This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
Wednesday brings a busy night in the NBA playoffs with four games on the schedule. Three teams will be facing elimination, which could make for a tension-filled evening. Let's dive into some players to consider for your Yahoo lineups, while also discussing a few to potentially avoid.
GUARDS
Russell Westbrook, WAS at PHI ($57): Westbrook couldn't get much going from the field in Game 4, shooting just 3-for-19. However, he nailed 13 of his 16 free-throw attempts, finishing with 19 points. He also dominated in other areas, recording 21 rebounds, 14 assists and two steals. Rebounds should be easier for him to come by with Joel Embiid (knee) considered doubtful for the Sixers, so look for Westbrook to provide another valuable all-around stat line.
Reggie Jackson, LAC vs. DAL ($15): A key adjustment for the Clippers in this series was adding Jackson to the starting five in Game 3 after having dropped the first two games. He played at least 30 minutes in both Games 3 and 4, which turned out to be victories for the Clippers. While his numbers don't jump off the page, he did score at least 23.6 Yahoo points in both contests. Expect him to at least approach 30 minutes in Game 5, as well.
Guard to Avoid
Bogdan Bogdanovic, ATL at NY ($28): Bogdanovic hasn't played poorly in this series and he's certainly logged a ton of minutes. However, he fills a supporting role to Trae Young, which contributed to him scoring no more than 35.7 Yahoo points in any of the four games. If you're looking for a player in this salary range, it might be better to roll with Ja Morant ($33), who has scored at least 48.2 points in two of his four games against the Jazz.
FORWARDS
Kawhi Leonard, LAC vs. DAL ($44): The Mavericks have not been able to slow down Leonard, who is shooting 62.7 percent from the field in this series. That's propelled him to an average of 33.0 points. He's not just scoring, either, also averaging 8.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 2.3 steals and 1.0 blocks. His floor is arguably as high as any other player on this slate.
Rui Hachimura, WAS at PHI ($19): The Sixers aren't the only team in this game that will be shorthanded. Davis Bertans (calf) is expected to miss the remainder of the playoffs, even if the Wizards were to advance. His injury contributed to Hachimura logging 42 minutes in Game 4, the most that he has played in the series. Add in Embiid no longer being in the middle and Hachimura produced 20 points and 13 rebounds. He should play a ton in this contest, as well.
Forward to Avoid
Joe Ingles, UTA vs. MEM ($17): Ingles had another quiet night in Game 4, scoring 16.0 Yahoo points across 24 minutes. He hasn't played more than 28 minutes in any of the three games since Donovan Mitchell returned from injury and he attempted a total of just 12 shots during that stretch. With the Jazz healthy, expect Ingles to continue to fill a limited role off the bench.
CENTERS
Daniel Gafford, WAS at PHI ($16): There are a lot of appealing guards and forwards with high salaries, so it might be best to load up there and try to save some cash at the center spot. If you want to go that route, Gafford is extremely appealing. He moved into the starting five in Game 4 and scored 34.8 Yahoo points across 26 minutes. With Embiid no longer in the middle to provide resistance, Gafford could once again thrive.
Dwight Howard, PHI vs. WAS ($10): Even with Embiid missing the second half, Howard only played 14 minutes in Game 4. Part of that was because of foul trouble. Westbrook worked the Sixers over on the boards when they went small and Mike Scott played particularly poorly. The Sixers could make an adjustment and play Howard more in this contest, making him someone to consider in tournament play.
Center to Avoid
Clint Capela, ATL at NY ($33): Capela has continued to be productive on the boards in the playoffs, averaging 13.0 rebounds against the Knicks. However, he's only averaged 6.5 shot attempts per game, which has limited him to no more than 35.4 Yahoo points in any of the four games. The Hawks finally have all of their primary scoring options healthy, so Capela could continue to have a limited role in the offense moving forward.
