This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
Buckle up for a wild ride in the NBA on Friday. There are a whopping 13 games on the schedule, leaving us with a ton of options to sift through in DFS. Injuries and teams resting players down the stretch further complicates matters. Don't worry, we've got you covered. Let's highlight some players to target and avoid while creating your Yahoo lineup.
GUARDS
Rajon Rondo, LAL at LAC ($27): Rondo is one of the few regular starters still healthy and playing for the Lakers down the stretch. That's resulted in him posting some monster stat lines, including scoring at least 53.7 Yahoo points in two of his last four games. Both of these teams are inside the top-eight in the league in pace of play, so this could be a high-scoring contest. When Rondo faced the Clippers just over a month ago, he shined with 52 Yahoo points. There's upside here at this price.
D.J. Augustin, ORL vs. ATL ($17): Targeting the Hawks is usually a sound strategy because they play at the fastest pace (104.5 possessions per game) and allow the most points per game (118.8) in the league. They've had major problems defending point guards, allowing the most Yahoo points per game (49.9) to the position. With the Magic fighting for a playoff spot, Augustin is in no danger of losing any playing time, making him a great option to consider.
Guard to Avoid
Justise Winslow, MIA at MIN ($21): Winslow made his return from a nine-game absence to log 23 minutes against the Celtics on Wednesday. Normally a member of the starting five, he was brought off the bench for that contest. Due to his lengthy absence, there's a chance he could see limited playing time again Friday, making him too risky on a night with so many other viable options.
FORWARDS
Josh Jackson, PHO vs. NO ($20): The Suns will be without their two top scorers in this matchup with Devin Booker (ankle) and Deandre Ayton (ankle) injured. Jackson didn't exactly shine with 22.3 Yahoo points after Booker went down early Wednesday, but he was only 5-for-14 from the field. The shot attempts were a good sign, so expect him to be one of their leaders on offense going forward. That makes him a target against a Pelicans squad that allows the third-most points per game (116.5).
DeAndre' Bembry, ATL at ORL ($11): The Hawks could be extremely shorthanded for this game with Kevin Huerter (back) and Kent Bazemore (hip) listed as doubtful. If they both sit, that should open up more playing time for Bembry, who scored 31.2 Yahoo points against the Sixers on Wednesday. He's averaged 33 Yahoo points across the last four games in which he has logged at least 20 minutes, so don't be surprised if his production far exceeds his price point.
Forward to Avoid
Harrison Barnes, SAC at UTA ($18): Barnes' struggles as the season comes to a close continued Thursday when he scored just 15.8 Yahoo points against the Cavaliers. He logged 32 minutes in that contest but attempted only 10 shots and provided very little across the board. After scoring 22.1 Yahoo points or fewer in seven straight games, it's hard to get excited about him breaking out against a strong Jazz defense.
CENTERS
Nikola Vucevic, ORL vs. ATL ($38): Vucevic had a brief quiet streak in which he scored 31.4 Yahoo points or fewer in three straight games, but he rebounded to score 49.1 Yahoo points against the Knicks on Wednesday. His price has decreased by nine dollars since last Tuesday, which is huge. After averaging 25 points, 15.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists over his first three meetings with the Hawks, he's someone around whom to build your lineup.
Ivan Rabb, MEM at DAL ($15): The Grizzlies once deep center rotation is now extremely thin with Jonas Valanciunas (ankle) out for the season and Joakim Noah (knee) sidelined. While Noah is officially listed as questionable, it seems unlikely that he will play. Rabb entered the starting five in place of Valanciunas for Wednesday's matchup against the Blazers and cashed in with 13 points, 10 rebounds, two steals and a block across 31 minutes. With plenty of playing time on the horizon for this matchup, he makes for an excellent cost-effective option if you don't want to pay up for Vucevic.
Center to Avoid
Willie Cauley-Stein, SAC at UTA ($18): Cauley-Stein has been all over the place lately. While he's scored at least 28.2 Yahoo points in five of his last eight contests, he scored 14.9 Yahoo points or fewer in each of the other three games during that stretch. A matchup against Rudy Gobert doesn't exactly instill a lot of confidence for this to be one of his stronger stat lines. He seems like an unnecessary risk to take based on all of the quality center options at our disposal for this slate.
