This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
The Warriors and Rockets will be looking to close out their respective series Wednesday to set themselves up to face each other in round two. Despite it being a limited two-game, we still have the ability to win some cash on Yahoo. Here are some players to target and avoid while creating your entry.
GUARDS
James Harden, HOU vs. UTA ($60): Harden had his worst game of the series in Game 4, so it's no coincidence that the Rockets lost. Even though he still scored 30 points, he provided very little in other areas and committed eight turnovers, leaving him with 37.6 Yahoo points. He had scored at least 53.6 Yahoo points in each of the first three games, so expect him to get back on track with Rockets having a chance to close out the series Wednesday.
Ricky Rubio, UTA at HOU ($25): Outside of a quiet performance in Game 3, Rubio is having a productive series. He only attempted six shots in Game 3, but he's averaged 15 shots attempts over the other three games. Add in his stellar contributions with assists and steals and Rubio has scored at least 41.1 Yahoo points in two of his last three contests. With that kind of upside, he's an appealing option at this price.
Guard to Avoid
Klay Thompson, GS vs. LAC ($25): Thompson was feeling it in Game 4, finishing with 32 points on 12-for-20 shooting from the field. However, he only chipped in one rebound while not registering any assists, steals or blocks. That shouldn't be overly shocking since he averaged just 3.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.1 steals during the regular season. While his scoring potential is huge, his lack of contributions elsewhere limit his ceiling.
FORWARDS
Kevin Durant, GS vs. LAC ($41): Now that DeMarcus Cousins (quadriceps) is out, more of the scoring burden for the Warriors will shift to Durant. After attempting 24 shots across the first two games of this series, he's totaled 44 shot attempts over the last two contests. That's helped propel him to score 54.3 and 50.4 Yahoo points, respectively. He has one of the highest floors of anyone available for this slate, so don't hesitate to pay up to get him into your entry.
P.J. Tucker, HOU vs. UTA ($13): With studs like Harden and Durant available, someone like Tucker is key to balancing out your budget. While he doesn't receive many shot attempts, his heavy playing time has enabled him to score at least 25.8 Yahoo points in all four games of this series. Among all the cheap options, Tucker is the one to deploy with confidence.
Forward to Avoid
Joe Ingles, UTA at HOU ($20): As good as Ingles was during the regular season, he's been almost a non-factor in this series by averaging 5.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and four assists. He's shooting a dreadful 32 percent from the field and is averaging 3.5 fewer shot attempts per game than he did during the regular season, which is not exactly an ideal combination. Since he won't come cheap, keep him out of your entry.
CENTERS
Montrezl Harrell, LAC at GS ($25): The best strategy for this slate might be to roll with Harden and/or Durant and then just go with cheaper options everywhere else. Therefore, paying up at center isn't exactly advisable. Harrell isn't overly cheap and has struggled the last two games, but he showed tremendous upside in the first two games of this series by scoring 46 and 38 Yahoo points, respectively.
Andrew Bogut, GS vs. LAC ($13): Harrell might have the higher upside, but the most appealing center might actually be Bogut. At this cheap, he does wonders for your budget. Adding him and Tucker makes the price tags of Harden and Durant much easier to swallow. While he's still not logging huge minutes, Bogut has scored 38.3 and 22 Yahoo points, respectively, since taking over as the starting center for the Warriors.
Center to Avoid
Clint Capela, HOU vs. UTA ($27): Capela has been battling through two respiratory illnesses during this series, which may have contributed to him scoring just 14.4 Yahoo points in Game 4. He's only attempted 19 shots across the last three games, which isn't a lot for him considering he averaged 10.9 shot attempts during the regular season. Rolling with him at this price doesn't seem like a risk worth taking based on his illnesses.
