Yahoo DFS Basketball: Saturday Picks

Yahoo DFS Basketball: Saturday Picks

This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.

We have seven games in the NBA on Saturday, six of which will make up the main evening slate on Yahoo. There are some interesting options across the price scale, so let's highlight some of the better ones to consider for your entry, as well as a few to possibly avoid.

GUARDS

Spencer Dinwiddie, BKN at CHA ($31): Since Kyrie Irving (shoulder) is now out for the season, Dinwiddie will be charged with trying to keep the Nets in the playoff race. Irving has only played 20 games with his new team, so Dinwiddie is no stranger to taking on a leading role. This is a great matchup for him to shine since the Hornets have the fifth-worst defensive rating in the league. He's already faced them three times this season and scored at least 35.4 Yahoo points in each outing, twice scoring at least 40 Yahoo points.

Tomas Satoransky, CHI vs. PHO ($17): The Bulls will once again have an extremely limited depth chart for this game because of injuries. Satoransky has been forced to take on an expanded role because of their lack of healthy players, which has resulted in him averaging 30 minutes across the last nine games. He's taken the opportunity and run with hit, averaging 12.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, six assists and 1.2 steals during that stretch.

Guard to Avoid

Donte DiVincenzo, MIL vs. PHI ($13): DiVincenzo isn't exactly expensive, so it's not like adding him to your entry comes with a ton of risk. Still, if you want to take a chance on a cheap option, it might be best to look elsewhere. He comes into this contest having scored 18.8 Yahoo points or fewer in four of his last five games and the Bucks will have basically all of their key rotation players available, so DiVincenzo won't be forced to take on added playing time.

FORWARDS

Caris LeVert, BKN at CHA ($26): Dinwiddie isn't the only player on the Nets who has benefited from Irving being out. LeVert has been a monster lately, averaging 24.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 1.7 steals across his last six games. The key is that he averaged 33 minutes and 20 shots attempts a night during that stretch. For the season, he's only averaged 28 minutes and 14.5 shot attempts. Look for him to stay busy in this contest.

Duncan Robinson, MIA vs. CLE ($15): Robinson had a rare off night in what was a great matchup against the Hawks on Thursday, scoring just 10 points on 4-for-12 shooting from the field. He only went 1-for-8 from behind the arc after having drilled at least five three-pointers in each of his previous four games. Look for him to get back on track against a Cavaliers team that has allowed the fifth-highest three-point shooting percentage in the league.

Forward to Avoid

Dorian Finney-Smith, DAL at ATL ($19): Playing time is not an issue for Finney-Smith considering he has logged at least 32 minutes in six of his last seven games. However, his 12.7 percent usage rate is a problem. After scoring 25 Yahoo points or fewer in six straight contests, it might be best to avoid Finney-Smith despite this favorable matchup.

CENTERS

Deandre Ayton, PHO at CHI ($38): Ayton sat out the Suns' last two games before the All-Star break with an ankle injury, but he made his return against the Raptors on Friday. He logged 36 minutes, so he seems safe to deploy as usual going forward. Despite the tough matchup, he finished with 17 points, 10 rebounds, one steal and a one block. Now he'll face a Bulls team that is down to Daniel Gafford and Cristiano Felicio at center, so don't be surprised if he comes away with a juicy stat line.

DeAndre Jordan, BKN at CHA ($17): Even though Jarrett Allen continues to start at center for the Nets, he's logged 23 minutes or fewer in six straight games. Part of the reason for his reduced playing time has been the improved play of Jordan, who averaged 10.8 points, 12.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and one block during that stretch. With the Hornets allowing the ninth-most Yahoo points per game to opposing centers, Jordan has a favorable opportunity to keep things rolling.

Center to Avoid

P.J. Tucker, HOU at UTA ($15): Tucker's versatility on defense is one of the keys to making the Rockets new small-ball approach work. However, just because he plays a lot doesn't mean he's an appealing DFS option. He only has an 8.8 percent usage rate, which has contributed to him scoring 21.5 Yahoo points or fewer in five straight games. Facing a Jazz team that ranks inside the top-10 in the league in defensive rating probably won't help his cause here, either.

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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