Thursday features a three-game slate starting at 7:30 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
Thursday’s slate is a small one, so the stud options are limited. That said, you have a few different options at your disposal at point guard. That includes Luka Doncic, who is coming off back-to-back monster performances. He racked up 67.25 DraftKings points over 38.7 minutes two games ago, and he followed that up with 72.5 DraftKings points in his last outing. Overall, Doncic has averaged 1.58 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, which is the top mark at the position by a sizable margin.
Doncic also leads the position with nine Pro Trends on DraftKings, where his $10,400 salary comes with a Bargain Rating of 75%.
Value
Cameron Payne has a wide range of outcomes on most nights. He doesn’t typically play many minutes, so he needs to be highly productive when he’s on the floor to pay off his price tag. Luckily, that’s something Payne is capable of. He’s averaged 1.01 DraftKings points per minute this season, so he can pay off his $4,200 price tag with limited playing time.
Fast Break
Devonte’ Graham is currently questionable for the Pelicans, but he’s another potential source of value if he can suit up. Graham is currently projected for 32 minutes in our NBA Models, and he’s averaged a strong 0.86 DraftKings points per minute this season. He’s logged at least 33.1 minutes in two of his past three games, and he’s scored at least 28.25 DraftKings points in each of them.
Kemba Walker stands out as one of the strongest options at the position on FanDuel, where his $5,500 salary comes with a Bargain Rating of 91%. He returned to the lineup following an eight-game absence in the Knicks’ last contest, and he started and played 29.6 minutes. He racked up 29.4 FanDuel points in that outing, and he should see a few additional minutes as he gets further removed from his injury.
Shooting Guard
Stud
It’s rare when one of the highest-priced players at a position also stands out as one of the best values, but that’s the case with Devin Booker on Thursday. He’s been on a tear recently, scoring at least 30 points in three straight games, and he finished with 71.75 DraftKings points in his last contest. That said, his price has actually decreased over that time frame. He’s down to just $8,300 for Thursday’s matchup vs. the Mavericks, resulting in a Bargain Rating of 83%.
Value
Chris Duarte returned to the Pacers’ lineup three games ago, and he’s been a nice source of value. He’s played at least 32.3 minutes in each of his past two contests, and he’s scored 26.25 DraftKings points or more in both. That includes a massive 47.75 DraftKings-point performance, giving him a strong ceiling for his price tag. Overall, Duarte has averaged 0.94 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, so he should be able to pay off his $4,300 salary pretty easily.
Fast Break
Klay Thompson is coming off his best game of the year in his last outing, finishing with 35.75 DraftKings points over 22.3 minutes. His playing time continues to be capped, but he’s been priced to a point where that’s not a huge issue. He’s down to just $5,300 on DraftKings for Thursday’s matchup vs. the Pacers, resulting in a Bargain Rating of 95%. The Warriors also lead the slate in implied team total, making them one of the best teams to target.
R.J. Barrett is coming off a poor showing in his last game, but his fantasy arrow is clearly pointing up. The return of Walker didn’t really impact his minutes and usage – he posted a 29.5% usage rate over 37.1 minutes in his last game – but he struggled with missed shots and turnovers. He’s a prime candidate for some positive regression on Thursday, making him very appealing at just $6,500 on FanDuel.
Small Forward
Stud
If you’ve been reading these breakdowns for any period of time, you know I’m a huge fan of Josh Hart. He’s an underappreciated fantasy asset with the potential to stuff the stat sheet. He’s one of the best rebounding wings in basketball – he’s averaged 7.5 rebounds per game this season – and he’s also averaging career-highs in points and assists per game. Add it all up, and he’s averaged 1.00 DraftKings points per minute this season. Hart’s price tag has also decreased by -$700 over the past two games, so he’s a strong buy-low candidate.
Value
Jeremy Lamb has struggled to stay healthy during his tenure with the Pacers, but he’s back in the lineup for the time being. He’s coming off 24.7 minutes in his last outing, and he’s projected for a similar workload on Thursday. That makes him an appealing option at the absolute minimum on DraftKings. Historically, min-priced players have averaged a Plus/Minus of +3.14 with a comparable minute projection (per the Trends tool). Lamb has also averaged 0.92 DraftKings points per minute this season, so he’s a bit more capable than the typical min-priced player.
Fast Break
Brandon Ingram has struggled recently, posting a negative Plus/Minus in six of his past eight games. That’s caused his price tag to plummet to just $8,000 on DraftKings and $8,200 on FanDuel, which makes him an attractive buy-low option. Ingram remains one of the best per-minute producers at the position, leading all of Thursday’s small forwards with an average of 1.20 DraftKings points per minute over the past month.
Torrey Craig is another potential value option for the Pacers. He’s not quite as cheap as Lamb, but he should see a few additional minutes. That makes him a bit safer.
Power Forward
Stud
Kristaps Porzingis is still working his way back from an injury, but his playing time is trending in the right direction. He logged 33.5 minutes in his last outing, which is more than enough for Porzingis to potentially pay off his current price tag. He’s averaged a position-high 1.31 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and his $7,600 price tag comes with a Bargain Rating of 88%. This will probably be our last chance to target Porzingis before his price jumps back into the $9,000 range.
Value
Jonathan Kuminga moved into the Warriors’ starting lineup in their last game, and he could continue to hold that spot for as long as Draymond Green is sidelined. That makes him a very appealing value option. Kuminga has averaged 1.00 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he’s scored at least 26.25 DraftKings points in each of his past four games. He should be penciled in for at least 25 minutes whether he starts or comes off the bench, making him underpriced at $4,300.
Fast Break
Like Porzingis, Julius Randle has also seen his price tag dip recently. He’s not quite as effective as Porzingis on a per-minute basis, but he makes up for it with one of the largest workloads in the league. He played 39.0 minutes in the Knicks’ last contest, and he’s logged at least 37.5 minutes in three of their past four games.
Mikal Bridges has dual SF/PF eligibility on FanDuel, and that’s where he’s most useful on today’s slate. Power forward doesn’t have a ton of appealing options outside of Kuminga, so locking in the safety of Bridges has more appeal than usual. He’s a mediocre producer on a per-minute basis, but he’s projected for 35 minutes at just $4,700.
Center
Stud
Jonas Valanciunas is really your only option if you’re interested in paying up at center. He’s the only player priced above $5,200 on DraftKings.
Luckily, Valanciunas does have some merit on Thursday. His per-minute production has been a bit down recently, but he remains one of the best in the business in that department. He’s averaged 1.27 DraftKings points per minute this season, and he’s coming off 33.3 minutes in his last outing. He responded with 46.5 DraftKings points, and his price tag has decreased to $7,700 on DraftKings after peaking at $9,600.
Valanciunas is an even stronger option on FanDuel, where his $7,300 salary comes with a Bargain Rating of 87%.
Value
The Suns have ruled out Deandre Ayton, which creates an interesting situation at center. JaVale McGee and Bismack Biyombo have both provided value with Ayton out of the lineup recently, with Biyombo coming off the better performance in the Suns’ last game.
Still, I give McGee the edge on Thursday. Both players saw roughly the same number of minutes on Monday, but McGee has been slightly better on a per-minute basis this season. He’s currently projected for 23 minutes in our NBA Models, and he’s averaged 25.29 DraftKings points with a comparable minute projection.
Fast Break
Biyombo is definitely a viable option on Thursday, as well. Both players are projected for roughly the same amount of minutes, and Biyombo has actually been better than McGee on a per-minute basis over the past month. Ultimately, playing both players together on DraftKings is a viable strategy.
Mitchell Robinson is also worth considering on FanDuel at just $4,900. His price tag comes with a Bargain Rating of 85%, and he’s displayed a solid ceiling recently. He’s gone for at least 39.0 FanDuel points in two of his past five games.
