Yahoo DFS Basketball: Friday Picks

Yahoo DFS Basketball: Friday Picks

This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.

After the wildness that is the NBA trade deadline passed Thursday, we get back to some normalcy for Friday's eight-game slate. However, with some newly-acquired players possibly not yet eligible to play for their new squads, a few teams could have limited depth charts. Let's try to sort out the mess by highlighting some players to target on Yahoo, as well as a few to avoid.

GUARDS

James Harden, HOU at PHO ($56): The Rockets used their small-ball lineup to pull of an upset on the road against the Lakers on Thursday. What made the win even more impressive is that Harden struggled, scoring only 14 points across 35 minutes. He oddly only attempted 10 shots, a number that should increase dramatically for this game with Russell Westbrook (rest) out. Harden's scored at least 59.2 Yahoo points in both of his previous two meetings with the Suns this season and carries a tremendously high floor into this contest.

De'Anthony Melton, MEM at PHI ($11): The Grizzlies were finally able to trade Andre Iguodala, moving him to the Heat in a deal that also saw them trade away Jae Crowder. The Grizzlies might not have the players that they acquired in the deal available for this game, but even if they do, Melton could be in line for added minutes moving forward. He's been productive when given the opportunity, averaging 9.9 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.3 steals across 17 games in which he has logged at least 20 minutes.

Guard to Avoid

Bogdan Bogdanovic, SAC vs. MIA ($16): Although the Kings were able to move Dewayne Dedmon at the deadline, they decided against trading away Bogdanovic. The problem for Bogdanovic is that they didn't make any more deals to free up added playing time. While he has started six straight games, he's only averaged 29 minutes during that stretch. That contributed to averaging just 15.3 points, four rebounds and 1.7 assists. With so many other options during a busy slate, taking a chance on Bogdanovic to have a breakout performance seems unnecessary.

FORWARDS

Kristaps Porzingis, DAL at WAS ($41): This one will require some monitoring since Porzingis is listed as questionable after breaking his nose Wednesday against the Grizzlies. He did return to that contest after the injury, ultimately logging 29 minutes. Porzingis has been a monster with Luka Doncic (ankle) out, scoring at least 54.4 Yahoo points in three straight games. If he sits, then Maxi Kleber ($15) becomes a cheap option to target. It is important to note that Kleber is not eligible at forward on Yahoo since he is listed as a center.

Derrick Jones Jr., MIA at SAC ($15): The Heat could be really shorthanded for this game. The big news is that Jimmy Butler (shoulder) is listed as doubtful. Tyler Herro (foot) has already been out and the newly-acquired Iguodala and Crowder might not be able to play. Even if they are eligible, it's highly unlikely Iguodala would see action since he has sat out the entire season. That could mean big minutes for Jones, who scored 48.3 Yahoo points over 31 minutes against the Clippers on Wednesday.

Forward to Avoid

Rui Hachimura, WAS vs. DAL ($18): Hachimura started and logged 26 minutes against the Warriors on Monday, which was his first game in over a month after he dealt with a groin injury. He finished with 11 points and eight rebounds, but provided no assists, steals or blocks. Hachimura is only averaging 1.5 assists, 0.7 steals and 0.1 blocks for the season, so he's not an overly appealing option - especially if he remains on a minutes limit.

CENTERS

Serge Ibaka, TOR at IND ($27): Marc Gasol (hamstring) will once again be out for the Raptors, which will mark his fifth straight game on the sidelines. Ibaka has started all four contests in his place, scoring at least 31.7 Yahoo points three times. That included scoring 42.9 Yahoo points against these same Pacers on Wednesday. At this reasonable price, Ibaka makes for a great target if you want to fade the top-tier options at center.

Christian Wood, DET at OKC ($15): The Pistons had been rumored to be shopping Andre Drummond since their season was derailed by injuries and ultimately dealt him to the Cavaliers on Thursday. While they still have Thon Maker in the fold and acquired John Henson in the Drummond trade, Wood is by far the most fantasy-friendly center they have left. Even if he doesn't start, expect Wood to play more in this game. That's big considering he's averaged 15.4 points, 9.9 rebounds, one steal and one three-pointer across 21 games in which he has played at least 20 minutes.

Center to Avoid

Steven Adams, OKC vs. DET ($19): If you're looking for some positive news regarding Adams, it's that he logged 30 minutes against the Cavaliers on Wednesday. He's been battling an ankle injury lately, which made Wednesday's contest the first time in nearly a month that he played at least 30 minutes in a game. The bad news is that Adams only scored 19.1 Yahoo points. This game has blowout written all over it, so the Thunder might not need to push him to play much. With Wood priced four dollars cheaper, it's difficult to make an argument for deploying Adams in DFS.

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Mike Barner plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: mbarner, DraftKings: mbarner51.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mike Barner
Mike started covering fantasy sports in 2007, joining RotoWire in 2010. In 2018, he was a finalist for the FSWA Basketball Writer of the Year award. Mike also won the 2022-23 FSGA NBA Experts Champions league. In addition to RotoWire, Mike has written for Sportsline, Sports Illustrated, DK Live, RealTime Fantasy Sports, Lineup Lab and KFFL.com.
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