This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
Saturday's 10-game slate features one obvious colossal mismatch, as the historically dominant Warriors take to their home floor against a Suns team that is 5-32 since Dec. 18. While it may seem like a no-brainer to stack your lineup with Warriors, Golden State's recent loss to the Lakers shows that things aren't always that easy. There are plenty of high-level options available, but these guys are the cream of the crop when it comes to value:
GUARD
Devin Booker, PHO at GSW ($20) - Booker continues to light it up for the Suns, averaging 28.4 points per game over his last five. Even in his down game over that span, the rookie managed to easily outplay his valuation with 27.8 fantasy points on the strength of 14 points and six assists. His high usage and tremendous shooting ability have allowed Booker to comfortably outperform his price on points alone, and he should be in for another strong performance in what figures to be a fast-paced affair against the Warriors.
Jrue Holiday, NOP at MIL ($35) - Holiday has been fully unleashed in the Pelicans' last three games, as his 36 minutes per game in that span blows his season average of 27 per game out of the water. He had already been tasked with a massive usage rate whenever he was on the floor, and that didn't change with the rise in playing time. Holiday has averaged 45.0 fantasy points per game as a result of the change, and he is showing no signs of slowing down now that he has finally been inserted into the starting lineup.
Guard to Avoid:
Reggie Jackson, DET at PHI ($30) - Jackson has been atrocious on the road recently, averaging just 10.0 points and 6.3 assists for a grand total of 19.8 fantasy points per game in his last three contests away from the Palace of Auburn Hills. While he gets a good opportunity to turn things around against a porous 76ers defensive unit, his inconsistent play puts a greater degree of risk on playing Jackson than fantasy owners should be comfortable taking on, especially with myriad alternatives available.
Others to Avoid: Brandon Knight ($39), DeMar DeRozan ($39), Deron Williams ($24), George Hill ($20)
FORWARD
LaMarcus Aldridge, SAS vs. OKC ($32) - Aldridge has outperformed his $32 price in six straight appearances, as he continues to get more and more comfortable with the Spurs as the season moves along. The Thunder have given up at least 100 points in nine of their last 10 games, so Aldridge is in line to once again accrue a hefty point total after averaging a team-high 25.5 points and 10.5 rebounds per game over his last six. With the Spurs looking for a statement win against an elite opponent, expect their star players to be at the top of their games.
Luol Deng, MIA at TOR ($22) - Deng has enjoyed a second-half surge since being asked to play an increased role after Chris Bosh went down. Bosh's absence created a hole in the rebounding department, and Deng has filled it very well with seven double-digit rebounding games out of his last 11. His increase in playing time resembles his with the Bulls, and he has outplayed his $22 price in each of his last 11 games. With Bosh still without a return date, Deng is a safe bet to continue outplaying expectations.
Forward to Avoid:
Nerlens Noel, PHI vs. DET ($26) - Prior to Wednesday's solid performance against the Rockets, Noel had averaged just 10.0 points and 4.8 rebounds per game over his previous five. One decent game shouldn't be enough to suddenly return Noel back into fantasy owners' good graces, especially since he has only managed to pull down double-digit rebounds once since Jan. 18.
Others to Avoid: Aaron Gordon ($31), Will Baton ($27), Myles Turner ($22)
CENTER
Nikola Jokic, DEN vs. WAS ($21) - Jokic has taken his game to a whole new level in March, averaging 16.0 points and 9.8 rebounds per game in his last five. The Wizards rank among the bottom-eight teams in the NBA in both points allowed and rebounding differential, so expect the Serbian center to continue thriving in those two categories. At just $21, he should have no problem providing strong production at the center position without forcing owners to break the bank.
Center to Avoid:
Al Horford, ATL vs. MEM ($31) - Horford hasn't been terrible lately, but he hasn't quite lived up to his $31 price, either. The versatile center has scored between 24.4 and 30.8 fantasy points in each of his last five games, and he doesn't figure to improve on those totals against a defensive-minded Memphis team that still ranks seventh in the league despite dealing with significant injury issues for a large portion of the season. Even if he's not going to sink your team completely, Horford doesn't have the upside typically associated with a player priced above $30.
Others to Avoid: Marcin Gortat ($27), Jonas Valanciunas ($22), Mason Plumlee ($17)
