Yahoo Plays and Strategies for Monday, January 16

This article is part of the Yahoo DFS Basketball series.

There’s plenty of early-morning basketball on Martin Luther King Jr. Day Monday. Some of the afternoon’s matchups include the Cavaliers, who host two of his young teams, the Pelicans, who are looking to advance to the playoffs. The Bucks will also play and will face a Pacers team without Tyrese Haliburton (knee). When the Lakers host the Rockets, they play the second game of consecutive sets as far as late games are concerned.

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Russell WestbrookLAL vs HOU ($32): It will be interesting to see if LeBron James plays this game as he scored 35 minutes against the 76ers on Sunday. He played both games in back-to-back sets early in his January, so he could have a say. If he doesn’t, Westbrook will be the Lakers’ leading scorer, and even with James playing, the Rockets have his third-lowest ERA in the league, so Westbrook is going to be one of the top scorers in the league. You can use battle.

TJ McConnellIND in MIL ($19): Halliburton’s injury pushed McConnell into a more prominent role. He hasn’t started yet, but he’s played at least 24 minutes in three straight games. He lived up to his expectations, averaging 13.3 points, 7.7 rebounds, 8.3 assists and 2.0 steals per game. The Bucks are a solid defensive team, but McConnell is worth deploying at this salary.

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Caris LevertCLE vs NO ($19): The Cavaliers are injury-free and Ricky Rubio is back. With their improved health, LeVert fell short of his 24.0 Yahoo points for his fourth straight game. LeVert is expected to remain in a limited role as long as the Cavaliers remain healthy.

forward

Jason TatumCHA’s BOS ($48): The absence of Jaylen Brown (groin) leaves a big void in the Celtics’ scoring offense. They will have to rely even more heavily on Tatum, who scored 54.8 Yahoo points against the same Hornets on Saturday. The Hornets are playing at his 10th fastest pace in the league and he has the 4th lowest fielding percentage in the league, so Tatum has an opportunity to shine in the rematch.

Donte DivincenzoGS in WAS ($18): The Warriors will also play the second game of back-to-back sets after losing to the Bulls on Sunday. They ruled out Klay Thompson’s rest and continue their trend of not playing consecutive seasons. Jordan Poole will likely replace Thompson in the starting lineup, but DiVincenzo will also be adding minutes off the bench. With the Warriors playing at the fastest pace in the league, DiVincenzo could provide value in overtime.

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PJ WashingtonCHA vs. BOS ($22): This is not a good matchup for Washington, as the Celtics have the seventh highest ERA. In Saturday’s final meeting, he finished with just his 14 points and his 3 rebounds, scoring 22.6 Yahoo points. With his Yahoo points below his 23 in three straight games, it’s hard to trust Washington on this salary.

Center

alperen armyLAL HOU ($22): The Lakers don’t have much size up front, which helps enable the seventh-most rebounds per game. Despite only averaging 27 minutes per game this season, Saenggun is averaging 8.6 of his rebounds. He has played at least 28 minutes in his five straight games, which has allowed him to score at least his 33.6 Yahoo points four times. As long as he stays in that role, he could cause a lot of trouble for the Lakers.

walker kesslerUTA at MIN ($17): Walker should remain fifth in the starting lineup for the Jazz with Kelly Olynyk (ankle) out yet. In his nine games Kessler has started this season, he averaged 10.0 points, 9.2 rebounds and 2.3 blocks. For those looking to save money on the center position, the Kessler stands out as a target.

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Stephen AdamsMEM vs. PHO ($27): The Suns are dealing with some injuries, but at least Deandre Ayton is healthy again. He’s one of the main reasons he allowed his 7th fewest rebounds per game. Adams’ main value lies in his rebounding ability as he averages only 8.3 points to make up for his 11.4 rebounds per game. With this salary, Adams takes a lot of risks.

The author of this article may enter daily fantasy contests, including but not limited to the games recommended or advised in this article. In the course of playing these games using a personal account, players may use lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Mike Barner uses his FanDuel: mbarner and DraftKings: mbarner51 accounts to enter daily fantasy competitions.