Thursday features a six-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 projections.
Also, don’t forget that for large-field tournaments, you can utilize our Lineup Optimizer to effortlessly create up to 300 lineups or use our Lineup Builder if you like to hand-build your lineups.
You can also use our SimLabs Lineup Generator, a tool that creates the most user-friendly lineup generation process.
Note: Projections and Leverage Scores/Ratings may change throughout the day after this article is posted. The NBA DFS landscape changes quickly.
Consult the NBA Player Models directly for any updates as we get closer to lock.
Stud
The Pacers are on the second leg of a back-to-back on Thursday after suffering a heartbreaking defeat to the Lakers. They made a nice comeback in the fourth quarter only to lose on a tip-in by LeBron James.
Fortunately, they’re in a good spot to right the ship. They’re taking on the Wizards, who have been one of the worst teams in basketball this season. They rank 28th in defensive efficiency and fourth in pace, and no team has allowed more points per game. Indiana is currently implied for 123.75 points, which is the second-highest mark on the slate.
Tyrese Haliburton is coming off his second straight game with at least 50 DraftKings points, and he remains priced at a discount at $8,700. His price tag results in a 74% Bargain Rating, so he is definitely viable in an elite matchup.
Value
Anthony Black is getting his chance to run the show in Orlando. He was selected with the No. 6 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, but he has spent most of his tenure as a backup. However, Jalen Suggs and Cole Anthony are both out of the lineup with injuries, which has allowed Black to take on a larger role. He’s thrived as the team’s starting point guard, racking up at least 29.5 DraftKings points in three straight games.
Black is projected for another 28 minutes on Thursday, and he’s increased his production to 0.96 DraftKings points per minute over the past month. He is way too cheap at $4,000 on DraftKings, and his current price tag comes with a 93% Bargain Rating.
Fast Break
Davion Mitchell is another elite value target at the position. He hasn’t been quite as good as Black from a per-minute standpoint, but he’s projected for 32 minutes Thursday vs. the Hawks. That’s a ton for someone priced at just $4,000, and players with comparable salaries and minute projections have historically averaged a Plus/Minus of +3.65 (per the Trends tool). The Hawks are also a fantastic matchup, playing at the second-fastest pace in the league this season.
Ty Jerome is questionable for Cleveland, but he could pick up a few additional minutes if he’s able to suit up. Evan Mobley will get the night off for rest purposes, and Jerome has averaged an elite 1.22 DraftKings points per minute with Mobley off the floor this season. There’s some blowout risk vs. the Spurs, but the Cavs’ players also have massive upside when on the floor. Cleveland leads the slate with a 125.5 implied team total, and San Antonio is 28th in defensive efficiency over their past 15 games.
Don’t forget to check out our NBA SimLabs Lineup Generator to create advanced DFS lineups using the power of simulation:
NBA DFS Shooting Guard Picks
Stud
Dyson Daniels has blossomed into a fantastic NBA player for the Hawks. He was acquired from the Pelicans in exchange for Dejounte Murray – in addition to two first-round picks – in one of the best moves of the offseason. It’s not exactly the heist that the Thunder pulled off when they traded Paul George to the Clippers, but it’s a move that looks really bad in retrospect.
Daniels is coming off 54.0 DraftKings points in his last game, and he’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in four of his past five outings. He’s averaged 1.11 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, yet his salary has remained stagnant at $7,100. It results in a 93% Bargain Rating, making him too cheap for this matchup vs. the Heat.
Value
The Bulls are somehow poised to make it to the Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament despite trading away Zach LaVine before the deadline. That’s mostly due to how bad the bottom of the Eastern Conference is, but the Bulls have also held their own recently. They’ve won 10 of their past 15 games, and they’re eighth in Net Rating over that time frame.
However, Chicago could be a bit shorthanded on Thursday. They’re already playing without Tre Jones and Ayo Dosunmu, and Josh Giddey, Lonzo Ball, and Nikola Vucevic are all questionable.
It opens the door for Dalen Terry to see an expanded workload. Terry has scored at least 21.75 DraftKings points in back-to-back games, and he’s coming off nearly 30 minutes in his last outing. He’s projected for another 26 minutes on Thursday, and his price tag has yet to adjust to his new role. He’s still priced near the minimum at just $3,200 on DraftKings, and he owns the top projected Plus/Minus on the entire slate. If Giddey and Ball are also ruled out, Terry would move into must-play territory.
Fast Break
Coby White is also worth some consideration for the Bulls. He’s taken over as the team’s top offensive option following the LaVine trade, and he’s posted an average Plus/Minus of +7.87 over his past 10 games. He’s increased his production to 1.23 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he’s scored at least 47.75 DraftKings points in three of his past five games. White is up to $8,300 vs. the Lakers, but he still has some upside at that price tag.
Max Strus has struggled recently, which has caused his price tag to dip to just $4,300. He has some buy-low appeal at that figure. He could pick up a few additional minutes with Mobley out of the lineup, and Strus has still averaged 0.87 DraftKings points per minute for the year. He’s a cheap way to get exposure to the Cavs’ massive team total.
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NBA DFS Small Forward Picks
Stud
Andrew Wiggins continues to thrive in his new home. He was acquired by the Heat as part of the Jimmy Butler deal, and he’s averaged more than 20 points per game for his new team. He’s scored at least 33.75 DraftKings points in five straight games, and he’s displayed a ceiling of more than 60. He even managed to return value in his last outing despite playing just 28 minutes in a blowout win.
Overall, Wiggins has averaged 1.20 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he’s projected for 32 minutes in a fantastic matchup on Thursday. He has the fifth-highest ceiling projection and third-best projected Plus/Minus at the position, making him an excellent combination of value and upside.
Value
The Spurs are merely playing out the string at this point, and they’re spreading out the minutes pretty evenly across their roster. That benefits a guy like Julian Champagnie. He’s logged at least 22.5 minutes in back-to-back games, and Champagnie is capable of filling up the box score whenever he’s on the floor. He’s averaged 0.87 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he went off for 38.25 DraftKings points vs. the Raptors two games ago.
Champagnie is projected for another 21 minutes vs. the Cavaliers, which is enough to make him fantasy-relevant. Only Terry owns a better projected Plus/Minus at the position.
Fast Break
Sticking with the Spurs, Keldon Johnson has one of the higher ceilings in the San Antonio frontcourt. His minutes have been volatile recently, but he’s averaged 1.08 DraftKings points per minute over the past month. When he hits his minute ceiling, he has the potential to put together some big performances.
Alex Caruso has played sparingly for the Thunder this season, but he’s seen at least 23.3 minutes in back-to-back games. Caruso has always been an excellent per-minute producer, so it’s not surprising that he’s taken advantage. He’s scored at least 33.5 DraftKings points in both outings, and the Thunder are in a pace-up spot Thursday vs. the Grizzlies. Make sure to keep an eye on the team’s injury report. If Jalen Williams and Cason Wallace are out of the lineup – both players are listed as questionable – Caruso would become a very appealing value option.
NBA DFS Power Forward Picks
Stud
Jaren Jackson Jr. has not looked like his usual self recently. He’s averaged just 0.96 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, which is a massive decrease from his 1.28 mark for the year. Things aren’t going to get any easier for him on Thursday against OKC’s league-best defense.
Still, Jackson’s upside is undeniable, especially with Ja Morant out of the lineup. Jackson has seen a +3.94% bump to his usage rate with Morant off the court, resulting in an average of 1.39 DraftKings points per minute. He’s averaged 1.35 DraftKings points per minute in 29 full games without Morant, and he’s capable of going off against anyone. The tough matchup and recent string of poor performances should keep his ownership in check, making him an interesting contrarian option for tournaments.
Value
Power forward is one of the weaker value positions on this slate. However, Matas Buzelis has some upside at $4,500. He’s put together some big performances of late, going for at least 34.25 DraftKings points in two of his past four outings. He’s averaged 0.86 DraftKings points per minute for the year, and he’s expected to see 26 minutes in a juicy matchup vs. the Hawks.
Buzelis is simply too cheap at $4,500 on DraftKings, resulting in a 91% Bargain Rating.
Fast Break
Paolo Banchero is a bit pricier than usual at $9,900, but he has the top ceiling projection at the position. He’s also been very consistent of late, scoring at least 48.5 DraftKings points in six of his past seven outings. No one at power forward is projected for more than his 36 minutes, and he’s averaged 1.35 DraftKings points per minute over the past month.
Harrison Barnes is another potential option for the Spurs. He’s not quite as productive as Champagnie and Johnson on a per-minute basis, but he’s very affordable at just $3,700. He doesn’t need to do much to pay off his current salary.
NBA DFS Center Picks
Stud
Jarrett Allen should be the biggest winner of the Mobley absence. His playing time has been down since the team acquired De’Andre Hunter, and he’s played less than 30 minutes in four straight games. That shouldn’t be an issue on Thursday.
Allen should also be more productive on a per-minute basis. He’s seen a +2.41% usage bump with Mobley off the floor this season, resulting in an average of 1.26 DraftKings points per minute. Even if he doesn’t play more than 30 minutes vs. the Spurs, he should still be able to provide value at $6,800.
Value
Tristan Vukcevic continues to absolutely smash in limited minutes for the Wizards. He had another 33.0 DraftKings points in the team’s last outing, and he’s averaged 1.28 DraftKings points per minute for the year. He might not play quite as much as he did in his last game – he’s currently projected for 20 minutes in our NBA Models – but that’s still enough for him to do damage. He’s criminally underpriced at $4,200, resulting in a 96% Bargain Rating.
Fast Break
Kel’el Ware isn’t a perfect fit with Miami’s current lineup. Playing him next to Bam Adebayo isn’t ideal, but Ware is simply too good to keep off the court at this point. He’s logged at least 28 minutes in four straight games, and he’s scored at least 29.0 DraftKings points in all of them. He’s averaged better than a fantasy point per minute for the year, so there’s no reason to expect much different vs. the Hawks.
Myles Turner has been a non-factor for much of the season, but he broke out of a slump with 39.5 DraftKings points vs. the Lakers on Wednesday. He draws a fantastic matchup Thursday vs. the Wizards, resulting in a +2.42 Opponent Plus/Minus, so perhaps he can keep the momentum rolling.
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