This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
Thursday only brings five games in the NBA, but there is a ton of value available for your Yahoo entry as some backups will be filling in for injured stars. Here are some players to both target and avoid as you craft what will hopefully be a winning lineup.
GUARDS
Ish Smith, DET at ORL ($10): Smith is one of the reserves filling in Thursday as Reggie Jackson (ankle) is going to be out 6-to-8 weeks. Smith has played at least 25 minutes in a game only three times all season but has still managed to average 8.9 points and 3.9 assists per game. Last year, he started 32 games for the Pistons and excelled in that role, averaging 12.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 6.3 assists per contest. Take advantage of him Thursday as he won't be priced at the minimum much longer.
Tyus Jones, MIN at MIL ($10): Jones continues the value at guard Thursday due to Jeff Teague suffering what looked to be a relatively serious knee injury Wednesday. Jones showed great promise is three starts earlier this season, averaging 12.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, 6.7 assists, 4.0 steals and 1.7 three-pointers per game. He averaged a whopping 40 minutes in those games, which is no surprise considering coach Tom Thibodeau's tendency to ride his starters. Thibodeau had great success with backup point guards when he was the coach of the Chicago Bulls, so it's not that surprising to see Jones thrive. Like Smith, he won't be this cheap for long, so get him in your entry.
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Guard to Avoid
Evan Fournier, ORL vs. DET ($22): Fournier returned from an ankle injury to play 30 minutes Tuesday against the Miami Heat, but he only scored 15.1 Yahoo points. Now he's listed as questionable for Thursday with a foot injury. With so too many question marks around his health, don't take the risk on Fournier with so many other excellent, cheaper options available at guard.
FORWARDS
Khris Middleton, MIL vs. MIN ($36): Middleton only scored 22.5 Yahoo points Tuesday against the Bulls, snapping a streak of 10 straight games with at least 32.5 Yahoo points. He shot only 5-of-18 from the field in that game, which was the main culprit for his drop in production. He's shooting 46.4% from the field this season and has never shot worse than 44% in a season, so don't worry too much about one bad game. Look for him to get back on track Thursday against a Timberwolves team that just allowed 125 points to the Nuggets on Wednesday.
Jayson Tatum, BOS vs. HOU ($24): The Celtics were shorthanded Wednesday against the Hornets with Jaylen Brown (knee) and Marcus Morris (knee) out of action. Tatum ended up playing 35 minutes as a result, cashing in with 34 Yahoo points. Brown's status for Thursday is very much in question and even if Morris does return, he will likely be on a minutes restriction. The Rockets play at the eighth-fastest pace (101.4) in the league, so Tatum could be in for a big night again Thursday.
Forward to Avoid
Kristaps Porzingis, NY at SA ($45): If you go cheap at guard with Smith and Jones, that should free you up to spend a lot of money at forward and center. With the fourth-highest usage rate (33.4%) in the league, Porzingis would normally be one to pounce on. This is not a good matchup though as the Spurs allow the ninth-fewest points per game (41.2) to opposing power forwards. It might be wise to spend your money elsewhere.
CENTERS
Al Horford, BOS vs. HOU ($29): Horford isn't a flashy option, but he's been steady with at least 31.8 Yahoo points in six of his last eight games. He's only averaging 13.9 points per game this season, but his averages of 7.8 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game give him a relatively high floor. The Rockets are going to be very thin up front Thursday with Clint Capela (face) already ruled out, so Horford could be in for a valuable performance at this reasonable price.
Bismack Biyombo, ORL vs. DET ($12): Biyombo played well in his first start in place of the injured Nikola Vucevic (hand), scoring 31.4 Yahoo points. He only scored 3 points, but he made up for it with 12 rebounds and five blocks. Don't expect him to score much, but he can still do enough on the glass and defensively to be worth consideration, especially at this price. He'll certainly be needed to play heavy minutes against Andre Drummond.
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Center to Avoid
Jusuf Nurkic, POR vs. PHI ($22): Nurkic has not played well lately, scoring 23.2 Yahoo points or less in four of his last five games. He's down almost three rebounds per game this season and is only shooting 45.8% from the field, which has really dragged down his value. He gets a tough matchup against Joel Embiid Thursday, so foul trouble could come into play as well. Biyombo is $10 cheaper, so it might be best to go with him and avoid the risk with Nurkic.
