This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
The NBA follows up a busy Thursday with seven games on the schedule Friday. Injuries and several teams playing the second game of a back-to-back set make for some interesting DFS decisions. Here are some players to consider for your entries, as well as a few to possibly avoid.
GUARDS
Dejounte Murray, SA vs. ORL ($34): The big news for the Spurs is that DeMar DeRozan won't play because he will be attending his father's funeral service. That means they will have to play without one of their offense's focal points. Look for Murray to help pick up some of the offensive slack while also providing his usual steady contributions in rebounds, assists and steals.
Shake Milton, PHI at WAS ($10): Milton played 24 minutes off the bench versus the Bulls on Thursday with Ben Simmons in the league's health and safety protocols. He scored 25.1 Yahoo points along the way, taking advantage of a Bulls' team that has played at the fifth-fastest pace in the league. Simmons will also miss this matchup against the Wizards - who have played at the fastest pace - so Milton could once again provide value.
Guard to Avoid
Goran Dragic, MIA at CHI ($20): Although the Heat are currently without Bam Adebayo (knee), their backcourt is finally healthy. That means Dragic will continue to share minutes with Tyler Herro and Kendrick Nunn. With Dragic having scored 22.3 Yahoo points or fewer in six of his last eight games, he might be someone to avoid given his current salary.
FORWARDS
Jimmy Butler, MIA at CHI ($43): Butler has been steamrolling the opposition lately by scoring at least 52.1 Yahoo points in four straight games. With Adebayo out Thursday, Butler torched the Magic for 63.1 Yahoo points. Expect him to have the ball in his hands a lot in this favorable matchup against his former squad, which could mean another juicy all-around stat line.
Kevin Porter Jr., HOU at UTA ($10): Things are ugly for the Rockets right now. Christian Wood (ankle), John Wall (knee), Eric Gordon (groin) and Danuel House (knee) are all dealing with injuries and P.J. Tucker is no longer playing while they try to trade him. They also just played Thursday, so Victor Oladipo could sit out versus the Jazz for rest. Porter scored 42 Yahoo points because of their limited depth Thursday and could end up being one of the slate's best bargains at any position.
Forward to Avoid
Aaron Gordon, ORL at SA ($26): Finally, some positive injury news for the Magic. After missing 15 straight games with an ankle injury, Gordon made his return Thursday versus the Heat. He started, but only play 14 minutes. The Magic are going to be cautious with Gordon's return considering how long he was out, so expect him to see very limited playing time again versus the Spurs.
CENTERS
Joel Embiid, PHI at WAS ($52): While Simmons is expected to miss this contest, Embiid should be eligible to return as long as he continues to test negative for COVID-19. That would be just in time for this stellar matchup against a Wizards' team that generally struggles to defend, but really has a difficult time slowing down centers by allowing the fifth-most Yahoo points per game to the position. Add in Simmons also being out and the sky is the limit for Embiid.
Montrezl Harrell, LAL vs. IND ($19): Just before the All-Star break, Harrell exploded for 42.9 Yahoo points against the Kings. It was a much-needed strong performance after he scored fewer than 16 Yahoo points in back-to-back games. Anthony Davis (calf) and Marc Gasol (COVID-19) will both be out for this game, so expect the Lakers to give Harrell plenty of minutes against a Pacers' team that boasts a lot of size up front.
Center to Avoid
Wendell Carter Jr., CHI vs. MIA ($20): Early foul trouble and a lopsided score helped limit Carter to just 15 minutes Thursday against the Sixers. He's been all over the map in terms of his production with his last 10 games providing an excellent example of that. During that stretch, Carter scored at least 30.6 Yahoo points four times. However, he scored 22.3 Yahoo points or fewer four times. With plenty of other viable center options for this slate, taking a chance on Carter might not be worth the risk given his salary.
