This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
The NBA has nine games on tap Friday night, not quite a packed slate but almost two-thirds of the teams will be on display. There are some low-priced quality players available in the backcourt with the frontcourt value more relative to price.
GUARD
Jrue Holiday, NO vs CHA ($21) - Holiday has fluctuated between solid and outstanding his last six games, scoring at least 25.6 fantasy points in all six with a ceiling of 51.7. On Friday he has a reasonable matchup against the Hornets, but running mate Tyreke Evans is questionable after having his surgically repaired right knee drained Thursday. If Evans is slowed or sits out, Holiday is showing that he's back close to full speed and ready to make an impact.
Monta Ellis, IND vs WAS ($25) - Ellis had a down game against a stingy Celtics backcourt defense Wednesday in the second half of a back-to-back, but before that he had six straight games of 24.8 to 37.8 fantasy points with four more than 30. On Friday he has a great matchup against a Wizards defense that is 28th in the NBA in production allowed to shooting guards.
Guards to Avoid:
Emmanuel Mudiay, DEN vs MIA ($23) - Mudiay has played two games since returning from a month-long injury absence. In the first game back he played 39 minutes and produced 27.3 fantasy points, but in the second game he came off the bench behind Jameer Nelson and only produced 10.4 fantasy points. The starter for Friday hasn't been announced yet, but either way there are big questions about whether Mudiay is ready to make an impact yet.
Bradley Beal, WAS at IND ($34) - Ellis' counterpart Friday, Bradley Beal, still has a minutes limit that prevents him from living up to his $34 price.
FORWARD
Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL vs ATL ($30) - Antetokounmpo went nuts in the middle of this week. After scoring only 39 fantasy points combined last Friday and Sunday, he exploded for 93.7 combined fantasy points Tuesday and Wednesday. He has three consecutive games with double-digit rebounds, has taken a larger role in distributing the ball with 16 assists over his last three games and has been aggressive attacking the rim to notch 48 points over his last two. He faces a Hawks defense that is 23rd in the NBA in production allowed to small forwards.
Thaddeus Young, BKN vs POR ($34) - Young had been quiet for the last week until Wednesday, when he posted 41.7 fantasy points against the Knicks. Young has another plus matchup Friday, against a Trail Blazers defense that is 26th in the NBA in production allowed to power forwards.
Forwards to Avoid
Otto Porter, WAS at IND ($24) - Porter is questionable to play Friday with a hip injury that caused him to leave Wednesay's game early. His coach said if the game were Thursday he wouldn't have played. So either he sits Friday, or he plays at what figures to be less than 100 percent.
Kenneth Faried, DEN vs MIA ($22) - Faried missed a couple games this week for the birth of his child. And even if he is back Friday, he comes back to a really tough matchup against a Heat defense that is No. 3 in the NBA at limiting production to power forwards.
CENTER
Mason Plumlee, POR at BKN ($17) - Over his last five games, Plumlee has bounced between fantasy outputs in the teens and in the mid-30s. Based on that pattern, Friday would be one of those 30-something games. But more than that, he has a great matchup against a Nets defense that is 28th in the NBA in limiting production to centers.
Center to Avoid:
Karl-Anthony Towns, MIN at OKC ($30) - Towns is a great young player, but his matchup Friday against the Thunder is troubling for a few reasons. The Thunder are tough on opposing centers, third in the NBA in limiting production to that position. They held Towns to 24.5 fantasy points Tuesday in their last matchup in Minnesota in a surprisingly close five-point Thunder win. Friday's game is in Oklahoma City, so it has blowout potential that could further limit Towns' output.
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