Thursday features a three-game slate starting at 7 p.m. ET.
Let’s dive into some of the top plays using the FantasyLabs Tools and metrics.
Also, don’t forget that for large-field tournaments, you can utilize our Lineup Optimizer to effortlessly create up to 150 lineups, or use our Lineup Builder if you like to hand-build your lineups.
Note: Projections and Leverages Scores/Ratings may change throughout the day after this article is posted. The NBA DFS landscape changes quickly. Consult the Player Models directly for any updates as we get closer to lock.
Point Guard
Stud
Dejounte Murray has taken a massive step forward this season, and he deserves to be considered one of the top fantasy point guards in basketball. He’s averaged 1.36 DraftKings points per minute this season – the top mark on Thursday’s slate at the position – and he’s increased that figure to 1.39 over the past month.
Murray could also benefit from the Spurs’ injury situation. Keldon Johnson and Devin Vassell are both doubtful, so Murray could be asked to play a few additional minutes vs. the Nuggets.
Value
Tyus Jones should continue to garner heavy ownership with Ja Morant sidelined. He’s posted a positive Plus/Minus on FanDuel in five of his past six games, and he’s averaged 0.95 FanDuel points per minute this season. He also draws a strong matchup vs. the Lakers, resulting in an Opponent Plus/Minus of +4.17.
Jones is a particularly strong option on FanDuel, where his $5,800 salary comes with a Bargain Rating of 83%.
Fast Break
Sticking with the Grizzlies, De’Anthony Melton could be worth some consideration on DraftKings. He doesn’t see nearly as many minutes as Jones, but he’s slightly more productive when on the court. He’s averaged 0.97 DraftKings points per minute this season, and he’s currently projected for 25 minutes in our NBA Models. He’s an elite value at $4,600 on DraftKings given his Bargain Rating of 94%.
Russell Westbrook has taken a clear hit from a fantasy perspective with the Lakers, but he still has arguably the top ceiling at the position. He has two games with at least 60.5 FanDuel points in his last seven games, and that ceiling keeps him relevant on a small three-game slate.
Shooting Guard
Stud
Derrick White is the other part of the Spurs’ backcourt, and he hasn’t gotten the same attention as Murray this season. However, he’s delivered some excellent fantasy performances of late. He’s posted an average Plus/Minus of +5.05 over his past 10 games on DraftKings, and he’s coming off 44.0 DraftKings points in his last outing. He’s increased his fantasy production to 0.97 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and his $6,300 salary comes with a Bargain Rating of 97%. Overall, he’s one of the strongest plays on the slate.
Value
Jordan Clarkson got off to a slow start this season, but he’s started to show signs of life. He’s increased his fantasy production to 1.08 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he’s scored at least 27.75 DraftKings points in three of his past five games. Clarkson is affordable at just $4,900 on DraftKings, and he’s historically averaged a Plus/Minus of +2.92 with a comparable price tag (per the Trends tool).
Fast Break
Donovan Mitchell has also started to turn things around for the Jazz recently. He’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in five straight games, and he’s scored at least 30 points in each of his past four. Mitchell has been among the leaders in usage all season, so he has solid upside on nights where his shot is falling.
Talen Horton-Tucker is coming off 34.7 minutes in his last outing, and he’s underpriced if he’s going to see that much playing time moving forward. He responded with 31.2 FanDuel points in that contest, and his $5,100 salary comes with a Bargain Rating of 87%.
Small Forward
Stud
Dillon Brooks has been a bit quieter from a usage perspective recently. He’s posted a usage rate of 28.5% or lower in each of his past three games after posting a mark of at least 31.1% in five straight. Still, that hasn’t stopped him from providing fantasy value. He racked up 40.75 DraftKings points two games ago, and he’s averaged 1.06 DraftKings points per minute with Morant off the court. He’s played at least 33 minutes in two straight games, and that should be enough playing time for him to pay off his current price tag.
Value
Danny Green has been a bit of an afterthought for the 76ers this season, but he’s starting to rack up more playing time. He’s logged at least 26.6 minutes in three straight games, and he’s eclipsed 30 minutes in two of them. He’s currently projected for 25 minutes in our NBA Models, and Green is dirt-cheap at just $3,300 on DraftKings. Green has historically averaged a Plus/Minus of +4.19 with a comparable salary and minute projection as a member of the 76ers.
Fast Break
Will Barton stands out as one of the best options at the position on FanDuel. He’s priced at just $6,100, resulting in a Bargain Rating of 94%, and he’s served as the Nuggets’ No. 2 option with Michael Porter Jr. out of the lineup. He’s coming off an excellent performance in his last outing, finishing with 35.6 FanDuel points over 41.8 minutes, and he’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in three straight games.
LeBron James is always going to deserve some consideration, especially on a three-game slate. He’s coming off just 39.3 FanDuel points vs. the Celtics in his last game, but he scored at least 48.2 in each of his previous four contests. James unsurprisingly owns the top ceiling projection in our NBA Models among today’s small forwards.
Power Forward
Stud
Anthony Davis has been a massive disappointment recently, posting a negative Plus/Minus in nine of his past 10 games on DraftKings. However, he was priced as high as $11,000 during that span, and he’s down to just $10,000 for Thursday’s matchup vs. the Grizzlies. That gives him some buy-low appeal.
The game between the Lakers and Grizzlies also stands out as the best of the day from a fantasy perspective. The total sits at a slate-high 223.5 points, and the Lakers’ implied team total of 113.75 also ranks first on the slate.
Value
Royce O’Neale is not the sexiest choice in DFS, but he’s been a nice source of value for the Jazz recently. He’s scored at least 33.5 DraftKings points in two of his past three games, and he’s increased his production to 0.81 DraftKings points per minute over the past month. He’s currently projected for 32.5 minutes in our NBA Models, and that’s a lot of playing time for someone who costs just $4,300. Historically, players with comparable salaries and minute projections have averaged a Plus/Minus of +3.34.
Fast Break
Jaren Jackson Jr. is a high-risk, high-reward option every time he takes the court. He’s had some huge performances recently, logging at least 41.9 FanDuel points in three of his past five games, but he’s scored 27.1 FanDuel points or fewer in the other two. Still, his average of 1.20 FanDuel points per minute over the past month puts him just slightly behind Davis in that category (1.21). Jackson is more than -$4,000 cheaper than Davis on FanDuel, so he’s the better pure value on Thursday’s slate.
Jeff Green is coming off a poor performance yesterday, finishing with just 18.0 DraftKings points over 35.8 minutes. However, he racked up 34.25 DraftKings points over fewer minutes in his previous contest, so he clearly has the ability to improve on Thursday’s slate. He’s an outstanding value on DraftKings given his Bargain Rating of 94%.
Center
Stud
Center is easily the strongest position on today’s slate. Three players own a price tag of at least $10,000 on DraftKings, but Nikola Jokic is clearly the best of the bunch. He’s coming off a monster performance yesterday, racking up 39 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists, and he’s averaged a stout 1.79 DraftKings points per minute this season. No one else on Thursday’s slate can come close to matching him in that department.
Jokic stands out as an excellent option on FanDuel, where his $11,100 salary comes with a Bargain Rating of 92%. His 10 Pro Trends are also tied for the most at the position.
Value
The Grizzlies have yet to submit an injury report for Thursday, but they were without Kyle Anderson and Brandon Clarke in their last game. If both players are out again, Steven Adams stands out as one of the best values on the slate. He’s played at least 30 minutes in back-to-back games, and he racked up 44.5 DraftKings points two games ago. Overall, he’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in five of his past six games on DraftKings. He’s underpriced at $5,100.
Fast Break
It seems like Jokic will garner more support than Joel Embiid on Thursday, which makes Embiid an interesting pivot for tournaments. Embiid is coming off a “quiet” 50.0 DraftKings points in his last game, but he still posted a usage rate of 37.7%. He finished with 74.75 DraftKings points in his previous contest, so he has the potential to break a slate.
Finally, Jakob Poeltl continues to get the job done for fantasy players. He’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in seven straight games on FanDuel, and he racked up 39.1 FanDuel points in his last game. He could be a bit overlooked if most people look to pay up at the position.
