This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
After a quiet Thursday, the NBA roars back with 11 games. The Lakers will be playing the second of a back-to-back when they travel to face the Hornets. LeBron James (knee) did not play Thursday and his status is still up in the air for this matchup. DeMar DeRozan will take the floor against his old team when the Bulls face the Spurs in San Antonio. In a bit of a scheduling oddity, the Bucks and Knicks will tip off at 10:00 p.m. Let's get down to business and highlight some players to consider for your Yahoo lineups, as well as a few to potentially avoid.
GUARDS
Zach LaVine, CHI at SA ($34): The Bulls are thin at point guard with Lonzo Ball (knee) and Alex Caruso (wrist) out. Coby White is not a traditional pass-first point guard, so the Bulls are going to need LaVine to help facilitate offense for his teammates. He's done that since returning from a knee injury totaling 15 assists across two games. He scored at least 44.6 Yahoo points in both of those contests and should continue to offer significant upside in a matchup against a Spurs team that plays at the league's fifth-fastest pace.
Jaylen Nowell, MIN at PHO ($12): Already playing without Patrick Beverley (ankle), the Timberwolves then lost D'Angelo Russell to a shin injury on Thursday. Nowell ended up logging 29 minutes on that night and racked up 25.6 Y!. Given the quick turnaround, it wouldn't be a surprise to at least see Russell sit out against the Suns. If Beverley also can't go, Nowell could receive a significant boost in playing time.
Guard to Avoid
Jrue Holiday, MIL vs. NY ($31): Holiday has been quiet with 22.7 Y! or fewer in three of the last four outings. He shot just 38.8 percent from the field during that stretch while averaging 28 minutes due to a couple of blowouts. Another lopsided score could be coming against a struggling Knicks side and that makes Holiday a risky option.
FORWARDS
Jayson Tatum, BOS at ATL ($41): The Celtics' last three games all came against teams ranked inside the bottom-10 in the league in defensive rating. During that span, Tatum thrived with averages of 38.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 6.7 assists. The Hawks carry the fourth-worst defensive rating, so another juicy stat line could be coming from Tatum.
Jalen Smith, PHO vs. MIN ($13): The Suns will remain shorthanded at center with Deandre Ayton (ankle) and JaVale McGee (knee) out. With both sidelined Wednesday against the Jazz, Smith responded with eight points, seven rebounds, one steal and two blocks across 19 minutes off the bench. Similar playing time should be coming in this matchup, making him at least a consideration in tournament play.
Forward to Avoid
Julius Randle, NY at MIL ($31): With the Heat blowing out the Knicks Wednesday, Randle only scored 11 points over 27 minutes. His shooting woes have worsened as the season has worn on, leaving him to shoot 37.5 percent from the field over the last 11 games. Add Randle's struggles to the potential for another lopsided scoreline and it might be best to stay away from him.
CENTERS
Karl-Anthony Towns, MIN at PHO ($39): Towns stepped up his offensive game with Russell going down Thursday with 31 points on 22 shot attempts, marking significant increases over his season averages of 24.3 and 16.7. If Russell is ruled out, Towns could dominate a Suns' frontcourt already missing its top two centers.
Bismack Biyombo, PHO vs. MIN ($20): Biyombo earned the start with Ayton and McGee out Wednesday and produced 31.2 Y! in 29 minutes. That was the fourth time during the last five contest where he's scored at least 30 Y!. While Biyombo's salary is climbing, he still has the potential to provide value.
Center to Avoid
Clint Capela, ATL vs. BOS ($27): Capela has been quiet since returning from an ankle injury averaging 7.0 points and 7.3 rebounds. He didn't play more than 26 minutes over that stretch, which could have been a combination of a couple of lopsided scores and the emergence of Onyeka Okongwu during his absence. If Okongwu continues to eat into his minutes, Capela might provide another underwhelming stat line.
