This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
Wednesday brings just six games in the NBA as the end of the regular season is only a week away. Injuries and resting players continues to impact DFS significantly, making a small slate sometimes tough to navigate. Here are some players to target and avoid for your Yahoo entry that could help you win some money.
GUARDS
Ben Simmons, PHI at DET ($42): Simmons will be tasked with leading the Sixers again Wednesday with both Joel Embiid (eye) and Dario Saric (elbow) slated to miss their third straight games. Simmons dominated in the first game that they missed Sunday against the Hornets, scoring 66.1 Yahoo points. He then scored 37.4 Yahoo points despite playing only 25 minutes in a blowout win Tuesday against the Nets. Expect him to have a high usage rate in this game, giving him excellent upside even at this price.
Isaiah Taylor, ATL vs. MIA ($16): The Hawks will be without Dennis Schroder (ankle) for the rest of the season and are dealing with injuries up and down their roster. They are playing some short rotations as a result, leaving Taylor to log at least 29 minutes in five straight games. He's made the most of his opportunity, scoring at least 24.9 Yahoo points in four of those five contests. The Heat are a tough defensive team, but his minutes floor alone brings Taylor into the conversation for Wednesday.
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Guard to Avoid
DeMar DeRozan, TOR vs. BOS ($30): DeRozan is one of the driving forces of the Raptors' offense, but his rebounding numbers are down this season at 3.9 per contest. His overall upside has been limited of late, scoring 35.1 Yahoo points or fewer in six of his last seven games. The one game where he excelled did come against these same Celtics, but they are one of the better defensive teams in the league despite their injuries. At this price, it might be best not to pay up for DeRozan on Wednesday.
FORWARDS
Robert Covington, PHI at DET ($23): Covington has played exceptionally well with Embiid and Saric out, scoring at least 42.2 Yahoo points in back-to-back contests. Tuesday's performance against the Nets was especially impressive considering he reached that mark in just 26 minutes. He provides a lot of value defensively, recording 15 steals and five blocks in his last four games. Add in his increased role offensively due to the Sixers injuries and he is a great option to consider at this price.
Anthony Tolliver, DET vs. PHI ($13):Blake Griffin (ankle) has missed the last three games for the Pistons and won't play again Wednesday. Tolliver has moved into the starting lineup in his absence, playing at least 31 minutes and scoring at least 24.4 Yahoo points in all three contests. The Sixers play at the fourth-fastest pace (101.9 possessions per game) in the league, which should lead to even more opportunities for Tolliver to exceed his price point Wednesday.
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Forward to Avoid
Taurean Prince, ATL vs. MIA ($25): Despite all of the Hawks injuries, Prince has played 27 minutes or fewer in three straight contests. In what appeared to be a case of extreme tanking, Prince logged just 10 minutes Tuesday against these same Heat. With the uncertainty of his playing time moving forward, Prince is too much of a risk.
CENTERS
Andre Drummond, DET vs. PHI ($47): Drummond has played well with Griffin out, scoring at least 51.4 Yahoo points in both of the first two games that Griffin was sidelined. He was on his way to another big performance Sunday, but was ejected and played just 25 minutes. However, he still managed to finish with 30.3 Yahoo points. The Sixers will throw out Amir Johnson and Richaun Holmes to try and slow down Drummond, which is going to be a daunting task for both of them. He's the most expensive center Wednesday, but Drummond has significant upside.
Amir Johnson, PHI at DET ($10): Johnson has started each of the last three games with Embiid out, scoring at least 19 Yahoo points in all three contests. He's not going to provide much offense, but he did average seven rebounds and four assists during that stretch. While those numbers aren't all that impressive, it still leaves him as a viable option in tournament play at the minimum price.
Center to Avoid
Marc Gasol, MEM at NO ($28): The Grizzlies have been tanking for a while, sitting Gasol in one game of back-to-back sets and taking a cautious approach with any nagging injuries that he has. They are now limiting his playing time in general, resulting in Gasol logging 23 minutes or fewer in three straight games. With that little playing time a possibility again Wednesday, it's hard to justify paying up to get Gasol into your entry.
