This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
Yahoo DFS Basketball: Monday Picks
If you're a fan of stacking, there are two obvious choices for Monday's nine-game slate. The Wizards will travel to Oklahoma City to take on Kevin Durant and the Thunder while the Bucks head to Sacramento to face Boogie Cousins and the Kings.
It's always tough to stack elite players like Durant and Russell Westbrook, so consider one of the two elite options while trying to pinpoint role players who will provide the most upside. Thunder center Enes Kanter ($16) is incredibly affordable and has scored 75 fantasy points over his past two games. Dion Waiters ($11) is also playing well, having scored in double figures in three straight. A triple stack of Durant, Kanter and Waiters would only cost you $80 (40 percent of your salary cap).
It's unclear if Cousins will be able to suit up for the Kings after rolling his ankle in Friday's loss to the Grizzlies, but chances are he'll stick it out and play. If so, Cousins ($55) and Rajon Rondo ($41) may be a trendy stack, albeit an expensive one. Instead look to the Bucks lineup, which offers more affordable players who should experience an uptick in production against the Kings' dismal defense. A Greg Monroe ($30), Khris Middleton ($33) and Jabari Parker ($18) stack totals $81, right around the amount you'd be spending for the above Thunder stack.
Guards
Cory Joseph, TOR at DEN ($10): The red-hot Raptors head into Denver with an 11-game winning streak, but they may be without All-Star Kyle Lowry. If Lowry is out, Joseph becomes an extreme value play, considering how many points the Nuggets allow to opposing point guards (45.97 per game, 6th worst) and his basement pricing. Even if Lowry suits up, Joseph has seen plenty of minutes off the bench and is shooting 56.4 percent from the field over his past five games. Joseph has also posted 20 or more fantasy points in four straight games.
Rodney Hood, UTA vs. CHI ($22): Hood has been unconscious of late, shooting nearly 50 percent from both the field and distance over his past five games. In that span, he's averaging 22.8 points over 34.8 minutes per game, with four or more three-pointers in three of the five contests. The Bulls – particularly Jimmy Butler – are usually a tough defensive matchup for anyone, but Chicago will be playing the second half of a back-to-back and is allowing 40.63 fantasy points per game to opposing shooting guards over the past 10. Hood is a solid play in both formats; the tough draw of Butler should scare away prospective owners and his points/dollar ratio should still be quite high.
Guard to Avoid
Victor Oladipo, ORL at SA ($28): Dipo's minutes have slowly declined over his past five games since he played 45 on Jan. 14 against the Raptors. Most recently, he managed just 11 points and 19.6 fantasy points over 28 minutes Friday against the Celtics, which isn't really cutting it for a player whose price is almost $30. Orlando is on the second half of a back-to-back set and all of this comes without mentioning taht they're playing the league's top defensive unit in San Antonio. The Magic enter Monday having lost 12 of 13 games, giving us yet another reason to avoid Oladipo (and his teammates).
Forwards
Kevin Durant, OKC vs. WAS ($53): Durantula is quietly having an MVP season and is in one of those stretches where he's just unstoppable. The Thunder have won 10 of their past 11 games and Durant has scored 40 or more fantasy points in all but one of those contests. The Wizards are allowing 39.70 points per game to opposing small forwards this season, which is seventh-worst for Yahoo DFS. You're almost always going to want a stud in your lineups, and Monday's should be Durant.
Myles Turner, IND vs. CLE ($14): Turner's offense regressed a bit in Saturday's win over the Nuggets, but that didn't stop the rookie from posting 30.3 fantasy points (eight points, nine rebounds, four blocks and three assists). On top of that, he played a career-high 40 minutes and seems locked into the starting five for Indiana. If there's any position you'd want to roll with against the Cavaliers, it's at power forward, where Kevin Love offers a relatively soft matchup for Turner. You'd be hard-pressed to find a more valuable fantasy option than Turner since his playing time increased Jan. 17 against Denver. Consider him a solid cash-game play, but expect high ownership percentages for tournaments.
Forward to Avoid
Serge Ibaka, OKC vs. WAS ($27): Unlike his superstar teammates, Ibaka has struggled with consistency over the Thunder's impressive stretch of 11 games. He has just two double-doubles and has failed to reach double-digit scoring in four games over the run. The Wizards may struggle with defending the 3, but they've been the best team in Yahoo DFS in terms of points allowed to opposing power forwards this season at just 38.88 fantasy points per game. It's hard to justify rolling with Ibaka at this price when guys like Tristan Thompson and Jabari Parker ($18) are much cheaper while offering more upside.
Center
Boban Marjanovic, SA vs. ORL ($12): The Spurs should be able to run away with this one early, potentially leading to increased minutes for Marjanovic during garbage time in the second half. When he logs double-digit minutes, Marjanovic almost always hits tournament value; he's scored 20 or more fantasy points in nine of 10 games where he gets over 10 minutes. Even if Tim Duncan returns to action Monday, he'll likely be benched if the Spurs have a huge lead. Marjanovic is a bit risky, but if the game script goes accordingly he's an excellent play in both tournaments and cash games.
Center to Avoid
Zaza Pachulia, DAL at ATL ($20): Pachulia returned to the Mavericks lineup Friday and posted a double-double, but don't expect a similar performance Monday against a stingy Hawks defense. Dallas will be on the second half of a back-to-back after Sunday's game against the Suns, so there's a chance Pachulia may even sit out against his former team. The center position doesn't really have many guys to avoid Monday, as pretty much every player available has been consistently posting solid fantasy lines. Consider shying away from a lot of the top, high-priced options in favor of bargain centers.
