The NBA regular season churns along Wednesday with seven more games on the schedule. Several key players are questionable as of the morning, so be sure to monitor for updates as the day moves along. As things currently stand, here are some players to target on Yahoo, as well as a few to potentially avoid.
GUARDS
De’Aaron Fox, SAC vs. LAC ($41): The Kings pulled off a dramatic victory over the Warriors on Tuesday, and Fox had another stellar performance. He scored 54.3 Yahoo points while logging 40 minutes. Over his last seven games, Fox has scored at least 50.5 Yahoo points five times. As the focal point of the Kings scoring attack, expect Fox to continue to have a high floor.
Jalen Suggs, ORL vs. WAS ($17): The Wizards remain a team to attack in DFS. They have played at the second-fastest pace and recorded the third-worst defensive rating in the league. After a slow start to the season, Suggs has settled into an average of 14.3 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.0 steals over the last nine games. That makes him a great option in tournament play.
Guard to Avoid
O.G. Anunoby, TOR vs. PHO ($20): Anunoby continues to have a limited role within the Raptors’ offense. His usage rate is just 19.2 percent, and he has never finished a season with a usage rate higher than 20.5 percent. The result has been him scoring 24.8 Yahoo points or fewer in six of his last seven games. Even fewer shot attempts could be coming his way versus the Suns, who have played at the fourth-slowest pace in the league.
FORWARDS
Paolo Banchero, ORL vs. WAS ($32): Banchero struggled with his efficiency during his rookie campaign, shooting just 42.7 percent from the field. That has changed this season with him shooting 48.8 percent. Overall, he is averaging 19.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.2 steals per game. Given this extremely favorable matchup, he is difficult to pass up at his reasonable salary.
Santi Aldama, MEM vs. UTA ($21): The Grizzlies have been destroyed by injuries this season. If there is a silver lining, it’s that Aldama has been great in an expanded role. Over the last six games, he has put up 18.7 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists. The Jazz have the fifth-worst defensive rating in the league, setting up Aldama to continue his recent run of success.
Forward to Avoid
Kyle Kuzma, WAS at ORL ($35): Kuzma is averaging career highs in points (23.4) and assists (4.8) per game for the rebuilding Wizards. However, the Magic are one of the worst matchups possible. They have a lot of size up front and versatile defenders that have helped them record the second-best defensive rating in the league. There will be a lot of nights when Kuzma is someone to consider building a DFS lineup around, but this isn’t one of them.
CENTERS
Domantas Sabonis, SAC vs. LAC ($41): The Warriors did a good job of holding Sabonis in check Tuesday. Still, he finished with nine points, eight rebounds and 10 assists. His ability to contribute in so many areas leaves him with a high floor whenever the Kings are in action. This has the potential to be a great bounce-back matchup for him, given that the Clippers’ center position is led by the underwhelming duo of Ivica Zubac and Daniel Theis.
Moritz Wagner, ORL vs. WAS ($10): The Magic received some good news with Wendell Carter (finger) having his cast removed Tuesday. However, he still isn’t ready to make his return. That means Wagner will remain one of the Magic’s top big men off the bench. In that role, he has scored at least 20.4 Yahoo points in four of his last six games. That’s enough to at least make him worth considering at the minimum salary.
Center to Avoid
Jonas Valanciunas, NO vs. PHI ($25): With Zion Williamson back in the fold, Valanciunas is averaging 13.1 points and 8.9 rebounds per game. If those numbers were to hold up, it would be his lowest scoring average since the 2017-18 season, and the first time he has averaged fewer than 10 rebounds per game since the 2018-19 campaign. Add in the potential for foul trouble facing Joel Embiid, and Valanciunas is someone to avoid.