This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
Wednesday brings a busy slate consisting of nine games. Let's get right to the task at hand and highlight some of the top players to consider on Yahoo, as well as a few to possibly avoid.
GUARDS
Luka Doncic, DAL vs. GS ($60): There may be no hotter player in the league right now than Doncic. He enters this matchup having recorded seven straight triple-doubles. During that span, he averaged 35.0 points, 11.0 rebounds, 11.9 assists and 1.1 steals. When he faced the Warriors in December, he posted 39 points, eight rebounds and 10 assists over 38 minutes. His salary will do a number on your budget, but he is still worth considering.
Trey Murphy, NO vs. CLE ($14): Murphy comes into this matchup having scored at least 29.3 Yahoo points in six of his last seven games. He has improved his efficiency, shooting 51.6 percent from the field during that stretch. He's not just scoring more, either, providing 6.3 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game. At such a cheap salary, Murphy is a great option in tournament play.
Guard to Avoid
Spencer Dinwiddie, LAL at SAC ($21): It's surprising that Dinwiddie still has a salary this high. Since joining the Lakers, he has averaged just 4.9 points and 3.1 assists over 12 games. Even when he started last Friday against the Bucks, he produced only five points and three assists over 34 minutes. His lack of shot attempts doesn't leave him with much upside.
FORWARDS
Zion Williamson, NO vs. CLE ($37): The Cavaliers are thin at power forward right now. Not only is Evan Mobley (ankle) out, but Dean Wade (personal) will miss his third straight game. Outside of Jarrett Allen, they won't have much size up front. That could spell doom against Williamson, who has scored at least 44.3 Yahoo points in seven of his last 10 games.
Simone Fontecchio, DET vs. TOR ($12): Fontecchio has thrived since being traded to the Pistons, averaging 15.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 steals over 13 games. Not only has he seen a significant increase in playing time, but he has shot 49.0 percent from the field and 43.0 percent from behind the arc with his new squad. Look for him to exploit a matchup against a porous Raptors' defense that has been decimated by injuries.
Forward to Avoid
Mikal Bridges, BKN at ORL ($32): The Magic are never an easy matchup. They play at the fifth-slowest pace and have the fourth-best defensive rating in the league. When Bridges faced them in February, he was limited to four points on 2-for-13 shooting from the field. On a night with plenty of viable options, there's no need to take a chance on Bridges.
CENTERS
Kelly Olynyk, TOR at DET ($18): Jakob Poeltl (finger) being out has resulted in Olynyk joining the Raptors' starting five. Over the last four games in that role, he has averaged 15.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.0 blocks. Plenty of playing time and a matchup against a Pistons team that has the third-worst defensive rating in the league leaves Olynyk with the potential to provide significant value.
Nick Richards, CHA at MEM ($18): Richards isn't likely to produce any eye-popping stat lines. However, that doesn't mean he's not a viable option at his cheap salary. He has been consistent, averaging 11.8 points, 9.1 rebounds and 1.1 blocks over 14 games since the trade deadline. He also enters this matchup having recorded three straight double-doubles.
Center to Avoid
Andre Drummond, CHI at IND ($25): Drummond has not logged more than 17 minutes in any of the last five games. When the Bulls play big teams, they tend to start him alongside Nikola Vucevic. However, this is not a good matchup for him against a Pacers team that likes to get up and down the floor in a hurry, resulting in them playing at the second-fastest pace in the league. For those looking for a center in this salary range, Deandre Ayton ($24) and Myles Turner ($27) are both safer options who have clear paths to significant minutes.
