This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
Thursday brings a quiet night in the NBA with only three games on the schedule. Surprisingly, there are still plenty of stars available with the Bucks, Sixers and Warriors all in action. As you craft your Yahoo lineup, here are some players to target and avoid based on their matchups.
GUARDS
De'Aaron Fox, SAC vs. CLE ($30): The Kings have been one of the more fantasy-friendly teams in the league since they play at the third-fastest pace (104 possessions per game). Fox is finishing his breakout campaign on a high note, scoring at least 40 Yahoo points in six of their last nine contests. The Cavaliers have allowed the sixth-most Yahoo points per game (44.4) to opposing point guards, so look for Fox to keep things rolling in this matchup.
Alex Caruso, LAL vs. GS ($12): With the Lakers playing out the string without their top players, Caruso has found his way into the regular rotation. He certainly hasn't been a consistent source of production, but he has shown significant upside with at least 28.5 Yahoo points in five of his last 11 games. Both of these teams are inside the top-10 in the league in pace of play, so it might be worth taking a chance on Caruso in tournament play at near the minimum price.
Guard to Avoid
Klay Thompson, GS at LAL ($27): Thompson had a quiet performance in Tuesday's big win against the Nuggets, scoring 20.3 Yahoo points across 29 minutes. That continued his recent slide that has seen him score 28.4 Yahoo points or fewer in six straight games. Something to be concerned about for this matchup is the potential for the Warriors to blow out the Lakers. If that scenario unfolds, Thompson might not see much playing time down the stretch. It might be wise to spend up elsewhere.
FORWARDS
Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL at PHI ($54): The Bucks seem to have dodged a bullet with Giannis' ankle. He returned after sitting out just one game to score 46.2 Yahoo points across 30 minutes Monday against the Nets. Now with a couple of days off, he looks like a safe option against the Sixers. He's absolutely destroyed them in two previous matchups, scoring 78.6 and 89.7 Yahoo points, respectively. It helps his cause that both teams are inside the top-seven in pace of play.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, LAL vs. GS ($19): Caldwell-Pope has been one of the main offensive beneficiaries of all of the Lakers' injuries. Although he's only averaged 8.4 shot attempts per game for the season, he's averaged 13 shots across his last 12 games. He hasn't disappointed with his expanded role, scoring at least 28.4 Yahoo points in four of his last six contests. Based on the fast pace at which this game will likely be played, Caldwell-Pope's high minutes floor leaves him with plenty of upside.
Forward to Avoid
Harrison Barnes, SAC vs. CLE ($18): The Kings have a lot of young players that they could be giving added playing time to since they have been eliminated from the playoffs, but Barnes continues to see heavy minutes. However, he hasn't been very productive with 22.1 Yahoo points or fewer in six straight contests. His usage rate is only 16.2 percent with the Kings, so when that is combined with his limited contributions in assists and defensive stats, he doesn't stand out as someone to target.
CENTERS
DeMarcus Cousins, GS at LAL ($31): Cousins put on a dominant performance in the Warriors' big win against the Nuggets, scoring 56.9 Yahoo points in just 29 minutes. Despite all of the talent around him, Cousins still has a 27.5 percent usage rate. There is some risk that he could see limited playing time if this game gets out of hand early, but this is also an excellent matchup for him against the likes of JaVale McGee, Mike Muscala and Moritz Wagner.
Larry Nance Jr., CLE at SAC ($20): With so few games on the schedule, viable cheap center options are hard to come by. Nance isn't the cheapest option, but he provides significant savings over Cousins while still presenting upside. He's scored at least 28.1 Yahoo points in six of his last seven games and could once again see an expanded role if Kevin Love (shoulder) is forced to miss his third straight game.
Center to Avoid
Tristan Thompson, CLE at SAC ($13): Across seven games since returning from injury, Thompson has surpassed 22 minutes just one time. With such limited playing time, he scored 21 Yahoo points or fewer in all six contests. Despite this being a favorable matchups against a Kings team that doesn't play a lot of defense, there just isn't enough upside here to warrant considering Thompson for your lineup.
