Yahoo DFS Basketball: Saturday Picks

Yahoo DFS Basketball: Saturday Picks

This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.

These series are starting to wind down, and we're really starting to see these teams' true colors. Many of these matchups are becoming must-win games for the trailing clubs, and it'll be interesting to see how they respond. We actually have a rare four-game slate for this Saturday card, which will be one of the largest for the closing month of the year. With that in mind, let's kick things off with some point guards. 

Guards

Ja Morant, MEM at MIN ($43)

Morant just shot terribly in Game 3, but he still carried his team to a 27-point comeback behind an impressive triple-double. That's led to him scoring at least 49 Yahoo points in all three games of this series, dropping at least 32 Yahoo points in 41 straight games in total. That's an unbelievable run of consistency, with Morant averaging over 50 Yahoo points per game in that span. It's easy to see why's established that 49-point floor against Minnesota, with the T'Wolves ranked 20th in total defense while playing at the fastest pace in the NBA. 

Marcus Smart, BKN vs. BOS ($20)

Smart was just rewarded with the Defensive Player of the Year Award, and he's really taken his game to another level recently. He's averaging nearly 30 Yahoo points per game over the last month and has always played better when facing the Nets. In fact, Smart has at least 29 fantasy points in five of his six meetings with Brooklyn, en route to a 33-point average. That's tremendous for such an affordable player, and it's no surprise when you see that he's playing 40 minutes a night to oppose these superstar players. 

Guard to Avoid

Mike Conley, UTA vs. DAL ($20)

Conley is one of the oldest players in this postseason, and he's looking like it. The 34-year-old has only cracked 35 Yahoo points three times over his last 29 games played, posting a 27-point average in that span. He's been worse recently, averaging 24 Yahoo points per game in this series. That alone is concerning, but it's likely to continue since Dallas posted a Top-5 defense in the second half of the season. He's scored 24 or fewer fantasy points in four of their last five meetings this year, averaging just 21 Yahoo points per game in that span. 

Forwards

Bojan Bogdanovic, UTA vs. DAL ($19)

We had Bogdanovic in the fade section a month ago, but he's been a different player recently. He has at least 26 Yahoo points in 11 of his last 12 games, generating a 32-point average in that span. That's all you can ask for from a player in this price range, especially since he's averaging 33 minutes and 15 shots a game in that stretch. He's destroyed Dallas all year, too, scoring at least 30 fantasy points in five of their six meetings this season.  

Kyle Anderson, MEM at MIN ($11)

The Grizzlies made a strategical move in Game 3, and it looks like it will impact Anderson more than anyone else. He got a start over Steven Adams in that comeback win and looks in line for a 25-minute expanded role. If you look at the 16 games he's played at least 25 minutes this season, Anderson is averaging over 30 fantasy points per game. That'd be ridiculous from such an affordable player, but his stat-stuffing ability gives him that sort of upside in an inflated role. 

Forward to Avoid

Tobias Harris, PHI at TOR ($23)

Harris has not been the same player since the James Harden trade. We've seen glimpses of the $30 guy we've become accustomed to, but the consistency is simply not there. Harris has scored 26 or fewer Yahoo points in 15 of his last 30 games. That floor is terrifying for a player in this price range, especially since he's averaging just 28 fantasy points per game in that span. The worst part is this matchup against Toronto, with the Raptors ranked Top-10 in both points allowed and defensive efficiency. 

Centers

Al Horford, BOS at BKN ($24)

Horford has been a beast, and he's been even better with Robert Williams sidelined. There's some talk that Williams will make a limited return here, but that really doesn't matter with how Horford is playing. The big man has at least 34 fantasy points in six of his last seven games, scoring 77 combined Yahoo points in the first two games of this series. Brooklyn sitting 21st in total defense makes Horford even more intriguing, with the center scoring at least 30 Yahoo points in each of their last five matchups. 

Nicolas Claxton, BKN vs. BOS ($15)

It looks like Claxton has usurped Andre Drummond as the go-to center in Brooklyn. Claxton has played at least 23 minutes in eight of the last nine games, averaging 25 Yahoo points per game in that span. Getting 25 fantasy points from someone this cheap is impossible to find, particularly a guy that's shown a 40-point upside at times this season. The big man is averaging 29 fantasy points per game in the 27 games he's played at least 22 minutes, and that's an even more encouraging sign with the playing time trending in the right direction. 

Center to Avoid

Andre Drummond, BKN vs. BOS ($23)

The Nets keep messing with Drummond's role, and it looks like his workload is trending in the wrong direction. The big man has played 24 or fewer minutes in each of his last eight games, averaging just 19 Yahoo points per game in this series. That's far from shocking since Boston sits first in points allowed and defensive efficiency, limiting opposing centers to crumbs. That's evident when you see that Drummond has 23 or fewer fantasy points in all six of their meetings this season. 

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Joel Bartilotta plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: DraftKings: Joelbartilotta Yahoo: Joelbartilotta.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Joel Bartilotta
Joel has 20 years of Fantasy experience, and can recall riding a young Daunte Culpepper to a championship in the 2003-04 season in his inaugural fantasy year. He covers NBA, NFL, daily fantasy, EPL, and MLB for RotoWire.
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