This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
The NBA will wrap up the work week with seven games Friday. There will be plenty of subpar teams in action with the Wizards, Knicks, Rockets and Trail Blazers among those set to play. There are also a few solid matchups, including Timberwolves-Mavericks with Minnesota trying to make a push for the sixth seed in the Western Conference that would ensure they avoid the play-in tournament. The Mavericks currently sit fifth, but have an opportunity to finish as high as third if they excel from here on in. Let's discuss which players to consider for your Yahoo lineups, as well as a few to potentially avoid.
GUARDS
Donovan Mitchell, UTA at CHA ($37): The Jazz remain without Bojan Bogdanovic (calf) and his 18.1 points per game. Across the last five games he's been out, Mitchell has averaged 33.8 points on 24.4 shot attempts per game. In addition to those robust scoring numbers, he's provided 5.2 rebounds and 4.6 assists during that stretch. Mitchell's expanded role could leave him with a great stat line against a Hornets team that has played at the fourth-fastest pace in the league.
Kris Dunn, POR vs. HOU ($11): The matchup between the Rockets and Blazers is as bad as it gets, but it could be great for DFS. They're the bottom-two clubs in defensive rating, so this could be a fairly high-scoring game. Portland's lack of depth has opened up a role for Dunn, who initially joined the team on a 10-day contract. He's not a great scoring threat, but his ability to accumulate assists and steals has helped him post at least 23.5 Yahoo points in four of his last five games.
Guard to Avoid
Reggie Jackson, LAC vs. PHI ($27): The Clippers already have their eyes on the playoffs, so they've decided that Jackson won't log more than 32 minutes for the rest of the regular season. While that's still significant playing time, it does put a cap on his DFS ceiling. If you're looking for someone in this salary range, it might be better to role with Jordan Poole ($26) as the Warriors will need to rely on heavily in a matchup against the Hawks.
FORWARDS
Jerami Grant, DET vs. WAS ($24): The Pistons have been giving Grant rest days down the stretch, but he's expected to take the floor tonight as they haven't played since Wednesday. He's done well when active with at least 34.8 Yahoo points in four of his last five games. Look for him to dominate a Wizards team maintaining the league's sixth-worst defensive rating.
Trendon Watford, POR vs. HOU ($21): The Blazers are pulling out all the stops in their tanking efforts, listing both Josh Hart (knee) and Justise Winslow (calf) as out on their injury report. With not many healthy options left up front, expect Watford to be on the floor a lot. Across seven games of at least 30 minutes, he's averaged 15.7 points, 7.9 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.1 blocks.
Forward to Avoid
Draymond Green, GS at ATL ($23): The Warriors have been bringing Green along slowly in his return from injury. He sat out for rest Wednesday and hasn't received more than 29 minutes in any of the four matchups. Grant and Watford are in the same salary range and both shouldn't have any restrictions, so there's no need to take a chance on Green.
CENTERS
Joel Embiid, PHI at LAC ($55): Embiid gives a lot of teams problems, but he's an especially tough matchup for the Clippers. They aren't great up front, which has contributed to them allowing the eighth-most rebounds per game. The last time Embiid faced them, he dominated on his way to scoring 62.6 Yahoo points. Don't expect the Clippers to slow him down in this rematch.
Drew Eubanks, POR vs. HOU ($18): Eubanks has taken over at center with Jusuf Nurkic (foot) out and has become an excellent fantasy option of late. Being locked into significant playing time has helped him score at least 27.3 Yahoo points in six of his last seven games. If you want to fade Embiid, Eubanks is one of the more appealing options when you also factor in salary.
Center to Avoid
Ivica Zubac, LAC vs. PHI ($19): Zubac should have his hands full battling with Embiid. The Clippers would probably like to give him more minutes in this matchup, but there's also the danger he gets into foul trouble. There's plenty of risk that would come to rostering Zubac in DFS, so it might be best to pass on him and roll with Eubanks instead.
