This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
After a fairly quiet five-game slate Tuesday, the NBA kicks it back into high gear with 11 games on the schedule Wednesday. There are loads of exciting matchups, including the Nets hosting the Hawks.
The Grizzlies will also face off against the Nuggets, trying to defeat them for the second time in as many games. The red-hot Bulls will take their 6-1 start to Philadelphia to face the Sixers, who remain without Ben Simmons and Tobias Harris (health and safety protocols). Let's get down to business and highlight some players to consider for your Yahoo lineups, as well as a few to potentially avoid.
GUARDS
Cole Anthony, ORL vs. BOS ($27): Anthony struggled with his efficiency during his rookie campaign, shooting just 39.7 percent from the field. He's shot 44.8 percent through his first eight games this season, which is big given his 24.2 percent usage rate. Add in him averaging 34 minutes per game and he's scored at least 33.3 Yahoo points in five of his last six games. Another juicy stat line could be coming for him against the Celtics, who entered Tuesday with the fourth-worst defensive rating in the league.
Svi Mykhailiuk, TOR at WAS ($11): How deep is Chris Boucher in Nick Nurse's dog house? Even with Scottie Barnes (thumb) out Monday against the Knicks, he only logged 10 minutes. It was Mykhailiuk who moved into the starting five, using his opportunity to score 34.5 Yahoo points across 35 minutes. Barnes has already been ruled out for this game, so Mykhailiuk could garner another start.
Guard to Avoid
Andrew Wiggins, GS vs. CHA ($25): Wiggins just doesn't do enough outside of the scoring column to warrant his salary. He's averaged 16.2 points and 2.0 three-pointers, but his averages of 4.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists have contributed to him scoring 26.3 Yahoo points or fewer in four of six games. On a night with so many viable options, there's no need to take a chance on him.
FORWARDS
Paul George, LAC at MIN ($49): Even with Kawhi Leonard (knee) in the fold last season, George had a 30.0 percent usage rate. With Leonard out at the start of this season, that number has jumped to 33.7 percent. Not only is he scoring in bunches, but he's averaged 8.0 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 3.3 steals. His role isn't going to change anytime soon, so expect him to be one of the safer top-tier options, regardless of position.
Luke Kennard, LAC at MIN ($11): Kennard's first season with the Clippers felt like a lost campaign. He only averaged 20 minutes per game, leaving him with averages of 8.3 points and 2.6 rebounds. The Clippers have made an effort to get him more involved this season, which has resulted in him averaging 28 minutes per game. He's scored at least 21.8 Yahoo points in three of his last four games and has logged at least 30 minutes in three straight, so he could be worth considering in tournament play.
Forward to Avoid
Norman Powell, POR at CLE ($20): Powell's game is pretty one-dimensional. He can put up points in a hurry and is a deadly option from behind the arc. However, he's never averaged more than 3.7 rebounds or 1.9 assists per game. He's scored 21.1 Yahoo points or fewer in four of his five games and could be fighting an uphill battle against a Cavaliers team that is only allowing 105.0 points per game. That's a big improvement over the 112.3 points per game that they allowed last season.
CENTERS
Jonas Valanciunas, NO at SAC ($39): The Kings have had problems controlling the boards, entering Tuesday having allowed the fifth-most rebounds per game in the league. That could lead to disastrous results against Valanciunas, who is averaging 14.5 rebounds per game. When these two teams met last week, Valanciunas hauled in 13 rebounds on his way to 48.1 Yahoo points.
Wendell Carter Jr., ORL vs. BOS ($19): The Magic have decided to roll with a big starting frontcourt, pairing Carter with Mo Bamba. The pairing has shown promising results, so it could stick moving forward. Carter is actually off to the best start of his career, averaging 12.9 points, 9.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists over 28 minutes per game. That's helped him score at least 33.9 Yahoo points in five of eight games.
Center to Avoid
Andre Drummond, PHI vs. CHI ($24): Drummond dominated the Blazers on Monday, scoring 60.5 Yahoo points in an upset victory. Joel Embiid sat out that game for rest, which left Drummond to start and play 34 minutes. Prior to that, he hadn't logged more than 19 minutes in a game this season. Since Embiid is expected to return for this contest, look for Drummond to return to his limited role off the bench.
