NBA DFS Picks: Yahoo Plays and Strategy for Monday, December 4

The NBA In-Season Tournament takes center stage Monday with two quarterfinal matchups. As exciting as that is, it means we don't have many options to choose from in DFS. With that in mind, here are some players to target on Yahoo, as well as a few to potentially avoid.

GUARDS

De'Aaron Fox, SAC vs. NO ($41): Fox was excellent against the Nuggets on Saturday, posting 26 points and 16 assists over 38 minutes. He is averaging 36 minutes per game, and he has a 32.2 percent usage rate, which has propelled him to average 30.3 points per game. With his leading role on the Kings, expect him to bring a high floor into this matchup.

Derrick White, BOS at IND ($24): Get ready to see plenty of players from the Celtics included in this slate. They have the best matchup, facing a Pacers team that has played at the fastest pace and has the second-worst defensive rating in the league. White comes into this matchup on a high note, scoring at least 31.0 Yahoo points in each of his last four games.

Guard to Avoid

Trey Murphy III, NO at SAC ($20): Murphy made his season debut Friday against the Spurs. He logged 22 minutes off the bench, scoring 18 points on 7-for-13 shooting from the field. The Pelicans also played Saturday, but they sat out Murphy for rest. He's not on the injury report for Monday, but with the expectation that his minutes will remain limited, it might be best to keep him out of your entries.

FORWARDS

Jayson Tatum, BOS at IND ($43): When these two teams met earlier in the season, the Celtics won by 51 points. Tatum was only required to play 27 minutes in the blowout win, but he still finished with 30 points, 12 rebounds and four assists. If there is one player in this slate to build your entire entry around, Tatum might be it.

Al Horford, BOS at IND ($19): The Celtics are still missing Kristaps Porzingis (calf), who is set to miss his fourth straight game. Horford started each of the three previous games with him out, averaging 14.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.3 steals and 2.3 blocks. The key was, he logged at least 28 minutes in each game. Expect him to remain in an expanded role until Porzingis returns.

Forward to Avoid

Keegan Murray, SAC vs. NO ($20): Murray recently missed four straight games with a back injury. He made his return Saturday against the Nuggets, playing just 23 minutes despite being in the starting five. He hasn't had the best of seasons with him shooting just 38.5 percent from the field. The Pelicans rank inside the top half of the league in defensive rating, so this might not be the best matchup for Murray to get back on track.

CENTERS

Domantas Sabonis, SAC vs. NO ($39): There are really no viable centers with cheap salaries for this slate. Unless you want to completely punt the position, paying up for someone with a high salary is the best way to go. One of the safer options has to be Sabonis, who is averaging 45.2 Yahoo points per game for the season.

Myles Turner, IND vs. BOS ($28): Turner has seen his playing time decline from 29 minutes per game last season to 27 minutes per game this season. However, it hasn't dealt a significant blow to his production, with him averaging 16.6 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game. It certainly helps his cause that the Pacers play at such a fast pace. Combine that with Porzingis being out, and Turner is a great option for those who don't want to pay up for Sabonis' salary.

Center to Avoid

Jonas Valanciunas, NO at SAC ($25): Valanciunas isn't exactly a bad option, given the small slate. However, he doesn't carry the same upside that Turner does. If the Pelicans decide to go small, they could roll with Zion Williamson at the five because the Kings don't have a ton of size up front. That at least makes Valanciunas a somewhat risky option.