This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
The opening week of the season was fantastic, and we got our first taste of the In-Season Tournament on Friday. It was fascinating to see what those organizations did to their court designs, and it'll be fun to see how that plays out over the coming weeks. We're back to normal regular-season games here though, and I'm ecstatic to talk about this Saturday slate!
Guards
Tyrese Haliburton, IND vs. CHA ($39)
Haliburton hasn't had many big scoring games this season, but he continues to provide value because of his elite playmaking. The Pacers point guard has at least 11 assists in all five games, scoring at least 42 Yahoo points in every outing. That's no surprise since he flirted with a 50-point average last season and should have one of the highest fantasy floors because of his assists. That makes him a sensational option against Charlotte, sitting 25th in defensive efficiency and 26th in points scored. That was on full display when Hali had at least 49 Y! points in both of their matchups last year!
Malik Monk, SAC at HOU ($19)
Most people will pivot to Davion Mitchell because he'll start for De'Aaron Fox, but Monk is the sharper play. This guy is the primary playmaker when Fox is off the floor, leading the team with a 36 percent usage rate in those circumstances. Monk is also averaging over 1.2 Yahoo points per minute in those minutes, which is huge since his workload and minute total rise in Fox's absence. His biggest asset might be this matchup, though, because the Rockets ranked 29th in defensive efficiency last season
Guard to Avoid
Buddy Hield, IND vs. CHA ($22)
Buddy is one of the best shooters in the NBA, but he's not a major part of this rotation right now. The sharpshooter is coming off the bench for Indiana, playing 25 or fewer minutes in all but one game this season. That's limited his upside, scoring fewer than 29 fantasy points even game this year. You need at least 29 Yahoo points from a $22 player to be a good value, and it's going to be challenging for Hield to reach that in such a diminished role.
Forwards
Karl-Anthony Towns, MIN vs. UTA ($32)
I don't believe I've ever seen KAT sitting at $32. This big man is usually above $40 and has even flirted with $50 at times in the past. That alone makes him a heck of a value because he's still averaging nearly 40 Yahoo points per game. Big KAT has also scored at least 42 fantasy points in half of his games this season, which is really encouraging since Minnesota has been in numerous blowouts against tough defenses. Utah is far from that, surrendering the second-most fantasy points to opposing PFs.
Michael Porter, DEN vs. CHI ($18)
It's shocking to see MPJ below $20 with the way he's been playing. The 2018 first-rounder was finally showing some flashes of breaking out at the end of last season and has carried that over with a 28-point average through the opening two weeks. He's also coming off a season-high 43 Yahoo points on Friday night, scoring at least 33 Y! points in three of six games this season! This is speculative, but Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic were on the injury report for Friday, and that means they could rest here in the second half of a back-to-back set. If that's the case, Porter is a lock in every lineup, but he should still provide value even if the Nuggets trot out their usual starting five.
Forward to Avoid
Mikal Bridges, BKN vs. BOS ($32)
Bridges is one of the best all-around players in the league, but his fantasy upside is limited with this roster. Ben Simmons is the primary ball-handler, and Cam Thomas is the primary scorer. Those developments have killed Mikal's value, scoring fewer than 40 fantasy points in all five games this season. He's also got a 33-point average, and it's never a good sign when your price tag matches your fantasy output on Yahoo. What makes it even more terrifying is this matchup because Boston was a Top 5 defense in almost every metric last season.
Centers
Rudy Gobert, MIN vs. UTA ($27)
Rudy has developed into an underrated player, and it's hard to understand why he remains below $30. This defensive stud is averaging over 37 Yahoo points per game this season, playing over 30 minutes in each game. That's what made Gobert a $35 player in the past, and it feels like these two big men are finally feeling comfortable after a shaky 2022 season. The revenge game against Utah is our favorite part of this, ranked 23rd in defensive efficiency and 22nd in points allowed. Not to mention, Rudy averaged 15.5 points and 18 rebounds in their two meetings last season!
Moritz Wagner, ORL vs. LAL ($10)
This Orlando center position has usually been a nightmare to navigate, but with Wendell Carter injured and Mo Bamba sitting in Philly, Wagner is one of the only options left. That should force him into the starting lineup for Carter, guaranteeing him at least 25 minutes of play. This guy is averaging 17 Y! points per game across 16 minutes a night this season, and it wouldn't be shocking to see both of those totals double as long as Carter remains out. That makes Wagner one of the best values at this minimum price tag, posting a 27-point average across 26 minutes a night in his 18 starts last year.
Center to Avoid
Walker Kessler, UTA at MIN ($23)
This is actually a good matchup for Kessler to get going, but he simply can't be trusted until he shows more consistency. The big man has failed to crack 20 Yahoo points in four of six games this season, posting a 21-point average. What's really crushed his value was the addition of John Collins. That's severely limited Kessler's minutes, because Lauri Markkanen and Kelly Olynyk need minutes in the frontcourt as well. They should have to keep him out there for 30 minutes against this frontline, but a matchup with Gobert could end up being a disaster too.
