NBA DFS Picks: Yahoo Plays and Strategy for Thursday, December 7

The In-Season Tournament returns Thursday with two games being played in Las Vegas. We have an early start time, with the slate kicking off at 5:00 PM EST. Let's dig into the options on Yahoo and highlight some players to target for your lineups, as well as a few to potentially avoid.

GUARD

Tyrese Haliburton, IND at MIL ($48): This is the game to target players from. The Pacers and Bucks both rank inside the top-five in the league in pace of play and inside the bottom-10 in defensive rating. Haliburton just torched the Celtics on Monday, posting 26 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists over 40 minutes. The last time he faced the Bucks, he recorded 29 points, six rebounds and 10 assists. The sky is the limit for him in this matchup.

Malik Beasley, MIL vs. IND ($14): The Bucks will remain without one of their key bench players with Pat Connaughton (ankle) set to miss his fourth straight game. With him out, Beasley has logged at least 33 minutes in each of the last three games. Beasley is a streaky shooter who can score in bunches when he is locked in. With him shooting 51.2 percent from the field over his last 11 games, he has averaged 15.5 points and 4.0 three-pointers. If he can stay hot, he has the potential to provide value.

Guard to Avoid

Trey Murphy, NO at LAL ($20): Murphy logged 30 minutes off the bench for the Pelicans on Monday, scoring 16 points on 6-for-13 shooting from the field. However, he has a total of just five rebounds and two assists over the two games he has played since returning from injury. Last season, he averaged just 3.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists over 31 minutes per game. A scoring-dependent player facing a Lakers team that has the ninth-best defensive rating in the league is not ideal.

FORWARD

Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL vs. IND ($51): The addition of Damian Lillard hasn't put a damper on Giannis' production. He is averaging 30.2 points, 10.7 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.3 blocks per game. He has actually been more efficient, shooting 61.1 percent from the field. He scored 64.9 Yahoo points the first time these two teams met, so don't expect the Pacers to be able to slow him down in this rematch.

Aaron Nesmith, IND at MIL ($10): With so many appealing players having hefty salaries, it will be necessary to take a chance on a player or two with a really cheap salary. One to consider in tournament play is Nesmith, who has averaged 27 minutes over his last five games. That boost in playing time helped him score at least 25.7 Yahoo points three times.

Forward to Avoid

Dyson Daniels, NO at LAL ($17): When the Pelicans were decimated by injuries at guard, Daniels stepped in to help keep the team afloat. However, now that they are healthy again, he has seen his role diminish. With him playing fewer than 15 minutes in three of the last four games, there's no reason to consider rolling with him in DFS.

CENTER

Anthony Davis, LAL vs. NO ($50): Davis (groin/hip) has been a mainstay on the injury report for the Lakers. He is listed as probable for this game, so expect him to take the floor. The injury hasn't slowed him down lately, given that he has averaged 35 minutes over the last seven games. During that span, he scored at least 52.5 Yahoo points five times.

Bobby Portis, MIL vs. IND ($17): Portis doesn't need a lot of playing time to be productive. Despite logging just 24 minutes per game this season, he has provided 11.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, 0.8 steals and 0.6 blocks. He also had success the first time these two teams met, scoring 26.6 Yahoo points over 24 minutes. Given the fast pace at which this game should be played, Portis is someone to strongly consider for those who want to fade Davis.

Center to Avoid

Jonas Valanciunas, NO at LAL ($25): Valanciunas has not performed poorly. He is actually on a hot streak that has seen him average 16.6 points, 10.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists over his last 11 games. However, this isn't an ideal matchup against a good defensive team that has a lot of size up front. For those looking to roll with a center in this salary range, both Myles Turner ($28) and Brook Lopez ($26) might be better options in a game that has significantly more scoring upside.