This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
Thursday night brings only four games in the NBA, but it's going to be a star-studded affair with James Harden, Russell Westbrook and Joel Embiid all in action. Let's dive into the entire slate and see which players you want to both target and avoid for your Yahoo entry.
GUARDS
James Harden, HOU at UTA ($59): The return of Chris Paul hasn't slowed Harden as he has scored at least 55.6 Yahoo points in four straight games. The Rockets play at the eighth-fastest pace (101.6) and Harden has the highest usage rate (35.9%) in the league, creating a great recipe for success. He torched the Jazz for 76.9 Yahoo points earlier this season and will have huge upside again Thursday.
J.J. Redick, PHI vs. LAL ($18): Redick continues to be an excellent addition for the Sixers, helping to stretch the floor and keep defenses honest as they try to slow down Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. He comes into this game on a bit of a hot streak, scoring at least 28.7 Yahoo points in three straight games. Both the Sixers and the Lakers are in the top-four in the league in terms of pace of play, so this has the makings of a high scoring affair. At this reasonable price, Redick can provide value.
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Guard to Avoid
Chris Paul, HOU at UTA ($39): The Rockets haven't missed a beat with Paul returning from injury, but Paul's scoring numbers have taken a big hit. He has scored less than 10 points in a game three times this season and is averaging a career-low 12.4 points per game. With Harden clearly the focal point of the Rockets offense, Paul's scoring numbers could remain among the lowest of his career. He has scored more than 38.2 Yahoo points only one time this season, so it might not be wise to pay up for him Thursday with a fairly low ceiling.
FORWARDS
T.J. Warren, PHO vs. WAS ($31): The Suns were already struggling this season but will now be without their top scorer in Devin Booker (groin) for two-to-three weeks. Warren is left as their main offensive weapon, and he's averaging 18.4 points per game this season. He already has a big role on the team, as his 24.8% usage rate ranks second on the roster behind that of Booker. With all the shots he can handle, Warren has big potential in this game.
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, BKN vs. OKC ($22): Jefferson moved back into the starting lineup Monday against the Atlanta Hawks after missing some time with an ankle injury. He posted 16 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, one steal and one block in 29 minutes, so he appears to be fully recovered from the injury. The Thunder play a lot of small lineups, which suits Hollis-Jefferson and the Nets' style of play, well. Hollis-Jefferson has stepped up in the wake of significant injuries to some of the Nets best players this season, so expect much of the same from him Thursday.
Forward to Avoid
Robert Covington, PHI vs. LAL ($31): Covington is one of the streakiest shooters in the league who can really win you some money when he's feeling it. However, when he's bad, he's really bad. He's currently in one of those horrid shooting stretches as he's only shooting 29.4% from the field over his last five games. Until he shows signs of coming out of his funk, he's not worth the risk.
CENTERS
Joel Embiid, PHI vs. LAL ($50): Embiid had his best game of the season earlier this year against the Lakers when he put on a show and ended up with 93.5 Yahoo points. While that kind of effort will be hard to reproduce, the Lakers do allow the seventh-most Yahoo points per game (51.4) to opposing centers. The Sixers haven't played since Monday, so look for Embiid to be playing at full force and provide significant production in this game.
Steven Adams, OKC at BKN ($23): The Thunder are finally starting to come out of their slump as they have won three games in a row. By averaging 22.0 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.6 steals over that stretch, Adams is a big reason for their recent success. With teams having to focus on Westbrook, Paul George and Carmelo Anthony, Adams has been able to thrive. With very little depth behind the starting unit, Adams should be in for big minutes again Thursday. If you can't afford Embiid in your lineup, Adams is a viable option with upside at this price.
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Center to Avoid
Rudy Gobert, UTA vs. HOU ($34): Gobert missed a good portion of November with a knee injury, but returned to action Monday against the Washington Wizards. He ended up playing Tuesday as well against the Oklahoma City Thunder but didn't log more than 27 minutes in either of those games. Considering this will be his third game in four nights, he might see limited minutes again Thursday. Based on what he will cost you, it might be wise to avoid him for at least one more game.
