This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
Thursday marks the last night of games before the All-Star break. It's a quiet one, too, with only two games on the schedule. While that doesn't leave us with many options on Yahoo, there is still money to be won. Let's discuss some of the better players to consider for your entry, as well as a few to possibly avoid.
GUARDS
Jrue Holiday, NO vs. OKC ($32): It will be important to keep your eyes out for updates regarding the status of Brandon Ingram (ankle), who is listed as questionable. If he doesn't play, that opens up added scoring chances for Holiday, who has scored at least 45.8 Yahoo points in both of the last two games with Ingram sidelined. If Ingram does play, Holiday is still a viable option, although his ceiling isn't as high.
JJ Redick, NO vs. OKC ($12): Even though Redick now comes off the bench for the Pelicans, them playing at the third-fastest pace in the league still leaves him with ample scoring opportunities more often than not. Thanks to his prowess from behind the arc, he's been able to score at least 20.9 Yahoo points in six of his last eight contests. Viable cheap options are few and far between during a two-game slate, so Redick should at least be on your radar.
Guard to Avoid
Marcus Smart, BOS vs. LAC ($21): The good news for the Celtics is that they are mostly healthy right now. While that's great for the team, it's not for Smart's production. He's returned to his usual role off the bench for their last two games, scoring 20 and 23 Yahoo points, respectively. With scoring opportunities more difficult to come by now, rolling with Smart might not be wise.
FORWARDS
Zion Williamson, NO vs. OKC ($33): Williamson exploded against the defensively-challenged Blazers on Tuesday, scoring a career-high 31 points on his way to 50.3 Yahoo points. Just as impressive is that he did that in only 28 minutes. He would also be aided if Ingram sits, but his role is significant enough on a nightly basis that he's worth deploying even if Ingram takes the floor.
Danilo Gallinari, OKC at NO ($24): Gallinari had a rough night against the Spurs on Tuesday, shooting 4-for-16 from the field, including 2-for-7 from behind the arc. Given the Thunder's lack of depth, they can't afford to have him struggle like that, so it's not a huge surprise that they ended up suffering a loss. However, Gallinari has been one of their more consistent performers all season and has the second-highest usage rate (24.3 percent) on the team. That should bode well for him here given the up-tempo pace at which the Pelicans play.
Forward to Avoid
Marcus Morris, LAC at BOS ($16): The Clippers added Morris at the trade deadline in a deal with the Knicks to try and strengthen their roster for a championship run. As good as the trade could be for them, it deals a significant blow to Morris from a statistically perspective. He goes from being one of the focal points of the Knicks' offense to being one of the supporting cast around Kawhi Leonard and Paul George for the Clippers. He could still provide the occasional big performance, but overall, expect him to see a decline in production.
CENTERS
Steven Adams, OKC at NO ($20): Has Adams turned a corner after dealing with an ankle injury? There are certainly some encouraging signs that he has. First and foremost, he's back to playing more since he has logged at least 29 minutes in four straight games. His production has still been a bit inconsistent, but he did score at least 30.1 Yahoo points two times during that stretch. He scored at least 40 Yahoo points in both of the previous two games that he's played against the Pelicans this season, so he could provide value at this reasonable price.
Daniel Theis, BOS vs. LAC ($19): The Celtics have a hole at center, but decided against making any trades at the deadline. They could still add a big man in the buyout market, but for now, the starting job still resides with Theis. As good as the Clippers are defensively, they have allowed the fifth-most Yahoo points per game to opposing centers, so this could be a favorable spot to deploy Theis.
Center to Avoid
Derrick Favors, NO vs. OKC ($18): It's no surprise that the return of Williamson has dealt a blow to Favors. He's still starting, but he's only averaged 23 minutes across his last 10 games. He scored at least 30 Yahoo points only one time during that stretch, so with both Adams and Theis basically having the same price as Favors, rolling with one of those two instead could end up being the better decision.
