This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
After a busy Wednesday, there will only be two games played in the NBA on Thursday. That doesn't leave us with a ton of options to ponder on Yahoo. With that in mind, here are some players to consider for your lineups, as well as a few to possibly avoid.
GUARD
Devin Vassell, SA vs. MIL ($24): The Spurs will be shorthanded for this game with Zach Collins (ankle) out and Malaki Branham (ankle) listed as doubtful. It should be a high-scoring affair, given that both the Spurs and the Bucks rank inside the top-four in the league in pace of play. Vassell has scored at least 32.3 Yahoo points in four of his last five games and the Spurs having a limited rotation should help him produce another valuable stat line.
Brandin Podziemski, GS vs. DEN ($16): Podziemski has emerged as a key rotation player for the Warriors, logging an average of 29 minutes over their last 15 games. During that span, he put up 11.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.4 steals per game. That included a matchup against the Nuggets in which he scored 45.8 Yahoo points. He might be too good to pass up at this salary.
Guard to Avoid
Damian Lillard, MIL at SA ($40): The Bucks will be a team to monitor throughout the day. They just played Wednesday against the Pacers, so it wouldn't be a surprise if they decided to rest some of their starters. One who could sit would be Lillard, who logged 36 minutes in Wednesday's defeat. If the Bucks do roll out their starters like normal, Lillard might still be someone to avoid, given that he has shot just 37.7 percent from the field over his last seven games.
FORWARD
Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL at SA ($55): Giannis is in the same situation as Lillard with the potential to be given the night off. However, if he plays, he has to be considered among the top forward options. Across his last seven games, he has averaged 31.3 points, 12.1 rebounds, 7.3 assists and 1.4 blocks. If he is given the night off for rest, then it could be a good idea to pivot to Victor Wembanyama ($44), who would be met with less resistance in the paint.
Jonathan Kuminga, GS vs. DEN ($13): Kuminga has started each of the last 10 games for the Warriors. In his new role, he has averaged 14.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists. He logged 26 minutes per game during that span, compared to his season average of 22 minutes per game. Draymond Green is still serving his suspension, which means that Kuminga should remain in the starting lineup.
Forward to Avoid
Andrew Wiggins, GS vs. DEN ($18): it has been a down season for Wiggins, who is only shooting 42.7 percent from the field and 30.1 percent from behind the arc. He was recently moved to the second unit, which has contributed to him scoring fewer than 19.0 Yahoo points in three of the last five games. In his current role, Wiggins isn't that appealing, even for a limited slate.
CENTER
Nikola Jokic, DEN at GS ($59): The Warriors don't have much size, which makes this a particularly difficult matchup for them against Jokic. When these two teams met in December, Jokic produced 26 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists over 39 minutes. Expect him to have an extremely high floor in their rematch.
Trayce Jackson-Davis, GS vs. DEN ($12): In their prior matchup, Jackson-Davis got into foul trouble trying to defend Jokic. It contributed to him being limited to 15 minutes. On the bright side, he has averaged 11.5 points, 8.1 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.1 blocks over his last eight games. Foul trouble could be an issue for him again, but his salary is low enough to still make him worth taking a chance on in tournament play.
Center to Avoid
Kevon Looney, GS vs. DEN ($14): The emergence of Jackson-Davis has pushed Looney into a reduced role. Over the Warriors' last eight games, he has averaged just 16 minutes. During that span, he contributed only 4.6 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. Even with that, he still has a higher salary than Jackson-Davis. That doesn't make much sense.
