Toronto’s OG Anunoby and the Raptors face the Lakers on Friday night.
As far as Fridays go, this won’t be the busiest with six games in the NBA. There are some matchups with playoff implications, including the Lakers hosting the Raptors. Let’s dive into the options on Yahoo and highlight some players to consider for your lineups, as well as a few to possibly avoid.
Guards
Mikal Bridges, BKN at MIN ($31): This is the second game of a back-to-back set for the Nets. The Nets sat out several key players against the Bucks on Thursday, though Bridges did take the floor and only logged 12 minutes. He should be a full-go on Friday, making him a great option when you consider he’s scored at least 44.9 Yahoo points in five of his last six games.
OG Anunoby, TOR at LAL ($18): Anunoby hasn’t been the same since returning from injury, causing his salary to drop considerably. He’s still playing a lot, averaging 36 minutes in eight appearances. Anunoby’s showing some signs of turning things around with at least 28.6 Yahoo points in three of the last five. Considering his salary won’t do a number on your budget, he could be worth the risk against a Lakers team that has played at the second-fastest pace.
Guard to Avoid
Devin Vassell, SAS vs. DEN ($24): The Spurs have been shuffling players in and out of their lineup. With Vassell missing nearly two months with an injury, he’s being eased back into action with 23 and 29 minutes in the last two games. There’s no reason to push him further, so another limited effort could be coming Friday.
Forwards
Kristaps Porzingis, WAS vs. ATL ($39): The same two teams played each other Wednesday and Porzingis exploded for 43 points on 17-for-22 shooting from the field. He hit seven 3-pointers while also chipping in with five rebounds and five assists. Porzingis has recorded at least 50.2 Yahoo points in three of his last four outings and should carry a high floor into this rematch.
Jeremy Sochan, SAS vs. DEN ($19): Sochan (knee) is listed as probable after sitting out Sunday against the Rockets. That was the second game of a back-to-back set, so it was probably more of a rest day for Sochan than anything else. He was averaging 15.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists across 29 minutes the previous seven times on the floor, so expect him to resume a normal workload on Friday.
Forward to Avoid
Jarred Vanderbilt, LAL vs. TOR ($22): The Lakers will certainly need Vanderbilt’s size and defensive versatility against a long Raptors squad. But as much as his addition has meant to the team, his game doesn’t always translate well to fantasy since he’s only produced 20.6 Yahoo points or fewer six times from his last eight appearances.
Centers
Joel Embiid, PHI vs. POR ($55): Embiid continues to steamroll his opponents with at least 52.2 Yahoo points in six of the last eight games. This matchup being in Philly is noteworthy because it makes Embiid even more appealing since he’s averaged 32.7 points, 9.1 rebounds and 3.8 assists on the road this season compared to 33.8/10.9/4.4 at home.
Zach Collins, SAS vs. DEN ($20): With the Spurs short on center options, Collins has been thrust into a prominent role since the trade deadline. He hasn’t disappointed with at least 31.0 Yahoo points in seven straight games. There’s some concern Collins could find himself in foul trouble guarding Nikola Jokic, but his salary is low enough to make him worth considering in tournament play.
Center to Avoid
Jusuf Nurkic, POR at PHI ($19): After being out for more than a month with a calf injury, Nurkic made his return Wednesday against the Celtics. He immediately jumped back into the starting five, but only played 17 minutes. Expect Nurkic to have his court time limited for at least one more outing, if not longer.
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Mike started covering fantasy sports in 2007, joining RotoWire in 2010. In 2018, he was a finalist for the 2018 FSWA Basketball Writer of the Year award. In addition to RotoWire, Mike has written for Sportsline, Sports Illustrated, DK Live, RealTime Fantasy Sports, Lineup Lab and KFFL.com.
