This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
The second round of the Western Conference playoffs finally starts off Thursday with Game 1 between the Clippers and Nuggets. The Raptors and Celtics will also be in action, leaving us with two games to choose from on Yahoo. Here are some players to consider for your lineup, as well as a few to potentially avoid.
GUARDS
Fred VanVleet, TOR at BOS ($32): VanVleet has not had an efficient series so far, shooting 11-for-38 (28.9 percent) from the field across the first two games. However, he plays a ton of minutes and has the ability to contribute in other areas outside of the scoring column, so he still ended up scoring at least 38.5 Yahoo points in both games. Even if he can't get out of his shooting slump in Game 3, he still has a high floor.
Monte Morris, DEN at LAC ($10): There are several enticing high-salary options for this slate, so it will be important to take a chance on some more budget-friendly options, as well. Enter Morris, who has started each of the last four games. While not overly impressive, he did score at least 19.9 Yahoo points in two of those contests, including 27.1 Yahoo points in Game 7 against the Jazz.
Guard to Avoid
Gary Harris, DEN at LAC ($11): Harris missed the first five games of the series with the Jazz, then scored a combined eight points in the two games that he did appear in. His 15.1 percent usage rate this season was the lowest mark of his career, so a lack of scoring isn't anything new for him. Add that to his limited contributions in other categories and he's probably not someone worth pursuing.
FORWARDS
Kawhi Leonard, LAC vs. DEN ($49): The Mavericks had no answer for Leonard, who averaged 32.8 points, 10.2 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 2.3 steals against them in the first round. He had a similarly excellent run with the Raptors last season, averaging 30.5 points, 9.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.7 steals on their way to a championship. While his salary will take up a big chunk of your budget, there may be no safer player on this slate.
Jerami Grant, DEN at LAC ($16): After back-to-back performances with at least 22.2 Yahoo points, Grant had a quiet showing in Game 7 against the Jazz with 8.5 Yahoo points. The good news is that he logged 35 minutes in that contest and has played at least 35 minutes in four straight games. Even though he's not one of the focal points on the Nuggets' offense, that type of playing time should at least put him on your radar.
Forward to Avoid
Michael Porter Jr., DEN at LAC ($21): Neither the Nuggets nor the Jazz scored much in Game 7, but Porter still managed to finish with 10 points and nine rebounds. It was discouraging that he only logged 17 minutes, though, and that he has started to see his playing time decline since being removed from the starting five. He's scored 16.9 Yahoo points or fewer in three of the last five games, so he's a risky option, to say the least.
CENTERS
Serge Ibaka, TOR at BOS ($24): Marc Gasol ($10) might still be a starter, but he's been severely outplayed by Ibaka, who has averaged 18.2 points, 9.8 rebounds and one block during the Raptors' playoff run. The key to Ibaka's success is that even though he mostly came off the bench during the regular season, he recorded a 24 percent usage rate, which was the highest mark of his career. With the Raptors down 0-2, they might need him to be even more aggressive in this contest.
Daniel Theis, BOS vs. TOR ($15): Theis averaged a career-high 1.3 blocks a game during the regular season and has racked up eight rejections across his last four games in the playoffs. He's been able to use his defensive prowess to propel him to at least 28.8 Yahoo points in both games against the Raptors. At this reasonable salary, he could be well worth the risk if you want to go really cheap at center.
Center to Avoid
Montrezl Harrell, LAC vs. DEN ($15): Harrell exploded for 34.7 Yahoo points against the Mavericks in Game 5, but that turned out to be an outlier performance for him in the series. He scored 18.4 Yahoo points or fewer in each of the other five games, including just 6.4 Yahoo points in Game 6. His playing time still hasn't bounced back after he missed time in the bubble to deal with a personal matter, so rolling with Theis at the same salary might be the safer option given his more secure role at this time.
