Yahoo DFS Basketball: Friday Picks

Yahoo DFS Basketball: Friday Picks

This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.

We've reached the final three days of the regular season. Friday will be a busy slate with 18 teams in action. Which players will actually take the floor remains to be seen. There are no more playoff spots up for grabs, so the only thing left for some of the qualifying clubs is seeding. As far as rest situations go, we may not see many regulars for the Bucks, who will be playing the second game of a back-to-back against the rebuilding Pistons. The Raptors will be in the same situation hosting the Rockets. Let's highlight some of the top players to consider for your Yahoo lineups, as well as a few to possibly avoid.

GUARDS

Jalen Green, HOU at TOR ($24): With the Rockets resting some of their veterans, Green has become one of the focal points of their attack. He hasn't let the team down averaging 29.1 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists over the last seven games. Green provided a whopping 5.3 three-pointers per game during that span while shooting 45.1 percent from behind the arc. Add his increased usage rate to the Rockets playing at the second-fastest pace in the league and he offers plenty of upside.

Vit Krejci, OKC at LAL ($11): The Thunder have taken tanking to another level. It's not like they had a lot of elite talent to begin with, but now they're basically rolling out third-stringers for the majority of their starting five. Krejci might not be a big name, but he's provided value with at least 22.8 Yahoo points in seven of eight games.

Guard to Avoid

Theo Maledon, OKC at LAL ($23): Maledon recently stepped into big minutes with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (ankle), Josh Giddey (hip) and Tre Mann (hamstring) all out. He was playing well, but then the Thunder decided that he also needed to be sidelined. Maledon's not battling an injury, but he still hasn't played in either of the last two games. There's no reason to believe he'll play tonight either.

FORWARDS

RJ Barrett, NY at WAS ($33): Barrett has been a bright spot in an otherwise disappointing season for the Knicks. His usage rate has increased to 27.6 percent, which he's turned into averages of 20.1 points and 2.0 three-pointers. The Knicks continue to roll out Barrett to the tune of 39 minutes a night over their last 10. He's turned that hefty role into averages of 23.8 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.5 assists. Another big night could be coming against a Wizards team that carries the league's sixth-worst defensive rating.

Obi Toppin, NY at WAS ($18): An injury to Julius Randle (quadriceps) has left Toppin with a spot in the starting five. Across three games in that spot, he's produced at least 32.8 Yahoo points each time. Add in how porous the Wizards have been defensively and Toppin is another player on the Knicks to consider.

Forward to Avoid

Bogdan Bogdanovic, ATL at MIA ($22): The Hawks have locked up a spot in the play-in tournament, which is still a bit of a disappointment given the success that they enjoyed last season. Bogdanovic looks to be heating up at the right time by posting 20.1 points across 10 games. However, he scored fewer than 28 Yahoo points five times during that stretch as he provided very little outside of the scoring column. Bogdanovic's reliance on offense to provide value in DFS could be a problem against a Heat team with the fourth-best defensive rating.

CENTERS

Kristaps Porzingis, WAS vs. NY ($38): During a time when bad teams have been resting their top players, Porzingis has inexplicably been seeing a lot of action for the floundering Wizards. He's appeared in 14 straight games, which included four back-to-back sets. Not only has Porzingis remained healthy, but he provided 22.7 points, 9.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.5 blocks per game during that span. He could be a big problem for a Knicks team missing Randle, Mitchell Robinson (illness) and Nerlens Noel (foot) up front.

Bobby Portis, MIL at DET ($19): This has rest day written all over it for the key players on the Bucks. They just played Thursday, and the Pistons are one of the league's weaker teams. Frankly, it wouldn't be a surprise if Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, Jrue Holiday and Brook Lopez all sat. If that happens, Portis could be extremely busy.

Center to Avoid

Deandre Ayton, PHO at UTA ($27): Ayton draws Rudy Gobert, who's one of the best defensive centers. Ayton is no slouch himself and has recorded a double-double in seven of his last nine games. There are plenty of other viable center options, so rolling with Ayton in a tough matchup probably isn't a wise decision.

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. Mike Barner plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: mbarner, DraftKings: mbarner51.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mike Barner
Mike started covering fantasy sports in 2007, joining RotoWire in 2010. In 2018, he was a finalist for the FSWA Basketball Writer of the Year award. Mike also won the 2022-23 FSGA NBA Experts Champions league. In addition to RotoWire, Mike has written for Sportsline, Sports Illustrated, DK Live, RealTime Fantasy Sports, Lineup Lab and KFFL.com.
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