This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
There are only six games in the NBA on Monday, but four of them carry significant blowout potential. That could make this a tricky night to navigate in DFS. In order to try and make the task of compiling your Yahoo entry a little easier, here are some players who are worth targeting, as well as a few to avoid.
GUARDS
Ricky Rubio, PHO at POR ($28): This figures to be one of the closer games of the evening and it could also be a high-scoring affair with both the Suns and the Blazers ranked inside the top-11 in the league in pace of play. The Blazers have not been good at slowing down point guards, allowing the seventh-most Yahoo points per game to the position. Rubio scored 42.2 Yahoo points the last time these two teams met, leaving him with significant upside at this price.
Goran Dragic, MIA at WAS ($17): This game has the potential to be one of the more lop-sided contests of the evening. The Heat are the healthiest that they have been in a while and the Wizards have been completely decimated by injuries up front. Even with the likelihood of a blowout, Dragic is still intriguing at this price. He's scored at least 32.2 Yahoo points in four of his last six games and should be able to capitalize on the Wizards playing at the second-fastest pace.
Guard to Avoid
Ish Smith, WAS vs. MIA ($17): One bit of good news for the Wizards is that Isaiah Thomas is back from his suspension. That pushed Smith back to the bench Saturday against the Knicks, which contributed to him playing just 21 minutes. Gary Payton II is also performing well right now, which has resulted in him playing at least 30 minutes in three straight contests. He's yet another player who should eat into Smith's playing time, so it might be best to keep Smith out of your entry.
FORWARDS
John Collins, ATL at ORL ($36): Collins is going to have to provide a monster stat line if the Hawks are even going to be able to keep this game somewhat competitive. With Trae Young (ankle) out Saturday against the Bulls, Collins thrived with 56.6 Yahoo points. Even though this isn't as favorable of a matchup, Young will be sidelined once again, leaving Collins with an incredibly high floor.
Joe Ingles, UTA vs. DET ($22): Ingles has been a model of consistency while filling in for Mike Conley Jr. (hamstring), who still doesn't appear to be close to a return. Across his last 10 games, Ingles has scored at least 30.8 Yahoo points eight times. There is plenty of blowout potential in this game, as well, but Ingles still makes a lot of sense at this reasonable price.
Forward to Avoid
Dario Saric, PHO at POR ($16): Talk about a dud of a performance. Saric laid an egg Saturday against the Kings, shooting 0-for-7 from the field on his way to 6.4 Yahoo points. While he hasn't been that bad most nights, he's still scored 23.2 Yahoo points or fewer in five of his last six contests. His playing time has also started to decline with him logging 22 minutes or fewer in four straight games. That doesn't make him a very appealing option.
CENTERS
Gorgui Dieng, MIN vs. BKN ($22): The Timberwolves continue to list Karl-Anthony Towns (knee) as day-to-day despite him missing each of their last six games. Dieng has started in his place, scoring at least 27.2 Yahoo points five times. If Towns is ruled out yet again, Dieng becomes an excellent target since he should get plenty of playing time against a big Nets' frontcourt that includes Jarrett Allen and DeAndre Jordan.
Christian Wood, DET at UTA ($11): The Pistons are shaping up to be thin on their front line with Blake Griffin (knee) and Markieff Morris (foot) both listed as doubtful. While that will place a huge burden on the shoulders of Andre Drummond, he should have his hands full going up against Rudy Gobert. Wood is expected to log extra minutes in this contest, which is key considering he has averaged 15 points, 7.1 rebounds and one block across nine games in which he has played at least 20 minutes.
Center to Avoid
Brook Lopez, MIL at CHI ($20): Lopez didn't make this section because he is struggling. In fact, he has scored at least 30.1 Yahoo points in five of his last six games. However, this is another game that carries a high likelihood of being a blowout, so the Bucks might not need to play him much in the fourth quarter. Since he doesn't come at much of a discount, it could wise to pass on him and deploy Dieng or Wood instead.
