Thursday features a five-game main slate starting at 7 p.m. ET.
Let’s dive into some of the top plays on the slate 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
Most of the top point guard options stand out as better values on FanDuel than DraftKings, including Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. His $7,600 price tag comes with a Bargain Rating of 94%, and he’s been fantastic recently. He’s posted a Plus/Minus of at least +8.49 in four of his past five games, and he’s scored at least 43.3 FanDuel points in three of them.
SGA takes the floor in an excellent spot vs. the Lakers. They’ve played at the fastest pace in the league to start the year, and they also rank just 15th in defensive efficiency. That’s an excellent combination, resulting in an Opponent Plus/Minus of +4.27.
Value
It has not been a pretty start to Cade Cunningham’s career. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft has made just 3 of 22 shots through his first two games, and he’s averaged a paltry 0.56 DraftKings points per minute. Still, he clearly has upside for better performances moving forward. He’s posted a usage rate of at least 22% in both contests, and he has the ability to contribute in the peripheral categories as well. He figures to be one of the highest-owned players on the slate at just $4,000 on DraftKings.
Fast Break
The 76ers remain shorthanded for the time being. Tobias Harris is out of the lineup due to health and safety protocols, while Ben Simmons is away from the team. That means Tyrese Maxey should continue to serve as one of their top offensive options. He’s currently projected for 36.7 minutes in our NBA Models, and he’s averaged a respectable 0.79 DraftKings points per minute this season.
Mike Conley’s price tag continues to decrease on FanDuel. He’s down to just $5,200 on Thursday, despite the fact that he’s coming off 35.6 FanDuel points in his last outing. Conley has averaged a Plus/Minus of +5.06 with a comparable salary (per the Trends tool), so he’s definitely viable at this price tag.
Shooting Guard
Stud
Sticking with the Jazz, Donovan Mitchell is another excellent target on FanDuel. He’s priced at just $8,000, resulting in a Bargain Rating of 97%, and he’s been a usage monster over his past three games. He’s posted a usage rate of at least 36.0% in all three contests, including a mark of at least 41% in two of them. Unsurprisingly, he’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in all three games.
The Jazz own a subpar matchup vs. the Hawks on Thursday, but their implied team total of 111.0 still ranks third on the slate. Mitchell also ranks second at the SG position with nine Pro Trends.
Value
Seth Curry has had to do more scoring than usual with Harris out of the lineup, and he has been up to the task. He’s scored at least 22 points in back-to-back games, and he’s finished with at least 32.5 FanDuel points in both contests. Overall, Curry has increased his usage rate to 26.6% with Harris off the court this season, resulting in an average of 1.15 FanDuel points per minute. He’s underpriced across the industry.
Fast Break
Lu Dort is currently questionable for the Thunder, but he would be another interesting value option if he’s able to suit up. His salary has decreased by -$1,600 since the start of the season on DraftKings, and he posted a season-high 22.4% usage rate in his last game.
The Suns own the top implied team total on the slate, and they’re in an excellent spot vs. the Rockets. The Rockets are tied with the Lakers for the top pace in the league, making Devin Booker an interesting buy-low target. He’s struggled to start the year, but he’s a candidate for some positive shooting regression. His 27.8% 3-point percentage is considerably lower than his career average.
Small Forward
Stud
Jimmy Butler stands out as one of the best pure values of the day on DraftKings. He’s been priced up after a torrid start to the year, but his $9,600 salary still comes with a Bargain Rating of 83%. Butler has posted career-highs in scoring and rebound to start the season, and he’s also averaged nearly three steals per game. Overall, his average of 1.41 DraftKings points per minute is the top mark at a position that includes LeBron James. That’s impressive.
Butler owns an interesting matchup on Thursday vs. the Celtics. They’ve been one of the better defensive teams in the league in recent years, but they’re just 26th in defensive efficiency to start the year. They will likely improve in that department moving forward, but this matchup might not be as scary as it seems on paper.
Value
Furkan Korkmaz is another member of the 76ers who has carried a larger workload than usual recently. Korkmaz is a strong per-minute producer – he’s averaged 0.94 DraftKings points per minute this season – so it’s not surprising he’s taken advantage of his additional playing time. He’s scored at least 22.25 DraftKings points in back-to-back games, so he’s a viable option at his current salary across the industry.
Fast Break
Matisse Thybulle is another viable 76ers’ target. His defensive stats make him a stronger option on FanDuel – blocks and steals are worth three points apiece – but he’s a better value on DraftKings given his Bargain Rating of 86%.
We’re only seven games into Josh Giddey’s career, but I feel comfortable saying he’s a good player. He’s been an excellent fantasy investment as well recently, posting a positive Plus/Minus in four of his past five games. Giddey has averaged 1.07 DraftKings points per minute, and he’s coming off a season-high 34.7 minutes in his last game.
Power Forward
Stud
Christian Wood has power forward eligibility on FanDuel, which is where he’s most valuable on Thursday. His 10 Pro Trends are tied for the top mark at the position, and his $7,900 salary comes with a Bargain Rating of 95%. Wood dominated with 51.7 FanDuel points in his last outing, but his price has not budged for Thursday’s matchup vs. the Suns. Wood has historically averaged a Plus/Minus of +4.61 with a comparable price tag.
Value
Jae’Sean Tate’s playing time has been all over the place recently. He’s logged 35.2 minutes or more in two of his past five games, but he’s also played 17.7 or fewer in two games. That makes him tough to trust for cash games, but it does give him plenty of ceiling for guaranteed prize pools. He’s responded with at least 32.6 FanDuel points in his two big-minute games recently, so he has upside when gets playing time.
Fast Break
Darius Bazley has been priced down to just $4,600 on DraftKings, resulting in a Bargain Rating of 93%. That makes him a nice buy-low option. He’s averaged 0.90 DraftKings points per minute to start the year, and he’s currently projected for around 30 minutes in our NBA Models.
Robert Williams is another center that you can use at PF on FanDuel. He’s been a major disappointment to start the year, but he’s still averaged 0.99 FanDuel points per minute. He’s also coming off 30.1 minutes in his last outing, while his salary has decreased by -$1,300 on FanDuel over his past two games.
Center
Stud
Joel Embiid struggled a bit on Wednesday. He was just 6-18 from the field and 1-5 from 3-point range, and he also had four turnovers. Still, he racked up 41.3 FanDuel points and posted his second-highest usage rate of the year. Embiid has been an absolute monster with Harris and Simmons off the court since the start of last season, so he warrants consideration as a stud on Thursday.
However, keep in mind that this is the second leg of a back-to-back. That means the 76ers could choose to rest Embiid, so make sure to monitor the news heading into lineup lock.
Value
Paying up at center is recommended on Thursday. There are plenty of strong options to consider, and no one is really popping as a great value play. However, JaVale McGee could be an exception if Deandre Ayton is unable to suit up. He started in place of Ayton in the Suns’ last game, and he scored 18 points in just 19.2 minutes. McGee has averaged 1.15 FanDuel points per minute this season, so he doesn’t need a ton of playing time to potentially return value.
Fast Break
Rudy Gobert has been an absolute rebounding machine this season. He’s averaging more than 17 boards per game, and he leads the league in both rebounds per game and rebound rate. Overall, he’s averaged 1.41 FanDuel points per minute, which is one of the top marks at the point guard position. He owns a Bargain Rating of 87% on FanDuel, and his 10 Pro Trends are tied for the most at the position.
Clint Capela would be an interesting pivot off Embiid and Gobert. He’s an even better value on FanDuel given his Bargain Rating of 94%, so he’s underpriced at $6,400. Capela has historically averaged a Plus/Minus of +5.90 with a comparable salary.
