This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
After a wild Wednesday that consisted of 13 games, the NBA only brings three games to the table Thursday. The Raptors, Pacers and Heat will all be playing the second game of a back-to-back set, so we'll need to watch for possible rest situations. For example, Pascal Siakam, who has only played in two games after missing the beginning of the season with a shoulder injury, is out. While the Sixers had the night off Wednesday, they return to action Thursday with Joel Embiid, Tobias Harris and Matisse Thybulle still in the league's health and safety protocols, although Harris is listed as questionable. Let's highlight some players who should take the floor and discuss some to potentially avoid in DFS.
GUARDS
Donovan Mitchell, UTA vs. IND ($37): This is a great matchup for Mitchell given that the Pacers rank inside the bottom 10 in the league in defensive rating. Mitchell is the driving force behind the Jazz's offense, posting a 35.4 percent usage rate that is on pace to be the highest mark of his career. He's used it to help him average 40.9 Yahoo points per game.
Tyler Herro, MIA at LAC ($23): The Heat's loss to the Lakers on Wednesday was a costly one. Jimmy Butler left the game with a right ankle sprain and did not return. Given the quick turnaround Thursday, it would seem doubtful that he plays in this game. Herro scored 27 points and took 22 shots off the bench against the Lakers and should continue to receive added shot attempts for however long Butler is sidelined.
Guard to Avoid
Chris Duarte, IND at UTA ($19): Duarte was busy to start his rookie season, averaging 36 minutes across the first seven games. That helped him produce averages of 17.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.4 assists. As the team's health situation has started to improve, his playing time is beginning to dwindle. Over the last five games, he's only averaged 28 minutes. That's left him with reduced averages of 11.6 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.0 assists. With Herro locked into a prominent role and having a salary that is only four dollars more, there's no need to take a chance on Duarte.
FORWARDS
Scottie Barnes, TOR at PHI ($25): Not a lot went right for the Raptors in their 16-point loss to the Celtics on Wednesday, but at least Barnes played well. He shot 7-for-11 from the field and 7-for-8 from the free-throw line on his way to 21 points, seven rebounds and four assists. He hasn't logged fewer than 30 minutes in a game this season, a trend that likely isn't going to change anytime soon. It's helped him average 33.7 Yahoo points per game.
Nicolas Batum, LAC vs. MIA ($17): Marcus Morris (knee) has been ruled out again and doesn't seem to be close to returning anytime soon. Batum has been thriving in his absence, scoring at least 32.5 Yahoo points in four of the last five games. The Heat aren't exactly a great matchup given that they have the seventh-best defensive rating, but on a night with limited options, Batum is still worth considering.
Forward to Avoid
Bojan Bogdanovic, UTA vs. IND ($19): There's no secret to Bogdanovic's game. He's on the floor to score. He's done his job, averaging 17.0 points and 1.7 three-pointers per game. The problem is, he does very little elsewhere. His averages of 4.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 0.5 steals and 0.0 blocks have contributed to him averaging only 24.7 Yahoo points per game.
CENTERS
Bam Adebayo, MIA at LAC ($33): With Butler going down early, Adebayo exploded for a season-high 28 points against the Lakers. He also added 10 points, four assists and six steals on his way to 60.0 Yahoo points. After muted assists contributions out of the gate, he's registered at least four of them in three of the last four games. Given that Butler has averaged 5.1 assists of his own, Adebayo could be asked to help facilitate more in this contest.
Precious Achiuwa, TOR at PHI ($14): The return of Siakam has pushed Achiuwa into a bench role. He still played at least 25 minutes in both games, though, scoring 28.6 and 29.3 Yahoo points, respectively. Added minutes could be coming his way if Siakam rests, making him a potential bargain at his salary.
Center to Avoid
Myles Turner, IND at UTA ($29): Despite there being only three games on the schedule, there is no shortage of top-tier centers. In addition to Adebayo, Rudy Gobert ($35) and Andre Drummond ($35) have been demolishing the opposition with Embiid out. Turner is in the same salary range but has been a bit inconsistent, recording fewer than 30 Yahoo points in a game five times. It might be better to just spend the extra few dollars to roll with one of the other top options.
