This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
On a two-game slate, it's increasingly difficult to avoid the obvious selections. However, we try to mix and match as best as possible, giving you some options to think about.
Without further ado, here's our look at Monday-Tuesday Yahoo Daily Fantasy Basketball:
GUARD
Kyrie Irving, CLE at TOR ($36) - Irving makes for a nice consolation pivot if your other selections make rostering Russell Westbrook ($54) or Stephen Curry ($54) prohibitive. Don't let the temptation of recency bias based on Irving's Game 3 performance suck you in, as this is still the same player that tallied 53 points on 23 of 39 shooting in the first two games of the series, and that scored no fewer than 31.5 fantasy points in the playoffs before Game 3. The Cavs will undoubtedly be determined to put Saturday night's debacle behind them, rendering Irving a potentially sky-high upside play.
DeMar DeRozan, TOR vs. CLE ($35) - Speaking of sky-high upside, the one thing we've been able to count on in these playoffs has been a ton of shot attempts from DeRozan. He's scored 31 and 44 fantasy points, respectively, over the last two contests, and will undoubtedly be firing away again in an attempt to knot up the series for the Raptors.
Guard to Avoid:
Kyle Lowry, TOR vs. CLE ($41) - This one is simply a matter of price, and whether Lowry is worth the investment based on potential return. He's the third-most expensive guard on the slate, yet both Kyrie Irving ($36) and teammate DeMar DeRozan ($35) have been more consistent and productive in the series. Lowry's price at least partially seems to still be influenced by his spectacular efforts in the last three games of the semifinal round versus the Heat, but the fact remains he posted 16.3 and 19.2 fantasy point totals in the first two games versus the Cavs. Even his resurgent effort in Game 3, which netted 30.7 fantasy points, does not justify the $41 cost.
FORWARD
LeBron James, CLE at TOR ($51) - As mentioned in Kyrie Irving's entry, the Cavs figure to be particularly honed in for Game 4, after the Raptors outplayed them in essentially ever aspect Saturday. James spoke plenty about the Cavs not having been as physical as they needed to be to start the contest, and this therefore figures to be an area of focus early on in Game 4. DeMarre Carroll has been no match for James so far in the series, and there's nothing to suggest that will change Monday. James has scored 39.2 to 56.7 fantasy points in the first three games versus the Raptors, and could be in for an explosive outing in Game 4 as he looks to avert a 2-2 series tie.
Patrick Patterson, TOR vs. CLE ($14) - For those that can't afford Draymond Green ($47) or Kevin Love ($34) at power forward, Patterson checks in as a potentially rewarding value play. He's admittedly much more of a tournament play, as you never quite know what you'll get from him offensively. The one constant is that he's receiving plenty of playing time despite coming off the bench the last two games, and has played 28 to 30 minutes in the series' first trio of contests. He posted 21.7 fantasy points in Game 3, a nice return at his current price. He also scored 29.2 fantasy points in the semifinal round versus the Heat, providing a glimpse at his potential ceiling.
Forward to Avoid:
DeMarre Carroll, TOR vs. CLE ($16) - Carroll's price isn't the issue, but his lack of production and assorted injury concerns are. He's scored 9.7 to 17.0 fantasy points in the first three games of the series, and has his hands full a large part of the time with his defensive responsibilities versus LeBron James. He'll likely be facing a particularly motivated version of the perennial All-Star in Game 4, further dimming his chances to return acceptable value.
CENTER
Steven Adams, OKC vs. GS ($20) - There doesn't seem to be anyone who can stop Adams from hauling in double-digit rebounds these days, as he's now accomplished the feat in every contest since Game 5 of the quarterfinal round versus the Mavs. He's scored fewer than 21 fantasy points only once over that span, and has eclipsed 30 on four different occasions. That includes a 33.4 fantasy point-output in Game 1 against the Warriors, further rendering him an appealing value option.
Bismack Biyombo, TOR vs. CLE ($19) - We can't neglect to mention the man who set a Raptors franchise record with 26 boards in Game 3 – an effort that helped net 46.7 fantasy points. There's not a lot of risk associated with Biyombo's modest price either, but do bear in mind that he scored only 18.8 and 13.0 fantasy points, respectively, over the first two games of the series, and that the Cavs will undoubtedly be focused on preventing the embarrassment they suffered at his hands down low in Game 3.
Center to Avoid:
Timofey Mozgov, CLE at TOR ($10) - Mozgov continues to be an avoid candidate based on his considerable lack of usage. He's been on the court for fewer than 11 minutes total over the first three games of the series, as Tristan Thompson has manned the starter's minutes at the five. Expect more of the same in Game 4, keeping Mozgov out of fantasy consideration.
