This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
The NBA takes a bit of a step back from a busy Wednesday with just five games on the schedule Thursday. The night won't be short on drama, though, with several teams playing for playoff positioning. The most exciting matchup figures to be the Nets hosting the Bucks. The Bucks, who just knocked off the 76ers in Philadelphia on Tuesday, will be continuing their quest to snag one of the top seeds in the Eastern Conference. The Cavaliers and Bulls, two teams looking to avoid the play-in tournament, will also be in action when they play the Hawks and Clippers, respectively. Let's dig into the entire slate and highlight some players to consider for your Yahoo lineups, as well as a few to potentially avoid.
GUARDS
Cade Cunningham, DET vs. PHI ($33): Although the Pistons are working their way toward one of the worst records in the league, they have been competitive down the stretch. A lot of that can be attributed to Cunningham, who has scored at least 33.5 Yahoo points in 12 of his last 13 games. He should play plenty of minutes, regardless of the score, so expect him to continue to have a high floor.
Malik Monk, LAL at UTA ($19): LeBron James (ankle) will be sidelined for a Lakers team that is desperately trying to hold onto a spot in the play-in tournament. When James is out, the Lakers usually ask Monk to step up offensively. That's helped him score 31.7 and 40.8 Yahoo points, respectively, the last two games that James has missed.
Guard to Avoid
Mike Conley, UTA vs. LAL ($20): The good news for Conley is that he's mostly been healthy this season. However, he's not one of the primary scoring options on the Jazz, which is evident by his 20.8 percent usage rate. His limited offensive role has contributed to him scoring 25.9 Yahoo points or fewer in four of his last six games.
FORWARDS
Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL at BKN ($57): Giannis is coming off of a monster game against the 76ers in which he scored 74.8 Yahoo points. He dominated on both ends of the floor, including when he blocked a potentially game-tying shot in the final seconds. The Nets have the ninth-worst defensive rating in the league, so expect them to have plenty of problems trying to slow down Giannis.
Stanley Johnson, LAL at UTA ($11): The fact that Johnson is playing significant minutes for the Lakers shows just how barren their roster is right now. He wasn't even in the league at the start of the season. Still, he's scored at least 30.0 Yahoo points in both of the last two games that James has missed, so he could be worth a look at such a cheap salary.
Forward to Avoid
Bruce Brown, BKN vs. MIL ($22): Brown has been an important role player for the Nets, especially when Kyrie Irving wasn't able to play in home games. However, with Irving now a full-time player again, Brown has started to see his production dwindle. In fact, he didn't score more than 24.7 Yahoo points in any of his last three games.
CENTERS
Rudy Gobert, UTA vs. LAL ($33): Who is going to slow down Gobert for the Lakers? Anthony Davis (foot) is listed as doubtful, so the only player with any significant size left is Dwight Howard. There is some blowout concern here, but if Gobert can even approach his normal allotment of playing time, he could produce a dominant stat line.
Moses Brown, CLE at ATL ($10): Injuries have really hit the Cavaliers hard all season. Right now, they are especially thin at center with Jarrett Allen (finger) and Evan Mobley (ankle) sidelined. Brown moved into the starting five Wednesday against the Mavericks, producing 12 points and nine rebounds over 21 minutes. He's an interesting option in tournament play if your want to allocate more of your budget to the guard and forward positions.
Center to Avoid
Bobby Portis, MIL at BKN ($19): The return of Brook Lopez from injury has had a negative impact on Portis. He's been moved to the second unit and didn't log more than 22 minutes in any of the last three games in that role. His salary is on the decline, but it's still too high given his limited upside.
