This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
There are three games Monday night, with the Warriors looking to close out the Trail Blazers. Dubs-Blazers gets the nod over Hawks-Wizards as the game to target players in, with the likelihood that Portland comes out and makes it difficult for Golden State to clinch the series. But don't sleep on the Wizards following a tough loss in Game 3 in Atlanta. Also on the schedule is Bucks-Raptors, which has featured plenty of ugly basketball, not ideal for DFS lineups.
GUARD
Stephen Curry, GS at POR ($47): The Warriors have a chance to sweep the Trail Blazers, so the game script plays in Curry's favor. A competitive Game 4 should provide optimal minutes for Steph and his teammates, which likely won't include Kevin Durant (hamstring). There's no reason for Golden State to rush Durant back, so the bulk of the offense will lie on the Splash Brothers. In two games without Durant in the playoffs, Curry is averaging 21.5 field-goal attempts, including 13 from three, per contest, so a better shooting night could lead to big returns.
C.J. McCollum, POR vs. GS ($31): As mentioned above, if the game is competitive, that bodes well not only for Steph but for opposing guard McCollum. In Games 1 and 3, which were relatively close, McCollum scored 41 and 32 points, respectively. He's torched Golden State for 61.1 percent shooting from distance in the series and the other options at SG have been less consistent, yet are priced higher (DeMar DeRozan, $39; Bradley Beal, $34; Klay Thompson, $32).
Guard to Avoid
Kyle Lowry, TOR vs. MIL ($36): In four games in a back-and-forth series, Lowry is averaging a lowly 14.3 points and 4.3 assists, shooting 25 percent from 3-point range. He played well enough to throw up 39.3 fantasy points in Game 2, but has been quiet since, with back-to-back shooting performances below 50 percent and a combined six assists. The Bucks have limited the Raptors to fewer than 90 points in three of four games, and DeRozan will cripple Lowry's value with his high usage rate.
FORWARD
Paul Millsap, ATL vs. WAS ($34): Let's face it, aside from the Cavaliers, the Wizards easily have the worst defense in the East. They've allowed an average of 108 points through three games, largely because of the play of Millsap, who has posted back-to-back double-doubles. Those outings equated to a total of 103.8 fantasy points, with Millsap getting to the line often against Washington's weak front court. Millsap has a high ceiling while being the fourth-most expensive forward, and it may be a decent idea to fade top-priced Giannis Antetokounmpo ($52).
Kelly Oubre Jr., WAS at ATL ($10): There's a chance Otto Porter (neck) is ruled out for Game 4, which would likely move Oubre into the starting lineup. Regardless, Oubre has been a prominent part of Washington's rotation in the playoffs, playing at least 18 minutes in two of three games. With Porter on the mend in Game 3, Oubre finished with nine points (all threes), five boards and two steals for 20 fantasy points.
Forward to Avoid
Khris Middleton, MIL at TOR ($30): The Bucks-Raptors series has been a defensive struggle for the most part and Middleton just doesn't do enough to provide value. His ceiling is low, having failed to score more than 40 fantasy points in each game in the series, and while his floor is high, his salary makes him very risky. He's somehow leading Milwaukee in assists per game (5.3), but hasn't been taking nearly enough 3-pointers to increase his scoring output.
CENTER
Marcin Gortat, WAS at ATL ($19): You know the options at center are bleak when Gortat is your second-best bet behind Greg Monroe ($20). Prior to throwing up a dud in Game 3, Gortat had posted back-to-back double-doubles in Washington. When the Wizards struggle on offense, Gortat usually becomes an afterthought, with John Wall and Bradley Beal taking over. A bounce back performance in Game 4 is expected, and Gortat should see a little less exposure than Monroe.
Thon Maker, MIL at TOR ($10): There's plenty to like about Maker as a bottom-priced center: he's played over 20 minutes in each of the past three games against the Raptors, who struggle to deal with Maker's size and ability to stretch the floor. Maker starts, so he'll have first crack to prove he deserves more minutes than Monroe, who comes off the bench. Rolling with Maker at half the price also provides salary cap flexibility to pay up at point guard.
Center to Avoid
Dwight Howard, ATL vs. WAS ($27): Howard hasn't been a complete bust so far in the playoffs, but as the highest-priced center, you'd like a bit more return on investment. He's failed to score in double digits in each game of the series, and his rebounding and block totals aren't making up for that lack of offense. This has led to three consecutive games of fewer than 30 fantasy points, making it very difficult to stomach Howard's price if he is struggling to match a point-per-dollar return. Millsap and Dennis Schroder will get the majority of the offensive touches, and you're better off saving money at center anyway.
