This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
There's an unusually short slate of games Monday with just three on tap. The hottest of the six teams is the Bulls, who are on a three-game win streak and have found their offense again after a fast start to the season. Chicago is averaging 115.6 points per game during this stretch and Jimmy Butler is a big reason, averaging 33.0 points, 8.2 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 2.2 steals per contest in a five-game span, and he is getting to the free-throw line at an incredible rate (9.8 attempts per game, third in NBA). Butler is moderately priced considering his recent output and should be a consideration in all formats.
GUARDS
Russell Westbrook, OKC at CHI ($62): It may also be a decent idea to fade Westbrook on the short slate of games, but he's $32 more than the next guard (Jrue Holiday). Westbrook is far and away the top choice and there likely won't be another at the position that will come close to the number of fantasy points he'll throw up against the Bulls, who are allowing the fourth-most fantasy points per game (48.62) to point guards over the past four weeks. Westbrook has gone three straight with 60-plus fantasy points and you can expect that trend to continue Monday against Chicago.
Courtney Lee, NYK vs. NO ($11): Lee has been playing big minutes in the Knicks' starting lineup and has returned value in pretty much every game since the middle of November. He's averaging 7.8 more fantasy points per game than his salary, making him a great plug-in if you decide to roll with Westbrook's high salary. Lee is shooting 46.7 percent from distance in 2017, scoring in double figures in three of the past four games.
Guard to Avoid
Dwyane Wade, CHI vs. OKC ($28): This is a tricky decision considering there are only three games to choose from, but Wade just hasn't had a high enough ceiling to pay this much. The veteran shooting guard hasn't been terrible lately, but he doesn't provide enough secondary category coverage to ever get over 50 fantasy points, making him really only a fringe cash-game or contrarian tournament play. The matchup is less than inspiring as well, with the Thunder allowing the fourth-fewest fantasy points (36.85) per game to shooting guards this season.
FORWARDS
Kristaps Porzingis, NYK vs. NO ($35): Since returning from a short injury absence, Porzingis has 40 points, seven 3-pointers and seven blocks in the past two games combined. He had 21 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks for 47.9 fantasy points against the Pelicans on Dec. 30. There is likely to be heavy exposure to the Pelicans-Knicks game, because it has the highest over/under (215.5) of the three games. Targeting one of New York's most consistent scorers in a game that expects to be high scoring is a good recipe for success, and Porzingis is a bit cheaper than Carmelo Anthony ($37).
Nikola Mirotic, CHI vs. OKC ($14): Mirotic has been wildly inconsistent but is starting to show flashes of turning that around the past three games, averaging 13.3 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.7 three-pointers made per contest. He's had at least 22.4 fantasy points in each of those games and has shot the ball better at United Center (32.3 percent from 3-point range compared to 30.3 on the road). It's unclear which Bulls team will show up against the Thunder, but they're on a three-game win streak, which is encouraging.
Forward to Avoid
Andrew Wiggins, MIN vs. DAL ($31): Expect a lot of ugly basketball when the T-Wolves host the Mavericks on Monday. This doesn't inspire a lot of confidence for DFS players, and avoiding Wiggins is a decent decision with his above-average price for a three-game slate. Here's Wiggins' past three games: 16 points against the Jazz, 41 against the Wizards and eight against the 76ers. You really don't know what to expect from him and the low over/under doesn't bode well for his prospects of hitting tournament value.
CENTER
Anthony Davis, NO at NYK ($55): If you're not convinced Westbrook is the best elite option Monday, Davis is where you'll want to invest the majority of your salary cap. The Knicks are allowing the second-most fantasy points (50.32) per game to centers this season, and Davis had 23 points and 18 rebounds against New York in their previous meeting. He has eight double-doubles in his past nine games and is the top cash-game player on the slate.
Center to Avoid
Robin Lopez, CHI vs. OKC ($13): There aren't many centers to begin with, but the Thunder have defended them well this season, allowing just 44.07 fantasy points per game to the position. Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg is spreading out the minutes in the front court, with Cristiano Felicio and Mirotic seeing more playing time. Chicago may employ those two more than Lopez to keep up with Oklahoma City, and it isn't like the Bulls starting center is lighting the world on fire, scoring fewer than 20 fantasy points in four of five games.
