This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
The last day of the NBA regular season brings a packed schedule with 12 games Wednesday. With teams resting star players either for the playoffs or to get a higher pick in the draft, there are a lot of cheap value plays on Yahoo to choose from. Here are some players to target and avoid as you craft your entry:
GUARDS
De'Aaron Fox, SAC vs. HOU ($15): The Kings are going to be thin at point guard Wednesday with Frank Mason (heel) and Garrett Temple (ankle) out for the finale. Neither player took the floor Monday against the Spurs either, leaving Fox to score 31.3 Yahoo points in 38 minutes. Expect heavy minutes for the rookie again Wednesday, making him a viable option at this cheap price.
Luke Kennard, DET at CHI ($10): Kennard is now starting with Reggie Bullock (knee) out for the season, logging at least 32 minutes in back-to-back games. He cashed in the opportunity, scoring at least 33.4 Yahoo points in both contests. Kennard is an excellent three-point shooter, leaving him with significant upside Wednesday since the Bulls allow the eighth-highest opponents' three-point shooting percentage (36.9%) in the league.
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Guard to Avoid
Chris Paul, HOU at SAC ($31): The Rockets are locked into the top seed in the West and will be playing the second game of a back-to-back set Wednesday. Paul logged 27 minutes Tuesday against the Lakers, so don't be surprised if he sits out this game. Even if he does play, it will likely only be limited minutes.
FORWARDS
Ersan Ilyasova, PHI vs. MIL ($21): Dario Saric (face) left in the first minute of Tuesday's game against the Hawks and did not return. It opened up plenty of playing time for Ilyasova, who scored 45.6 Yahoo points in 31 minutes. The Sixers are still trying to clinch the third seed in the East, but it doesn't make much sense to play Saric if he is in any pain since they get home court advantage in the first round regardless. The Sixers play at the fourth-fastest pace (102.1 possessions per game) in the league, so the added minutes could give Ilyasova a significant boost in value.
Anthony Tolliver, DET at CHI ($13): The Pistons got out to a big lead in the last game they played against the Bulls, leaving Tolliver to log 26 minutes and score 36.7 Yahoo points. He hit six three-pointers in that contest, which is not all that surprising considering the Bulls struggles to defend behind the arc. Blake Griffin (knee) is out and Andre Drummond (Achilles) is doubtful for Wednesday, so expect Tolliver to get plenty of opportunities to produce again.
Forward to Avoid
Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL at PHO ($51): Giannis (ankle) has missed the last two games for the Bucks and his status for Wednesday's contest is still in doubt. The Bucks have locked up a playoff spot, but they are still playing to decide their seeding. It still makes little sense to push Giannis if he is not completely healthy, so it might be best to avoid him for your entry. Interim coach Joe Prunty confirmed Wednesday morning that Antetokounmpo will play, but his minutes will be monitored.
CENTERS
Nikola Jokic, DEN at MIN ($47): This is the biggest game of the night as the winner earns the final playoff berth out West. The Nuggets have won six straight to stay in the hunt with Jokic scoring at least 50.3 Yahoo points in each game. He should get all the minutes he can handle in this game, so if you are going to pay up for one player on the slate, making it Jokic might be a wise choice.
Khem Birch, ORL vs. WAS ($10): Birch has seen an increased role down the stretch, logging at least 17 minutes in five straight games. His production hasn't been off the charts, but he did score at least 26.8 Yahoo points in four of those five contests. Expect him to see similar playing time in the season finale, making him a viable option at the minimum price.
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Center to Avoid
Pau Gasol, SA at NO ($17): The Pelicans and Spurs have the same record, so the winner of this contest will end up with the higher seed out West. The loser could fall all the way down to the eighth seed based on the outcome of some other games, bringing a less than desirable matchup against the Rockets in the first round. Both teams might stick with their regular rotations as a result, but this is still not a good matchup for Gasol. He scored 15 Yahoo points in just 10 minutes when these two teams met almost a month ago and with very little upside anyways, Gasol is someone to avoid Wednesday.
