This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
After a loaded Wednesday slate, things quiet down in the NBA with only three games Thursday. The good news is that they are all exciting matchups. The night will tip off with the Hawks hosting the Mavericks. The Bucks will then try to start the season 2-0 when they take on the Heat. Finally, we have a matchup between two teams in the Western Conference with playoff aspirations when the Warriors host the Clippers. Let's dig into the options on Yahoo as we try to help you finish the night a winner.
GUARDS
Luka Doncic, DAL at ATL ($49): Not much of an argument needs to be made for rolling with Doncic on any given night. He can do it all, finishing last season with averages of 27.7 points, 8.0 rebounds, 8.6 assists and 1.0 steals. He even shot a career-high 35.0 percent from behind the arc. While his salary will do a number on your budget, he has one of the highest floors of any player in this slate.
Jordan Poole, GS vs. LAC ($13): A big season could be coming from Poole. The Warriors desperately needed someone to help take some of the scoring pressure off of Stephen Curry last season, and Poole stepped up during the second half, averaging 14.7 points and 2.3 three-pointers over their final 38 games. He picked up where he left off, scoring 20 points and draining four three-pointers against the Lakers on Tuesday. Although his contributions in other areas will likely leave a lot to be desired, he can score enough to provide value at this salary.
Guard to Avoid
Andrew Wiggins, GS vs. LAC ($25): With Wiggins continuing to work on his conditioning, he was limited to 26 minutes Tuesday against the Lakers. That contributed to him scoring only 22.9 Yahoo points. It wouldn't be a surprise to see him play 30 minutes, at most, in this game, so another limited statistical performance could be on the horizon.
FORWARDS
Paul George, LAC at GS ($41): When Kawhi Leonard (knee) went down during the playoffs last season, George took his game to another level. Across eight games, he averaged 29.6 points, 11.0 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 1.4 steals. He averaged 22.0 shot attempts per game during that stretch, which was up from 17.6 during the regular season. With Leonard out to start the season, expect the Clippers to continue to lean on George to carry their offense.
Nemanja Bjelica, GS vs. LAC ($12): Bjelica might be a perfect fit for the Warriors. He can spend some time at center when the Warriors decide to play small or he can play power forward when they shift Draymond Green to center. He logged a total of 26 minutes in their season opener, posting a double-double on his way to 36.2 Yahoo points. If he keeps playing like this, he won't be available at such a cheap salary for much longer.
Forward to Avoid
Draymond Green, GS vs. LAC ($28): Green's first game of the season was a perfect example of the type of production that he normally provides. The good was that he had eight rebounds and six assists. The bad was that he only had six points on five shot attempts to go along with five turnovers. With his career 15.9 percent usage rate, expect him to continue to provide muted scoring numbers.
CENTERS
Clint Capela, ATL vs. DAL ($25): Capela's first season with the Hawks was a smashing success. He averaged a career-high 14.3 rebounds to go along with 15.2 points and 2.0 blocks per game. With the Mavericks rolling out the likes of Dwight Powell, Maxi Kleber and Willie Cauley-Stein at the five, Capela could have his way down low.
Ivica Zubac, LAC at GS ($16): A back injury to Serge Ibaka forced Zubac to start 33 games last season. He played well in that role, averaging 10.1 points, 7.6 rebounds and 0.9 blocks across 33 games. Ibaka remains on the sidelines to start this season, so if you don't want to allocate a significant portion of your budget to the center position, Zubac is at least worth considering.
Center to Avoid
Brook Lopez, MIL at MIA ($18): Lopez racked up three blocks in the Bucks' first game of the season, but he only had eight points and five rebounds over his 28 minutes. He's not a great rebounder given his size, and he hasn't averaged more than 12.5 points in any of his three seasons with the Bucks. Add in a tough matchup against Bam Adebayo and it's difficult to expect a big night from Lopez.
