This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
The NBA's Saturday evening slate consists of two playoff games, with two others scheduled to be completed by then. Memphis will be looking to even its series with San Antonio after prevailing at home in Game 3, while the Blazers-Warriors series shifts to Portland for the first time. Regardless of who emerges victorious in these games, the following players should provide strong value at their prices:
GUARD
Patrick McCaw, GS at POR ($10): McCaw was given the start with Kevin Durant (calf) out in Game 2, and he responded with 19.0 fantasy points in 34 minutes. There's little reason for the Warriors not to give him a similar workload Saturday after winning that contest 110-81, especially given the importance of having a healthy Durant as the opposition gets tougher later in the postseason. It's almost impossible not to outplay a minimum-price while playing over 30 minutes, so plug McCaw in with confidence as long as Durant sits again.
Mike Conley, MEM vs. SA ($36): Conley has lived up to or surpassed his $36 price in each of his first three appearances during the 2017 postseason, which isn't surprising considering he's the most expensive player at any position whose season fantasy point average (36.4) exceeds his price. Unlike the three other teams in action, Memphis lacks a second credible perimeter threat capable of taking some of the burden off Conley. The resulting heavy workload provides the point guard with a high floor for points and assists, which is why he has scored over 30.0 fantasy points in all seven of his meetings with the Spurs between the regular season and playoffs.
Guard to Avoid
Damian Lillard, POR vs. GS ($46): Lillard was held to 16.8 fantasy points when the Warriors buckled down on him in Game 2, while his supposedly impressive series opener saw the expensive guard barely outplay his $46 price with 49.0 fantasy points. His performance at home in Game 3 is likely to fall somewhere in between, but the downside Lillard showed in his last outing makes it risky to invest that much in a point guard facing a Golden State defense that has held the position to the eighth-fewest fantasy points on a league-low 41.0 percent from the field this season.
FORWARD
Zach Randolph, MEM vs. SA ($22): Randolph has come off the bench for most of the season, but he earned the start in Game 3 thanks to a strong second half performance in the previous contest. The veteran averaged 19.5 points and 9.0 rebounds in 33 minutes per contest in those two games, and should continue to see well over his regular season average of 24 minutes given how desperately the Grizzlies need his scoring ability down low. His $22 price hasn't accounted for Randolph's increased usage, making him a safe and effective option as long as that's the case.
Maurice Harkless, POR vs. GS ($11): Harkless came to play in Games 1 and 2, averaging 28.1 fantasy points in 32 minutes per contest. His well-rounded game translates well to fantasy success, as the athletic forward has already come up with three steals and four blocks total to go along with a made 3-pointer in each game. Playing at home should only help Harkless' output, while his playing time is likely to stay significant given the value of his flexibility on the defensive end.
Forward to Avoid
Al-Farouq Aminu, POR vs. GS ($16): Portland's deficiency at the center position in Jusuf Nurkic's (leg) absence has been a big reason behind the blowout nature of the series, as Aminu has clearly struggled to provide quality minutes in Nurkic's stead. He's been limited to just 23 minutes per game after averaging over 29 during the regular season, and his averages of 4.5 points and 5.0 rebounds per game suggest the out-of position forward doesn't deserve any more playing time. Both Harkless and Evan Turner are more sensible forward options given their superior play and cheaper prices.
CENTER
Pau Gasol, SA at MEM ($19): Gasol has scored just 7.7 points per game on 36.3 percent shooting in this series, yet he has still scored at least 21.0 fantasy points in two of three games. With his price down at $19, this is the perfect time to buy low on the veteran given his likelihood of returning closer to his season averages of 12.4 points per game and 50.2 percent from the floor. His 27 minutes per game in this series are over a minute and a half above his season average, so at least matching his 27.1 fantasy points per game from the regular season shouldn't be difficult once his shots start falling.
JaVale McGee, GS at POR ($10): It's no surprise that Golden State's most athletic center has taken advantage of a depleted Portland roster that lacks anyone to match his combination of size and athleticism inside. His 46.5 fantasy points in 23 minutes through two games should earn McGee more minutes, but he has proven capable of vastly outplaying his minimum-price as is. Early returns suggest McGee is the top option out of the multitude of $10 centers.
Center to Avoid
Dewayne Dedmon, SA at MEM ($10): Dedmon has spent most of the season as San Antonio's starting center, but he's priced at the minimum $10 for a reason. His role has decreased with each game in this series, as he has gone from 15.1 fantasy points to 7.3 to 3.6 while playing fewer minutes with each subsequent contest. Until that trend reverses, Dedmon possesses very little fantasy value.
