This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
Thursday's NBA slate features just six games, but won't lack for drama as the Thunder travel to Miami for a 2012 finals rematch while Rajon Rondo faces the Celtics for the second time in his career. Each of the NBA's top five defensive teams are in action, meaning there should be no shortage of underwhelming offensive performances. Just because his team faces a stingy opponent doesn't mean an player can't still have a big game, though, and mixing in sneaky dark-horse picks with more standard chalk plays is the key to building the ultimate DFS lineup. Here are some of the players who fit those categories.
GUARD
Rajon Rondo, SAC vs. BOS ($39) - In his only career game against his longtime former team, Rondo put up 29 points, six rebounds and five assists last season. While he might not match that scoring total in this one, expect the extra-motivated point guard to dish out plenty of assists to make up the difference. Rondo has averaged 12.6 dimes per game in his last 10 and is also due for a few steals after failing to record one for four consecutive games.
Avery Bradley, BOS at SAC ($24) - Bradley has flown under the radar as a scorer this season, but the sixth-year man out of Texas averages 20.0 points per game while scoring at least 21 points in five of his last nine games. He has a great chance to make it six of 10 against the second-worst defense in the league Thursday, and he costs $10 less than fellow high-scoring guard Isaiah Thomas. Bradley is also averaging a robust 2.1 steals per game in his last 10, putting him in prime position to take advantage of a Kings team that turns the ball over more than all but four NBA teams.
Guard to Avoid:
Victor Oladipo, ORL at UTA ($34) - While Oladipo has found success coming off the bench recently, the third-year guard hasn't seen more than 30 minutes in a game since Nov. 9. He will need all the scoring opportunities he can get against Utah's elite defense, and he might not see enough playing time to live up to his billing as the evening's most expensive shooting guard. Oladipo's a great all-around contributor, but his inconsistency shooting makes him tough to rely on outside the cushiest of matchups.
Others to Avoid: Russell Westbrook ($56), C.J. McCollum ($30), Elfrid Payton ($25), Dion Waiters ($16)
Forward
Meyers Leonard, POR vs. IND ($16) - Leonard was finally given more playing time in Tuesday's loss to the Mavericks and responded with 23 points and seven rebounds in 32 minutes. He is expected to finally regain his starting spot after being used off the bench for three games following his return from a shoulder injury, and the fact that he actually started the second half against the Mavericks is further proof that Leonard's role is back on the rise. The fourth-year forward is averaging 17.0 points and 9.5 rebounds per 36 minutes since returning, making him a potentially massive steal at $16 if he can even approach that level of effectiveness Thursday.
Kenneth Faried, DEN at TOR ($24) - Faried found himself back in the starting lineup Monday after being worked back slowly from an ankle injury, so he's expected to see a full complement of minutes in Toronto. The Manimal averages a robust 8.7 boards in just 25:50 per game this season, and he could be in line for a big game as Raptors counterpart Luis Scola isn't exactly known for his defense. Grab Faried before his price bounces all the way back to pre-injury levels, and watch him pile up the stats.
Forward to Avoid:
Rudy Gay, SAC vs. BOS ($34) - Since exploding for a season-high 50.0 fantasy points in Milwaukee on Nov. 25, Gay has averaged just 21.1 fantasy points while failing to top 30 in any of his three games. He's a decent rebounder (6.7 RPG), but Gay's lack of assists and hustle stats make him dependent on his scoring for value. Boston's top-10 defense should make it hard for Gay to get many baskets, thus significantly capping his ceiling. You're better off paying big bucks elsewhere, as $34 is simply too expensive for a player of Gay's caliber.
Others to Avoid: Danilo Gallinari ($30), Al-Farouq Aminu ($27), Jeff Green ($21), Luis Scola ($20), Luol Deng ($18)
Center
Bismack Biyombo, TOR vs. DEN ($12) - While he'll never be much of an asset on offense, Biyombo has contributed plenty of rebounds and blocks since being handed the starting center role following Jonas Valanciunas' hand injury. The Congolese 23-year-old has averaged 12.5 boards and 2.0 rejections while playing 33 minutes per contest in the four subsequent games since Valanciunas went out, and there's no reason to believe he can't sustain this bump in playing time as long as the Raptors can stomach his offensive ineptitude. Biyombo's price is sure to rise once he proves this new level of production is sustainable, so grab him while he's cheap.
Center to Avoid
Enes Kanter, OKC at MIA ($20) - The Thunder don't need to rely on Kanter for nearly as much offensive production with Kevin Durant back, which is why the Turkish center has averaged just 8.0 points in four games since KD's most recent return to the lineup. Kanter's value stems almost exclusively from scoring and rebounding, so it's tough to justify putting him in your lineup at his current price when you know there's a strong chance he won't even break double-digit points.
Others to Avoid: Marc Gasol ($31), Tim Duncan ($22), Kosta Koufos ($16)
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