NBA DFS Picks: Yahoo plays and strategy for March 24
Domantas Sabonis is a player to watch as the Kings face the Suns on Friday night.
We have a busy Friday in the NBA with 10 games on the schedule. With so many options to wade through, let’s get right to it and highlight some players to consider on Yahoo, as well as a few to potentially avoid.
Guards
Devin Booker, PHX at SAC ($40): Deandre Ayton (hip) is out again, leaving a heavy burden on Booker. The last two games Ayton missed, Booker posted 51.1 and 40.7 Yahoo points. In a great matchup against a Kings team ranking inside the bottom five in defensive rating, Booker’s significant workload leaves him with tremendous upside.
Monte Morris, WAS vs. SAS ($14): This is a favorable matchup for the Wizards with the Spurs carrying the worst defensive rating and set to be without several key players, including one of their best defenders in Jeremy Sochan (knee). The problem for Washington is that Kyle Kuzma (ankle) and Bradley Beal (knee) will both be out as well. Enter Morris, who should have more playmaking responsibilities and opportunities for shot attempts.
Guard to Avoid
Jordan Poole, GSW vs. PHI ($21): Now that the Warriors are healthy at guard again, Poole doesn’t have as significant of a role. Over the last seven games, he’s scored no more than 27.2 Yahoo points. Things aren’t exactly looking up for him against a 76ers side with the sixth-best defensive rating.
Forwards
Kristaps Porzingis, WAS vs. SAS ($39): Beal and Kuzma also sat out Wednesday’s blowout loss to the Nuggets. Despite only logging 22 minutes due to the score, Porzingis managed 25 points on 17 shot attempts. In what could be a closer affair, Porzingis is someone to consider building your entire lineup around.
Deni Avdija, WAS vs. SAS ($16): Avdija can do a little bit of everything. That was on full display when he entered the starting lineup against the Nuggets and produced 16 points, eight rebounds and six assists over 32 minutes. In 21 games this season where Avdija has seen at least 30 minutes, he’s averaged 14.1 points, 8.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists. He could easily blow past 30 minutes on Friday with the Wizards shorthanded.
Forward to Avoid
Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL at UTA ($56): The Jazz have already ruled out Lauri Markkanen (hand), Jordan Clarkson (finger) and Collin Sexton (hamstring) for this game. Even at full strength it might be an uphill battle to keep things close against the Bucks. And if they race out to a big lead early, we might not see much of Giannis in the second half.
Centers
Domantas Sabonis, SAC vs. PHX ($45): The Suns are going to have a big void in the paint with Ayton out. In his absence, they’ll turn to Bismack Biyombo and Jock Landale to try and slow down Sabonis, who’s averaging 20.2 points, 13.3 rebounds and 8.1 assists in his last 18 games. For those looking to allocate a significant portion of their budget at center, he stands out amongst the crowd.
Sandro Mamukelashvili, SAS at WAS ($12): Charles Bassey (knee) going down for the rest of the season and Zach Collins (biceps) moving in and out of the lineup has opened up added playing time for Mamukelashvili. He’s taken advantage of his opportunity with at least 21.4 Yahoo points in five straight games. Collins is questionable again, so Mamukelashvili could be primed for a huge role. Even if Collins suits up, Mamukelashvili should log enough minutes to be worth considering in tournament play.
Center to Avoid
Robert Williams III, BOS vs. IND ($18): Williams made his return from a hamstring injury Tuesday against the Kings. He only played 21 minutes off the bench while recording six points and seven rebounds. Given Williams’ lengthy injury history and the Celtics setting their sights set on having him healthy for the playoffs, he could remain on a minutes limit for at least another game – if not longer.
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Mike started covering fantasy sports in 2007, joining RotoWire in 2010. In 2018, he was a finalist for the 2018 FSWA Basketball Writer of the Year award. In addition to RotoWire, Mike has written for Sportsline, Sports Illustrated, DK Live, RealTime Fantasy Sports, Lineup Lab and KFFL.com.
