This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
The last week of the season is very bizarre, but if you pay attention, it can be the most profitable week of the year. There are teams resting and some tanking, and that provides endless value for fantasy. With plenty of random players getting tons of minutes, it's time to pounce on the plethora of cheap prices.
GUARD
J.J. Barea, DAL at LAC ($16): The little guard has been one of the best fantasy options over recent weeks and it's a wonder why his price is still so low. The only concern is his injury status, as he is questionable with a groin injury. Before leaving his last game prematurely, Barea had scored at least 35 fantasy points in six of his last seven games. What's made him so good is his usage, as he is the primary ball handler without Deron Williams. The matchup is tough against Chris Paul, but it's hard to pass up a player this hot who costs just $16.
Raymond Felton, DAL at LAC ($11): Felton is a must use if Barea has to sit. With the lack of backcourt depth in Dallas, Felton has also had to take on a bigger role and is playing some of the best ball of his career. In his last game when replacing Barea, Felton tallied 11 points, 14 assists and six rebounds. The minutes are what is most encouraging, as he's a near guarantee for at least 30 with Barea out of the lineup. The injury situation is still cloudy, but whoever gets the start is a must play at these cheap prices.
Guard to Avoid
Klay Thompson, GS at SAN ($34): No one doubts that Thompson is one of the best shooting guards in the league, but he really struggles against the Spurs. Not only do the Spurs rank first in total defense, they limit opponents to one of the worst three-point percentages in the league. It's evident through Thompson's prior games as well, as he averaging just 23 fantasy points per game in his three previous ones against the Spurs. There's also some speculation on resting and limiting minutes, so it's just way too difficult to trust a player like Thompson in this sort of situation.
FORWARD
Thomas Robinson, BKN at IND ($15): There has been no better fill-in player over recent weeks, and if DFS owners haven't taken notice, they should now. With Thaddeus Young and Brook Lopez rested for the season, Robinson has taken on a huge role in Brooklyn as the only reliable frontcourt option. Not only does he have six consecutive double-doubles, Robinson is averaging over 15 points, 13 rebounds and one steal per game in that span. The matchup isn't great, but the Pacers do allow big men to grab a ton of rebounds, which fits perfectly for Robinson.
Derrick Williams, NYK vs. TOR ($11): Williams is in a similar circumstance as Robinson, as he has garnered a starting role with the Knicks well out of playoff contention. Since taking over, Williams has scored at least 20 fantasy points in five straight games, regularly approaching double-doubles on a nightly basis. His usage is up as well, as he is averaging 30 minutes and over 10 shots per game in that span. This is a great matchup as well, with Toronto's one weakness being at power forward.
Forward to Avoid
Dirk Nowitzki, DAL at LAC ($30): The veteran is in a big slump right now and he's extremely tough to rely on. Over his last seven starts, Nowitzki is averaging 13.6 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game on 31 percent shooting from the field. That's terrible value for a player at $30 and the long season finally seems to be wearing down the big man. What's also concerning is that he is not getting to the free-trow line, as he is averaging fewer than three free-throws per game in that span. The matchup is tough as well, with the Clippers ranking in the top 10 in field goal percentage allowed to power forwards for the season.
CENTER
Jusuf Nurkic, DEN vs. UTA ($10): With the Nuggets' season well out of hand, they have decided to start Nurkic and Nikola Jokic together. The results have been great, with Nurkic averaging 12.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.9 blocks and 0.9 steals per game in his last 10. In that span, Nurkic has scored fewer than 21 fantasy points only twice and that's hard to find for a minimum priced player.
Center to Avoid
Tim Duncan, SAN vs. GS ($13): Everyone knows that father time is catching up with Duncan, but this matchup is just terrible for his old legs. Golden State prefers to play small ball at an up-tempo pace and that just kills Duncan's value. It's evident in his prior games against the Warriors as well, as he sat out the first meeting and scored eight fantasy points in his two other games combined. To say that's bad is an understatement and the matchup just makes Duncan an impossible option at a relatively cheap price.
