Friday will be busy with nine games scheduled to be played across the NBA. The Pacers, who are set to be without Tyrese Haliburton (knee) for at least the next two weeks, will be in action against the Hawks. The Thunder will be playing the second game of a back-to-back set when they take on the Bulls, who are coming off a disappointing loss to the shorthanded Wizards on Wednesday. One of the marquee matchups of the evening will take place in Los Angeles when the Clippers host the Nuggets. Let’s get to the task at hand and highlight some players to consider for your Yahoo lineups, as well as a few to possibly avoid.
GUARDS
CJ McCollum, NO at DET ($36): The Pelicans continue to churn along without Brandon Ingram (toe) and Zion Williamson (hamstring) out. Over the four games McCollum has played since they both went down, he has averaged 32.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.3 blocks. Look for him to score in bunches against a Pistons team that has the second-worst defensive rating in the league.
T.J. McConnell, IND vs. ATL ($13): McConnell has shown in the past that he can be productive when given an opportunity. In the 2020-21 season, he averaged 8.6 points, 3.7 rebounds, 6.6 assists and 1.9 steals over 26 minutes per game. He played 26 minutes after Haliburton went down Wednesday against the Knicks, posting 14 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and two steals. With more playing time coming his way, McConnell is a great option at such a cheap salary.
Guard to Avoid
Mike Conley, UTA vs. ORL ($19): The Jazz don’t ask Conley to shoot much. He has a 16.3 percent usage rate, which has contributed to him scoring fewer than 10 points in 11 of his last 15 games. There are several appealing guards with cheaper salaries for this slate, so there’s no need to take a chance on Conley having a rare scoring outburst.
FORWARDS
Julius Randle, NY at WAS ($44): Now that RJ Barrett is back, Randle should see his recent scoring binge cool off. He only took 12 shots against the Pacers on Wednesday, but he still scored 14 points to go along with 16 rebounds and four assists. He’s going to play a ton and is averaging a career-high 10.3 rebounds to go along with his 24.1 points per game, so he still carries a high floor into this matchup.
Jalen Williams, OKC at CHI ($18): Williams might not provide flashy numbers, but he’s been a consistent contributor during his rookie campaign. He scored 30.0 Yahoo points against the 76ers on Thursday, giving him nine straight…