This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
There are only five games Thursday, and they feature the four-worst per-possession defenses in the league: the Knicks, 76ers, Timberwolves and Trail Blazers. On the flip side, opponents of the Jazz and Heat rank among the five lowest-scoring in the league. Make sure to keep track of RotoWire's injury updates, as Thursday could mark the return of a few key players, including Goran Dragic and George Hill.
GUARDS
James Harden, HOU vs. POR ($56): Fantasy basketball's top producer takes on the fourth-worst defense in the league, including the second-worst over their last five games. During that time, they rebound only a pathetic 43.9 percent of the time – for a sense of scale, the second-worst team in that category grabs 46.5 percent of available boards. Additionally, Harden enters Thursday riding a seven-game streak with at least 50 fantasy points.
Shelvin Mack, UTA vs. CHI ($10):George Hill (thumb) is questionable for Thursday's game, and if he sits, Mack is an excellent play. Since Hill went out, Mack has played at least 22 minutes per game and has tallied at least six points, two assists and 16.4 fantasy points in each appearance. The return of Hill does not necessarily spell doom for Mack, though he would lose a lot of his upside – in games with Hill, Mack has reached 19 minutes in three of seven games, and 11 fantasy points in five.
Other suggestions: Josh Richardson, MIA vs. MIL ($12); C.J. McCollum, POR at HOU ($34); Malcolm Brogdon, MIL at MIA ($10)
Guard to Avoid
Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL at MIA ($51): Antetokounmpo's production has fallen short of justifying his salaries for most of the season. His across-the-board contributions are more valuable in season-long formats than in daily, but he is still priced as an elite daily option. Points, rebounds and assists are the primary drivers of daily scoring, and his production in those categories is often inconsistent. For example, he has games with one, two, and three assists, as well as one game with nine and two games with eight. Finally, Antetekounmpo has yet to reach 53 fantasy points, which means that his best nights barely break even at this price.
FORWARDS
Andrew Wiggins, MIN vs. PHI ($31): Wiggins is averaging 34.8 fantasy points per game this season, which is already good for this price. Over his last five games, however, that number shoots up to 43.8 per game thanks for 32.6 points per game over that span. He now gets a chance to continue his hot streak against a 76ers defense that ranks second-worst per possession.
Maurice Harkless, POR at HOU ($15): Harkless is not much of a scorer, but his work in the "hustle" categories – rebounds, steals and blocks – provides a solid production floor. His workload has been fairly consistent, averaging 30.5 minutes per game, and he has scored at least 16 fantasy points in eight consecutive games, including over 24 four times.
Other suggestions: Otto Porter, WAS vs. NY ($23); James Johnson, MIA vs. MIL ($10)
Forward to Avoid
Gorgui Dieng, MIN vs PHI ($25): After a strong start, Dieng has scored in double digits just once in the past seven games, reaching 20 fantasy points only three times in that stretch. Despite averaging 31.3 minutes per game over his last four, he has averaged only 9.0 rebounds, 7.3 points and 19.0 fantasy points. The 76ers are a fantasy friendly opponent, but Dieng has not been anywhere near good enough to justify this price.
CENTERS
Mason Plumlee, POR at HOU ($21): Plumlee is one of the best big-men passers, and centers facing the Rockets rank near the top of the league in assists per game. Plumlee has scored at least 25 fantasy points in six of his last eight games, including each of his last three.
Clint Capela, HOU vs POR ($15): On a short slate of games, the scores required to win are typically lower, and any player who might produce one fantasy point per dollar of salary is worth considering. Capela has scored at least 15 fantasy points in every single game this year, which means that his worst game of the season is borderline profitable at this price. On top of that, the Blazers are an opponent tailor-made to highlight Capela's strengths, as almost all of his production comes from points and rebounds and Blazers' opponents rank first in the league in rebounds, and second in points.
Other suggestions: Marcin Gortat, WAS vs. NY ($27); Joakim Noah, NY at WAS ($19)
Centers to Avoid
None. I recommend using your utility spot on a center Thursday, as there is an unusually strong field of options. Ignoring the minimum priced players, every center is averaging at least 0.96 fantasy points per dollar of salary over their last four games. That's a really strong number. James Harden, who looks good enough that I recommended him above, is averaging 0.97 fantasy points per dollar of salary over his last four games. I am comfortable starting any one of the centers who cost more than $10.
