This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
We're set for a seven-game ledger Wednesday that includes plenty of contests with close spreads and five with projected totals of over 230 points. Additionally, some players' salaries aren't quite keeping up with recent production -- advantageous from a DFS perspective.
As customary, we'll highlight multiple advantageous positional matchups to exploit at each position for your Yahoo Fantasy lineups, as well as a good trio of candidates that may be best to steer clear of due to a combination of circumstances/salary.
Guards
De'Aaron Fox, SAC at CHI ($36): Fox has scored 36.8 to 78 Yahoo points in the last seven games, a torrid stretch in which he's averaging 29.9 points, 7.1 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 2.4 steals per contest. The Bulls come in ranked No. 19 in offensive efficiency rating allowed to point guards (27.0) and allow the seventh-most assists per contest as well (25.8), furthering Fox's case at a salary he's amply proven capable of outpacing.
Kevin Porter, HOU vs. LAL ($25): Porter is an intriguing play at his salary against a Lakers squad that's allowing the ninth-highest offensive efficiency rating to point guards (27.7), along with the fourth-most fantasy points per game to the position in the last 30 contests (52.3). Porter has picked up the pace nicely over the last five games following his long absence due to a foot injury, averaging 13.4 points, 8.4 assists, 5.6 rebounds and 1.4 steals across 32.6 minutes per contest. He's eclipsed 40 Yahoo points on two occasions during that span, excellent returns on his current salary.
ALSO CONSIDER: D'Angelo Russell, LAL at HOU ($25)
Guard to Avoid
Tyrese Maxey, PHI at CLE ($20): Maxey has put up just 23.8 and 9.7 Yahoo points in his last two games -- not the first time his production has taken a mysterious dive this season. He's also facing a Cavalier squad that held him to 19.4 Yahoo points in 28 minutes during his one prior encounter with them and that's allowing an NBA-low 22.3 offensive efficiency rating to point guards, along with paltry 42.8 percent shooting to the position.
Forwards
DeMar DeRozan, CHI vs. SAC ($33): DeRozan makes for a pivot off higher-salaried options, given his upside. The veteran has scored over 43 Yahoo points in three of his last four contests alone, averaging 40.5 per game for the season. The Kings have been vulnerable to the power forward position as well, allowing the ninth-highest offensive efficiency rating (27.0) and 49.6 percent shooting to the position, along with the sixth-most Yahoo points per contest to fours in the last 15 games (47.5).
Rui Hachimura, LAL at HOU ($10): Hachimura has the potential to pay off as a rewarding minimum-salary play Wednesday, given Anthony Davis will sit out the contest for Los Angeles on the second night of the back-to-back set and the matchup is already an enticing one. Hachimura's floor-stretching ability also gives him a chance to outpace a salary as low as Wednesday's, and he enters the contest having put together four consecutive double-digit scoring efforts, scoring 19.1 and 24.2 Yahoo points in two of those games. Hachimura has averaged a solid 10.3 points and 4.9 rebounds across 24.2 minutes per contest over his 21 games with the Lakers thus far, and he's facing a Houston team surrendering the sixth-highest offensive efficiency rating to power forwards (27.6), along with the fifth highest to second-unit players (44.0).
ALSO CONSIDER: Jaylen Brown, BOS at MIN ($36)
Forward to Avoid
Tobias Harris, PHI at CLE ($20): Harris has scored 5.4 to 23.6 Yahoo points in four of his last five games, part of an extended downturn that predates the All-Star break. The veteran forward has put up 7.7 and 21.4 Yahoo points in two prior matchups with the Cavs, and Cleveland also allows an NBA-low 19.5 offensive efficiency rating to small forwards on the campaign.
Centers
Joel Embiid, PHI at CLE ($55): Embiid is one 76ers player that is certainly worthy of a start Wednesday, especially with Cleveland potentially short-handed at center again due to Jarrett Allen's eye issue. Embiid has scored over 60 Yahoo points in three straight contests and has been at no less than 52.2 in the last five, just a glimpse of the upside he offers. The Cavs gave up 60.3 Yahoo points to Embiid the last time they faced him, and Cleveland also checks in surrendering over 54 Yahoo points per game to centers in the last 15 contests.
Kevon Looney, GSW at LAC ($17): Looney has gone off for 46 and 34.5 Yahoo points in his last two games, and he also has tallies of 27.6 and 32.3 against the Clippers this season. Los Angeles is ranked No. 18 in offensive efficiency rating surrendered to centers (32.2), and the Clippers have conceded 53.8 Yahoo points per game to the position on the season. L.A. is also allowing the 10th-most points in the paint per home game (51.0), an area of the floor where Looney is scoring a career-high 80.7 percent of his points this season.
ALSO CONSIDER: Zach Collins, SAN vs. DAL ($20)
Center to Avoid
Mason Plumlee, LAC vs. GSW ($18): Plumlee is back to playing a reserve role behind Ivica Zubac after some impressive performances in his teammate's stead while he dealt with a calf injury. The veteran big man has scored under 20 Yahoo points in two straight, and with a minutes tally that could top out in the high teens Wednesday, he's likely safe to steer clear of.
