This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
As the calendar turns to December, Friday night brings eight games on the NBA schedule. The highlight of the evening should be the Minnesota Timberwolves against the Oklahoma City Thunder in a battle of two teams that both underwent significant changes over the summer. Let's dive into the entire slate of games and see which players you want to both target and avoid for your Yahoo entry.
GUARDS
Russell Westbrook, OKC vs. MIN ($55): Things are starting to get ugly for the Thunder, as they have lost three in a row and sit at 8-12 this season. Westbrook has been putting the team on his back in an attempt to right the ship, which has resulted in him scoring at least 60.7 Yahoo points in four of his last five games. Expect him to continue to dominate Friday against a Timberwolves team that allows the ninth-most Yahoo points per game (45.2) to opposing point guards.
Tomas Satoransky, WAS vs. DET ($10): When John Wall (knee) went down with an injury, Tim Frazier took over as the starting point guard and was expected to have excellent value at a cheap price in DFS. Frazier hasn't made the most of his opportunity though, leading the way for Satoransky to take away some of his minutes. Satoransky has played at least 22 minutes and scored at least 25 Yahoo points in both of the last two games, making him the better value play considering he will only cost you the minimum.
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Guard to Avoid
Evan Fournier, ORL vs. GS ($24): Fournier got off to a blistering hot start this season, scoring at least 20 points in eight of his first nine games. He has come crashing back to reality now, scoring 16 points or less in six of his last seven games. He doesn't provide great production outside of his offensive skills, which has resulted in him scoring 25.6 Yahoo points or less in seven straight games. With his upside limited, it would be best to spend your money elsewhere.
FORWARDS
LaMarcus Aldridge, SA at MEM ($39): With Kawhi Leonard (quad) finally starting to make some progress, Aldridge's value likely is going to take a hit in the near future. That's of no concern with Leonard still out Friday, though, a situation in which Aldridge has thrived. He is averaging 40.6 Yahoo points per game and dominated the Grizzlies when these same two teams played Wednesday to the tune of 51.7 Yahoo points. Expect another big night Friday considering his 28.3 percent usage rate ranks within the top-20 in the league.
Kyle Anderson, SA at MEM ($19): Speaking of players benefiting from Leonard's injury, Anderson has been the team's starting small forward as a result of his absence. Anderson has provided value in DFS of late, scoring at least 28 Yahoo points in five straight games. Considering he won't cost you much, Anderson is a nice option for your lineup.
Forward to Avoid
Serge Ibaka, TOR vs. IND ($20): Ibaka has an extremely limited upside, as he has scored at least 30 Yahoo points only twice this season. He enters Friday having scored 24.9 Yahoo points or less in eight straight games, one of which was when he scored 22.9 Yahoo points against these same Pacers last week. Stay away from him Friday.
CENTERS
Dwight Howard, CHA at MIA ($30): Howard is feeling it of late, scoring at least 40.1 Yahoo points in five of his last six games. He's been a monster on the glass as he already has seven games this season with at least 15 rebounds. He's played so well that his 25.1 percent usage rate ranks him ahead of some great fantasy assets like Nikola Vucevic and Karl-Anthony Towns. With Hassan Whiteside (knee) out Friday, Howard looks primed for another dominant game.
Bam Adebayo, MIA vs. CHA ($11): With Whiteside out, Adebayo and Kelly Olynyk will be tasked with trying to slow down Howard. Adebayo has shown some upside when given extended playing time, as he has scored at least 27.6 Yahoo points twice this season. He is likely the better defensive matchup against Howard, so it's worth taking a chance on him if you want to save money at center.
Center to Avoid
Marc Gasol, MEM vs. SA ($41): This is not a good matchup for Gasol, as the Spurs allow the third-fewest Yahoo points per game (45) to opposing centers. That held true in their last matchup Wednesday when Gasol was only able to score 25.7 Yahoo points. At this premium price, Gasol may not be worth the risk.
