This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
Teams have played between nine and 11 games since the All-Star break, and the Grizzlies remain the worst defense in the league during that span. The Lakers are the next worst defense playing Wednesday, and the difference in per-possession scoring between the Grizzlies and the third-worst Lakers is the same as the difference between the Lakers and ninth-worst Suns. The Grizzlies visit the Bulls, while the Lakers visit the Rockets, and the latter promises to have plenty of possessions, as it features two of the five fastest teams in the league since the break.
The Spurs and Timberwolves are two teams to avoid, as they lead the league in per-possession defense since the break, and they'll host the Trail Blazers and visit the Celtics, respectively.
GUARDS
Devin Booker, PHO vs. SAC ($28): Booker has been on a roll in his 10 games since the All-Star break. Only once has he scored fewer than 15 points and 23.5 fantasy points – and that was against one of the best defensive backcourts in the league, the Mike Conley-Tony Allen Grizzlies. In six of those games, he has scored at least 31 fantasy points, including each of his last four. The Kings are a bad defense, and their only definitively good defensive backcourt player, Tyreke Evans (ankle), is questionable Wednesday.
Buddy Hield, SAC at PHO ($10): Since joining the Kings via trade, Hield has taen at least seven shots in every game, and his minutes have mostly kept close to his 26.3 per game average. While his fantasy points have fluctuated between 11.4 and 30.2, that kind of reliable opportunity is ideal for a discount player with a great matchup. The Suns are one of the worst defenses in the league, in part because they send opponents to the free-throw line more frequently than anyone else. Hield is an excellent free-throw shooter, averaging 1.9 attempts per game as a King – and four of Hield's 10 games as a King came against the Nuggets and Hornets, whose opponents attempt the second- and third-fewest free throws since the break.
Other suggestions: Jordan Crawford, NO at MIA ($14); Ricky Rubio, MIN at BOS ($32)
Guard to Avoid
John Wall, WAS vs. DAL ($52): The pricing scheme makes it hard for the really expensive players to yield a profit, and that's when they aren't facing a slow-paced, top-five defense. Not only do Mavericks' opponents average the fifth-fewest points per possession since the break, but the Mavericks are also the second-slowest team in the league during that span. With a salary this high, and with a busy 10-game slate, Wall will need to score roughly 60 fantasy points to profit, something he hasn't done in 2017.
FORWARDS
Paul George, IND vs. CHA ($35): George has a very high floor, and while high floors aren't enough to win on a 10-game slate, they are a good start. Since he left a game early in late February due to leg cramps, George has scored at least 32 fantasy points in each start. During those seven games, he is averaging 24.9 points and 8.1 rebounds in 35.1 minutes. Before the leg cramps episode, he had scored at least 23 fantasy points in nine straight. In addition to the high floor, he has a favorable opponent, as the Hornets have a below-average defense and are dealing with a lot of injuries to important rotation cogs. Also, the Hornets allow the fourth-most assists per game since the break, while George is averaging 3.3 per game in that time.
David Lee, SA vs. POR ($15): Lee has stepped up his production with LaMarcus Aldridge (heart) out, averaging 14.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 2.0 assists in 26.3 minutes per game over the last three. In all span, he has posted substantial profits, including 32.0 against the Kings last Wednesday. As long as Lee sticks to power forward (as opposed to center), he should avoid Jusuf Nurkic, and Lee is too big and quick to worry about the Trail Blazers' power forwards.
Other suggestions: Larry Nance, LAL at HOU ($10); Marquese Chriss, PHO vs. SAC ($11); Willie Cauley-Stein, SAC at PHO ($15)
Forward to Avoid
Blake Griffin, LAC vs. MIL ($43): From a fantasy standpoint, Griffin has been a disaster this month. His best night was a 40.4-fantasy-point near triple-double against the struggling Grizzlies' frontcourt – for a player with this salary, even that night would rate as a disappointment. He has scored fewer than 30 fantasy points in three of his last eight outings, while the Bucks are the slowest team in the league since the All-Star break.
CENTERS
DeAndre Jordan, LAC vs. MIL ($27): While the Bucks are slow, they are also terrible rebounders (side note: it is inexcusable for a team starting Giannis Antetokounmpo to rebound only 47.1 percent of missed shots). Jordan is third in the league this season in rebounds per game and unlike Griffin, Jordan is priced at a big discount. He has three games of at least 33 fantasy points in his last five, and he has double-digit rebounds in six of his last seven.
Ivica Zubac, LAL at HOU ($10): Zubac was recently elevated to the starting lineup, and the early returns have been fantastic. In his first start, he scored 10 points and grabbed six rebounds in just 19 minutes and his role was expanded in his next, increasing those totals to 25 points and 11 rebounds in 30 minutes. He is also averaging 2.3 blocks per game over his last four games. The expanded role, the excellent play, and the minimum salary are almost too good to pass up.
Other suggestions: Kosta Koufos, SAC at PHO ($10); Alan Williams, PHO vs. SAC ($18); Rudy Gobert, UTA at DET ($32)
Center to Avoid
Hassan Whiteside, MIA vs. NO ($37): Not only are the Pelicans third in the league in opponent points per possession since the All-Star break, but their points per possession rate is better against centers than against forwards or guards. With both Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins, Whiteside may never get to play against a legitimate backup. He is riding a strong nine-game double-double streak, but he only has one game above 40 fantasy points in March. His floor is fairly high, so he's not a terrible play, but the matchup is poor and there is minimal upside.
