This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
As far as Friday's go, this is a quiet one in the NBA with just five games. The matchups aren't very exciting, either, except for the Rockets taking on the Nuggets. Luckily, there is still Yahoo DFS to add some juice for the night. Here are some players to target and avoid to hopefully create a winning entry.
GUARDS
Donovan Mitchell, UTA vs. ATL ($38): Talk about a great matchup. Mitchell's shooting percent is down slightly this year, but he's still been an offensive force with a 31.4 percent usage rate and 22.5 points per game. The Hawks play at the fastest pace (105.1 possessions per game) and allow the most points per game (117.9) in the league. The only concern here is that the Jazz blow out the Hawks, which would likely leave Mitchell on the bench late in the game. However, his scoring upside is so high that he could still provide value even if that's the case.
Malik Beasley, DEN vs. HOU ($10): The Nuggets backcourt is banged up right now with Jamal Murray (ankle) out and Gary Harris (groin) listed as questionable. Murray has actually missed three straight games, which helped Beasley score at least 28.9 Yahoo points twice. If Harris can't play either, Beasley could be looking at substantial playing time. Even if Harris does manage to take the floor, Beasley is an appealing tournament play option at the minimum price.
Guard to Avoid
DeAndre' Bembry, ATL at UTA ($17): The Hawks are the healthiest that they have been in a while. Even Kent Bazemore, who was out for a month, returned Wednesday against the Kings. With their improved depth chart, Bembry has started to see his playing time dwindle. He's scored 19.5 Yahoo points or fewer in four straight games and will face a Jazz team that allows the fourth-fewest points per game (105.7), so be sure to avoid him.
FORWARDS
Kevin Knox, NY vs. BOS ($16): The Knicks could be really short handed Friday. They traded away several players in the deal that sent Kristaps Porzingis (knee) to the Mavericks, including Tim Hardaway Jr. and Trey Burke. Hardaway had a 25.7 percent usage rate, and Burke had a 25.8 percent usage rate, so that's going to free up a lot of shots for Knox, especially if the players they acquired from the Mavericks are unable to play. This isn't a great matchup based on how well the Celtics play defensively, but Knox is cheap enough to warrant considering in tournament play.
Damyean Dotson, NY vs. BOS ($10): If the players the Knicks acquired don't play Friday, Knox isn't the only one on their roster to target. Dotson could also be in line for extended playing time, especially with Emmanuel Mudiay (shoulder) and Frank Ntilikina (groin) injured. Across nine games in which Dotson has logged at least 30 minutes, he's averaged 14.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists.
Forward to Avoid
Kent Bazemore, ATL at UTA ($22): Bazemore is in the same situation as Bembry in terms of limited playing time. With the Hawks going nowhere fast and wanting to give their young players more minutes, don't expect Bazemore to all of a sudden log more than 30 minutes in this game. He only played 19 minutes in his return against the Kings and scored 13.7 Yahoo points. There is no reason to take a risk on him at this price.
CENTERS
Nikola Jokic, DEN vs. HOU ($50): Kenneth Faried has been a huge addition for Rockets, but he's not a very good defender. That's resulted in the Rockets allowing the ninth-most Yahoo points per game (48.7) to opposing centers across their last 10 contests. Jokic has scored at least 63.6 Yahoo points in three of his last four games, so don't expect the Rockets to be the team that slows him down.
Mitchell Robinson, NY vs. BOS ($10): As shallow as the Knicks' roster could be Friday, they are actually in decent shape at center regardless of whether DeAndre Jordan plays. Luke Kornet (ankle) is even listed as probable after missing five straight games. His return may not actually impact Robinson much, though, since the Knicks could just shift Noah Vonleh back over to power forward and remove Lance Thomas from the rotation. They also want to play their young players more, which should benefit Robinson. His shot-blocking prowess has helped him score at least 22.8 Yahoo points in six straight games.
Center to Avoid
Enes Kanter, NY vs. BOS ($17): Just when we thought we might have seen the last time Kanter was on the floor in a Knicks uniform, he played Wednesday against the Mavericks. However, he only logged nine minutes and scored 7.9 Yahoo points. With Kornet likely back, it wouldn't be surprising to see Kanter sit this one out altogether. Even if he does play, his minutes would likely remain extremely limited.
