This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
The matchup of the night is former teammates and current fantasy feasts Russell Westbrook and James Harden facing off against each other in Oklahoma City. Another one to watch is LeBron James facing his old squad, the Heat, though that one could turn into a blowout if the Cavaliers come to play at home.
GUARDS
Deron Williams, DAL vs. IND ($16):Russell Westbrook is pretty much a given these days with his absurd production, regardless of his price, and there are a lot of backup point guards who might be getting injury starts Friday (Jordan Clarkson, possibly Brandon Jennings, Marcus Smart). But Williams gets this spot because he's been consistently strong over the last week, averaging 14.5 points 10.5 assists per game over his last four, and he has a good matchup against a Pacers defense that has often been a sieve this season.
Lou Williams, LAL vs. PHO ($22): Williams has been a strong go-to all season with his consistent microwave scoring off the bench, but this week he has been in an absolute zone, averaging 34.0 points, 3.0 boards, 3.3 treys, 2.7 assists and 2.0 steals per game in his last three, and he has a very winnable matchup against the Suns on Friday.
Guard to Avoid
Kemba Walker, CHA vs ORL ($40): Walker has been solid but unspectacular of late, scoring between 26.6 and 37.6 fantasy points in five straight games. While there is nothing wrong with that level of production in general, Walker's price should demand more. There are several guards priced less who have been producing more, and he also has a tough matchup against a Magic team that has been one of the best against point guards this season.
FORWARDS
Jae Crowder, BOS vs TOR ($23): Crowder is an unsexy but solid play, giving consistent production on a nightly basis. He has scored between 22.3 and 32.1 fantasy points in seven straight games, including four with at least 31.0. Plus, with Isaiah Thomas out, it is possible that Crowder is called upon to take on a larger offensive role Friday.
Jabari Parker, MIL vs ATL ($28): Parker has been a consistent scorer of late, averaging 21.0 points and 5.2 boards per game over his last five. He has stepped it up particularly in his last two, averaging 25.0 points, 5.5 boards and 2.0 assists per game.
Forward to Avoid
Carmelo Anthony, NY at SAC ($33): Anthony has been boom-or-bust, which is difficult to rely on in a go-to player. In his last five games he has scored 14.8, 45.3, 27.8, 47.0 and 25.3 fantasy points, respectively. Over that stretch, he under-produced in 60 percent of the games, which is too unreliable for his salary.
CENTERS
Andre Drummond, DET at MIN ($30): This recommendation is shaped by personal memory. Last season I went to see the Timberwolves play the Pistons in Detroit, and Drummond was simply too big and athletic for Karl-Anthony Towns to keep him out of the paint. Towns is a year older and likely the better player overall, but Drummond should be able to get what he wants inside.
Tristan Thompson, CLE vs MIA ($18): Thompson has 34 rebounds over his last two games, which keeps his fantasy production viable even if his scoring is up and down. The Heat are also not very good defending centers, which is somewhat ironic since Hassan Whiteside is known as one of the best defensive centers in the league.
Center to Avoid
Hassan Whiteside, MIA at CLE ($46): Whiteside is priced right there with the elites, a price that would essentially guarantee him to be the highest priced player on your team. However, he doesn't have the reliability of those in front of him. Whiteside has scored fewer than 25 fantasy points twice in his last four games, numbers that are completely foreign to the five players priced ahead of him. Guys priced that high should be guaranteed mega points on a nightly basis, and Whiteside doesn't do that.
