This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
Sunday brings five games in the NBA, four of which will make up the main evening slate on Yahoo. Even though there won't be a lot of teams taking the floor, there will be plenty of high-end talent available with the Lakers, Blazers, Warriors and Spurs among the teams in action. Below are some players to target and avoid as you work your way through the options.
GUARDS
Damian Lillard, POR at WAS ($38): The Blazers were beaten soundly on the road Friday by the Timberwolves and Lillard's struggles were a big reason for their defeat. He was only 5-of-18 from the field and committed five turnovers, finishing with a meager 25.7 Yahoo points. The poor outing resulted in his price decreasing by three dollars, setting up a great opportunity to put him into your lineup. The Wizards play at the sixth-fastest pace (103.5 possessions per game), so look for Lillard to have a bounce back performance.
Lonzo Ball, LAL at MIA ($16): With Rajon Rondo (hand) out at least a month, it's Ball's time to shine at point guard for the Lakers. However, he laid an egg Saturday against the Magic with just 18 Yahoo points. He went 0-for-5 from the field in what was an ugly loss. However, Ball had averaged 36.3 Yahoo points over three games in which Rondo missed earlier this season, so don't run away from him at this price just yet. The Lakers play at the third-fastest pace (105.4), so any added playing time is going to increase his floor.
Guard to Avoid
Josh Hart, LAL at MIA ($19): Hart has been an important part of the Lakers bench this year, but he's still only averaging 26 minutes a game. He provides very little in the way of rebounds and assists, which has resulted in him scoring 27.8 Yahoo points or fewer in 12 straight games. Since he doesn't come at much of a discount, it might be best to pass on him, even though there aren't a ton of options with so few games being played.
FORWARDS
Kevin Durant, GS at SA ($54): The defending champs have officially hit a rough patch. Between the injury to Stephen Curry (groin) and the saga between Durant and Draymond Green (toe), they've lost four of their last six games. Green sat out Saturday and is unlikely to play in this contest, either, leaving Durant with plenty of opportunities to stuff the stat sheet. He only scored 40.3 Yahoo points Saturday, but with his 30.6 percent usage rate, he has one of the highest upsides of anyone in action Sunday.
Kevin Knox, NY at ORL ($10): The Knicks continue to shake up their starting five, which has resulted in Knox starting both of their last two games. His numbers didn't stand out, but he scored at least 21 Yahoo points in both contests. The Knicks are going nowhere fast without Kristaps Porzingis (knee), so Knox in the starting lineup could be a move that sticks since they have nothing left to lose. At the minimum price, he's an intriguing option in tournament play.
Forward to Avoid
James Johnson, MIA vs. LAL ($20): Johnson (hernia) hasn't played in a game yet this season, but he's listed as probable for Sunday. This would normally be a good matchup against a Lakers team that plays at a fast pace and gives up a ton of points, but it's unlikely that Johnson sees significant playing time right out of the gate. There could be times later on in the year where you'd want to seek out Johnson at this price, but this isn't one of them.
CENTERS
Nikola Vucevic, ORL vs. NY ($34): Vucevic destroyed the Lakers on Saturday with 54.6 Yahoo points in 31 minutes. It marked his second consecutive game with at least 50 Yahoo points and the fourth time in his last five contests that he's topped at least 40 Yahoo points. One of those games was against these same Knicks when he scored 43.3 Yahoo points despite only playing 26 minutes during a blowout win. With his scoring and rebounding floors, he's a great option for their rematch.
Mitchell Robinson, NY at ORL ($11): Robinson is still in the infancy stages of his development, but his raw talent is impressive. He's not much of a scorer right now, but he's averaging 5.3 rebounds and 2.8 blocks across just 22 minutes a game in November. The last time these two teams met, he swatted away nine shots on his way to 35.8 Yahoo points. That's likely the top of his upside, but if you want to go really cheap at center, Robinson has scored at least 20.2 Yahoo points in five straight games.
Center to Avoid
Dwight Howard, WAS vs. POR ($24): In his first breakout performance as a member of the Wizards, Howard scored 50.9 Yahoo points during a loss to the Nets on Friday. He only played 28 minutes, but finished with 25 points and 17 rebounds. However, don't get too excited. The Nets are one of the worst teams in the league at defending the center position. Howard will be faced with a much more difficult task against the Blazers, who allow the eighth-fewest Yahoo points per game (43.6) to opposing centers.
