This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
The NBA regular season continues to march towards the finish line with six more games Wednesday. Among the appealing matchups will be the Warriors hosting the Pelicans. Let's highlight some players to consider for your Yahoo lineups, as well as a few to possibly avoid.
Guards
Josh Giddey, OKC vs. CHA ($31): Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (ankle) is listed as questionable for this game. It will be interesting to see what the Thunder do given that they also play the Pistons on Wednesday. Both of their opponents are among the worst teams in the league, so Gilgeous-Alexander could sit out at least one of the games. If he were to miss this one, it would be difficult to resist Giddey when you factor in his expanded role and the fact that both the Hornets and the Thunder rank inside the top-six in the league in pace of play.
Delon Wright, WAS vs. BOS ($14): The Wizards have already ruled out Bradley Beal (knee) and Kyle Kuzma (knee). Monte Morris (groin) and Daniel Gafford (foot) are listed as questionable. With both Beal and Morris out Sunday against the Raptors, Wright scored 30.4 Yahoo points over 34 minutes. Even if Morris is able to return, the absences of Beal and Kuzma still would leave Wright with an opportunity to provide value at such a cheap salary.
Guard to Avoid
Bogdan Bogdanovic, ATL vs. CLE ($16): The Hawks are one of the few healthy teams in the league right now. They don't have anyone of note on their injury report, which helps their chances of holding onto a spot in the play-in tournament in the Eastern Conference. However, their improved health situation has contributed to Bogdanovic scoring 24.6 Yahoo points or fewer in eight straight games. His role isn't likely to expand against a Cavaliers team that has the best defensive rating in the league, so there's no need to even consider taking a chance on him.
Forwards
Jaren Jackson Jr., MEM vs. ORL ($37): This is the first game of a back-to-back set for the Grizzlies. They have listed Ja Morant (thigh) as doubtful, which is more likely a rest situation for him than anything else. When Morant recently missed nine straight games because of his suspension, Jackson averaged 22.7 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.9 blocks.
P.J. Washington, CHA at OKC ($25): The injury report for the Hornets is ugly. Terry Rozier Jr. (foot) is out, Gordon Hayward (thumb) is doubtful and Kelly Oubre Jr. (shoulder) is questionable. Even Mark Williams won't play, although he's not currently injured. Someone is going to have to score points for them, and that player could be Washington. With all of the injuries that they have been dealing with, Washington has averaged 22.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.3 steals over the last three games.
Forward to Avoid
Al Horford, BOS at WAS ($21): Robert Williams III is back for the Celtics, which is huge for their chances of making a deep run in the playoffs. He's still not logging a ton of minutes, but his presence has still dealt a blow to Horford. Over the last three games since Williams made his return, Horford scored 26.8 Yahoo points or fewer two times. Add in the blowout potential against the shorthanded Wizards and Horford is a risky option.
Centers
Nick Richards, CHA at OKC ($18): It looks like the Hornets are going to rotate their starting center spot for the remaining two weeks. Richards did not play at all Sunday against the Mavericks, while Mark Williams started and logged 32 minutes. The team has already said that Williams won't play in this matchup, leaving Richards to return to the starting lineup. Over seven previous starts, Richards averaged 9.4 points, 10.3 rebounds and 1.7 blocks.
Kevon Looney, GS vs. NO ($17): Going small might be difficult for the Warriors in this matchup against Jonas Valanciunas. That means that Looney could spend some extra time on the floor. He's already been playing well, scoring at least 27.0 Yahoo points in seven of his last nine games. Richards has a clearer path to playing time and an easier opponent given the Thunder's lack of size up front, but Looney is also a viable option for those who don't want to spend a significant portion of their budget on the center position.
Center to Avoid
Jakob Poeltl, TOR vs. MIA ($29): This is more about the other options for this slate than about Poeltl. His addition has made a significant impact for the Raptors, who are in the driver's seat for a spot in the play-in tournament. However, he has scored fewer than 30 Yahoo points in three of the last four games. Given that his salary is the second-highest among centers, and that he will be facing Bam Adebayo, fading Poeltl might be the correct move.
