NBA DFS Picks: Yahoo Plays and Strategy for Wednesday, January 3

NBA DFS Picks: Yahoo Plays and Strategy for Wednesday, January 3

This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.

Get ready for a wild ride with 12 games set to be played across the NBA on Wednesday. That leaves us with a bevy of players to choose from on Yahoo. Let's highlight some of the better ones to consider, as well as a few to possibly avoid.

GUARDS

Cade Cunningham, DET at UTA ($33): Cunningham was shut down by the Rockets on Monday, scoring just six points on 3-for-16 shooting from the field. On the bright side, he did have 10 assists. Even with that poor performance, he is averaging 23.0 points per game for the season. Look for a bounce-back performance against the Jazz, who have the ninth-worst defensive rating in the league.

Jordan Clarkson, UTA vs. DET ($19): Clarkson recorded a triple-double against the Mavericks on Monday, finishing with 20 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists. Over five games since returning from injury, he has scored at least 40.2 Yahoo points three times. That kind of upside at this salary isn't always easy to find.

Guard to Avoid

Cam Thomas, BKN at HOU ($28): Thomas is instant offense. However, he doesn't do much else, averaging 2.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 0.6 steals per game this season. With the Nets struggling, he has been moved to the bench for their last three games. He logged just 20 minutes against the Pelicans on Tuesday, failing to score on 0-for-11 shooting from the field. A limited role versus a Rockets team that has the sixth-best defensive rating in the league makes Thomas someone to avoid.

FORWARDS

Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL at IND ($55): The Pacers were aggressive versus Giannis defensively when these two teams met Monday, sending double-teams at him as soon as he touched the ball. That helped him rack up 11 assists to go along with his 30 points and 18 rebounds. With the Pacers having played at the second-fastest pace in the league, Giannis should receive plenty of opportunities to stuff the stat sheet again.

Isaac Okoro, CLE vs. WAS ($10): The Cavaliers are playing shorthanded with Darius Garland (jaw) and Evan Mobley (knee) out. Okoro hasn't put up gaudy numbers in their absence, but he has scored at least 28.1 Yahoo points in five of his last eight games. Having the minimum salary and a matchup against a Wizards team that has played at the fastest pace in the league makes Okoro someone to target in tournament play.

Forward to Avoid

Ausar Thompson, DET at UTA ($21): Thompson has come off the bench in five of the last six games for the Pistons. Over the nine total games that Thompson has played as a member of the second unit this season, he has averaged only 4.3 points and 3.6 rebounds. He has a ton of talent, but he's not playing enough right now to be worth deploying in DFS.

CENTERS

Jarrett Allen, CLE vs. WAS ($27): The injury to Mobley has left Allen to shoulder the load for the Cavaliers up front. He hasn't disappointed, averaging 17.7 points, 11.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.2 steals over the last 10 games. Don't be surprised if he dominates a Wizards team that has given up the most rebounds per game in the league.

Andre Drummond, CHI at NY ($21): Drummond logged 28 minutes in a blowout loss to the 76ers on Tuesday, finishing with 11 points, 17 rebounds and one block. Over the last four games without Nikola Vucevic (groin), he has averaged 14.3 points, 20.3 rebounds, 1.8 steals and 1.5 blocks. The Bulls have no depth behind him at center, so as long as he can avoid foul trouble, Drummond should play a lot against the Knicks.

Center to Avoid

Wendell Carter, ORL at SAC ($22): Carter played only 20 minutes off the bench against the Warriors on Tuesday, finishing with six points and two rebounds. That marked the second straight game in which he has come off the bench. He has also not logged more than 24 minutes in any of his seven games since returning from injury. There is no reason to take a chance on him when Drummond has a more secure role for the Bulls and a cheaper salary than Carter.

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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