This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
The Western-heavy final NBA slate of 2015 features six games, but just three Eastern Conference teams are scheduled to take the floor. Many fantasy owners figure to pay one final homage to the year's most successful team in a road game against the generous Houston defense, but there are intriguing options to be found all over the NBA map. The suggestions below should put you on pace to celebrate New Year's Eve with a DFS victory Thursday.
GUARD
Allen Crabbe, POR at UTA ($15) - Crabbe's short-term boost in fantasy value figures to fade in the near future with Damian Lillard (plantar fasciitis) nearing a return, but he should have a couple more productive games left in him considering it will probably take some time for Lillard to see his full minutes even if he does come back for this one. The third-year man out of California was even playing well in a bench role before Lillard went down, topping 20.0 fantasy points eight times in December after doing so in just three games all season. Utah's defense hasn't been nearly as prolific since it lost Rudy Gobert to a knee injury, so Crabbe has an excellent chance of posting his ninth 20.0 fantasy-point performance of the month and once again significantly outplaying his $15 price.
Klay Thompson, GS at HOU ($32) - Teammate Stephen Curry impressively managed to narrowly edge a golfer and a horse for AP Male Athlete of the Year last week, but he most likely won't get to cap his year in style as a left leg injury figures to keep the reigning MVP out of Thursday's game. Curry's absence should allow fellow splash brother Klay Thompson to take on a bigger role against a porous Houston defense that gives up the fourth-most points per game, giving Thompson an excellent chance to top 40.0 fantasy points for the fifth time in his last eight contests. It's been the year of the Warriors, so it's only natural to roll with them one last time before the calendar flips to 2016.
Guard to Avoid:
Brandon Knight, PHX at OKC ($37) - The Brandon Knight bandwagon has been filling up following the news that fellow Suns guard Eric Bledsoe will miss the rest of the season with a knee injury, but it might be wise to pump the brakes until the former Buck proves himself worthy of his recent price hike. Knight managed just 27.6 fantasy points playing without Bledsoe against the Cavaliers, and his 36.6 fantasy points against the lowly 76ers with Bledsoe missing most of the game were nothing to write home about, either. Hold off on using Knight until he gets acclimated to playing on his own and puts up the stats to prove it.
Others to Avoid: Eric Gordon ($23), Kentavious Caldwell-Pope ($21), Jamal Crawford ($16), Patrick Beverley ($14)
FORWARD
Jon Leuer, PHO at OKC ($19) - Coach Jeff Hornacek may not know the difference between Iman Shumpert and Matthew Dellavedova, but he does know that productive big men deserve to be rewarded with consistent playing time. Leuer saw an average of 30 minutes per game during Phoenix's three-game homestand and rewarded his coach's trust in him by topping 30.0 fantasy points in all three contests. He's still priced in the high teens despite that recent production, so don't be afraid to grab Leuer as he's been one of few constants in a perennially shifting Suns rotation lately.
Ersan Ilyasova, DET vs. MIN ($18) - Ilyasova has displayed improved consistency on the glass recently, averaging 7.4 rebounds in his last five games while recording at least six boards in each contest. That production is a marked improvement from his season average of 4.9 rebounds, and the veteran forward has averaged more than 25.0 fantasy points per game over that span as a result. Minnesota's defense has freefalled all the way into the bottom third of the NBA after a strong start, so Ilyasova also comes with increased upside on the offensive end in this particular matchup.
Forward to Avoid:
Andrew Wiggins, MIN at DET ($29) - Wiggins has been strangely quiet lately, topping 30.0 fantasy points just twice in his last 13 games. The Pistons held the sophomore forward to less than 30.0 fantasy points on Nov. 20, so he doesn't hold a lot of upside against this particular opponent. While there aren't a ton of alternatives with only six games scheduled, there are still enough more tantalizing plays available that you should leave Wiggins out of your lineup for the night.
Others to Avoid: Paul George ($47), Ryan Anderson ($27), Trevor Ariza ($25), Markieff Morris ($17)
CENTER
Enes Kanter, OKC vs. PHO ($14) - Kanter's playing time has crept back up over the 20-minute mark in each of the Thunder's last four games, and the offensively gifted Turkish center has taken advantage by averaging 18.5 PPG and 10.0 RPG in that span. At just $14, Kanter doesn't have to top 30.0 fantasy points for the fifth straight contest to be a steal, but he probably will anyway against the fifth-worst scoring defense in the NBA.
Center to Avoid:
Alex Len, PHO at OKC ($16) - Len has seen more than 20 minutes of playing time just once in his last five games after consistently topping that mark all season, and his production has clearly suffered as a result. The third-year center out of Maryland has scored just 18 points in those five games combined while averaging a pitiful 11.1 fantasy points per game in that span. He's returning nowhere near $16 value and should be avoided completely until he either reclaims more playing time or sees his price drop.
Others to Avoid: Greg Monroe ($32), Gorgui Dieng ($18)
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