This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
Most Saturday slates tend to be light, but we have eight games in total here. Seven of them make up the main slate beginning at 7 p.m. EDT, and we have some of the worst defenses on display. We also have Boston playing the second half of a back-to-back, but we're going to avoid recommending them because we have no idea who will suit up for that unpredictable team. With that in mind, let's get started with one of the hottest guards in the NBA.
GUARD
Dejounte Murray, ATL vs. CHA ($43)
It's sad what's happened to this Atlanta roster, but it's allowing Murray to go ballistic. The Hawks are currently missing Trae Young, Jalen Johnson and Saddiq Bey, but Dejounte is donning a 35 percent usage rate in their absences. That's led to the best stretch since his San Antonio days, scoring at least 39 Yahoo points in 14 of his last 15 outings while posting a 48-point average in that span. That should be easy to duplicate against the Hornets, sitting 26th in defensive efficiency ratings.
Vasilije Micic, CHA at ATL ($19)
I didn't think much of the trade when Charlotte got Micic from OKC, but he's proven to be a steal. The Hornets have actually made him their starting PG in the absence of LaMelo Ball, playing Micic 31 minutes a night in his nine starts. He's also scored at least 27 Yahoo points in five of eight games since the promotion, posting a 28-point average as the starting PG. That's all you can ask from such an affordable player, and we didn't even mention this amazing matchup with Atlanta. The Hawks rank 28th in defensive efficiency and 29th in points allowed.
Guard to Avoid
Coby White, CHI vs. BOS ($32)
I've been amazed watching the progression of White this season but there's a ton of variables that make him a tough sell here. The first is that he's just returning from an injury, scoring just 21 Yahoo points across 29 minutes in a bench role in his first game back. That's actually not far off of his recent form, scoring fewer than 30 Y! points in four straight fixtures. That poor slide makes him a tough sell against the Celtics, sitting second in defensive efficiency and sixth in points allowed. That was clear when Coby was held to 30 or fewer Yahoo points in both of their matchups this year.
FORWARD
Paolo Banchero, ORL vs. SAC ($41)
Paolo has stepped into stardom territory with his sensational sophomore campaign. Orlando's best player earned an All-Star berth with his stellar play, averaging over 40 Yahoo points per game. He's been even better since the break, averaging 43 Y! points per game over the last two months. We certainly don't want to face him against the Kings, with Sacramento sitting 22nd in total defense while surrendering the ninth-most fantasy points to opposing forwards. That was crystal clear when Paolo provided 43 points, four rebounds and five assists against them earlier in the year.
Bruce Brown, TOR at WAS ($20)
This is slightly risky, but Toronto needs to lean on Brown given how shorthanded the team is right now. Trading away Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby started the Raptors' rebuild, but they didn't anticipate RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, Scottie Barnes, Jakob Poeltl and Chris Boucher all being out of the lineup as well. That's left Brown as one of the only bodies left in this graveyard, making him the primary playmaker for the team. We saw BB play 28 minutes as the starting PG on Friday, and we definitely don't want to fade him against Washington's woeful defense. The Wizards rank last in points allowed and defensive efficiency. Not to mention, Brown had 40 fantasy points in his most recent meeting with Washington.
Forward to Avoid
Keldon Johnson, SAS vs. PHX ($26)
Johnson was relegated to the bench two months back and he hasn't been the same guy since then. In his 39 games coming off of the bench, KJ is averaging 24 Yahoo points across 27 minutes a night. That's terrifying since Victor Wembanyama is taking over as the focal point of this offense, and we certainly don't want to use Johnson against Phoenix. The Suns are surrendering the seventh-fewest fantasy points to opposing SFs and enter this matchup as a sizable favorite.
CENTER
Kelly Olynyk, TOR at WAS ($22)
We just talked about how Toronto is missing six key players, and it's forcing these journeymen veterans into prominent roles. Olynyk is happy to do that, though, averaging nearly 35 Yahoo points per game in a similar role with the Jazz last season. He's simply one of the only big men left in this rotation and is averaging 32 Y! points per game since entering the starting lineup. We don't want to overlook that boost against the Wizards, surrendering the most fantasy points to opposing big men this season. We saw Oly drop 27 Y! points across 21 minutes in a reserve role against them earlier in the year, but he could be in line for 35 minutes here!
Richaun Holmes, WAS vs. TOR ($10)
Holmes fell into NBA purgatory when he lost favor in Sacramento, but many people forget that Holmes was a $30 player before Domantas Sabonis stole his job. It took Holmes years to find a legitimate job, but he's the starting center in Washington now. A Daniel Gafford trade and Marvin Bagley injury forced him into this role, playing at least 25 minutes in five of his last six games. We saw him gobble up 16 rebounds in Washington's most recent outing, scoring at least 25 Y! points in four of those. You can't ask for much more from such a cheap player, especially since he faces a Toronto team missing nearly every big man they have. In addition, the Raptors rank 28th in total defense since the All-Star break, surrendering the sixth-most fantasy points to opposing centers.
Center to Avoid
Andre Drummond, CHI vs. BOS ($25)
Yahoo has kept Drummond in this price range all season, and it's hard to understand why. The only justification is that he earned it as a starter, but that was only a week-long stretch. In his 60 games coming off the bench, Drum is averaging 19 Yahoo points across 15 minutes a night. That's some elite per-minute production, but a $25 player should never play fewer than 20 minutes a night, especially against one of the best defenses in the NBA.
