Yahoo DFS Basketball: Friday Picks

Yahoo DFS Basketball: Friday Picks

This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.

The NBA has 10 games on tap Friday night, a normal slate for a Friday. There are plenty of solid matchups and not a whole lot of terrible ones, so there is a good potential for high scores.

GUARD

Shelvin Mack, UTA vs WAS ($12) - E'twaun Moore would also be good value at $14 if Jimmy Butler sits again for the Bulls, but Mack has been consistently productive at an even lower price. Mack has averaged 24 fantasy points over his last four games and has a plus matchup against a Wizards defense that is 18th in the NBA against point guards.

Zach LaVine, MIN at OKC ($23) -
LaVine hasn't scored fewer than 20 fantasy points since way back in January, and has become a consistent threat to score 30 fantasy points over the last few weeks as the full-time starter.

Guards to Avoid:

Derrick Rose, CHI vs MIA ($27) - Rose faces a Heat defense that is No. 1 in the NBA against point guards. Rose's slashing style is somewhat dissuaded by the presence of a dominant shot-blocker like Hassan Whiteside.

Bradley Beal, WAS at UTA ($24) -
Beal has rejoined the Wizards on the road after missing the last few games with a pelvis injury, but it is uncertain if he will play Friday. Even if he does, he wasn't playing that well even before his injury (fantasy point totals in the teens in five of his last eight games, including his last two before the injury) and would face a Jazz defense that is second in the NBA vs. shooting guards.

FORWARD

Evan Fournier, ORL at SAC ($24) - Fournier has a great matchup against a Kings defense that is terrible at defending wings. And with Elfrid Payton's status up in the air, there could be more minutes and opportunity available for Fournier, Victor Oladipo and Brandon Jennings.

JaMychal Green, MEM vs NO ($11) -
Green has been outstanding lately, as he's received more minutes on the injury-depleted Grizzlies. He has averaged 16.5 points, 11.5 boards, 4.0 assists, 2.0 blocks and 2.0 steals in almost 37 minutes per game in his last two outings, which obviously far out-produces his near minimum price.

Forwards to Avoid:

Harrison Barnes, GS vs POR ($19) - Barnes has seen a dip in his production lately, with three straight games of less than 15 fantasy points despite averaging his normal 30 minutes or so in that stretch. While this could make him a bounce-back candidate, that seems unlikely against a Trail Blazers defense that is third in the NBA against small forwards.

Derrick Favors, UTA vs WAS ($31) -
Favors has been up-and-down recently. In his last five outings he has one huge game (56.7 fantasy points), one average game (34.1 fantasy points) and three below-average games (averaging 22.4 fantasy points). He faces a Wizards defense that is second in the NBA vs. power forwards.

CENTER

Dwight Howard, HOU at BOS ($35) - Howard is playing well this week (averaging 21 points, 14.5 boards and 2.0 blocks in last two games) and matches up with an undersized and overmatched Celtics front line that is 24th in the NBA against centers.

Centers to Avoid:

Marcin Gortat, WAS at UTA ($27) - Gortat is a productive center most nights, but Friday he faces the Jazz's killer frontline of Rudy Gobert and Derrick Favors, That combo has been limiting centers all season, so Gortat may not be the best bet to produce.

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The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Andre' Snellings
Andre' Snellings is a Neural Engineer by day, and RotoWire's senior basketball columnist by night. He's a two-time winner of the Fantasy Basketball Writer of the Year award from the Fantasy Sports Writers Association.
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