Yahoo DFS Basketball: Wednesday Picks

Yahoo DFS Basketball: Wednesday Picks

This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.

Wednesday only brings two games in the NBA playoffs and two teams will be trying to advance to the second round with a victory. The Bucks will be looking to dispatch the Bulls, who placed Zach LaVine in the health and safety protocols Tuesday. Not only will he be out, but Alex Caruso (concussion) will also be unavailable.

In the second game, the Warriors will return home with a 3-1 lead over the Nuggets. Nikola Jokic helped the Nuggets stave off elimination in Game 4, but this will be a much tougher task on the road.

Let's discuss some players from these two games to consider for your Yahoo lineups, as well as a few to possibly avoid.

GUARDS

Stephen Curry, GS vs. DEN ($38): Curry logged 37 minutes in Game 4, the most that he has played in this series. He didn't disappoint, scoring 61.6 Yahoo points. Head coach Steve Kerr said Curry is no longer on a minutes restriction, so another big night could be forth coming.

Ayo Dosunmu, CHI at MIL ($10): The absence of LaVine should put the final nail in the coffin for the Bulls' season. With Caruso also out, Dosunmu should see a big jump in minutes and will likely be in the starting lineup. During the regular season, he averaged 10.9 points, 3.6 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 1.1 steals across 40 games as a starter.

Guard to Avoid

Will Barton, DEN at GS ($19): The injuries on the Bulls open up a lot of value at the guard spot. Both Dosunmu and Coby White ($13) could far outproduce their salaries. Barton has a higher salary than both of them and hasn't scored more than 27.3 Yahoo points in any of the last three games, so avoiding him could be the right move.

FORWARDS

Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL vs. CHI ($57): Giannis put on another show in Game 4, finishing with 32 points, 17 rebounds, seven assists and two blocks. He's logged at least 16 rebounds in a game three times in this series, and has scored more than 64 Yahoo points twice. There is some blowout potential here, but Giannis's production would likely be the main reason why the Bucks got to that point, so he's still a great option.

Grayson Allen, MIL vs. CHI ($14): One of the reasons why the Bucks are in a position to eliminate the Bulls is because Allen has played so well after Khris Middleton (knee) went down. He's nailed a combined 11 three-pointers over the last two games, scoring 35.2 and 38.4 Yahoo points, respectively. The Bulls' perimeter defense could be further compromised if Caruso is out, but even if he plays, Allen is intriguing at such a cheap salary.

Forward to Avoid

Andrew Wiggins, GS vs. DEN ($22): This is more about lineup construction than it is a knock on Wiggins. With only two games and some big names on the board, a stars-and-scrubs approach could be the best route to take. Eliminating players from the mid-tier like Wiggins, who has scored fewer than 30 Yahoo points in two of the four games, will likely be necessary to balance out your budget.

CENTERS

Nikola Jokic, DEN at GS ($58): The only bad part about Jokic's performance in Game 4 was that he had seven turnovers. He put forth another dominant all-around line, though, with 37 points, eight rebounds and six assists. If you don't add Giannis to your entry, then you better find a way to include Jokic.

Bobby Portis, MIL vs. CHI ($19): Portis joining the starting five has not been a welcome sight for his former squad. The Bulls play small alongside center Nikola Vucevic, so the Bucks rolling out a big starting-five has proven to be troublesome. Portis has capitalized, scoring 36.2 and 24.5 Yahoo points, respectively.

Center to Avoid

Nikola Vucevic, CHI at MIL ($31): After a monster performance in Game 1, Vucevic has seen his production decline in each game since. He only scored 29.0 Yahoo points in Game 4, while shooting 5-for-14 from the field. Again, a stars-and-scrubs approach is appealing for this slate, so avoiding the inconsistent Vucevic might be key.

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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