This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
There will be no shortage of action in the NBA with five games on the schedule Friday. The Bulls, who blew a late lead in a loss to the Hawks on Thursday, have a quick turnaround in a tough matchup against the Bucks. The Hawks will also be in action, but they face an easier foe in the Wizards. Another marquee matchup features the 76ers hosting the Cavaliers. Since James Harden made his debut, Philadelphia is 3-0 with all three wins coming by at least 15 points. Out West, the Suns will continue to play without Devin Booker (COVID-19) and Chris Paul (thumb) when they take on the Knicks. Let's dive into the matchups and highlight some players to consider for your Yahoo lineups, as well as some to potentially avoid.
GUARDS
Tyrese Haliburton, IND at DET ($36): A trade to the Pacers has resulted in a significant boost for Haliburton. He's getting all the playing time he can handle, which has helped him produce at least 41.5 Yahoo points in six of the last seven games. His heavy workload could leave him with another valuable stat line against a Pistons team with the league's fifth-worst defensive rating.
Cameron Payne, PHO vs. NY ($14): With Booker and Paul sidelined, the Suns really needed Payne to return from his wrist injury. He only logged 20 minutes against the Trail Blazers on Wednesday, which was his first game in more than a month. Payne still posted 26.4 Y! and his playing time should increase tonight, making him very appealing at this salary.
Guard to Avoid
Coby White, CHI vs. MIL ($20): Make no mistake about it, White is an important member of the Bulls' bench. But when Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic are all healthy, they command the bulk of the shot attempts. That has contributed to White scoring 23.7 Y! or fewer in four straight games.
FORWARDS
Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL at CHI ($57): Giannis presents a nightmare matchup for most teams, but especially for the Bulls. With Vucevic covering the middle, they're not a good interior defense. While adding Tristan Thompson helps, they don't offer a lot of size in general. Expect Giannis to have one of the highest floors of any player from this slate.
Jalen Smith, IND at DET ($14): Getting out of Phoenix has done wonders for Smith. Finally given the opportunity, he's shown signs of why he was selected 10th overall in 2020 by averaging 13.3 points, 8.7 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.7 three-pointers across the last seven games.
Forward to Avoid
Tobias Harris, PHI vs. CLE ($26): The addition of Harden has helped the Sixers, but it's considerably hurt Harris's production. For the season, he's averaged 18.2 points and 14.7 shot attempts. Over three games with Harden on the floor, those numbers have dropped to 10.7 and 9.3. Add in a tough matchup against one of the NBA's best defenses and there isn't much to get excited about with Harris.
CENTERS
Karl-Anthony Towns, MIN at OKC ($39): The stars may be aligning for Towns to provide a monster stat line. First, Anthony Edwards (knee) is out. Whenhe was out Tuesday against the Warriors, Towns posted 39 points on 22 shot attempts. Next, the Thunder offer very little size up front, which has contributed to them allowing the second-most rebounds per game. An argument can be made for building your entire entry around Towns.
Isaiah Stewart, DET vs. IND ($17): Stewart has come on strong down the stretch with 10.1 points, 10.3 rebounds and 1.1 blocks over his last 15 games. Although the Pacers are in rebuilding mode, they boast plenty of size up front and that should afford Stewart with plenty of minutes.
Center to Avoid
Mitchell Robinson, NY at PHO ($19): Robinson's last eight games is a great example of the tantalizing upside he can provide, but also displays his inconsistency. Over that stretch, he scored at least 56.4 Y! twice but also didn't surpass 22.4 Y! in any of the other six. Facing one of the best defensive teams in the league in the Suns doesn't exactly lead you to believe this will be one of Robinson's finer nights.
