off the bench, but this inflated valuation makes him a terrible value in this limited role. In 31 contests as a reserve this season, Reid is averaging 17 Y! points per game across 15 minutes a night. That's a decent rate, but a terrible total from a $17 player. It's clear this salary bump was due to expanded responsibility without Towns, and it makes Reid off-limits until he drops below $15 again.
