This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
After a packed Wednesday, the NBA quiets down with just three games on the schedule Thursday. The highlight of the evening with be a matchup between the Warriors and the Rockets. Let's examine this small slate to see which players to target and avoid as you create your Yahoo entry.
GUARDS
Klay Thompson, GS at HOU ($31): With the news that Stephen Curry (groin) won't be coming back for at least 10 more days, Thompson should continue to have an expanded role in the Warriors offense. Across the first three games in which Curry has missed, Thompson is averaging 26.3 points and 23.3 shot attempts. The Rockets seem to have righted the ship after a slow start, so look for this to be a high-scoring game in which Thompson thrives.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, LAC vs. SA ($14): The injury to Avery Bradley (ankle) opened up a starting job for Gilgeous-Alexander that he may not relinquish for the rest of the season. He's averaging nearly 10 more minutes a game as a starter than when he comes off the bench, helping him record 14.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists, one steal and 1.5 blocks across four games. Bradley is listed as questionable for Thursday, but even if he does return, expect Gilgeous-Alexander to get enough playing time to be a viable option at this price.
Guard to Avoid
Gary Harris, DEN vs. ATL ($24): Harris has shot 46.6 percent from the field for his career, but he's struggled out of the gate by shooting 43.1 percent. Since he doesn't provide much in the way of rebounds or assists, he's not a tremendous asset if he's not filling up the scoring column. With 28.9 Yahoo points or fewer in five of his last six games, Harris might not have enough upside in this game that is also a risk to be a blowout.
FORWARDS
Draymond Green, GS at HOU ($29): After serving his suspension stemming from an argument with Kevin Durant, Green will make his return to the floor Thursday. He had been dealing with a toe injury, so the added time off might have actually been a benefit for him, health wise. His offensive game is certainly limited, but his averages of 7.5 points, 7.8 rebounds, 7.4 assists and 1.9 steals still leaves him with a high floor. He won't destroy your budget at this price either, making him a good candidate to consider for your entry.
Trey Lyles, DEN vs. ATL ($10): Lyles is back down to the minimum price after scoring 19.6 Yahoo points or fewer in two of his last three games. However, before that stretch, he had scored at least 24.6 Yahoo points in five of his previous six contests. This game comes with the biggest blowout potential of the night, which could give a boost to the Nuggets' bench players if that comes to fruition, including Lyles. If you want to save some money at forward, Lyles has some appeal in tournament play.
Forward to Avoid
Danilo Gallinari, LAC vs. SA ($25): The Clippers have to be thrilled that Gallinari is still healthy at this point. He only played 21 games last year and hasn't appeared in at least 70 games since the 2012-13 season. It's no surprise that he's one of their offensive leaders, averaging 19 points and 2.3 three-pointers per contest. However, he provides virtually nothing in the way of assists or defensive stats, which has limited him to 29.3 Yahoo points or fewer in five straight games. Since he's not overly cheap, it might be best to avoid him and spend your money elsewhere.
CENTERS
Montrezl Harrell, LAC vs. SA ($24): The Clippers continue to rotate between Marcin Gortat and Boban Marjanovic as their starting center, but Harrell has been by far their most productive player at the position. He's rolling right now, scoring at least 34.9 Yahoo points in four of his last five games. Even though he might continue to come off the bench, he's going to receive the majority of the minutes between the three of them. With the Clippers playing at the eighth-fastest pace in the league (103.3 possessions per game), look for Harrell to have plenty of opportunities to be productive again Thursday.
Mason Plumlee, DEN vs. ATL ($10): With a talented player like Nikola Jokic starting ahead of him, Plumlee isn't going to see much time on the floor most nights. He's averaging just 17 minutes a game this season, but he's still managed to post 6.6 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.1 steals per contest. There aren't a lot of great cheap options at center with so few games on the schedule, but Plumlee should at least be on your radar due to the potential for a lopsided score.
Center to Avoid
Nikola Jokic, DEN vs. ATL ($40): Jokic went to the X-ray room after Tuesday's game against the Rockets, but said he was fine afterwards and there is no indication yet that he will miss this contest. However, it would make very little sense for the Nuggets to push him considering their opponent. If they get up big, he might find himself on the bench a lot during the second half. He's one of the most expensive players at any position for the night, so buyer beware.
