This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
Friday won't be short on excitement with the Celtics and Raptors playing a Game 7. We also have the Clippers looking to dispatch the Nuggets in Game 5 of their series. As far as Yahoo DFS goes, here are some players to consider for your entry, as well as a few to potentially avoid.
GUARDS
Kyle Lowry, TOR vs. BOS ($33): After a quiet performance in Game 5, Lowry bounced back in a big way Wednesday with 33 points, eight rebounds, six assists and two steals on his way to 59.6 Yahoo points. If the Raptors are going to advance, The Raptors will need Lowry to keep hitting big shots like he did in Game 6 if they hope to advance, so expect him to be busy in this contest.
Marcus Smart, BOS at TOR ($21): Kemba Walker went cold in Game 6, which meant the Celtics needed someone else to step up in the scoring department. That someone turned out to be Smart, who dropped 23 points and finished with a triple-double. That's obviously going to be difficult for him to duplicate, but he should still provide value with a high-minutes floor.
Guard to Avoid
Jamal Murray, DEN at LAC ($35): It was another ugly shooting performance in Game 4 for Murray, who finished 6-for-15 from the field. He's now shooting 38.2 percent from the field for the series, which includes going 10-for-21 in Game 2. The Clippers have been able to focus their defensive efforts on Murray with so few other weapons around him on the Nuggets, so don't be surprised if he continues to struggle tonight.
FORWARDS
Kawhi Leonard, LAC vs. DEN ($50): Despite the Clippers scoring only 96 points in Game 4, Leonard recorded 30 of them. He also chipped in 11 rebounds, nine assists, four steals and two blocks on his way to a whopping 73.7 Yahoo points. During the Clippers' playoff run, Leonard has averaged 29.2 points, 9.8 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 2.3 steals across 10 games.
Norman Powell, TOR vs. BOS ($13): If it weren't for Powell, the Raptors might not have forced a Game 7. He came up big Wednesday by scoring 23 points over 38 minutes. Powell was certainly aided by the game going into double overtime, but his clutch shooting may have earned him more playing time Friday. At near the minimum salary, he could be worth the risk in tournament play.
Forward to Avoid
Marcus Morris, LAC vs. DEN ($16): The good news is that Morris has scored at least 11 points in four straight games. The bad news is that he only averaged 3.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 0.5 steals during that stretch. Most of Morris's shot attempts have come from behind the arc, which does help his offensive upside despite his limited shot attempts. But with his lack of contributions elsewhere, it might be best to keep him out of your lineup.
CENTERS
Nikola Jokic, DEN at LAC ($43): Jokic has bounced back in a big way after a disappointing performance in Game 1 by scoring at least 48.2 Yahoo points in each of the last three contests. He averaged 21.3 shot attempts across those three matchups, which marks a significant increase compared to his season average of 14.7. The Nuggets are facing elimination here, so expect Jokic to continue being aggressive on the offensive end.
Daniel Theis, BOS at TOR ($17): Theis was busy in Game 6, logging 47 minutes and finishing 9-for-11 from the field to put his shooting at 60.5 percent for the series. That's not an anomaly considering he shot 56.6 percent from the field during the regular season. The Celtics basically have no depth behind Theis at center, which has enabled him to score at least 24.8 Yahoo points in five of the last seven games.
Center to Avoid
Montrezl Harrell, LAC vs. DEN ($16): A lack of playing time continues to be a problem for Harrell's fantasy upside, and he only logged 18 minutes in Game 4 while scoring 16.4 Yahoo points. With an average of 19 minutes a game during the playoffs, he's produced averages of 10.5 points and 3.1 rebounds per contest. For only a dollar more, it seems like an easy decision to roll with Theis.
