Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers face Golden State at 10 ET for the second matchup of TNT’s doubleheader.
After a busy couple of days, the NBA takes a bit of a step back with just four games on the schedule Thursday. There are some exciting matchups, though, including the Warriors hosting the Clippers. Let’s dig into the Yahoo slate and highlight some players to consider for your entries, as well as a few to potentially avoid.
Guards
Tyrese Haliburton, IND at SAS ($38): This is a fantasy-friendly matchup for the Pacers since the Spurs have the worst defensive rating in the league. However, this one will require some monitoring because Haliburton (calf) is listed as questionable. If he plays, he carries a tremendously high floor. If he sits, it’s a perfect opportunity to pivot to T.J. McConnell ($12), who averaged 14.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 8.5 assists and 1.6 steals during a 10-game stretch that Haliburton missed in January.
Delon Wright, WAS vs. TOR ($14): Monte Morris (back) has missed the last two games for the Wizards, and they announced Wednesday that he is considered as being week-to-week. With him out, Wright is set to play an expanded role. He has already been playing well, scoring at least 21.6 Yahoo points in four of his last five games.
Guard to Avoid
Gary Trent, TOR at WAS ($22): With the Raptors finally healthy, Trent shifted to the bench in their last game Tuesday against the Bulls. He still scored 30.5 Yahoo points, draining five three-pointers along the way. The problem is, he only played 28 minutes, down from his season average of 34 minutes per game. With the expectation that he remains on the second unit moving forward, he might not receive as many opportunities to provide value.
Forwards
Kawhi Leonard, LAC at GSW ($41): Leonard had an off night Tuesday against the Timberwolves, shooting 7-for-19 from the field. Still, he finished with 23 points, five rebounds and five assists. He is shooting 50.6% from the field and averaging 40.6 Yahoo points per game for the season. The last time he faced the Warriors, he scored 52.4 Yahoo points. He is one of the safer options for this slate.
Bennedict Mathurin, IND at SAS ($15): Mathurin only scored six points Tuesday against the Mavericks, attempting seven shots along the way. He is averaging 17.1 points on 12.7 shot attempts per game for the season, so don’t read too much into one quiet night. This is an excellent bounce-back spot for him given the Spurs’ defensive struggles.
Forward to Avoid
Norman Powell, LAC at GSW ($20): The addition of Russell Westbrook has muddied the waters for Powell. Westbrook has played three games with the Clippers, and Powell has scored 24.5 Yahoo points or fewer in each of them. He can still go off in any given game, but it might be difficult to expect consistent production from Powell moving forward.
Centers
Myles Turner, IND at SAS ($29): The Spurs have allowed the 10th-most rebounds per game in the league and they didn’t get any better in that department after trading Jakob Poeltl. They are now rolling with Zach Collins and Charles Bassey at center. It’ll be tough slowing down Turner, who has scored at least 41.1 Yahoo points in each of the last three games.
Kevon Looney, GSW vs. LAC ($17): Looney doesn’t generate many headlines on the star-studded Warriors. However, he is a big part of their success, averaging 7.0 points, 9.1 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game this season, each of which would be the highest mark of his career. He has been even better lately, providing 10.3 points, 13.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists across the last six games. His increased production could continue with Stephen Curry (lower leg) and Andrew Wiggins (personal) out.
Center to Avoid
Mason Plumlee, LAC at GSW ($20): Plumlee started back-to-back games for the Clippers when Ivica Zubac was out with a calf injury. He retreated to the bench with Zubac returning Tuesday against the Timberwolves, playing only 14 minutes in the role. He hasn’t topped 18 minutes in any of the three games that he has played for the Clippers with Zubac healthy, which doesn’t leave him with a favorable opportunity to shine in this game.
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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.
