This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
We have a light slate in the NBA on Wednesday consisting of just four games, three of which will make up the main slate on Yahoo. There is no shortage of star power, though, with the Lakers, Bucks and Blazers among the teams in action. Let's discuss some players to consider for your lineup, as well as a few to potentially avoid.
GUARDS
Damian Lillard, POR at NY ($43): Lillard is about as safe as it gets, scoring at least 46.1 Yahoo points in six of his last seven games. His 28.9 percent usage rate ranks inside the top-20 in the league and he's averaged 7.6 assists and 4.1 rebounds per game, which should continue to leave him with a high floor moving forward. The Blazers have not been a good team on the road, so this game might actually be fairly close, which should afford Lillard with plenty of playing time.
Jarrett Culver, MIN at MIL ($11): The Timberwolves depth chart is downright scary heading into this game. Already ruled out are Karl-Anthony Towns (knee) and Andrew Wiggins (illness) while Jeff Teague (knee) is doubtful. On top of that, Treveon Graham (illness) and Noah Vonleh (glute) are listed as questionable. With so few players at their disposal, Culver should see plenty of action. They had similar depth issues Monday against the Nets and Culver cashed in with 21 points, five rebounds, three assists, three steals and a block across 38 minutes.
Guard to Avoid
Donte DiVincenzo, MIL vs. MIN ($16): DiVincenzo has done an excellent job filling in for injuries in the starting five this year. However, his production is starting to tail off with him scoring 26.4 Yahoo points or fewer in five straight games. Eric Bledsoe and Khris Middleton are both healthy now, so DiVincenzo's role in the Bucks' offense should continue to decline moving forward. While he's not overly expensive, he still isn't a very appealing option.
FORWARDS
Anthony Davis, LAL vs. PHO ($53): Davis has among the highest floors of any player in DFS. He's scored at least 40.5 Yahoo points in 19 straight games and is averaging 53 Yahoo points per contest for the season. He's a thrill a minute when it comes to injuries, but on a limited slate like this, passing up on him is awfully risky.
Keita Bates-Diop, MIN at MIL ($11): With all of the Timberwolves' injuries, Bates-Diop logged 27 minutes off the bench Monday and cashed in the added playing time to score 35.9 Yahoo points. This was not the first time he's taken advantage of extra time on the floor, either, considering he has averaged 12.3 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.0 three-pointers across seven games in which he has logged at least 20 minutes. The Timberwolves will likely have no choice but to play him a lot here, making him an intriguing tournament play option.
Forward to Avoid
Dario Saric, PHO at LAL ($13): Saric had another quiet performance Monday against the Blazers, scoring only two points on 1-of-5 shooting from the field. That came on the heels of a scoreless outing against the Kings on Saturday. His playing time is starting to dwindle with him logging 22 minutes or fewer in five straight contests. That trend could continue with Deandre Ayton now healthy, so keeping him out of your entry might be wise.
CENTERS
Hassan Whiteside, POR at NY ($39): With Towns out, Whiteside checks in as the most expensive center on the slate. He's earned it by scoring at least 41.9 Yahoo points in six of his last seven games. The last time he took the floor against the Knicks, he torched them for 52 Yahoo points across only 26 minutes in a blowout win at home. With the potential for more minutes in a closer battle on the road, Whiteside stands out among the center options as someone to target.
Gorgui Dieng, MIN at MIL ($25): Towns' absence has proven to be a lengthy one, which has opened up a starting spot for Dieng. He's been a valuable contributor across his seven starts, averaging 13.4 points, 10.9 rebounds and two steals per contest. With no shortage of playing time likely coming here, Dieng is still an excellent choice, despite his rising price tag.
Center to Avoid
Brook Lopez, MIL vs. MIN ($20): With all of the injuries that the Timberwolves have coming into this game, this has blowout written all over it. The Bucks smoked the Bulls by 21 points Monday, which contributed to Lopez scoring 26.3 Yahoo points across only 27 minutes. The Bucks might be able to rest him late in this game if the score gets out of hand, so don't be surprised if he provides another muted stat line.
