This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
Saturday's seven-game slate features two fast-paced matchups that should give us a wealth of targets, and one clunker of a game that might be best to steer clear of altogether. The Knicks and the Pelicans both play lightning fast, and although the Pelicans are on a back-to-back, there are favorable matchups on both sides of this matchup. The same is true for the PHI/DEN contest, which has a 215 over/under. The aforementioned clunker is SA/DET, with Detroit facing one of the league's best defenses and San Antonio's methodical offense undergoing an overhaul with Kawhi Leonard making a slow return.
In our $50-plus club there are only four players active, and LeBron James ($59) is my favorite of the bunch as he matches up well against a Utah defense that has had its share of troubles inside. While I don't mind Kevin Durant ($56), the Grizzlies played tough with the Warriors last week in a low-scoring matchup where Durant only had 36.6 YFP. That equals cash that might be best spent elsewhere. Anthony Davis ($56) and DeMarcus Cousins ($55) are playing for the second straight night, and though they both had excellent games (Cousins in particular, with an eye-popping 83 YFP), they face a much tougher Knicks defense on Saturday. It could be tempting to ride the Cousins wave in a couple places, but LeBron will be my most widely-owned player in this range.
I'll now highlight two players per position and one player to avoid in each slot. The non-featured mentions listed hold equal weight in my predictions.
GUARD
Donovan Mitchell, UTA vs. CLE ($28): While he didn't have 28.9 YFP in his last tangle with the Cavs, that was mainly due to an off night in supplemental categories. He's now had a chance to see the Cavs once as the focal point of Utah's offense and with a backcourt of Jose Calderon and Dwyane Wade to deal with, Mitchell should see a better result this time.
Jamal Murray, DEN vs. PHI ($21): The streaky Sixers travel into high altitude without Joel Embiid (rest), and though Ben Simmons and J.J. Redick can launch the ball from everywhere, they haven't played well defensively against point guards. Murray dominated his last three games, and I like him again against Philly.
Late Scratch Alert: Shabazz Napier, POR at ATL ($16): This one requires some detective work, but if Damian Lillard (hamstring) sits again, Napier is one of the best value picks on the slate against a porous Atlanta defense. He deserves a special third mention.
Other guards to consider: Jrue Holiday, NO vs. NY ($34), C.J. McCollum, POR at ATL ($30), Goran Dragic, MIA at ORL ($23), Ish Smith, DET vs. SA ($14)
Guard to Avoid:
Tony Parker, SA at DET ($10): The pace of this matchup isn't great and Parker only had 14 YFP against the Pistons earlier in the season. There are a lot of budget darts to throw at your GPP lineups, but it's best to steer clear of this $10 option.
FORWARD
Dario Saric, PHI at DEN ($26): Were it not for Joel Embiid, Saric's play would not go unnoticed. Saric is a dynamic player when he gets his opportunities, and they are gradually trusting him to let loose as he matures. He will be doing a lot of heavy lifting in the paint with Embiid out, so I love him at this price.
Derrick Favors, UTA vs. CLE ($23): Favors was out the last time Utah met the Cavs, and this added ingredient will give Kevin Love some trouble. He's been an admirable replacement for Rudy Gobert (knee), so much so that teams are less confident meeting Favors as a defensive threat. He can put his share of points up as well and is on a three-game rise in that department. I'll use his PF eligibility on Yahoo and field him at forward.
Other forwards to consider: Kristaps Porzingis, NY at NO ($45), Josh Richardson, MIA at ORL ($26), Will Barton, DEN vs. PHI ($25), Kyle Anderson, SA at DET ($18)
Forward to Avoid:
Tobias Harris, DET at SA ($27): Harris has had an iffy history with the Spurs going back two years, as he's consistently fallen below projections against them. Even though Rudy Gay is out, Kyle Anderson is a great defensive player and should give Harris a difficult time at the four. Don't expect more than 25 YFP in this spot.
CENTER
Nikola Jokic, DEN vs. PHI ($48): Jokic at home against an Embiid-less Philly squad? Yes, please. He's back in the 40 YFP range as his injury woes fade further in the rear-view mirror, and is definitely worth this hefty price in what could be a monster game.
Bismack Biyombo, ORL vs. MIA ($14): Biyombo has eclipsed 30 YFP in each game since replacing Nikola Vucevic (hand), and even though Hassan Whiteside has returned to the Heat, Biyombo can still match or exceed value at $14. He's turning out to be a much more dependable option than most predicted.
Other centers to consider: Kevin Love, CLE at UTA ($35), Jusuf Nurkic, POR at ATL ($22)
CENTER TO AVOID
Jordan Bell, GS vs. MEM ($19): While Jordan Bell has performed well for the Warriors' second unit and excelled with Draymond Green sidelined earlier in the month, he didn't fare well against Memphis in their last matchup while playing his normal allotment of minutes. Despite Golden State's electrifying offense, Bell is a reliable fade on Saturday.
