This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
Wednesday's seven-game slate is highlighted by a matchup between the Clippers and Warriors. In the Eastern Conference, one of the marquee matchups will be the Cavaliers hosting the 76ers. Let's dig into the Yahoo DFS slate and highlight some players to consider for your lineups, as well as a few to possibly avoid.
GUARDS
D'Angelo Russell, LAL at HOU ($25): The Lakers just played Tuesday, earning a road win over the Pelicans. They have already ruled out Anthony Davis (foot) for this game, leaving Russell primed to take on a leading role. He has already been playing well, scoring at least 36.5 Yahoo points in three straight games.
Jaden Hardy, DAL at SA ($15): Luka Doncic (thigh) and Kyrie Irving (foot) have missed both of the last two games for the Mavericks. Hardy started with them out, scoring 28.9 and 45.1 Yahoo points, respectively. Doncic has been ruled out for this game, while Irving is questionable. Even if Irving takes the floor, Hardy should play more with Doncic out. That should be a recipe for success against a Spurs team that has the worst defensive rating in the league.
Guard to Avoid
Marcus Smart, BOS at MIN ($18): Smart has not played well since returning from injury. Over 11 games, he has averaged only 11.9 points. 2.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists, while shooting 37.9 percent from the field. While his salary won't exactly do a number on your budget, his current shooting slump still makes him someone to avoid.
FORWARDS
Zach LaVine, CHI vs. SAC ($34): LaVine is as hot as it gets right now. He's trying to lead the Bulls to a spot in the play-in tournament, averaging 31.4 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 3.3 three-pointers over eight games since the All-Star break. During that span, he shot 58.1 percent from the field on 19.4 shot attempts per game. The Kings rank inside the top-10 in the league in pace of play and inside the bottom-five in defensive rating, setting up LaVine with plenty of upside.
Jabari Smith Jr., HOU vs. LAL ($21): Smith is looking to end his rookie campaign on a high note. He has three straight double-doubles and he scored at least 20 points in all three of those games. Not only that, but he had a total of four steals and four blocks during that span. With the Lakers missing their defensive anchor in Anthony Davis, Smith might not be met with much resistance in this matchup.
Forward to Avoid
Tobias Harris, PHI at CLE ($20): When the 76ers are healthy, Harris doesn't exactly get a ton of shot attempts. His usage rate is down to 18.5 percent, which is on pace to be the lowest mark of his career. The 76ers top stars are all clear of the injury report for this matchup, and the Cavaliers have the second-best defensive rating in the league, making it difficult to justify rolling with Harris.
CENTERS
Domantas Sabonis, SAC at CHI ($42): Sabonis has recorded a triple-double in three of his last four games. As the Kings make a push for one of the top seeds in the Western Conference, he has averaged 20.6 points, 12.9 rebounds and 7.6 assists over the last 13 games. When he faced the Bulls in December, he came away with another triple-double on his way to 44.4 Yahoo points. He has one of the highest floors of any player on this slate.
Xavier Tillman, MEM at MIA ($17): Facing Bam Adebayo and the Heat isn't exactly a stellar matchup. However, Tillman is forced into extended playing time right now with the Grizzlies shorthanded at center. He has scored at least 26.5 Yahoo points in five of the last six games, so he is at least worth considering in tournament play.
Center to Avoid
Mason Plumlee, LAC vs. GS ($18): With Ivica Zubac's health improving, he has logged at least 27 minutes in back-to-back games. Plumlee didn't play more than 21 minutes in either of those games, scoring 16.0 and 16.3 Yahoo points, respectively. Plumlee can still stuff the stat sheet on nights when Zubac is out, but since that won't be the case here, he's someone to stay away from in DFS.
