This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
Monday's 10-game slate will have no shortage of viable options, as the Grizzlies-Celtics matchup is the only game that goes below a 212 Over/Under line. On the opposite end, the pace and overall lack of defense in the Suns-Pelicans game pushed its O/U to 231 and loaded it with a number of great plays to target. You'll also see me focusing on the Warriors-Knicks game (O/U 230), but due to the blowout potential I'll be looking more towards options on the Knicks.
Teams on the tail end of back-to-backs: Detroit, New Orleans, Houston
Detroit is going to try to avoid losing three straight as they face a tough Toronto defense in the second game of their road trip, and the Pelicans return home on a high, looking to win their sixth straight after an overtime win in Milwaukee.
We have three of the usual suspects eclipsing the $50 threshold on Monday, and as I stated above, the fast pace and low defensive efficiency of the Suns and Pelicans make Anthony Davis ($55) the best of the trio. The ceiling afforded by Davis is just too tempting to ignore, and due to the large slate, I can find more than a few pivots to get him on my roster. Russell Westbrook ($54) isn't too far behind, as Orlando has no real defensive answer for him in the backcourt. The only worry I have here is the possibility of the game getting out of hand, but Westbrook will get his. James Harden ($50) is my least favorite of the unfadeables, as Denver has been one of the better teams in limiting the Rocket's output, and while he has enough value for cash games I think he'll be a bit too expensive to hit the desired GPP number we'll need. The duo of Kevin Durant ($44) and Stephen Curry ($42) lurk a little further down, and though you should see a floor of 40 YFP for both of them, a blowout could be in the offing at the Garden.
GUARD
Jeff Teague, MIN at SAC ($26): With Jimmy Butler now out indefinitely, the T-wolves will have to find ways to replace his output, and it will be up to Teague to distribute those available shots as well as provide a bit of firepower himself. He put up an insane 50.9 YFP game Saturday, and on a few days rest he should be gunning for a high total in this potentially high-scoring blowout.
Trey Burke, NYK vs. GS ($13): I thought Emmanuel Mudiay would be the big surprise for the Knicks moving forward, but Burke has come out of nowhere with two 40-plus YFP games in a row. While I think Mudiay has a more consistent floor as the team's presumptive starter, it's hard to argue a case against Burke unless you truly feel a course correction is imminent. He doesn't need a huge game to beat value at this price.
Other guards to consider: Victor Oladipo, IND at DAL ($43); Jrue Holiday, NO vs. PHO ($31); Kyle Lowry, TOR vs. DET ($28); D'Angelo Russell, BKN vs. CHI ($18)
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GUARD TO AVOID
Dennis Smith, DAL vs. IND ($20): Smith's output is in a precipitous skid, as he's only produced more than 30 YFP in four of his last 10 games, which is a total he sorely needs to eclipse to provide decent value. Indiana also features one of the league's best defenses against opposing backcourts, so it's reasonable to expect a bad night for the talented rookie.
FORWARD
Julius Randle, LAL at ATL ($29): It's almost a DFS bylaw to start whoever plays Atlanta as your frontcourt option, but Randle deserves special attention as he's flourished in the weeks since Larry Nance was shipped away to Cleveland. Randle's stepped up to be the dominant threat the Lakers were counting on, and they're now happy that they didn't press the sell button on him at the trade deadline.
Serge Ibaka, TOR vs. DET ($19): There are some attractive cheaper plays on the slate, but Ibaka sees an uptick in YFP of about 35 percent when he gets two or more days of rest, and though he'll face a new-look Pistons frontcourt, he has the goods to make things difficult for Blake Griffin and Andre Drummond inside.
Other forwards to consider: Paul George, OKC vs. ORL ($38); Michael Beasley, NYK vs. GS ($25); Tim Hardaway, NYK vs. GS ($21); Lauri Markkanen, CHI at BKN ($21); David Nwaba, CHI at BKN ($14)
FORWARD TO AVOID
Carmelo Anthony, OKC vs. ORL ($22): While the Thunder should largely have their way against the Magic, Anthony will spend the evening contending with Aaron Gordon, who should give Anthony more trouble than usual. He's dipped down to the fourth-best scoring option for the Thunder, and even at this price he isn't worth the risk.
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CENTER
Karl-Anthony Towns, MIN at SAC ($42): Towns has taken his sweet time to get things going in the past couple of games, but thanks to some late-game charges he's salvaged great stat lines since the All-Star break. He should have little issue against the Kings, as he's enjoyed an average of 65 YFP across two games against Sacramento. If you elect to fade Davis, Towns is your next-best bet.
Cristiano Felicio, CHI at BKN ($10): Felicio will continue to start for Robin Lopez, and though he did have a bad first game in Lopez's stead, he showed up with a 23 YFP game Saturday. He'll only need around 14 YFP to meet appropriate value for those looking to break 300 on Monday.
Other centers to consider: Andre Drummond, DET at TOR ($44); Clint Capela, HOU at UTA ($29); Myles Turner, IND at DAL ($21)
CENTER TO AVOID
Jonas Valanciunas, TOR vs. DET ($20): While Valancuinas has shown vast improvement in recent weeks, Drummond had his number in their last meeting, putting up 58 YFP while Valanciunas only mustered 25 YFP against him. I see no reason for this result to change Monday.
