This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
Saturday's five-game NBA evening slate is very balanced, with exactly half of the teams in action coming in over .500. There should be no shortage of fantasy scoring with three bottom-five defenses, even though the three teams facing those defenses (Brooklyn, Washington and Memphis) aren't exactly offensive juggernauts themselves. Strong value plays will nonetheless emerge on those rosters and beyond, and the players listed below should fall into that category.
GUARD
Jrue Holiday, NOP vs. BKN ($25) - Holiday has averaged 43.3 fantasy points per game the five times he has played at least 30 minutes, and he figures to once again reach that playing time benchmark after doing so in both of his last two appearances. Anthony Davis (concussion) missing this contest would make Holiday an even stronger DFS play, but Holiday has been productive both with and without Davis in the lineup lately. Even though he still comes off the bench, injuries across the Pelicans' roster, coupled with his own return to full health, have removed the point guard's ceiling on both playing time and offensive role.
George Hill, IND vs. DEN ($16) - Hill continues to be criminally underpriced considering his role in the Pacers' offense. After coming off the bench for a game following the birth of his child, Hill has returned to the starting lineup with a vengeance, averaging 25.7 fantasy points in 39 minutes per game over the last two. That level of production is actually right in line with his season-long output, so there's no reason to expect a drop-off any time soon. Since Hill is the same player he was when his price was rightfully 150 percent of what it is now, he makes for a consistently great play until his price returns to its rightful place.
Guard to Avoid:
Kyrie Irving, CLE vs. SAS ($30) - Irving has been struggling to live up to his $30 price tag lately, averaging just 24.6 fantasy points per game over his 11 appearances. He unsurprisingly scored just 24.4 in San Antonio on Jan. 14, as the league's stingiest defense was able to effectively clamp down on the oft-injured point guard. Even with this encounter coming at home, nothing about Irving's recent results suggest he'll be any more effective this time around.
Others to Avoid: Darren Collison ($17), C.J. Miles ($17), Mario Chalmers ($16)
FORWARD
Ryan Anderson, NOP vs. BKN ($25) - Anderson had been heating up prior to Anthony Davis' concussion, but the Brow's absence Thursday allowed the stretch-four to fully spread his wings while dropping 36 points and grabbing nine rebounds on the Kings. The streaking Anderson is still worth a long look even if Davis is ready to return considering he posted back-to-back efforts over 35.0 fantasy points before his offensive outburst against Sacramento. Brooklyn ranks in the bottom-third of the league in both total defense and three-point defense, so Anderson should be able to deal heavy damage with his perimeter-oriented offensive approach after nailing 14 triples in the last three contests.
LaMarcus Aldridge, SAS at CLE ($32) - Aldridge looked spry in Wednesday's blowout victory over the Rockets after being hampered by a back injury in previous contests, and he took advantage of the extra space inside provided by Tim Duncan's (knee) injury to post his first double-double since Jan. 12. With a favorable matchup against exploitable defender Kevin Love on tap, expect an encore performance from San Antonio's prized offseason acquisition as the Spurs look to pick up a statement win on the road.
Forward to Avoid:
Zach Randolph, MEM vs. SAC ($26) - Despite his appealing matchup against the Kings, it's hard to trust Randolph due to his recent struggles. The 34-year-old power forward finally seems to be slowing down after spending the last 15 years banging down low, grabbing double-digit rebounds just three times in 13 January appearances. Considering Randolph has also been held to single-digit points nine times in the last two months after failing to score 10 in a game just once through the end of November, it's hard to argue that he isn't in the formative stages of a significant decline.
Others to Avoid: Omri Casspi ($26), Matt Barnes ($20), Clint Capela ($18), Jordan Hill ($16)
CENTER
Myles Turner, IND vs. DEN ($14) - Many thought Turner's value would dissipate with the return of Ian Mahinmi, but the rookie has kept on chugging, averaging 18.0 points and 6.0 rebounds per game in two appearances since the French center reclaimed his starting spot. Turner's 15 blocks in the last six games offer a glimpse of the defensive upside the 6-foot-11 behemoth possesses, and his much more advanced offensive game gives the Pacers a reason to continue giving him minutes either alongside or instead of Mahinmi. His $14 price makes the 19-year-old the epitome of a low-risk, high-reward play.
Center to Avoid:
Marcin Gortat, WAS at HOU ($29) - Gortat is averaging just 28.5 fantasy points per game on the road this season, and a matchup against defensive stalwart Dwight Howard doesn't bode well for his chances of raising that number. Howard should be quite familiar with Gortat's offensive arsenal since the Polish Hammer used to back him up in Orlando, so it shouldn't come as much of a surprise if Gortat underperforms for the fourth straight game.
Others to Avoid: Dwight Howard ($31), Willie Cauley-Stein ($12)
