This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
The biggest thing to worry about late in the season while playing daily fantasy basketball is players resting. Whether it's for the playoffs or just a veteran sitting out the rest of the season because his team has nothing left to play for, sometimes these moves can screw up your entire lineup. So this is a good opportunity to advise you to WATCH INJURY REPORTS. Stay up on which superstars will be sidelined and which players are in line for more minutes. Of the 18 teams in action Monday, only six have something to play for. The Celtics, Hornets, Hawks, Rockets, Jazz and Mavericks need to worry about either a) getting into the playoffs or b) seeding for the first round. For the other 12 teams, not much matters Monday, so don't expect any favors from the fantasy Gods.
GUARD
Seth Curry, SAC at PHO ($12) - Normally it's his brother Stephen Curry who warrants attention in fantasy, but Seth has thrust himself into the conversation. Curry has posted at least 25 fantasy points in four of his last five games and is shooting lights out. During this stretch, Curry has gone 17-of-29 from distance while averaging 17 points and even 3.4 assists per game. Neither the Kings nor Suns are playing for anything, but both foster high-powered offenses that should go right at each other. If Rajon Rondo is kept on the sideline, Curry will get more minutes and more looks, which is always a plus.
Tim Frazier, NO vs. CHI ($13) - In continuing with our trend of bargain guards, Frazier has a solid matchup against the Bulls at home. He's posted lines over his price range since March 16 and has gone for at least 30 fantasy points in five of his last six games. Frazier doesn't shoot the ball well, but has done an excellent job racking up boards and dimes. He's come on as sort of a late-season T.J. McConnell in terms of his production. Frazier will be highly owned, so cash games makes the most sense.
Guard to Avoid:
Ricky Rubio, MIN vs. HOU ($31) - We know Rubio isn't a fantasy commodity because of his scoring, but we also expect a little give and take. It's been six games since Rubio reached double-digit scoring and in only two of those games has he scored at least 20 fantasy points. The Rockets are still alive in the race for the Western Conference's eight seed and haven't been terrible against point guards this season. This late in the season there are plenty of cheap guards getting an unusual amount of playing time, so why spend the cap on Rubio when it can be allocated toward superstars.
FORWARD
Kobe Bryant, LAL at OKC ($17) - It's weird that Kobe is listed as a small forward but I'll take it. Bryant dug deep for his 35-point effort in Sunday's loss to the Rockets, so I imagine he'll do the same with only two games left in his career. Seeding and matchups don't matter all that much to the Thunder now, so don't expect all of their starters to go, let alone give 100 percent. There isn't much to this pick other than knowing that Kobe is a gamer and will want to ride into the sunset with a few more wins under his belt.
Paul Millsap, ATL at CLE ($34) - If you're going to pay up for any elite player Monday, make it Millsap. He isn't even priced as an elite player in fantasy, though he's certainly been playing like one lately. He's put up at least 50 fantasy points in three of his last four games in his signature "fill up the stat sheet" way. No doubt the Hawks do not want to drop to the four seed where they would have to play the Heat as opposed to the Hornets, so big-game Millsap has a lot to play for.
Forward to Avoid:
Nicolas Batum, CHA at BOS ($31) - This should be one of the more competitive games Monday with the Celtics and Hornets a game apart in the standings. Batum has been banged up recently and it's clearly affected his game. He's gone 9-of-22 from the field over the last two games and hasn't performed well enough to warrant spending that much of your cap space. If you're looking for another small forward who has been on fire and is cheaper, look to Gordon Hayward ($29).
CENTER
Cristiano Felicio, CHI at NO ($10) - If you're looking to score on some late bloomers then Felicio is a decent option at center. He's coming off a career-high 16 points against the Cavaliers with the Bulls season on the line Saturday and should get 20-plus minutes again Monday with Chicago now eliminated from contention. Felicio is a great Hail Mary play for tournaments and works for cash games as well.
Center to Avoid:
Tyson Chandler, PHO vs. SAC ($13) - Normally it doesn't help much to recommend avoiding a center whose salary is this low, but Chandler has been outplaying his price tag for a few weeks now. The problem is he may have aggravated one of his many nagging injuries in Saturday's win and could be hampered a bit Monday. If he plays then lineups will be all over him, but play it smart at shy away from Chandler considering the many affordable options at center.
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