Yahoo DFS Basketball: Monday Picks

Yahoo DFS Basketball: Monday Picks

This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.

We have games spread throughout the day Monday, but only four of them will make up the main evening slate on Yahoo. The night won't be short on big names, though, with the Lakers, Warriors, Nets and Bucks among the teams in action. Let's discuss some players to consider for your lineups, as well as a few to possibly avoid.

GUARDS

Luka Doncic, DAL at TOR ($54): The Mavericks lost to the Bulls on Sunday, but Doncic exploded for 36 points, 16 rebounds, 15 assists and two steals. After a bit of a slow start by his standards, Doncic has scored at least 60.7 Yahoo points in four of the last six games. It wouldn't be a surprise to see Kristaps Porzingis sit this game out for rest since he just came back from injury, so if he does, Doncic will once again have to carry the Mavericks' offense.

Victor Oladipo, HOU at CHI ($27): Oladipo is expected to make his debut for the Rockets' after being acquired from the Pacers last week. He was off to an excellent start, averaging 20 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.7 steals. There is a massive hole in the Rockets' offense right now with James Harden gone and John Wall (knee) out, so expect Oladipo to have plenty of opportunities to stuff the stat sheet against a Bulls team that has played at the second-fastest pace in the league.

Guard to Avoid

Joe Harris, BKN vs. MIL ($19): Even though the move to acquire James Harden robbed the Nets of some of their depth, it still doesn't mean Harris has a better outlook moving forward. Once Kyrie Irving comes back, he'll be playing alongside three usage rate monsters, so his scoring upside is going to be limited. Even on a slate with only four games, it's difficult to justify adding Harris to your entry.

FORWARDS

Lauri Markkanen, CHI vs. HOU ($21): The Bulls have wasted no time throwing Markkanen back into heavy playing time after he was able to exit the league's health and safety protocols. He's logged at least 33 minutes in both games since rejoining the team, scoring 30.2 and 43.5 Yahoo points, respectively. He looks much more comfortable playing in new coach Billy Donovan's offense and they have even deployed him at center when the team wants to play small. If he keeps this up, he won't be available at a reasonable salary like this for much longer.

Eric Gordon, HOU at CHI ($14): Oladipo might not be the only reinforcements that the Rockets receive for this game. Gordon (lower leg) is listed as probable after missing the team's last two contests. His ability to score has never been in question, but he's often been somewhat limited playing alongside the likes of Harden, Russell Westbrook and Chris Paul in recent seasons. With the Rockets still without Wall, Gordon could see plenty of shot attempts in this contest.

Forward to Avoid

Otto Porter Jr., CHI vs. HOU ($19): Porter started out the season coming off the bench, but moved into the starting five when Markkanen was out. Now that Markkanen has returned, Porter has been sent back to the second unit. The result has been him playing 25 minutes or fewer in back-to-back games and scoring 20.1 and 28.8 Yahoo points, respectively. As long as Markkanen is healthy, Porter's role should remain limited.

CENTERS

Christian Wood, HOU at CHI ($37): Wood has been everything that the Rockets could have hoped for, and then some. He's been unleashed for the first time in his career, propelling him to averages of 23.2 points, 10.9 rebounds and 1.9 blocks across 34 minutes a night. The Bulls have significant problems defending the pick and roll, which could leave the athletic Wood with a monster stat line.

DeAndre Jordan, BKN vs. MIL ($14): The departure of Jarrett Allen means Jordan will once again be the starting center for the Nets. His first game back in that role, he scored 32.4 Yahoo points across 29 minutes versus the Knicks. He struggled against the Magic on Saturday, though, scoring just 17.5 Yahoo points across 23 minutes. Don't expect him to provide much offensively, but his new role leaves him with the potential to provide enough rebounds and blocks to provide value at such a cheap salary.

Center to Avoid

James Wiseman, GS at LAL ($18): Wiseman is coming off of an impressive game against the Nuggets in which he recorded 18 points, five rebounds, one steal and two blocks. It's worth noting that he attempted 13 shots in that contest, which tied for his most in a game this season. This is a tough matchup for him to try and keep things rolling offensively considering the Lakers have allowed the third-fewest points per game.

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Mike Barner plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: mbarner, DraftKings: mbarner51.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mike Barner
Mike started covering fantasy sports in 2007, joining RotoWire in 2010. In 2018, he was a finalist for the FSWA Basketball Writer of the Year award. Mike also won the 2022-23 FSGA NBA Experts Champions league. In addition to RotoWire, Mike has written for Sportsline, Sports Illustrated, DK Live, RealTime Fantasy Sports, Lineup Lab and KFFL.com.
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