Yahoo DFS Basketball: Friday Picks

Yahoo DFS Basketball: Friday Picks

This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.

The NBA its usual 10 games on tap Friday night. There are plenty of solid matchups and not a whole lot of terrible ones, so there is a good potential for high scores.

GUARD

Goran Dragic, MIA at SAC ($27) - Dragic had a horrible game last Thursday in San Antonio. Other than that, he has averaged 36.1 fantasy points in his other five most recent games. On Friday he has an excellent matchup against a Kings defense ranked 29th in the NBA against point guards.

Devin Booker, PHO vs WAS ($25) -
Booker has scored 32 to 45 fantasy points in five of his last seven games, and in the other two he was in the 20s. Washington is weak defensively against wings, and Booker will get the chance to get hot on his home court.

Guards to Avoid:

Kyrie Irving, Cle at Atl ($32) - Irving is dealing with an illness that has affected his ability to practice this week. He played Thursay, but only managed 24 minutes, and on Friday he will be on a back-to-back in a road game against the No. 1 defense in the NBA vs. point guards.

Zach LaVine, MIN at UTA ($24) -
LaVine has been ice cold this week, averaging less than 12 fantasy points over his last three games after being a pretty steady 30-point threat most of the month. While this could make him a bounce-back candidate, the elite Jazz defense would be an unusual team for any shooting guard to bounce back against.

FORWARD

Nicolas Batum, CHA vs PHI ($31) - Batum has been absolutely sick this week, averaging more than 50 fantasy points in his last two games. One of those games was against the very 76ers defense he faces Friday. He posted a 19-point/12-rebound/12-assist triple-double against Philadelphia on Tuesday and should be poised for another big effort.

Willie Cauley-Stein, SAC vs MIA ($11) -
Cauley-Stein had scored 30 to 40.2 fantasy points in three straight games before a 16-point effort Thursday. Notably, DeMarcus Cousins played Thursday. He won't play Friday, which should give the rookie a chance to put another solid number on the board at a low price.

Forwards to Avoid:

Andrew Wiggins, MIN at UTA ($24) - Wiggins is dealing with a sore neck, though he is probable to play Friday. Wiggins' game is based on drives to the basket as his main source of points, especially when his inconsistent jumper isn't working. The Jazz defense is tough on defending wings in general, but they're built around two shot-blocking bigs who control the paint and thus work directly against wiggins' style.

Dirk Nowitzki, DAL at DET ($30) -
Nowitzki was in the midst of an incredible throwback for most of March, scoring like he did in his 20s, but he seems to have burned out. He sat a game last week to rest, and since then he has averaged less than 22 fantasy points per game. He could bounce back at any time, but the Pistons are tough on opposing power forwards.

CENTER

Cody Zeller, CHA vs PHI ($10) - Zeller is somewhat up-and-down, but he is coming off 33.2 fantas points Tuesday. Notably, that effort came against the 76ers, who he faces again Friday. The 76ers are one of the worst defenses against bigs in the NBA, which should give Zeller another good chance to produce at the league minimum.

Center to Avoid:

Jared Sullinger, BOS at GS ($18) - Sullinger is reasonably productive, but nothing special. Meanwhile, the Warriors are one of the best defenses in the NBA againt opposing bigs.

Get a FREE RotoWire 10-day trial (no credit card required) at RotoWire.com

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.
RotoWire Community
Join Our Subscriber-Only NBA Chat
Chat with our writers and other RotoWire NBA fans for all the pre-game info and in-game banter.
Join The Discussion
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Andre' Snellings
Andre' Snellings is a Neural Engineer by day, and RotoWire's senior basketball columnist by night. He's a two-time winner of the Fantasy Basketball Writer of the Year award from the Fantasy Sports Writers Association.
NBA DFS Picks: DraftKings Plays and Strategy for Friday, April 26
NBA DFS Picks: DraftKings Plays and Strategy for Friday, April 26
Free NBA Picks Today: Best Bets for Friday, April 26
Free NBA Picks Today: Best Bets for Friday, April 26
NBA DFS Picks: FanDuel Lineup Plays and Strategy for Friday, April 26
NBA DFS Picks: FanDuel Lineup Plays and Strategy for Friday, April 26
NBA DFS Picks: DraftKings Plays and Strategy for Thursday, April 25
NBA DFS Picks: DraftKings Plays and Strategy for Thursday, April 25
Free NBA Picks Today: Best Bets for Thursday, April 25
Free NBA Picks Today: Best Bets for Thursday, April 25
NBA DFS Picks: FanDuel Lineup Plays and Strategy for Thursday, April 25
NBA DFS Picks: FanDuel Lineup Plays and Strategy for Thursday, April 25