NBA Yahoo DFS Advice: Who To Play, Avoid For Wednesday, April 26

NBA Yahoo DFS Advice: Who To Play, Avoid For Wednesday, April 26

This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.

It's a big slate by postseason standards Wednesday, as there are four games on tap, with three having win-or-go-home scenarios. With plenty of desperation, we could see some awe-inspiring individual performances that make for a fun night of DFS.

As customary, we'll highlight multiple advantageous positional matchups to exploit at each position for your Yahoo Fantasy lineups, as well as a good trio of candidates that may be best to steer clear of due to a combination of circumstances/salary.  

Guards

Ja Morant, MEM vs. LAL ($42): Morant took a significant step back in Game 4 after an unforgettable 45-point Game 3 that helped net him 72.3 Yahoo points. However, even with a sub-par shooting night, Morant still tallied 42.3 Yahoo points across 44 minutes with the help of seven assists and three steals. With Memphis facing elimination, there's no doubt the star guard will play every minute he can and remain aggressive throughout, making him a potential bargain even at his elevated salary.

Jordan Poole, GSW at SAC ($19): There are several attractive options in the mid-tier and lower at guard, given eight strong teams are taking the floor, but Poole could be an advantageous selection. Head coach Steve Kerr notably saw his team enjoy plenty of offensive success in Game 4 after keeping Poole in the starting five and having Draymond Green come off the bench. Poole responded with 31.4 Yahoo points after having turned in 36 in his Game 3 start. He could overdeliver again in a critical Game 5 against a Kings team with a porous defense.

ALSO CONSIDER: Malik Monk, SAC vs. GSW ($17)

Guard to Avoid

Quentin Grimes, NYK at CLE ($14): Grimes is questionable with a shoulder injury coming into Wednesday night and already missed Game 4. What's more, he scored just 7.4 to 17.6 Yahoo points in the first three games of the series, so the upside to selecting him, even at a low salary, just isn't there.

Forwards

Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL vs. MIA ($55): Antetokounmpo fought through back discomfort in Game 4 to put together a gutsy 60.5 Yahoo-point performance on the strength of a 26-point, 13-assist, 10-rebound triple-double. The big man is probable for Wednesday's contest, and he should naturally be involved even more heavily than usual with Milwaukee facing elimination. Given his ceiling and the circumstances, even the massive $55 salary isn't too much to take on.

Khris Middleton, MIL vs. MIA ($29): Middleton is another member of the Bucks that should shoulder plenty Wednesday, and his positional matchup is pristine. The Heat allow an NBA-high 26.3 offensive efficiency rating to small forwards (26.3), and Middleton has been outperforming his current salary all series by scoring 32.7 to 44.8 Yahoo points in the first four games.

ALSO CONSIDER: LeBron James, LAL at MEM ($48); Jimmy Butler, MIA at MIL ($43)

Forward to Avoid

Troy Brown Jr., LAL at MEM ($10): Brown is unsurprisingly filling a minor role now that postseason rotations are in effect, as he's played under 17 minutes in three of the first four games. The veteran wing has scored 7.2 to 12.3 Yahoo points in the series' four contests thus far, making him a non-factor for fantasy purposes.

Centers

Anthony Davis, LAL at MEM ($48): Perhaps some will be down on AD after an abysmal offensive night in Game 4 that saw him score just 12 points. However, the big man still found his way to 42.2 Yahoo points with the help of 11 boards and four blocks, and he should have an excellent chance at a bounce-back performance Wednesday with L.A. fighting to put an end to the series. The big man opened the series with two performances of over 65 Yahoo points in the first three games, making him worthy of the investment if you're paying up at center.

Brook Lopez, MIL vs. MIA ($26): Jarrett Allen and Mitchell Robinson are two other mid-level centers that are interesting Wednesday, but I'll go with a third Buck in Lopez, who's likely best suited for tournament play. The big man has exploded for a couple of spike performances already in the series, totaling 39.8 Yahoo points in Game 2 before racking up a whopping 62.2 in Game 4 on a 36-point, 11-rebound double-double. With his ability to space the floor, his propensity for blocks and his significant size advantage down low against the Heat frontcourt, Lopez is a viable path to take if you're not going up to Davis.

ALSO CONSIDER: Domantas Sabonis, SAC vs. GSW ($42)

Center to Avoid

Alex Len, SAC vs. GSW ($10): Len has been on the floor for all four games thus far in the series but has played 13 minutes or fewer. He's scored 6.2 to 13.4 Yahoo points in those games and has been in foul trouble in each relative to his playing time, making him a wholly unappealing option going into Game 5.

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Juan Carlos Blanco plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: DraftKings: jcblanco22, FanDuel: jc_blanco22, DraftPot: jc_blanco22, FantasyDraft: jc_blanco22, OwnThePlay: jcblanco22.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Juan Carlos Blanco
Winner of the FSWA 2016 Newcomer of the Year Award, Juan Carlos Blanco has been playing fantasy sports for over 20 years and covers NBA, MLB, NFL, CFL and Arena Football for Rotowire.com, including serving as the beat writer for teams in multiple sports. He has previously written for KFFL.com and remains an avid season-long and daily fantasy player in multiple sports as well.
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