This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
Thursday brings two potential elimination games in the NBA playoffs. While that should lead to plenty of excitement, it doesn't exactly leave us with a lot of viable options in DFS. With that being said, here are some players to consider for your lineups, as well as a few to potentially avoid.
GUARDS
Damian Lillard, POR vs. DEN ($45): Lillard put on a performance for the ages in the Blazers' double-overtime loss in Game 5. He made clutch shot after clutch shot, finishing with 55 points on only 24 shot attempts. He even drained 12 of his 17 three-point attempts. Oh yeah, he also had six rebounds, 10 assists, a steal and three blocks. With the Blazers facing elimination, look for Lillard to put the team on his back and try to stay alive in the playoffs.
Monte Morris, DEN at POR ($15): Morris played well in his own right in Game 5, scoring 28 points across 41 minutes off the bench. He was 7-for-18 from the field and 10-for-11 from the charity stripe. The Nuggets need him with Jamal Murray (knee) out, whether he starts or comes off the bench. While his Game 5 performance will be difficult to duplicate, he could still provide value at this salary.
Guard to Avoid
Chris Paul, PHO at LAL ($26): The Suns blew out the Lakers in Game 5, which allowed Paul to play just 23 minutes. That provided him with some much-needed rest considering he's still battling a shoulder injury. While he did play well in Game 4, his shoulder has limited him throughout this series, which makes him a risky option.
FORWARDS
LeBron James, LAL vs. PHO ($43): James only played 32 minutes in Game 5 with the Lakers being blown out, which is noteworthy given that he had logged at least 36 minutes in each of the first four games in this series. Anthony Davis' (groin) status is still up in the air for this game, but if he can't play, it will be solely on James' shoulders to keep the Lakers alive. If Davis does take the floor, he could be limited, which would still mean the Lakers running their offense through James.
Aaron Gordon, DEN at POR ($16): Gordon took advantage of Tuesday's double-overtime game to log his first double-double of the series. Still, he only attempted 11 shots across 39 minutes, continuing a trend of him having a limited offensive role with his new team. On the bright side, he's scored at least 22.3 Yahoo points in four of the five games in this series thanks to his ability to contribute in other areas, which at least makes him someone to have on your radar.
Forward to Avoid
Kyle Kuzma, LAL vs. PHO ($13): Even with Davis out for Game 5, Kuzma came off the bench. He didn't see any uptick in playing time, logging just 23 minutes. He hasn't played more than 25 minutes in any of the five games against the Suns, which left him to score fewer than 17 Yahoo points four times. Even at his cheap salary, it's difficult to justify taking a chance on him.
CENTERS
Nikola Jokic, DEN at POR ($50): Jokic has seen his assist totals on the decline in this series, but the added playing time in Game 5 left him with nine assists to go along with his 38 points and 11 rebounds. His assists are likely down because he's averaged 24.0 shot attempts per game in this series, which is up from his average of 18.0 during the regular season. While his salary will do a number on your budget, he's the most appealing center on this slate, and by a wide margin.
Deandre Ayton, PHO at LAL ($30): It's difficult to find a center with a cheap salary who is even worth considering. If you don't want to pay up for Jokic's salary, but also don't want to completely punt the position, then Ayton could be a viable target. He only logged 27 minutes because of the lopsided score in Game 5, but he had averaged 19.8 points and 13.5 rebounds across the first four games of this series.
Center to Avoid
Andre Drummond, LAL vs. PHO ($20): Drummond's tenure with the Lakers hasn't exactly gone well. He's basically only had one good game in this series, as well, and has now scored 23.2 Yahoo points or fewer in three straight games. If can't squeeze Jokic or Ayton into your lineup, then maybe just punt the center position altogether and roll with someone like Marc Gasol ($12) or Paul Millsap ($10).
