Joel Bartilotta | Thu, Jan 27th 2022, 6:20am EST

NBA DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer: Thursday (1/27)

That Wednesday card was wild! It felt like a successful day for the article, and I’m really in the groove right now with the everyday grind. That’s what it takes to be successful in NBA DFS, though, because if you take a day or two off, it feels like you missed a month of critical information. The good news is that not much work needs to be done for this Thursday slate, so let’s get started!

We’ve had 19 games over the last two days, so a letdown was inevitable. That leaves us with just two games on this Thursday card and very little to discuss. With that said, we have four good teams in action, and it should lead to a fun slate. With that in mind, let’s get into it!

Get a $5 bonus when you make your first deposit at FanDuel

Schedule and Odds

LAL at PHI (PHI -1.5) O/U: 217.5

This is the superstar game! We have four elite options to pick from, and it should be a tight game between two talented teams!

MIN at GSW (GSW -5.5) O/U: 228.5

This spread surprised me, but Minnesota has been excellent recently while Golden State has been faltering. It should be the higher-scoring game of the two, but it definitely has some blowout potential if the Dubs get rolling.

Check out our consensus game odds as well as the odds from each sportsbook at BettingPros

Injury Report

Ben Simmons (Personal) OUT
Seth Curry (ankle) OUT
Danny Green (hip) OUT
Patrick Beverley (ankle) Questionable
Draymond Green (back) OUT
James Wiseman (knee) OUT
Shake Milton (back) OUT
Andre Iguodala (hip) OUT

Core Plays

LeBron James (SF – LAL): $11,100 DraftKings, $10,700 FanDuel
LeBron is arguably the greatest player of all time, and he’s in one of the best stretches of his storied career! LBJ has scored at least 42 DraftKings points in 22 of his last 23 games, averaging 30.9 points, 8.9 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1.4 blocks per game in that span. Those are silly numbers, making him impossible to fade on a two-game slate.

Stephen Curry (PG – GSW): $10,300 DraftKings, $9,500 FanDuel
Chef Curry is in one of the worst shooting slumps of his career, but it’s lowered his price just enough to use him here. Even with the “struggles”, Curry has scored at least 27 fantasy points in all but one game this season en route to a 47-point average. That’s huge from a $10K player, especially since Chef Curry faces a 19th-ranked T’Wolves defense. In their one meeting this season, Curry collected 25 points, five rebounds, and six assists in a standard MVP performance.

Cash Game Considerations

Joel Embiid (C – PHI): $11,400 DraftKings, $11.400 FanDuel
This dude is the hottest player in the NBA right now. Over his last 18 games, Joel is averaging 34.2 points, 10.6 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 0.8 steals, and 1.6 blocks per game. That equates to a 57-point average on DK, the second-highest total in the NBA in that span. Getting to face the Lakers should make him even more motivated, particularly with LA ranked third in pace and 27th in points allowed.

Kevon Looney (C – GSW): $4,700 DraftKings, $4,900 FanDuel
It’s weird to call Looney a cash game play, but he’s just that below $5K. All you need is 25 fantasy points from someone this cheap to be a cash game option, and Loon is a near guarantee for that with his expanded role. Kevon has been asked to do more with Draymond out of the lineup, averaging 27 DK points per game across 24 minutes a night over his last 11 outings. He’s actually cracked 32 or more DK points in four of those, and if he does that, Loon would be a lock in every optimal lineup. Not to mention, he should play 25-30 minutes at ease to oppose a guy like KAT.

GPP Targets

Anthony Davis (PF/C – LAL): $9,800 DraftKings, $8,900 FanDuel
AD has one of the biggest upsides in the NBA, and it makes him an elite GPP option on every slate. He’s usually too high-end to include in this section but coming off an injury makes him a far riskier option. In any case, this guy has a legitimate 70-point upside and has a diminished price because he’s been out for the last month. We’re encouraged that he played 25 minutes in his return, though, and it looks like he could creep closer to 30 minutes here.

Klay Thompson (SG/SF – GSW): $5,300 DraftKings, $6,200 FanDuel
Klay is in the same boat as AD. These two can be some of the best players in the NBA, but their injuries have limited them big time. The good news with Klay is that he played a season-high 26 minutes in the Warriors most recent outing. If he gets that playing time at this price with his current role, Thompson should be closer to $7K. Not to mention, Minnesota owns a 26th OPRK against opposing shooting guards this season.

Value Plays

Malik Monk (SG – LAL): $4,500 DraftKings, $4,400 FanDuel
Monk has been all over the map recently, but this pricing is silly. He’s been playing at a $6K level for two months now, averaging 26 DraftKings points per game across his last 25 outings. He’s actually surpassed 31 DK points in 12 of those, and that’s simply impossible to find from a $4,500 player. He should also have the best matchup on the floor, with James, Westbrook, and Davis swallowing up Philly’s best defenders.

Matisse Thybulle (SF – PHI): $3,600 DraftKings, $4,300 FanDuel
This guy is a horrible per-minute producer, but it’s hard to overlook his role with Green, Milton, and Curry all out of the lineup. Matisse has played at least 26 minutes in nine of his last 10 games, surpassing 31 minutes in six of those. That alone makes him tough to fade in this price range, especially since he might have to play extra time to oppose all of the superstars on the Lakers. Any $4K player playing 30-35 minutes is a great play because they’ll walk into value through sheer volume.

Advantageous Pricing

Stephen Curry (PG – GSW): $10,300 DraftKings, $9,500 FanDuel
Anthony Davis (PF/C – LAL): $9,800 DraftKings, $8,900 FanDuel
Klay Thompson (SG/SF – GSW): $5,300 DraftKings, $6,200 FanDuel
Tobias Harris (PF – PHI): $7,300 DraftKings, $8,100 FanDuel
Carmeko Anthony (SF/PF – LAL): $4,300 DraftKings, $5,200 FanDuel
Matisse Thybulle (SF – PHI): $3,600 DraftKings, $4,300 FanDuel