This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
There won't be a ton of action in the NBA on Thursday with just four games on the slate. Still, there is money to be won on Yahoo. Let's highlight some players to target for your lineups, as well as a few to possibly avoid.
GUARD
Tyrese Maxey, PHI vs. TOR ($34): The James Harden saga is finally over. The 76ers dealt him to the Clippers, which was reportedly his preferred (and only acceptable) destination. Philly acquired some valuable draft picks in the deal, but no players that should take any shot attempts away from Maxey. He has scored at least 42.0 Yahoo points in all three games this season, including when he scored 53.7 Yahoo points in a matchup with these same Raptors.
Eric Gordon, PHO vs. SA ($11): Injuries to Devin Booker (toe) and Bradley Beal (back) have forced Gordon into an expanded role. He has responded with at least 27.4 Yahoo points in each of the last two games. Booker is listed as questionable against the Spurs and Beal has already been ruled out. Even if Booker plays, the absence of Beal means that Gordon could provide value at near the minimum salary.
Guard to Avoid
Killian Hayes, DET at NO ($21): Now that Cade Cunningham is back, Hayes has seen his role within the Pistons' offense diminish. He only has a 16.4 percent usage rate, which is down from 20.5 percent last season. With his scoring numbers on the decline, he has scored 23.7 Yahoo points or fewer in four of five games.
FORWARD
Scottie Barnes, TOR at PHI ($33): This has the look of a breakout season for Barnes. With Fred VanVleet no longer in town, Barnes has taken an expanded role and run with it. He has two double-doubles, a triple-double and is averaging 20.8 points, 10.0 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 1.0 steals and 2.4 blocks. The last time he took the floor against the 76ers, he scored 46.1 Yahoo points over 37 minutes. It's encouraging that he has logged at least 37 minutes in four of five games. The only game in which he didn't was a blowout win over the Bucks on Wednesday that didn't require him to play much in the fourth quarter.
Ausar Thompson, DET at NO ($20): Injuries to Bojan Bogdanovic (calf) and Monte Morris (quadriceps) have left the rookie Thompson to immediately fill an important role. He has started all five games this season, averaging 30 minutes along the way. Despite shooting just 39.2 percent from the field, his production in areas outside of the scoring department has enabled him to score at least 29.9 Yahoo points in all five games.
Forward to Avoid
Herbert Jones, NO vs. DET ($17): It has been a struggle on the offensive end for Jones, who is averaging 8.0 points and shooting 39.3 percent from the field. He shot at least 46.9 percent from the field in each of his first two seasons in the league, so expect his efficiency to improve eventually. However, his role on the Pelicans is to play defense. With him scoring 21.9 Yahoo points or fewer in three of four games, there isn't much upside that comes with adding him to your lineup.
CENTER
Joel Embiid, PHI vs. TOR ($52): It's going to be the Embiid and Maxey show from here on out for the 76ers. Embiid demolished the Raptors in their first meeting this season, scoring 64.8 Yahoo points. He followed that up with 84.5 Yahoo points over just 29 minutes against the Trail Blazers. If there is one player to pay up for on this slate, Embiid might be it.
Zach Collins, SA at PHO ($21): For those looking to fade Embiid, Collins is also an appealing option. He doesn't get many headlines playing alongside Victor Wembanyama, but he has shown a versatile skillset, averaging 11.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.3 blocks. That has enabled him to score at least 30.5 Yahoo points in three of four games.
Center to Avoid
Wendell Carter, ORL at UTA ($24): Carter scored eight points on just eight shot attempts versus the Clippers on Tuesday. His 36.4 percent FG shooting should improve, considering that he has shot at least 50.3 percent from the field in each of the last four seasons. However, it's concerning that his usage rate has dropped to 16.1 percent. Until he shows signs of getting more involved on offense, he's too risky at this salary.
