This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
Thursday brings a light schedule in the NBA with only six teams in action. The night will be highlighted by the debuts of Carmelo Anthony and Paul George with the Oklahoma City Thunder as they face off against the New York Knicks. While there aren't many games, you can still come away a big winner on Yahoo DFS.
GUARDS
Kyle Lowry, TOR vs CHI ($31): The Raptors and Bulls both play their first games of the season Thursday in a contest that features two very different teams. The Raptors are gearing up to be one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference again while the Bulls look like perhaps the worst team in the league. The Bulls are extremely thin at point guard, so look for Lowry to put up big numbers in this contest.
Justin Holiday, CHI at TOR ($12): As mentioned already, the Bulls are going to be really bad. They didn't have much talent on the roster to begin with, but are now dealing with several key injuries as well. Holiday will start after having an excellent preseason and with so few competent scoring options on the roster, he feels like a must start at this cheap price.
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Guard to Avoid
Andre Roberson, OKC vs NY ($16): While he's not an extremely expensive option, Roberson is still overpriced Thursday. With Russell Westbrook, George and Anthony to lead the offense, scoring opportunities will be few and far between for Roberson. His defensive abilities make him a valuable member of the Thunder, but he's someone you want to avoid for your DFS entry.
FORWARDS
Tim Hardaway Jr., NY at OKC ($16): Hardaway signed a big contract with the Knicks over the summer and with Anthony out of town, he is the second best offensive option on the team behind Kristaps Porzingis. Hardaway averaged 17.5 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 30 starts for the Atlanta Hawks last season, so he can excel in that role for the Knicks. He provides tremendous value at this price.
Lauri Markkanen, CHI at TOR ($15): As if the Bulls didn't have enough problems, forwards Bobby Portis and Nikola Mirotic (face) got into a fight in practice this week that left Mirotic injured and Portis suspended for eight games. Although he is still a raw rookie, Markkanen should see heavy minutes out of necessity in this contest, providing nice value at this price.
Forward to Avoid
Paul George, OKC vs NY ($46): It's going to take some time for Westbrook, George and Anthony to get used to playing with each other. All three players were the best offensive options on their respective teams last season, so it's only natural that it will take them a little time to adjust to sharing scoring opportunities. While George can still have a fine performance Thursday, he may not be able to produce enough to justify his lofty price.
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CENTERS
DeAndre Jordan, LAC at LAL ($28): Jordan is a walking double-double as he averaged one each of the last four seasons. While he won't be receiving lob passes from point guard Chris Paul anymore, he should still get a decent amount of scoring opportunities with teams focusing on defending Blake Griffin and Danilo Gallinari. Brook Lopez is no defensive stalwart, leaving Jordan with an opportunity for a big performance.
Steven Adams, OKC vs NY ($13): Adams will also take a back seat to the new big three in Oklahoma City, but his ability to offensive rebound will give him more chances to score than Roberson. Adams could be on his way to averaging a double-double for the first time of his career with little depth behind him. At this price, Adams is worth taking a chance on Thursday.
Center to Avoid
Willy Hernangomez, NY at OKC ($16): The Knicks have a few options at the center position with Hernangomez, Enes Kanter and Kyle O'Quinn. Hernangomez may have the most upside of the three, but the rotation is still unsettled at this time. Combine that with having to face a solid defender in Adams and Hernangomez isn't worth the risk in this game.
