This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
After a quiet Tuesday, the NBA roars back with 11 games on the schedule Wednesday. Injuries have hit several teams hard, but the Cavaliers have been especially unlucky. They're still dealing with a COVID-19 issues and have now also lost both Evan Mobley (elbow) and Jarrett Allen (illness). That could spell disaster for their road matchup against the Nets. The Mavericks will have to play without Luka Doncic, who has already been ruled out with an ankle injury. As far as players who are expected to take the floor go, here are some to consider for your Yahoo lineups, as well as a few to potentially avoid.
GUARDS
Anthony Edwards, MIN vs. SAC ($33): This could be a fantasy-friendly matchup with both teams ranked inside the top-10 in the league in pace of play. The Kings also rank inside the bottom-10 in defensive rating, further tilting the scales in Edwards' favor. Also factor in his 29.4 percent usage rate and his scoring upside is extremely high.
Cedi Osman, CLE at BKN ($13): The Cavaliers are running out of healthy players. There is a chance that Kevin Love (COVID-19) returns for this game, but who knows if he'll be able to log significant minutes. The problem is, now Allen and Mobley are out. Coming off of 41.9 Yahoo points across 31 minutes against the Celtics on Monday, Osman has the potential to provide value at such a cheap salary.
Guard to Avoid
Devonte' Graham, NO at MIA ($20): Graham's efficiency continues to limit his upside. He's only shooting 38.6 percent from the field this season and is coming off of a 2020-21 campaign in which he shot 37.7 percent. Playing time isn't an issue, but his struggles from the field have contributed to him scoring 25.8 Yahoo points or fewer in five of the last seven games.
FORWARDS
Kristaps Porzingis, DAL at PHO ($31): The Mavericks are going to need Porzingis to lead their scoring attack with Doncic out. The good news is, he comes into this matchup on a hot streak, averaging 27.7 points and shooting 55.2 percent from the field over the last three games. He also averaged 19.3 shot attempts per game during that stretch, which is a trend that could continue until Doncic is able to return.
Talen Horton-Tucker, LAL at MIL ($15): Getting Horton-Tucker back is big for a Lakers team that has dealt with a lot of injuries. He's logged at least 27 minutes in both games since returning from his own injury, scoring 27.3 and 40.2 Yahoo points, respectively. With LeBron James (abdomen) out again Wednesday, playing time shouldn't be an issue for Horton-Tucker.
Forward to Avoid
Mikal Bridges, PHO vs. DAL ($19): Bridges fills an important role for the Suns, playing tough defense and helping to provide spacing on offense with his three-point shooting. That's enabled him to average 33 minutes per game. The problem is, he doesn't receive a ton of scoring opportunities, evident by his 15.6 percent usage rate. His limited offensive contributions have held him to an average of only 24.0 Yahoo points per game.
CENTERS
Christian Wood, HOU at OKC ($31): The Thunder have very little talent and size at the center spot, which has contributed to them allowing the fourth-most rebounds per game in the league. The last time these two teams met, Wood took advantage of the favorable matchup by scoring 58.3 Yahoo points. Coming off of a few muted stat lines, Wood has a chance to bounce back here in a big way.
Isaiah Stewart, DET vs. IND ($17): Stewart has played at least 27 minutes in back-to-back games and should play more with Kelly Olynyk (knee) out, although he'll need to stay out of foul trouble. The added playing time has helped him score at least 27.5 Yahoo points in both of the last two games. With his history of foul trouble, though, he's more of an option to consider in tournament play, rather than cash contests.
Center to Avoid
Jusuf Nurkic, POR vs. CHI ($23): With the Raptors using small lineups, Nurkic only logged 18 minutes when the Blazers faced them Monday. The Bulls have been playing small with Nikola Vucevic (COVID-19) out and have even been starting Alex Caruso alongside Lonzo Ball and Zach LaVine. If the Blazers try to match the Bulls' small lineup by playing Larry Nance Jr. added minutes, Nurkic could again see more time on the bench.
