This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
Wednesday brings a busy night in the NBA with 12 games on the schedule. With so many options to pick from, let's get right down to business and look at some players to target and avoid when crafting your Yahoo entry.
GUARDS
Donovan Mitchell, UTA vs. PHO ($32): Mitchell is carrying the Jazz's offense in his rookie season, posting a 28.9% usage rate that ranks inside the top-20 in the league. He has a high floor in DFS as a result, scoring at least 37.2 Yahoo points in five of his last seven games. He scored 40 points on his way to 59 Yahoo points in his last game against the Suns, which is no surprise considering they allow the most points per game (112.9) in the league. He has excellent upside again in their rematch.
Fred VanVleet, TOR at CHI ($12): VanVleet has done a great job leading the Raptors second unit, scoring at least 21 Yahoo points in six straight games. He's dished out at least six assists in four of the last five games despite playing at least 30 minutes only one time during that stretch. He gets to face a bad Bulls team Wednesday, which could lead to some extra playing time if the game gets out of hand. Even if it doesn't, the Bulls allow the seventh-most points per game (109) in the league, so VanVleet can still provide value at this cheap price.
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Guard to Avoid
Kris Dunn, CHI vs. TOR ($31): Dunn hasn't played in almost a month due to a concussion, but has cleared the concussion protocol and could return Wednesday. It doesn't make a lot of sense for a tanking Bulls team to play him with the All-Star break coming up, but they haven't ruled him out yet. Dunn will likely be on a minutes restriction if he does take the floor, so it's best to avoid him all together.
FORWARDS
Otto Porter Jr., WAS at NY ($29): Porter has been one of the players who has stepped up with John Wall (knee) sidelined, scoring at least 31.6 Yahoo points in seven of his last eight games. He's become more involved in the offense, posting a season-high 22.3% usage rate in six games so far in February. The Knicks are struggling right now and have lost seven straight games, so Porter could be in for a valuable performance Wednesday.
Michael Beasley, NY vs. WAS ($26): Beasley is now starting at power forward with Kristaps Porzingis (knee) out for the season and has scored at least 33 Yahoo points in three straight games. Beasley has attempted at least 13 shots in each game and should get plenty of opportunities to score moving forward as Porzingis had the sixth-highest usage rate (31.2%) in the league. At this reasonable price, Beasley is worth consideration for your entry.
Forward to Avoid
Robert Covington, PHI vs. MIA ($21): Covington hasn't been productive lately, scoring 21.5 Yahoo points or less in seven of his last 10 games. He takes a back seat offensively to Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, which limits his upside most nights. There just isn't enough potential here to warrant adding Covington to your lineup on a night with so many other quality options.
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CENTERS
Anthony Davis, NO vs. LAL ($59): Davis has put up some monster numbers recently, scoring at least 57.3 Yahoo points in seven of his last nine games. He is the main man with DeMarcus Cousins (Achilles) out for the season, recording a 36% usage rate in six games so far in February. Both the Pelicans and the Lakers are in the top-four in the league in pace of play, leaving Davis with tremendous upside Wednesday.
Dewayne Dedmon, ATL at DET ($15): The Hawks are clearly rebuilding, but instead of giving added playing time to their future up front in John Collins, they have decided to move Dedmon back into the starting lineup. Dedmon has been productive as a starter, averaging 11.6 points, 8.3 rebounds and 0.8 blocks in 23 games. He scored 20 points and grabbed 13 rebounds against these same Pistons on Sunday and could be in line for a valuable performance considering his price.
Center to Avoid
Hassan Whiteside, MIA at PHI ($30): The Heat continue to bench Whiteside in the fourth quarter, leaving him to play 26 minutes or less in seven of his last eight games. He's still scored at least 31.5 Yahoo points in four straight contests, but his overall upside is limited due to the lack of playing time. He only scored 22.8 Yahoo points in his last meeting with the Sixers, so it might be best to keep him out of your lineup Wednesday.
