This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
The NBA heads into the weekend with an eight-game slate Friday. Several players are in a position to take on expanded roles due to injuries, opening up a lot of value in DFS. Let's discuss some players to target, as well as some to avoid, while compiling your Yahoo entry.
GUARDS
James Harden, HOU vs. IND ($57): Harden is going to be difficult to fade. The Rockets will be without Clint Capela (concussion) and Russell Westbrook could sit out one leg of their back-to-back set. If Westbrook sits here, Harden's already sky-high usage rate will be off the charts. Even if Westbrook does take the floor, Harden is worth considering since he has scored at least 60.3 Yahoo points in five straight games.
Bogdan Bogdanovic, SAC at LAL ($22): The Kings' first game without De'Aaron Fox (ankle) saw Cory Joseph enter the starting five. He played 38 minutes, but provided just three points, four rebounds and three assists. Meanwhile, Bogdanovic played 32 minutes and exploded for 25 points, three rebounds, 10 assists and four steals. He's a far better playmaker than Joseph and should have secure playing time moving forward, making him a great option at this reasonable price.
Guard to Avoid
Rajon Rondo, LAL vs. SAC ($26): Rondo logged only 14 minutes in his season debut against the Suns on Tuesday. With the Lakers being cautious in his return from a calf injury, he sat out their game against the Warriors the following night. While he should play here, he will likely be on a minutes limit again, leaving him with little upside.
FORWARDS
Domantas Sabonis, IND at HOU ($42): The Pacers have been one of the teams hit the hardest by injuries this season and will once again be without Myles Turner (ankle), Victor Oladipo (knee) and Jeremy Lamb (ankle) for this contest. Sabonis has stepped up to be one of their most consistent sources for production, scoring at least 41.2 Yahoo points in six straight contests. Look for him to also carry a high floor into this matchup.
Rui Hachimura, WAS at MIN ($17): Hachimura has proven to be an efficient scorer to start out his rookie campaign, shooting 51.8 percent from the field and 83.3 percent from the charity stripe. While he has endured a few disappointing performances along the way, he's scored 37.9 and 31.8 Yahoo points over his last two games. The Wizards and Timberwolves are both inside the top-seven in the league in pace of play, leaving Hachimura with a favorable opportunity to continue his recent run of success.
Forward to Avoid
Draymond Green, GS vs. BOS ($27): To this point, it's been a lost season for Green. He's missed five games due to injury and continues to log limited playing time when healthy enough to play because of the Warriors being blown out so frequently. With 28.1 Yahoo points or fewer in four straight games, it's difficult to justify adding Green to your lineup when there are so many other quality forward options.
CENTERS
Karl-Anthony Towns, MIN vs. WAS ($51): Towns missed the first meeting between these two teams this season due to a suspension, so he didn't get a chance to cash in on this juicy matchup. He carries one of the highest upsides at any position, averaging 25.8 points, 12 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.4 steals a game. The Wizards don't have much to speak of up front outside of Thomas Bryant, so don't be surprised to see Towns go off.
Tyson Chandler, HOU vs. IND ($10): If you're paying up for Harden, then rolling with Chandler at the minimum price can go a long way towards helping your budget. He's going to start in place of Capela and should receive a significant boost in playing time. When Capela went down in their last game against the Clippers, Chandler scored 21.8 Yahoo points across only 16 minutes. It's reasonable to expect him to play at least 20-25 minutes here.
Center to Avoid
JaVale McGee, LAL vs. SAC ($14): McGee absolutely destroyed the Warriors on Wednesday, scoring a whopping 57.4 Yahoo points over 28 minutes. To put how out of character that performance was for him into perspective, he hadn't scored at least 30 Yahoo points in a game all season heading into that matchup. Remember the Warriors are one of the worst defensive teams in the league and Anthony Davis didn't play. With Davis back in the fold here, expect McGee to return to his limited contributions.
