This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
As far as Thursday's go, we don't exactly have the quietest of slates with 12 teams in action. There aren't many exciting matchups, so this is a good time to try and add some excitement to the evening with some DFS action. Here are some players to target and avoid as you build what will hopefully be a winning entry on Yahoo.
GUARDS
Derrick Rose, DET vs. WAS ($21): Right off the bat, this is a great matchup for Rose with the Wizards allowing the most points per game in the league. On top of that, he should received add shot attempts with Luke Kennard (knee) out. Also, the Pistons' backcourt could be even further compromised if Bruce Brown (calf) is unable to return after sitting out Monday against the Sixers. At this reasonable price, Rose is an excellent mid-tier option to target.
Ish Smith, WAS at DET ($18): The Wizards continue to be decimated by injuries. They will also be missing Isaiah Thomas for this matchup, who will be serving the second game of his two-game suspension for confronting a fan in the stands. Smith started in his place Monday against the Knicks and scored 30.8 Yahoo points across 25 minutes. Expect him to start this matchup, as well.
Guard to Avoid
Jeff Teague, MIN at SAC ($23): Teague has hit a bit of a rough patch, scoring 21.4 Yahoo points or fewer in three of his last four games. Even more concerning than that is that he only played 19 minutes against the Warriors on Monday. Playing time generally hasn't been a problem for him since moving to the bench, but with Rose priced two dollars cheaper and likely locked into a more significant role due to the Pistons' injury woes, it's difficult to justify taking a chance on Teague.
FORWARDS
Joe Ingles, UTA vs. POR ($19): Not known for his scoring output, Ingles exploded for 27 points against a tough Heat team Monday. He finished with 35.8 Yahoo points in that contest, which means he has now scored at least 30.8 Yahoo points in six of his last eight games. Expect him to once again start and have an expanded role against the Blazers with Mike Conley Jr. (hamstring) still sidelined.
Troy Brown Jr., WAS at DET ($18): Smith isn't the only Wizard who has been asked to step up because of their limited depth chart. Brown had his best game of the season against the Knicks, producing a juicy all-around stat line of 26 points, nine rebounds, seven assists, one steal and one block. It's important to note that he played 32 minutes in that contest. Across five games in which he has logged at least 30 minutes, he has averaged 19.4 points, 6.2 rebounds, four assists and 1.4 steals. He should see plenty of time on the floor in this game, as well.
Forward to Avoid
Rudy Gay, SA at DAL ($14): Gay is only averaging 23 minutes a game, which certainly puts a cap on his upside. Add in his limited contributions in terms of assists and defensive stats and he has scored 20.2 Yahoo points or fewer in five of his last seven games. Although he's not expensive, there just isn't enough potential here to justify adding him to your entry.
CENTERS
Andre Drummond, DET vs. WAS ($49): This could be a disastrous matchup for the Wizards. Their frontcourt currently consists of Ian Mahinmi, Admiral Schofield and Anzejs Pasecniks, none of which are exactly appealing options to try and slow down Drummond. After coming off the bench because of disciplinary reasons Monday, look for Drummond to return to the starting five and produce a massive stat line.
Ian Mahinmi, WAS at DET ($10): As bad as it looks, Mahinmi is probably the best option that the Wizards have to go up against Drummond. He's already seen increased playing time lately, which has enabled him to score at least 25.1 Yahoo points in three of his last four games. This might be the perfect time to pay up for Drummond, but if you want to fade him in tournament play, Mahinmi is at least a cost-effective option to consider.
Center to Avoid
DeAndre Jordan, BKN vs. NY ($19): Despite only averaging 21 minutes a game, Jordan has been able to average 8.2 points and 10 rebounds a game. He ended up playing 26 minutes against the Hawks in his last game and torched them for 12 points, 20 rebounds and six assists. However, with Jarrett Allen ahead of him on the depth chart, that is more of an outlier performance as opposed to the norm. There are plenty of other viable centers to target on this slate, so taking a chance on Jordan with his limited role might not be worth the risk.
