This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
It's ugly right now with so many teams resting players. And some are being withdrawn at the last minute, making things even more difficult to navigate in DFS. Let's try to make sense of it all and highlight some players to consider on Yahoo, as well as a few to possibly avoid.
GUARDS
Immanuel Quickley, NY at NO ($28): The Knicks have already ruled out Julius Randle (ankle) and Jalen Brunson (hand), while RJ Barrett (illness) is listed as questionable. All three sat Wednesday against the Pacers, which contributed to Quickley scoring 63.7 Yahoo points. While this matchup isn't as favorable against a Pelicans team that still has something left to play for, Quickley's expanded role makes him a great choice.
Andrew Nembhard, IND vs. DET ($16): Tyrese Haliburton (ankle) is out again while T.J. McConnell (hip) is questionable. If McConnell also sits, Nembhard could play a lot. Even if the former does take the floor, Nembhard has averaged 15.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, 8.6 assists and 1.0 steals over the last five games with Haliburton out. This also represents a great matchup against a Pistons team with the third-worst defensive rating.
Guard to Avoid
Killian Hayes, DET at IND ($22): Even with some key players out for the Pistons, Hayes has been quiet having posted 27.9 Yahoo points or fewer in five straight games. With so many others with reasonable salaries being thrust into prominent roles, there's no need to take a chance on Hayes.
FORWARDS
Brandon Ingram, NO vs. NY ($38): The Pelicans are one of the few teams that have incentive to win as they currently sit eighth in the West, but could move as high as fifth. That should mean Ingram - who's produced at least 41.2 Yahoo points in nine straight games - remains in his leading role against the shorthanded Knicks.
Obi Toppin, NY at NO ($14): Like Quickley, injuries have moved Toppin into more playing time. The last two games Julius Randle was out, Toppin dropped 36.2 and 43.6 Yahoo points, respectively. And those were against the subpar Wizards and Pacers, which likely helped his cause. But at near the minimum salary, added minutes makes Toppin worth considering.
Forward to Avoid
Buddy Hield, IND vs. DET ($22): Hield hasn't been sitting out games down the stretch, yet his role has diminished having logged 28 minutes or fewer in each of his last five games. During that span, he only averaged 12.0 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists. Expect Hield to continue carrying limited upside.
CENTERS
Alperen Sengun, HOU at CHA ($26): The Rockets haven't needed to rest players to continue losing games. That's good news for Sengun, who's averaged 33 minutes from his last 11 games. He continued to stuff the stat sheet in different areas by averaging 15.5 points, 9.4 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.2 steals during that stretch. This is a great matchup for Sengun to stay hot considering the Hornets play at the 10th-fastest pace and allow the second-most rebounds per game.
Andre Drummond, CHI at DAL ($10): The Bulls are locked into the 10th seed in the Eastern Conference. After their loss to the Bucks on Wednesday, they talked about possibly resting some starters for Friday. And now, Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan are listed as questionable. Nikola Vucevic isn't, but that's likely because he's seen action in all 80 games and doesn't want to break his streak. If he's active, don't expect him to play much. Drummond is one of the best rebounders around, so he's worth the risk in tournament play with added minutes likely coming his way.
Center to Avoid
Al Horford, BOS vs. TOR ($21): Horford has sat two of the last four games for the Celtics. They had two back-to-back sets, so it's no surprise he was rested for one half of each. Even though Horford's off the injury report Friday, he's not worth targeting since he's scored no more than 26.8 Yahoo points or fewer in three of his last five games.
