This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
After a busy Wednesday, things quiet down in the NBA on Thursday with just three games on the schedule. Their will be plenty of stars available in DFS, though, with the Lakers, Bucks and Pelicans all in action. Let's discuss some players across the salary scale to consider, as well as some to potentially avoid.
GUARDS
Jordan Clarkson, UTA vs. NO ($20): Clarkson has been the engine that moves the Jazz's second unit. He's averaged 17.6 points and 3.1 three-pointers a game thanks to what would be a career high 49.2 percent field goal percentage. He's even upped his game on the boards, grabbing 4.7 rebounds a night. The result has been at least 33.2 Yahoo points in four of his last six contests. That included him scoring that many Yahoo points against these same Pelicans on Tuesday.
Immanuel Quickley, NY at GS ($13): There is plenty of risk involved with deploying Quickley in your lineup, but if you're going to squeeze some of the stars into your entry, you'll need to take some chances on players with reduced salaries. Quickley has yet to be unleashed in terms of playing time, but he's shown tremendous upside by scoring at least 33 Yahoo points in two of his last three games. If he can play at least 20 minutes in this game, he could shine against a Warriors team that has played at the third-fastest pace in the league.
Guard to Avoid
Eric Bledsoe, NO at UTA ($18): Bledsoe provided yet another dud when these two teams last played, scoring 15.8 Yahoo points. That marked his fifth game of the season in which he scored fewer than 20 Yahoo points. He's not one of the primary scoring options on the Pelicans and his assists are down with Lonzo Ball running the point, so he's not a very appealing option against one of the best defensive teams in the league.
FORWARDS
Zion Williamson, NO at UTA ($35): Williamson has been a steady source for production, scoring at least 30.9 Yahoo points in all but one game this season. He's even scored at least 40 Yahoo points six times, including 43.5 Yahoo points against the Jazz on Tuesday. His playing time has increased and he's one of the focal points of the Pelicans' offense, making him one of the safer forwards to consider.
Kelly Oubre. Jr., GS vs. NY ($19): Oubre might finally be out of his shooting slump. After a dreadful start to the season, he's averaging 17.5 points and 2.5 three-pointers across his last four games. The key was that he shot 44 percent from the field and 37 percent from behind the arc during that stretch. If he keeps this up, he won't be in this salary range for much longer.
Forward to Avoid
Royce O'Neale, UTA vs. NO ($14): O'Neale's usage rate has declined every season of his career, currently bottoming out at 8.7 percent. The result has been him averaging just 21.4 Yahoo points a night. He's on the Jazz to play defense, so don't expect things to change for him anytime soon. Bojan Bogdanovic ($14) is available at the same salary and has a much higher scoring upside if you're looking for another forward in this range.
CENTERS
Rudy Gobert, UTA vs. NO ($31): The center position is pretty shallow for this slate. Gobert has the highest floor of the group thanks to his averages of 12.2 points, 13.6 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per contest. He's been even better in the blocks department lately, averaging 3.4 rejections across his last nine contests. The Pelicans had no answer for him Tuesday, leaving Gobert to score 48.1 Yahoo points.
Montrezl Harrell, LAL at MIL ($19): If you decide to load up at guard or forward and want a player with a lesser salary at center, then Harrell should at least be on your radar. His scoring numbers have taken a hit since joining the Lakers, but that was expected with him now playing alongside the likes of LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Dennis Schroder. Still, he hasn't exactly struggled with averages of 14 points and 7.4 rebounds.
Center to Avoid
Mitchell Robinson, NY at GS ($21): Mitchell has a higher upside than Harrell, but he also comes with significantly more risk. The good news is that he's averaging 30 minutes a night under new coach Tom Thibodeau. The bad news is that he's scored 27.5 Yahoo points or fewer in five of his last seven games. Unless you're trying to differentiate your lineup in tournament play, it might be best to stay away from Robinson.
