This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
The NBA closes out the work week with a busy 10-game slate Friday. That means we have plenty of options to choose from on Yahoo. Here are some of the top players to target at each position, as well as a few to possibly avoid.
GUARDS
Tyrese Maxey, PHI vs. SAC ($42): Joel Embiid (knee) will be out again for the 76ers. He has already missed six of their last eight games. Maxey has increased his production, scoring at least 48.7 Yahoo points in four of the last six games. With both the 76ers and the Kings ranked inside the top-12 in the league in pace of play, Maxey should receive plenty of opportunities to stuff the stat sheet again.
T.J. McConnell, IND at ATL ($18): In the first game since Tyrese Haliburton went down with his hamstring injury, McConnell logged 22 minutes off the bench. He outperformed starter Andrew Nembhard, scoring 34.4 Yahoo points. In a matchup between two teams rank inside the top-five in pace of play, McConnell is too good to pass up at this salary.
Guard to Avoid
Russell Westbrook, LAC at MEM ($18): Westbrook has logged fewer than 20 minutes in five of the last six games for the Clippers. He scored 21.3 Yahoo points or fewer in four of those games. He doesn't have the same upside that McConnell does, yet he has the same salary. There's no need to take a chance on Westbrook for this slate.
FORWARDS
Scottie Barnes, TOR at UTA ($43): Barnes is in the midst of a breakout campaign. He has taken on a leading role for the Raptors, averaging 20.4 points, 8.6 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.4 blocks per game. After shooting 45.6 percent from the field last season, he is shooting 48.1 percent this season. Don't expect a Jazz team that has the ninth-worst defensive rating in the league to be able to slow him down.
Vince Williams Jr., MEM vs. LAC ($17): Injuries have torpedoed the Grizzlies' season. They received more bad news on that front Thursday with Marcus Smart (finger) set to be out for around six weeks. He joins Ja Morant (shoulder) on the sidelines, creating a huge void at guard and in the scoring department. Williams has logged at least 30 minutes in both of their last two games because they are so shorthanded, which helped him score 37.3 and 28.2 Yahoo points, respectively. There is a path for him to log around 30 minutes a game on a nightly basis moving forward.
Forward to Avoid
Michael Porter Jr., DEN vs. NO ($24): It has been a quiet stretch for Porter, who has only averaged 13.6 points and 4.3 rebounds over his last seven games. During that span, he averaged 28 minutes and 10.9 shot attempts per game. That's down from his season averages of 31 minutes and 13.0 shot attempts. The Pelicans have the seventh-best defensive rating, so this might not be an opportune matchup for Porter to break out of his slump.
CENTERS
Domantas Sabonis, SAC at PHI ($44): With Embiid out, the 76ers aren't as daunting on the defensive end inside the paint. Sabonis already comes into this matchup firing on all cylinders, averaging 24.3 points, 14.4 rebounds and 8.6 assists over his last nine games. Of all the centers for this slate, he has one of the highest floors.
Xavier Tillman Sr., MEM vs. LAC ($12): When Steven Adams (knee) was initially ruled out for the season, Tillman seemed to be in line for a significant role. He then suffered an injury of his own, and by the time he was healthy again, he had been surpassed on the depth chart by Bismack Biyombo. However, the Grizzlies waived Biyombo on Wednesday, which means that Tillman could be in line for a significant boost in playing time.
Center to Avoid
Andre Drummond, CHI vs. GS ($26): Drummond stepped up in a big way for the Bulls when Nikola Vucevic went down with an injury. He showed he is still one of the best rebounders in the league, averaging 19.4 of them over a five-game span. Vucevic was initially brought off the bench when he returned, but he re-entered the starting lineup Wednesday against the Rockets. In that matchup, Drummond posted four points and had no rebounds over 12 minutes. This salary doesn't reflect his current role.
