This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
Friday brings a pressure-filled night in the NBA with the Wizards, Pacers and Thunder all trying to force a Game 7 in their respective series. It should be an exciting night of games on which you hopefully can capitalize by winning some money on Yahoo. Here are some players to target and avoid as you create your entry.
GUARDS
Donovan Mitchell, UTA vs. OKC ($34): The Thunder managed to pull out a comeback victory in Game 5, forcing Game 6 in Utah on Friday. Mitchell has been key for the Jazz throughout this series, scoring at least 42.2 Yahoo points in four of five games so far. He's clearly the best offensive player on the team, so expect him to have a high usage rate again Friday.
Kyle Korver, CLE at IND ($11):LeBron James is trying to carry the Cavaliers into the second round without much help from his teammates. Korver is one of the few players on the Cavaliers outside of James who's playing well, scoring at least 20.1 Yahoo points in three of the last four games. He logged 33 minutes Wednesday and should continue to see plenty of playing time in Game 6. At this cheap price, he might be worth the risk in tournament play.
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Guard to Avoid
Darren Collison, IND vs. CLE ($19): Collison has had an inconsistent series. Although he has scored at least 33 Yahoo points twice, he has also scored 12.7 or fewer Yahoo points twice. He has struggled offensively, scoring six points or fewer in three of the five games. With his limited upside, it's hard to justify taking a chance on him for your entry.
FORWARDS
LeBron James, CLE at IND ($58): James is doing it all right now for the Cavaliers. He has scored at least 44 points twice in this series and has four double-doubles to go along with one triple-double. He's logged at least 40 minutes in all five contests and has one of the highest upsides of anyone in action Friday.
Joe Ingles, UTA vs. OKC ($22): Ingles was terrible in the first two games of this series, scoring 14.9 or fewer Yahoo points in both contests. He wasn't great in Game 5 either with 23.3 Yahoo points, but he played well in his two homes games, finishing with at least 32.6 Yahoo points in both contests. The good news is that he has logged at least 32 minutes in every game of the series, so he's a viable option at this reasonable price.
Forward to Avoid
Otto Porter Jr., WAS vs. TOR ($23): Playing time isn't a problem for Porter, who is averaging 32 minutes per game in the first round. The issue is that with John Wall and the rest of the team healthy, Porter (leg) isn't nearly as involved offensively. He's listed as questionable, but it's hard to imagine him missing an elimination game unless he's really hurt. He's scored 28.7 or fewer Yahoo points in all five games, so he seems like an unnecessary risk to take even if he does play.
CENTERS
Rudy Gobert, UTA vs. OKC ($30): Of all the centers available Friday, Gobert is the safest option. He has a high minutes floor as the anchor of the Jazz's defense, resulting in him scoring at least 30.5 Yahoo points in four straight games. The Thunder continue to struggle with their lack up depth at center behind Steven Adams, so Gobert should be productive again Friday.
Marcin Gortat, WAS vs. TOR ($11): Gortat had one of the least productive seasons of his career this year, but he's quietly playing well in the first round. Outside of Game 2 where he played just 12 minutes, Gortat has logged at least 26 minutes in each of the other four games. He's scored 22.5 Yahoo points in three straight, so he might be worth the risk if you want to go with a cheap center in tournament play.
Center to Avoid
Steven Adams, OKC at UTA ($21): Adams is a very good player who would give the Thunder an advantage at center against a lot of teams in the league, but he drew a tough assignment with Gobert in this series. He's been plagued by foul trouble at times as well, resulting in him scoring 24.9 Yahoo points or fewer in each game. There just isn't enough upside to warrant spending this much on Adams.
