This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
This week of basketball has been incredible. Thursday featured the best game I've seen all season, with Denver and Portland trading off 14 lead changes in the closing seven minutes of that epic matchup. That was followed up by a fantastic Friday card, with numerous games coming down to the wire. There has also been some chippiness throughout the league, which only makes things better! We love when the players care, and we'll kick things off with one of the most flamboyant performers in the NBA!
Guards
D'Angelo Russell, MIN at POR ($28)
It's been incredible watching Russell go off in the absence of Karl-Anthony Towns. That has forced D-Lo into a playmaking role, seeing his minutes, usage and shot attempts all rise in KAT's absence. It's evident in his fantasy production, scoring at least 31 Yahoo points in eight straight games. Russell is also averaging 37 Y ! points per game across 34 minutes a night in that span, returning to the All-Sar player we saw in Brooklyn. We also don't mind that Portland ranks 22nd in defensive efficiency, with Russell registering 41.1 Yahoo points in their most recent matchup.
John Wall, LAC at WAS ($21)
This Clippers roster has been volatile all year, but Wall has been solid whenever given the opportunity. He's averaging 25.4 Yahoo points per game this season, despite playing just 22 minutes a night. That makes him highly enticing here because Wall has already been rewarded with a start at point guard in the absence of Reggie Jackson. Splitting minutes with R-Jax has held back Wall all year, but he will be the primary ball-handler and play 30-35 minutes in this spot. Wall has walloped his former team over recent years, too, averaging 42 fantasy points per game in their only two meetings since leaving them.
Guard to Avoid
Andrew Nembhard, IND vs. BKN ($20)
This kid was awesome when he was filling in for Tyrese Haliburton, but that's all he is at this point. Now that Haliburton is healthy, Nembhard is back to his bench role. In the two games since Hali's return, Nembhard has combined for 34.4 Yahoo points. That's what you need in one game to be a good value at $20, but we saw Nembhard post a 16-point average through the first 16 games of the year. Just wait for this price tag to drop or until Nembhard fills in for Haliburton later in the year.
Forwards
Jayson Tatum, BOS at GSW ($50)
There's a ton of value on this slate, so paying up for Tatum is the way to go. This is actually the MVP frontrunner after his recent hot streak, scoring at least 37 fantasy points in 23 of 25 games this season. That floor pairs wonderfully with his average, providing 50 Yahoo points per game. We expect that to be his floor in one of the highlight games of the year because JT is averaging 53 fantasy points per game in his last three regular-season meetings with the Warriors. This might be the worst Golden State defense he's faced, too, ranked 26th in points allowed.
Deni Avdija, WAS vs. LAC ($14)
It's hard to understand why Avdija remains so affordable. This youngster has been remarkable since Bradley Beal went down, scoring 30 and 33 Yahoo points in the last two games Beal has missed. More importantly, he's played at least 39 minutes in both of those, and that sort of workload is terrific from a $14 player. We can safely say he has a 30-minute floor in this expanded role, and that looks great since Avdija is averaging 34 Y! points per game when he's played more than 30 minutes this year.
Forward to Avoid
Kawhi Leonard, LAC at WAS ($27)
Kawhi will return to his All-Star form at some point, but we can't trust him right now. The Claw hasn't scored more than 26 Yahoo points in any of the seven games he's suited up, playing just 24 minutes a night. He's being treated with kids' gloves off of his ACL injury, and he's impossible to use until this price drops or until he gets the role we've become accustomed to. He will return to that guy eventually but let someone else use him until then.
Centers
Myles Turner, IND vs. BKN ($28)
Turner is amid a breakout year, and it's hard to understand why Indiana wanted to trade this guy. Moving Domantas Sabonis has allowed Turner to thrive, averaging a career-best 36 Yahoo points per game this year. A few duds have lowered his season average, with Turner showcasing a 60-point ceiling at times this year. While we don't necessarily think he'll reach that, Myles amassed 41 Y! points in his most recent matchup with the Nets. It also sounds like Nicolas Claxton might sit as well, and that'd make Turner even more tantalizing.
Rudy Gobert, MIN at POR ($28)
We had Gobert in here last week, and we're returning to the well for all the same reasons. This guy was a $40 player for most of last season, and it's just a matter of time before he gets closer to that. The Frenchman averaged 37 Yahoo points per game through the first 17 games and has a 43-point average over the last two games. A nightmarish 10-day stretch made people forget how dominant this big man can be, and Minnesota needs him to do more with Towns out for the foreseeable future. He's pummelled Portland over recent years, scoring at least 43 Y! points in five of their last seven matchups.
Center to Avoid
Aleksej Pokusevski, OKC at CLE ($13)
It was exciting to see Poku get a significant role earlier in the year, but that's disappeared over the last few weeks. The Serbian has scored 21 or fewer fantasy points in six straight games, averaging just 15 Y! points per game across 18 minutes a night. It's hard to understand why he's been put in the doghouse, but it's impossible to use an 18-minute player, no matter how talented he might be. Facing Cleveland is concerning, too, with the Cavs owning the best defensive efficiency rating in the NBA.
