This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
After 11 games on Saturday, we have a small five-game slate Sunday. There is one game being played four hours before all the others, so we're going to focus on the 7:00 p.m. EST games because that's when most DFS games on Yahoo will be played. What's interesting about these four games is the lack of defense, as all eight teams in action have an average or below-average defense. There are also two games with double-digit spreads (LAL/MIN, PHX/GS) , so be sure to use caution when using players from those matchups.
GUARDS
Emmanuel Mudiay, DEN at POR ($26): Mudiay has been boom or bust for the entirety of his short career, but there are reasons to believe this is a boom game, as Damian Lillard is one of the worst defensive point guards in the league. In addition, Lillard will do plenty of work on offense, forcing Mudiay to do more on his end. In the first game against Portland this season, Mudiay scored 37 fantasy points for one of his best games of the year.
Allen Crabbe, POR vs. DEN ($12): Crabbe was already productive prior to the injury to Al-Farouq Aminu, but he's even more valuable now. In the first game without Aminu, Crabbe played over 37 minutes and scored 33 fantasy points against the Kings. With very little depth at small forward, Crabbe will be asked to play a lot of extra minutes. This is one of those circumstances to capitalize on, and there's reason to believe Crabbe will become the no. 3 option on offense Sunday against a poor Denver defense.
Guard to Avoid
Ricky Rubio, MIN vs. LAL ($31): Rubio has been dealing with an elbow injury over the past week and there's some thought he could return for this matchup. If he does, fading him is the way to go, as not only is the $31 price outlandish, he hasn't been productive. Rubio scored under 19 fantasy points in both games he's played this season, and it's clear he's no longer the focal point of the offense. With so many other weapons on the team, Rubio has been relegated to assisting duties and nothing else. That makes his upside extremely limited, and while he has a great matchup, he's too hard to trust with the performance and injury question marks.
FORWARD
Gorgui Dieng, MIN vs. LAL ($27): There haven't been many players as inconsistent as Dieng this season, which has kept his price down, but Sunday's matchup is ideal for a breakout performance. He has scored at least 35 fantasy points in four games this season, and he's done that damage in worse matchups than Sunday's. The Lakers have one of the worst defenses in the league, and they play at a high pace, which only helps Dieng further.
Domantas Sabonis, OKC vs ORL ($10): Sabonis has been a nice surprise this season and the Thunder seem comfortable giving him heavy minutes in a starting role. Not only has he played at least 24 minutes in five consecutive games, he's averaged over 22 fantasy points per game in that span. That's 2.2X value on his minimum price, which is an absolute steal on Yahoo. He has a great matchup Sunday too, with Orlando ranking 22nd in fantasy points allowed to power forwards this season. In addition, the Magic have one of the biggest front lines in the NBA, so Sabonis will be needed and could approach 30-plus minutes.
Forward to Avoid
Aaron Gordon, ORL at OKC ($27): The Magic have really struggled on offense this season and Gordon was the scapegoat by being moved to the bench. In his first game off the bench, he played just 24 minutes and that's simply not enough time for a $27 player. The matchup is concerning as well, with Oklahoma City ranking as the best defense on Sunday's later slate. While the talent of Gordon is undeniable, the offense and his role make him too risky to use.
CENTER
Alex Len, PHX at GS ($16): With Tyson Chandler missing games, Len has stepped in as the starting center. In his most recent appearance, Len showed his abilities by recording a double-double en route to 41 fantasy points. That's ridiculous value on a $16 price, and he's a must-use as long as he's the lone center in the rotation. The only concerning part about this play is the matchup, as the Warriors can make any big man useless with their ability to play small. Even if that is the case, Len should still be able to approach a double-double and exceed value in limited minutes.
Center to Avoid
Nikola Vucevic, ORL at OKC ($30): Vucevic has been the one productive player in the Magic offense, but they rank last in total offense and it's obvious there are some major changes on the horizon. Much of the offense has been run through Vucevic, but that seems likely to change with all of the struggles and lack of ball movement. The matchup is also far from ideal, as the Thunder have allowed the fourth-fewest fantasy points per game to centers this season. With Vucevic priced as the second-highest center, there are far better values in much better circumstances.
