This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
Before the NBA takes the day off Thursday for Thanksgiving, we'll have 14 games to enjoy Wednesday. Let's get down to business and highlight some players to target on Yahoo, as well as a few to consider avoiding.
GUARDS
LaMelo Ball, CHA vs. WAS ($44): Injuries have left the Hornets thin on scoring options. Ball is never one to shy away from jacking up shots and has stepped up to provide added production. Over the last eight games, he has averaged 32.0 points, 6.5 rebounds, 8.1 assists and 1.5 steals. Look for him to dominate a Wizards team that has played at the second-fastest pace and has the fourth-worst defensive rating in the league.
Spencer Dinwiddie, BKN at ATL ($20): The Hawks are another team to attack in DFS. They have played at the third-fastest pace while posting the seventh-worst defensive rating in the league. Dinwiddie has disappointed by averaging just 12.3 points per game this season, but he has still scored at least 24.5 Yahoo points in each of his last four games. He has also scored at least 30.1 Yahoo points in five of his 12 games played.
Guard to Avoid
Russell Westbrook, LAC at SA ($25): To try and make the addition of James Harden work, Westbrook has taken on a bench role for the Clippers. Moving to the second unit resulted in him playing 17 and 25 minutes, respectively, in the last two games. On a night with so many viable options, rolling with Westbrook in his new limited role is not appealing.
FORWARDS
Scottie Barnes, TOR at IND ($38): The departure of Fred VanVleet has left Barnes in a leading role for the Raptors. He has responded by averaging 19.6 points, 8.9 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.4 blocks over 34 minutes per game. The Pacers have played at the fastest pace and have the second-worst defensive rating in the league, leaving Barnes with the potential to provide another juicy all-around stat line.
Lonnie Walker, BKN at ATL ($16): The Nets are hurting at guard right now. Ben Simmons (hip), Cam Thomas (ankle) and Dennis Smith (back) are all out, leaving Walker with more playing time. He logged 26 minutes against the Heat last Thursday and scored 23 points on 18 shot attempts. In the following game, he scored 26 points on 17 shot attempts over 32 minutes against the 76ers. His offensive mindset against a bad Hawks defense could lead to excellent value at his salary.
Forward to Avoid
Michael Porter, DEN at ORL ($25): The Magic are off to an excellent 9-5 start, which has included a 4-2 mark at home. They are scoring only 110.6 points per game, but they have the best defensive rating in the league. Porter normally doesn't provide much in the way of assists or defensive stats, so his reliance on scoring makes him a risky option in this matchup.
CENTERS
Alperen Sengun, HOU vs. MEM ($35): It has been one injury after another for the Grizzlies. They don't have much size left up front with Steven Adams (knee), Brandon Clarke (Achilles) and Xavier Tillman (knee) all out. They are currently starting Bismack Biyombo at center. Don't expect him to slow down Sengun, who is stuffing the stat sheet in different areas with his averages of 20.9 points, 8.8 rebounds and 5.7 assists.
Mark Williams, CHA vs. WAS ($26): With the Wizards playing at such a fast pace, they have given up the most rebounds per game in the league. Williams has thrived in that department, averaging 10.0 rebounds in just 27 minutes per game this season. With Nick Richards (concussion) getting injured, Williams has logged at least 30 minutes in each of the last three games. Richards won't play in this matchup, leaving Williams with a stellar upside.
Center to Avoid
Ivica Zubac, LAC at SA ($18): The Clippers recently added Daniel Theis, who provides much-needed depth behind Zubac. When the Clippers blew out the Spurs on Monday, Theis scored 19 points in 21 minutes off the bench. Zubac has just eight points and 11 rebounds over 22 minutes. With the potential for the score to be lopsided again, it would not be a surprise to see Zubac end up playing limited minutes. As it is, he's averaging only 26 minutes per game for the season.
