This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
Saturday night's NBA slate features six games, highlighted by the Cavaliers-Hawks in an Eastern Conference finals rematch, as well as the next chapter in the Spurs-Grizzlies rivalry. Plenty of the league's established stars are in action, but fans thirsting for fresh faces needn't feel left out as rookies Jahlil Okafor and Kristaps Porzingis look to lead their teams in tough road tests. Observing recent trends is one key to finding the best performance-to-price ratios, and this column is designed to help you sift through the multitude of available players and pinpoint the best values.
GUARD
Dennis Schroder, ATL at CLE ($21) - Schroder has filled in admirably lately for Jeff Teague (ankle), and he has a good chance of drawing one more start while the latter is still recovering. The German point guard is an incredible value at $21 if Teague is out but becomes just a decent play if the starting point guard returns. Schroder has averaged 13.7 points and 8.3 assists in three games since Teague's injury, and his season averages of 12.4 points and 5.0 assists in less than 25 minutes per game indicate this bump in production is sustainable with an increase in playing time.
Patty Mills, SAS vs. MEM ($10) - Mills is a great value at the minimum price due to his combination of opponent and recent production. Memphis is the worst team in basketball at defending three-pointers, allowing nearly 40 percent from deep, which plays right into Mills' hands. The sharpshooting Australian has been a strong source of three-pointers and steals in his last seven games, averaging more than 20 fantasy points per game in that span. Any player expected to score double his price in fantasy points constitutes an excellent deal.
Guard to Avoid:
Ty Lawson, Hou vs. NYK ($22) - Lawson has seen his playing time slashed by new head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, who decided it was best for Houston's prized offseason acquisition to come off the bench behind the 38-year-old Jason Terry. It's clear Lawson won't live up to lofty preseason expectations, and his name recognition is the only thing propping up his price considering he's delivering outings like Wednesday's two-point, one-assist atrocity against the Blazers. Avoid Lawson until he shows he can produce decent results for multiple consecutive games.
Others to Avoid: Michael Carter-Williams ($27), Robert Covington ($21), Kentavious Caldwell-Pope ($21), Kyle Korver ($21), O.J. Mayo ($17),
FORWARD
Chris Bosh, MIA vs. PHI ($34) - Philadelphia ranks in the bottom third of the NBA in defensive efficiency, making Bosh a no-brainer play based on his recent production. Bosh has topped 38 fantasy points in six of his last eight games and should be fresh for the sixth game of Miami's homestand after a day off. Conversely, the 76ers are playing the second game of a road back-to-back, and sport the NBA's worst record to boot. There's a possibility that the 31-year-old won't play his full minutes if Miami gets up big, but the likelihood of the veteran's production getting nerfed by his own coaching staff is greater than that of the 76ers containing him.
Kristaps Porzingis, NYK at HOU ($26) - Knicks president of basketball operations Phil Jackson cashed in on draft day due to the competition underrating Porzingis, and now you have a chance to follow in his footsteps. The 20-year-old Latvian has emerged as the early favorite for rookie of the year due to his excellent combination of size (7-foot-3, 240) and shooting ability. The 28th-ranked scoring defense, Houston has had trouble with both of those attributes. Porzingis' 29-point-outing Tuesday against Charlotte shows his upside, and the Knicks will be sure to feature him offensively as Trevor Ariza will make life harder on Carmelo Anthony than Terrence Jones can on Porzingis.
Forward to Avoid:
Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL at IND ($34) - Prior to dropping a career-high 33 in Cleveland on Saturday, Antetokounmpo had averaged just 12.8 points per game in his previous five. A lack of consistency should be expected from a 20-year-old still developing his offensive game at the NBA level, but $34 is a lot to pay for those growing pains. There are better ways to spend that money, especially considering the Greek Freak faces defensive stalwart Paul George on Saturday.
Others to Avoid: Carmelo Anthony ($39), LaMarcus Aldridge ($32), Marcus Morris ($27), Ersan Ilyasova ($16)
CENTER
Ian Mahinmi, IND vs. MIL ($14) - Mahinmi has played 28 minutes per game in five contests since rookie Myles Turner went down with an injury and has responded well to the increase in playing time by contributing more than 24 fantasy points per game over that span. The veteran center isn't going to score much, but his ability to compile rebounds and hustle stats makes him a sneaky-good fantasy asset. With no imminent threat to his newfound larger role, Mahinmi should be expected to continue along his recent pace, making him a steal at his price.
Center to Avoid:
Tim Duncan, SAS vs. MEM ($24) - While Memphis has struggled defensively this season, interior defense hasn't been the problem. Marc Gasol is still an elite center on that end, and he should find a way to make life difficult for Duncan. Expect a roughly average performance from the Big Fundamental at best, while Indiana's Ian Mahinmi and Houston's Clint Capela (assuming Dwight Howard doesn't play) should put up roughly equal numbers at a fraction of the cost.
Others to Avoid: Greg Monroe ($34), Marcin Gortat ($21), John Henson ($13)
