This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
The NBA only has two games on the schedule Thursday, but both games are heavy on star power. You can't fit all of them into your Yahoo entry, so let's take a look at which players to both target and avoid for the evening.
GUARDS
Stephen Curry, GS at HOU ($49): Curry has been excellent since returning from an ankle injury, scoring at least 47.3 Yahoo points in both games. He played 34 minutes Wednesday against the Mavericks, so he shouldn't have any limitations going forward. He's 16-for-26 on three-pointers in his last two games, so expect him to continue to fire away and provide elite value Thursday.
Gerald Green, HOU vs. GS ($10): The Rockets brought in Gerald Green recently to provide depth and it turned out to be a shrewd move with James Harden (hamstring) now injured. Green has played at least 22 minutes in each of his last three games, averaging 18.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 4.3 three-pointers per contest. Since he will only cost you the minimum, he makes a great value play that frees up a lot of your budget.
Guard to Avoid
Russell Westbrook, OKC at LAC ($59): It's not too often that you would want to avoid Westbrook, but Thursday is a night full of elite players. Westbrook should have a great game, but he will cost you $10 more than Curry and $17 more than Chris Paul. All three players could provide similar production, so it might make sense to avoid Westbrook's hefty price tag to help fill out the rest of your entry.
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FORWARDS
Blake Griffin, LAC vs. OKC ($45): Griffin has played in three games since returning from a knee injury, averaging 23.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 6.6 assists per contest. With Paul now in Houston and the Clippers hit with injuries at guard, Griffin will continue to be counted on to help facilitate the team's offense. He is tied for the 13th-highest usage rate (30.1%) in the league, making him a great option again Thursday.
Ryan Anderson, HOU vs. GS ($14): Anderson may be in line for some extra playing time Thursday at backup center with Nene Hilario (knee) unlikely to play and the Warriors propensity to go small. Both the Rockets and Warriors are in the top eight in the league in pace of play, leaving Anderson with added chances to produce. He scored 30.1 Yahoo points in a game against the Warriors earlier this season, so using him makes a lot sense at this price.
Forward to Avoid
Carmelo Anthony, OKC at LAC ($25): Anthony has not been overly productive of late, scoring 26.7 Yahoo points or less in four of his last six games. His upside isn't that high, scoring at least 40 Yahoo points in a game only four times this season. It won't be surprising to see Anderson at least approach Anthony's production in terms of Yahoo points Thursday, so it might be wise to avoid Anthony at this price.
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CENTERS
Clint Capela, HOU vs. GS ($31): Capela saw a significant role in the Rockets offense Wednesday in their first game without Harden, scoring 21 points in 23 minutes. While Harden is a great passer as well, Paul is more of a distributor than a scorer, so he could lead to increased production from Capela. The Warriors allow the sixth-most Yahoo points per game (51.2) to opposing centers, making Capela someone to consider.
Steven Adams, OKC at LAC ($28): This should be a fund matchup between Adams and DeAndre Jordan. While Jordan is known as a rim protector, Adams is no slouch defensively either, averaging 1.2 steals and 1.0 block per game. Adams is also an excellent offensive rebounder, averaging 4.9 per game. This gives him added opportunities to score in a starting lineup loaded with elite offensive players, so look for him to provide value despite having to battle with Jordan.
Center to Avoid
Jordan Bell, GS at HOU ($17): Bell is not going to provide much offense, scoring at least 10 points in a game only four times all season. His main value comes on the defensive end, averaging 1.1 blocks and 0.8 steals in only 15 minutes per game. He has five rebounds or less in each of his last three games, so his value is going to be limited if he's basically just contributing with blocks and steals. There are enough quality cheap options available at guard and forward that it might be best to avoid trying to save money with Bell's limited upside Thursday.
