The NBA starts off the week with 11 games Monday. Many of them have early start times, which leaves five games for the main evening slate on Yahoo. Here are some of the top players to target for it, as well as a few to possibly avoid.
GUARDS
Collin Sexton, UTA vs. IND ($22): This is a fantasy-friendly matchup. The Jazz and the Pacers rank in the top 10 in the league in pace of play and the bottom 11 in defensive rating. Sexton already comes into this matchup hot, having scored at least 33.9 Yahoo points in four of his last five appearances. He is having another efficient campaign, shooting 48.3 percent from the field and 89.3 percent from the charity stripe.
Jordan Clarkson, UTA vs. IND ($21): Clarkson is an instant offensive contributor off the bench for the Jazz, averaging 17.9 points per game. After missing six straight games because of injury, he has averaged 19.9 points, 3.9 rebounds and 5.8 assists across 12 games since returning. Rolling with him and Sexton provides significant upside while also not hindering your budget.
Guard to Avoid
Dennis Schroder, TOR vs. BOS ($23): Now that the Raptors have added Immanuel Quickley, Schroder has been moved to the second unit. That change in role has contributed to him scoring 27.2 Yahoo points or fewer in four straight games. This is not a good matchup for him, with the Celtics having the fourth-best defensive rating in the league. Sexton and Clarkson have cheaper salaries and a better matchup, so stay away from Schroder.
FORWARDS
Jayson Tatum, BOS at TOR ($45): Tatum was ejected in Saturday’s matchup against the Rockets, leaving him to log just 30 minutes. Still, he scored 48.1 Yahoo points. Even with the Celtics being involved in so many lopsided scores, Tatum has put up 28.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.1 steals over his last 10 games. He has one of the highest floors of any player included in this slate, regardless of position.
Bruce Brown Jr., IND at UTA ($16): The Pacers continue to play without Tyrese Haliburton (hamstring). Brown has helped pick up the slack with him out, scoring at least 41.8 Yahoo points in two of the last three games. It’s rare to find a player with this cheap of a salary that has a ceiling that high.
Forward to Avoid
Al Horford, BOS at TOR ($19): The Celtics want to keep Horford healthy for the playoffs. With that goal in mind, he has logged just 27 minutes per game this season. That is the lowest mark of his career. Combine that with his 11.1 percent usage rate, and he is averaging only 7.7 points per game. As long as Kristaps Porzingis is healthy, Horford is someone to avoid.
CENTERS
Anthony Davis, LAL vs. OKC ($52): The Thunder don’t have the size to slow down Davis. He has faced them two times this season, scoring 56.8 and 55.7 Yahoo points, respectively. It also helps his cause that this game will be played in Los Angeles, where he is shooting 57.5 percent from the field this season. For comparison, he has shot 52.5 percent on the road.
Kelly Olynyk, UTA vs. IND ($11): The Jazz have quality depth up front, which doesn’t always leave a lot of minutes for Olynyk. However, he has shown an ability to contribute in multiple areas, averaging 8.1 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game. With the expectation that this will be a fast-paced game, he might be a better fit on the floor than Walker Kessler, so don’t be surprised if he sees a slight boost in playing time.
Center to Avoid
Andre Drummond, CHI at CLE ($26): Nikola Vucevic originally came off the bench in his return from injury. He has since started three straight games, moving Drummond to the second unit. Drummond didn’t log more than 17 minutes in any of those three games and should remain in a limited role moving forward. This salary reflects the starting role that he had when Vucevic was out, not his current one off the bench.