This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
There will be no shortage of action in the NBA with 11 games Friday. Fresh off their blowout win over the Nets on Wednesday, the Pelicans will take on a Hornets team shorthanded due to injuries. After an opening loss to the Bulls, the Heat will try to avoid an 0-2 start when they host the Celtics. One of the marquee games of the night will be the Nuggets facing the Warriors on the road. With so many options to consider on Yahoo, let's get to it and highlight some players to consider for your lineups as well as a few to possibly avoid.
GUARDS
Tyrese Haliburton, IND vs. SA ($36): Haliburton is the centerpiece of the Pacers' current rebuild. He couldn't have fared much better in their season opener with 26 points, four rebounds, seven assists and three three-pointers against the Wizards. Haliburton also logged 36 minutes and should continue to play a lot moving forward. Facing another rebuilding team in the Spurs, who allowed 129 points to the Hornets on Wednesday, should leave him with another juicy stat line.
Ayo Dosunmu, CHI at WAS ($12): Lonzo Ball (knee) still isn't ready to play and likely won't be back for a while. Dosunmu thrived as a fill-in starter last season, which helped him earn the starting role this year. He was on the floor for 36 minutes and scored 37.2 Yahoo points against the Heat on Wednesday, making him an ideal option at such a low salary.
Guard to Avoid
Klay Thompson, GS vs. DEN ($24): The Warriors said coming in that their top starters weren't ready to play 30 minutes per game yet. They weren't kidding as Thompson and Draymond Green received 20 and 25 minutes, respectively, against the Lakers. Until Klay at least approaches 30 minutes, he's too risky at this salary.
FORWARDS
DeMar DeRozan, CHI at WAS ($40): The Bulls aren't just playing without Ball right now. In what was a bit of a surprise, Zach LaVine (knee) was held out of the opener. DeRozan went off in his absence racking up 37 points, six rebounds, nine assists, two steals and a block over 36 minutes. He's the Bulls top scoring option and shot 50.4 percent from the field last season, so look for him to excel with LaVine already ruled out for tonight.
Jaden McDaniels, MIN vs. UTA ($15): McDaniels is the most unheralded member of the Timberwolves' new-look starting five. He stormed out of the gate with 19 points, six rebounds, three steals and two blocks against the Thunder while logging 36 minutes. McDaniels has a firm grasp on a big role and will be facing another rebuilding club, making him worth a look in tournament play.
Forward to Avoid
Ben Simmons, BKN vs. TOR ($25): The Nets got smoked by the Pelicans in their first game losing by 22 points at home. Simmons looked rusty in his return after sitting out all of last season with four points, five rebounds and five assists in 23 minutes. It might take him some time to get back into the swing of things, and could once again see limited playing time in this matchup.
CENTERS
Nikola Vucevic, CHI at WAS ($31): Vucevic was DeRozan's main running mate Wednesday, but he shot just 5-for-13 from the field on his way to 15 points. He also chipped in with 17 rebounds and three blocks, leaving him with a valuable all-around stat line. The Bulls will continue to rely on Vucevic to take some of the scoring pressure off DeRozan, leaving him with the potential to provide another double-double.
Isaiah Hartenstein, NY vs. DET ($15): Foul trouble limited Mitchell Robinson to 13 minutes against the Grizzlies on Wednesday. Hartenstein stepped up in his place and finished with 16 points, eight rebounds, four assists and one block across 40 minutes. If Robinson can stay out of foul trouble, Hartenstein will likely play significantly fewer minutes. However, he averaged 8.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.1 blocks over his 18 minutes per game last years with the Clippers, so he's still worth considering.
Center to Avoid
Clint Capela, ATL vs. ORL ($20): Entering this season, Onyeka Okongwu was pushing Capela for playing time. Capela managed to hold onto his starting job for the opener, but only managed two points and eight rebounds in 26 minutes. He's going to be hard-pressed to log at least 30 on most nights, so it's difficult to justify rolling with him on a slate with so many other viable options when you factor in his already limited role within the Hawks' scoring attack.
