This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
The NBA brings eight games to the table Wednesday, and there are some exciting matchups among them. A battle between two of the top teams in the Eastern Conference will take place when the Bucks host the Heat. The Heat are coming off of a dominating win over the Bulls, while the Bucks drubbed the Hornets for a 24-point win in their last game.
When the Sixers host the Knicks, it will mark the home debut for James Harden. He fell two rebounds short of a triple-double in his first game with the team, then achieved the feat while blowing out the Knicks in New York over the weekend.
Let's get down to the task at hand and highlight some players to consider for your Yahoo lineups, as well as a few to potentially avoid.
GUARDS
De'Aaron Fox, SAC at NO ($33): Since the Kings traded away Tyrese Haliburton, Fox has taken on an expanded role. For the season, he's averaged 22.0 points and 17.7 shot attempts per game. Since the trade deadline, he's averaged 27.0 points and 20.5 shot attempts. His 50.6 percent shooting from the field certainly helped during that stretch, but his increased usage rate makes him even more appealing when you also factor in that the Kings have played at the seventh-fastest pace in the league.
Brandon Goodwin, ATL vs. CHA ($18): Darius Garland (back) has been upgraded to questionable after missing the last three games, so it will be important to monitor for updates on his status. If he remains out, Goodwin should be busy with Caris LeVert (foot) and Rajon Rondo (toe) still sidelined. With all three players out Monday, Goodwin scored 44.8 Yahoo points across 35 minutes against the Timberwolves.
Guard to Avoid
Jrue Holiday, MIL vs. MIA ($34): This is a tough matchup for Holiday given that the Heat have the sixth-best defensive rating in the league. There are a lot of other appealing guards in this same salary range that have better matchups, including Fox, Haliburton ($36) and CJ McCollum ($32). With that in mind, there's no need to take a chance on Holiday.
FORWARDS
Wendell Carter Jr., ORL vs. IND ($30): These two teams just played each other Monday with Carter posting a double-double that propelled him to score 33.9 Yahoo points. Carter has recorded a double-double in five straight games, which resulted in him scoring at least 32.0 Yahoo points four times. With the inexperience that the Pacers have up front, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Carter record another double-double.
Jalen Smith, IND at ORL ($13): Smith is a part of the youth movement that the Pacers have made up front. His numbers haven't been off the charts, but he has scored at least 20.6 Yahoo points in six straight games. His salary is starting to climb, but it's still low enough to make him worth considering in tournament play.
Forward to Avoid
Tobias Harris, PHI vs NY ($26): While the addition of Harden has been a good thing for the Sixers, it hasn't been for Harris' production. He scored 18.6 and 22.0 Yahoo points, respectively, the last two games, thanks in large part to him scoring a total of 16 points. He attempted exactly nine shots in both games, which is a steep decline from his season average of 14.8 shot attempts per game. Given the usage rates that Harden and Joel Embiid will command, Harris could remain in a reduced scoring role moving forward.
CENTERS
Jarrett Allen, CLE vs. CHA ($30): Targeting big men who play against the Hornets is usually not a bad idea. The Hornets struggle to control the boards, allowing the most rebounds per game in the league. The last two games that Allen has played against them, he scored 57.2 and 57.4 Yahoo points, respectively.
Mo Bamba, ORL vs IND ($15): After getting off to a hot start this season, Bamba has started to see his playing time fluctuate. The Pacers have a lot of size up front, though, which resulted in Bamba logging 30 minutes against them Monday. He took advantage of his opportunity, scoring 33.0 Yahoo points. If he receivers similar playing time in their rematch, he could provide excellent value.
Center to Avoid
Christian Wood, HOU vs. UTA ($30): Wood has an unfavorable matchup here since he'll have to battle with Rudy Gobert. Gobert is the main reason why the Jazz have allowed the second-fewest rebounds per game. Allen has the same salary as Wood, and a much more favorable matchup, so passing on Wood isn't that difficult of a decision.
