This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
Wednesday brings the last busy night before the All-Star break with 11 games on the schedule. With so many options to consider on Yahoo, let's get right to it and discuss some of the better players to target, as well as a few to avoid.
GUARDS
Trae Young, ATL at CLE ($46): Young had an off-night Monday against the Magic, scoring just 39.7 Yahoo points. However, he had a lot working against him in that contest. First, he had just played a double-overtime game against the Knicks on Sunday. Second, the Magic have the seventh-best defensive rating in the league. With a day off for rest and a matchup against a Cavaliers team that has the second-worst defensive rating, look for Young to bounce back in a big way. When they met earlier this season, he scored 60.7 Yahoo points.
Jordan Poole, GS at PHO ($11): Poole hasn't been overly involved this season, averaging only 21 minutes and 8.4 shot attempts a night. However, with the Warriors dealing away several players at the trade deadline, he's averaged 27 minutes and 12.3 shot attempts across their last three games. He came away with at least 22.2 Yahoo points in each of those contests and could be worth a look in tournament play at such a cheap price.
Guard to Avoid
Jalen Brunson, DAL vs. SAC ($16): When Luka Doncic (ankle) missed some time earlier this season, Brunson was thrust into a prominent role and played very well. Although he has started each of the last six games during Doncic's most recent stint on the sidelines, he scored 23.8 Yahoo points or fewer four times. All reports indicate that Doncic is expected to return against the Kings, so look for Brunson to retreat to his normal limited role off the bench.
FORWARDS
Khris Middleton, MIL at IND ($38): The big news here is that Giannis Antetokounmpo (personal) is set to miss his second straight game. With him sidelined Monday against the Kings, Middleton dominated with 28 points, 11 rebounds, eight assists and one steal. The last game that Giannis miss before that came a couple of weeks ago against the Wizards. In that game, Middleton had a staggering 51 points to go along with 10 rebounds and six assists. Look for another juicy all-around stat line from him once again.
Jae Crowder, MIA at UTA ($17): At this point, how can you pass up Crowder at this price? He's made a great first impression with his new team, which has resulted in him scoring at least 39.6 Yahoo points in back-to-back games. Granted, those were two favorable matchups against the Blazers and Warriors. Facing the Jazz in Utah will be a much tougher task. Still, the potential for him to provide significant value is certainly there.
Forward to Avoid
Dorian Finney-Smith, DAL vs. SAC ($19): This feels like an easy pass. Finney-Smith has scored 25 Yahoo points or fewer in four straight games, failing to take advantage of Doncic's absence. With Doncic likely back in the fold for this game, Finney-Smith could see a reduction in playing time. Crowder is playing much better and is two dollars cheaper, so it's difficult to make a case for deploying Finney-Smith with any sort of confidence.
CENTERS
Nikola Vucevic, ORL vs. DET ($38): It's a sad state of affairs in the Eastern Conference when the Magic are holding onto the eighth seed with a 23-31 record. Injuries have taken their toll on the team and forced Vucevic to take on even more responsibilities. That's helped him score at least 47.1 Yahoo points in three straight games. Look for him to keep things rolling against the Pistons' new front court trio of Thon Maker, Christian Wood and John Henson.
Marquese Chriss, GS at PHO ($17): The Warriors' moves at the deadline have left Chriss with an opportunity to have a significant impact down the stretch. He's starting at center right now and has scored at least 35.8 Yahoo points in back-to-back games. If you want to save money at the five, there are few options as appealing as Chriss.
Center to Avoid
Tristan Thompson, CLE vs. ATL ($18): Nothing to see here. The addition of Andre Drummond has pushed Thompson into a reserve role, which resulted in him logging only 19 minutes against the Clippers on Sunday. It wouldn't be a surprise to see him eventually reach a buyout agreement with the Cavaliers, but for right now, playing time won't be easy for him to come by.
