This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
The Spurs are one of the best defenses in the league, both over the course of the season and since the All-Star break, and they're the only active one Thursday ranked in the top 13 since the break. That difference makes using any Thunder player very risky, since every other team is facing a fantasy friendly opponent.
Though eight of the 10 defenses playing Thursday are in the bottom half of the league since the All-Star break, the Grizzlies and Cavaliers have been by far the worst. That said, both teams have gone through long stretches of excellent defense, so there is some risk that they will turn it around. The next three worst are the 76ers, Clippers and Trail Blazers, all of whom are worth targeting.
GUARDS
Russell Westbrook, OKC vs. SA ($64): The MVP race has jumped several levels of intensity this week. Kawhi Leonard's incredible box score, and game-saving heroics, reminded the NBA universe that he's having an amazing season. Russell Westbrook responded by scoring 58 points the following night, but that career-high was marred slightly because the Thunder lost to the Trail Blazers. Westbrook gets another chance to make his case, this time while sharing the floor with Leonard. His price is high, and the opponent is one of the best defenses in the league. But Westbrook is one of the most emotional players in the league, and the surrounding circumstances for this game will have him as energized as ever.
Tyler Ulis, PHO vs. LAL ($10): Ulis has seen a major jump in minutes over the past four games, up to 24.8 per outing. He has twice scored in double figures and is averaging 9.0 field goal attempts and 12.3 points per game during this stretch. He's also an excellent passer, dishing out 6.3 assists per game since his role increased. The Suns have removed almost all players older than Eric Bledsoe from their rotation, and their emphasis on the youngsters is a good sign that Ulis' workload will either remain steady or increase. At this salary, he's an excellent bargain.
Other suggestions: Justin Anderson, PHI at POR ($10); Jordan Clarkson, LAL at PHO ($14); Kyrie Irving, CLE at DET ($43)
Guard to Avoid
Chris Paul, LAC at MEM ($46): Paul struggled Wednesday night against the Timberwolves, and it's hard to imagine him turning it around for Thursday on the second night of a back-to-back. To make matters worse, the Clippers had to travel from Minnesota to Memphis, which is a longer distance than teams usually have to travel between back-to-backs. On top of all that, Paul has only one game with at least 40 fantasy points since the All-Star break, and he has five or fewer assists in four of his seven games.
FORWARDS
LeBron James, CLE at DET ($55): There are not many attractive medium-priced options available Thursday, but there are plenty of good cheap plays. That's a perfect scenario for spending big on a player like James, who has scored at least 43 fantasy points in every game since the All-Star break. If we lower that barrier to 40 fantasy points, then his streak extends back to an away game against the Warriors nearly two months ago. James has scored at least 60 fantasy points in his last three games against Eastern Conference teams, including a triple-double and two double-doubles.
Marquese Chriss, PHO vs. LAL ($11): Chriss' situation is very similar to Ulis', as the Suns are giving tons of minutes to their younger players, and Chriss' have risen to 25.9 since the All-Star break, averaging 11.3 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.4 steals-plus-blocks per game in that time. His salary has not yet adjusted to his new role, and he's earned lots of profits over that span, scoring at least 17 fantasy points in six of seven games, and at least 28 twice.
Other suggestions: Al-Farouq Aminu, POR vs. PHI ($16); T.J. Warren, PHO vs. LAL ($19)
Forward to Avoid
Robert Covington, PHI at POR ($31): The Trail Blazers' frontcourt already consisted of strong individual defenders, but the unit looks significantly more intimidating since the addition of Jusuf Nurkic. Additionally, despite heavy minutes, Covington has failed to profit in his last five games (though three of those were good enough to keep a roster competitive). His highest score over the last five games is 34.3 fantasy points, which he achieved in large part because he blocked five shots against the Knicks. In his last two games, he is averaging only 20.7 fantasy points, 11.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists.
CENTERS
DeAndre Jordan, LAC at MEM ($27): This was a tough one, as only three centers cost at least $20, and two of them are defensive stalwarts facing off against each another. Despite the tough matchup against Marc Gasol, Jordan's consistency and salary won the prize – my recommendation. Jordan's floor is breaking even – excluding matchups against the Warriors, he has just one game with fewer than 24 fantasy points since Thanksgiving, and that was a game with 21.7 fantasy points. He has scored at least 33 fantasy points in more than half of his games since the All-Star break.
Alan Williams, PHO vs. LAL ($15): Have I mentioned young Suns in expanded roles yet? Williams fits the trends identified above for Ulis and Chriss, only to a higher degree. After the All-Star break, the Suns sent Tyson Chandler to the bench, opening up a lot of minutes and a ton of rebounds, and Williams has picked up most of both. He has a double-double in five of his last seven games, and is averaging 14.3 points in 25.7 minutes per outing over that span.
Other suggestions: Jusuf Nurkic, PHO vs. PHI ($19)
Center to Avoid
Richaun Holmes, PHI at POR ($14): There's a pretty good batch of centers Thursday, so it only takes mild concern to mark a player as worth avoiding. The matchup against Jusuf Nurkic is concerning. Holmes has scored fewer than 20 fantasy points in three straight games, and Nurkic is a bully in the interior. Even with Jahlil Okafor out of the lineup the past two games, Holmes has played fewer than 24 minutes.
