This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
Daily gaming starts early Thursday with the Pacers facing the Nuggets at 3:00 p.m. EST in London. Both teams haven't played since Saturday but also had to travel across an ocean to get there. This kind of break from routine – more days off, longer travel, shifting time zones – increases the likelihood that something screwy and unpredictable happens. That said, both teams are dealing with all the same factors, so neither team has a built-in edge.
As winter has me checking weather maps, it feels fitting that the Spurs are the hottest defense in the land. They lead the league in points per possession over the past 15 games, and playing at one of the slowest paces in the league. They face a Lakers offense that looks at lot worse than it did at the beginning of the season.
Other defenses to be wary of are the Warriors, who host the Pistons, and the Pelicans, who visit the Nets. The three defenses to target are the Nuggets, Knicks and Suns.
GUARDS
Eric Bledsoe, PHO vs. DAL ($33): While Dallas isn't one of the worst defenses in action Thursday, they are still very bad. Over the last 10 games, they rank in the bottom third in points per possession, while recording an astonishingly low 46.4 rebounding percentage. Guards facing the Mavericks are shooting 47.9 percent from the field and 41.3 percent from behind the arc, both figures in the top five. Add that to Bledsoe's current streak of six straight games with more than 35 fantasy points, and he is a very appealing option.
Tony Parker, SA vs. LAL ($13): The price is right, and Parker gets loads of the most important category for low-salary players: minutes. He is averaging 26 minutes per game, and his performance has improved as the season has gone on. Parker is a veteran passer and able scorer, and he should be able to take advantage of the young Lakers backcourt. Last time these teams met, Parker scored 16 and dished seven assists on his way to 29.4 fantasy points.
Other suggestions: Glenn Robinson III, IND at DEN ($10); Bojan Bogdanovic, BKN vs. NO ($15); Klay Thompson, GS vs. DET ($29)
Guard to Avoid
Lou Williams, LAL at SA ($19) and Nick Young, LAL at SA ($15): Williams and Young are both having great seasons. That said, both are fundamentally shooters, facing off against one of the best defenses in the league. Over the last 10 games, Spurs opponents rank third-to-last in scoring and points per possession, in the bottom third for field-goal percentage, and in the bottom half for three-point percentage. If that weren't enough, the Spurs have the highest rebounding percentage in the league, run at the sixth-slowest pace and allow the sixth-fewest assists. Essentially, when facing the Spurs, players should expect to score less, shoot worse, rebound less and assist less. If the opponent isn't enough to frighten you away, both of these two have seen inconsistent usage lately, and both have at least one game of single-digit scoring this year.
FORWARDS
Harrison Barnes, DAL at PHO ($28): The matchup against the Suns looks pretty favorable because the Suns are, generally speaking, a bad defense. But it is also partly because of the specific players Barnes will match up with. The Suns are giving extra minutes to Marquese Chriss, an athletic but raw rookie. Barnes will probably spend some time against Chriss and some time against T.J. Warren. Both Chriss and Warren are defenders who should struggle to keep up with the more seasoned Barnes, who has totaled at least 30 fantasy points in six straight. When these teams last faced off, Barnes scored 19 points and added six rebounds.
Andre Iguodala, GS vs DET ($10): Like Parker, Iguodala is a cheaply priced productive vet who gets a reliable helping of minutes each game. With 25.2 minutes per game and the ability to contribute in literally any category, he's unlikely to hurt a lineup. Since the start of December, he has only scored fewer than 10 fantasy points twice. He's playing particularly well lately, reaching at least 20 fantasy points in three of his past four.
Other suggestions: LaMarcus Aldridge, SA vs. LAL ($33); Brandon Ingram, LAL at SA ($10)
Forward to Avoid
Kristaps Porzingas, NY vs CHI ($35): While I expected Porzingas to struggle against the 76ers on Wednesday, he looked much worse than I had anticipated. Thursday will be the second night of a back-to-back, and now Porzingas has the added mental baggage of a slump, as opposed to merely a single "off game." Over the last two games, he is averaging fewer than half his season-long numbers in points, threes, rebounds and fantasy points. The Bulls are an easier opponent than the 76ers, but some of the Bulls' strengths will hurt Porzingas. For example, Chicago's opponents rank near the bottom of the league in three-pointers made.
CENTERS
Myles Turner, IND at DEN ($29):Nikola Jokic's increasing role in the Nuggets' rotation has had two main impacts: first, the Nuggets' offense has taken off, but secondly, the Nuggets' defense has collapsed and taken firm control of the title of "worst in the league." After a one-game absence for an illness, Jokic is expected to return Thursday, ensuring that this will remain a favorable matchup for Turner. Turner has a double-double in three of his last four games.
Tyson Chandler, PHO vs DAL ($15): Chandler is a rebounder and, as mentioned above, the Mavericks don't like seem to like rebounding. When I checked their team rebound percentage, the number was so low I had to double-check that I was looking at the right category. To try to put their abysmal 46.4 rebound percentage into perspective, consider that only one team in the past five seasons has recorded a lower average. This may literally be the best possible matchup for Chandler.
Other suggestions: Zaza Pachulia, GS vs. DET ($10)
Center to Avoid
Andre Drummond, DET at GS ($31): There are not a lot of centers in action Thursday, and none really require strict avoidance. Drummond gets attention here as a player to be wary of, primarily due to my desire to avoid the Warriors, who are an unfavorable opponent. Drummond is a big bruiser, and while he may be quick for his size and shape, he's probably not fast enough to keep up with the Warriors if they draw him out of the interior. His performances last year against the Warriors were a mixed bag, averaging 18 rebounds, but only 14 points per game.
