This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
Wednesday brings a busy night in the NBA with 11 games on the schedule. Let's get right down to business and examine which players you want to both target and avoid to hopefully craft a winning Yahoo entry.
GUARDS
Lou Williams, LAC at GS ($35): The Clippers are running out of healthy players. Blake Griffin (concussion) is their latest star player to go down, leaving them without one of their best offensive weapons. Williams already has a career-high 29.7% usage rate this season and is averaging a lofty 29.8 points over his last eight games. Expect him to get all the shots he can handle as the Clippers try to keep up with the high-scoring Warriors, making him an excellent option with a high floor for your entry.
Caris LeVert, BKN vs. DET ($17): LeVert recently missed two games with a groin injury, but returned to play 27 minutes Monday against the Raptors. He shot only 2-for-13 from the field, but his volume of shot attempts was encouraging. The Nets have been one of the teams hit hardest by injuries this season, which has led to LeVert attempting at least 10 shots in each of his last seven games. DeMarre Carroll (knee) is out and Allen Crabbe (shin) is listed as doubtful Wednesday, so expect LeVert to have a significant role in the offense again and provide value at this price.
[Join the free NBA Yahoo Cup. $25K in total prizes with weekly winners]
Guard to Avoid
Klay Thompson, GS vs. LAC ($29): Thompson can put up points in a hurry, but he's largely limited because of all the talent on the Warriors. As a result, he's scored 28.6 Yahoo points or less in four of his last seven games. Kevin Durant (calf) is listed as probable for Wednesday, so the Warriors could finally be back to full strength. That would limit Thompson's scoring chances even further, making him someone to possibly avoid at this price.
FORWARDS
Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL vs. ORL ($59): Giannis is coming off one of his worst games of the season, scoring only 17 point to go along with seven rebounds against the Pacers on Monday. The Bucks were down big early, leading to some ugly stat lines for their starters. Giannis is one of the elite players in DFS based on his 31.6% usage rate, which is sixth-highest in the NBA. The Magic allow the second-most Yahoo points per game (47.7) to opposing power forwards, so expect Giannis to return to his productive ways Wednesday.
Domantas Sabonis, IND vs. MIA ($19): Sabonis is dealing with a minor wrist injury, but is expected to play Wednesday. The same can't be said for Pacers center Myles Turner (elbow), who is listed as doubtful. If Turner is unable to play, Sabonis should see an increase in playing time. Sabonis has played at least 30 minutes in a game five times this season, averaging 19.2 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.4 assists in those contests. Keep an eye on Turner's status throughout the day because this could be a golden opportunity for valuable production from Sabonis.
Forward to Avoid
Jonathon Simmons, ORL at MIL ($22): Simmons returned from a back injury Tuesday to score only 7.2 Yahoo points against the Mavericks. He's had some really tough performances of late, scoring less than 20 Yahoo points in five of his last nine games. The Bucks allow the fewest Yahoo points per game (35.5) to opposing small forwards, so stay away from Simmons on a night with so many other viable options.
CENTERS
Nikola Jokic, DEN vs. ATL ($39): Jokic's ability to provide numbers across the board gives him great upside in DFS, resulting in at least 45.8 Yahoo points in three of his last six games. He's also had seven games this season with at least 50 Yahoo points. Wednesday brings an excellent matchup against the Hawks, who allow the third-most Yahoo points per game (52.2) to opposing centers. The Hawks are a little deeper up front with Dewayne Dedmon finally healthy, but they still should be no match for Jokic.
Jordan Bell, GS vs. LAC ($14): The Warriors are getting healthy, but Bell still has a nice matchup against a thin Clippers frontcourt. He scored 18.7 Yahoo points against them Saturday in only 16 minutes, so he can be productive even when he doesn't get extended run. If this game becomes a blowout, he could see significant playing time in the second half. At this cheap price, he might be worth the risk in tournament play.
[Join a Yahoo Daily Fantasy Basketball contest or league today]
Center to Avoid
Jusuf Nurkic, POR at HOU ($26): There are a lot of great center matchups Wednesday, giving you plenty of viable options to choose from. Nurkic is playing well right now, scoring at least 32.6 Yahoo points in six of his last seven games. However, this might be a rough game for Nurkic facing a Rockets team that plays at a fast pace and uses a lot of small lineups. His price isn't crazy high, but his upside might not be high enough to warrant using Wednesday.
