Yesterday was wild! Watching nearly every team play was chaotic, but I can’t express just how much I enjoyed watching all of those games! That was the main course after an appetizer on Tuesday, and we’re having dessert on this Thursday slate. We only have four teams in action, but it’s four clubs that could be playing come June. With that in mind, let’s look at this fun card!

View the best player prop bets for tonight’s slate with our NBA Prop Bet Cheat Sheet

NBA DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer: Thursday

Schedule and Odds

• PHI at MIL (MIL -6.5) O/U: 225
• PHX at LAL (LAL -6) O/U: 223.5

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

Injury Report

• James Harden (personal) OUT
• Jarred Vanderbilt (heel) OUT
• Bradley Beal (back) Doubtful
• Devin Booker (foot) Doubtful

Core Plays

Kevin Durant (SF/PF – PHX): $8,900 DraftKings, $9,800 FanDuel
It looks like Bradley Beal and Devin Booker will sit here, and that means KD should feast. We all know this guy can play at an MVP level, but it’s scary to think what he could do with two studs sidelined. Durant could be looking at 35 minutes, 25 shots, and a 30% usage rate as the only true playmaker on this roster. He should also be motivated against a team like LA, with the Lakers ranked 20th in total defense last year.

Anthony Davis (PF/C – LAL): $8,800 DraftKings, $10,300 FanDuel
Davis was disappointing in the opener, but seeing him below $9,000 on DraftKings is bizarre. What makes it even more strange is that LeBron James is looking at a limited workload. That means AD should be the go-to guy in this offense, and we’ve seen him be a five-figure player in that sort of role in the past. He averaged 52 DraftKings points per game last season and posted a 62-point average in three meetings with the Suns.

Cash Game Considerations

Joel Embiid (C – PHI): $10,300 DraftKings, $11,200 FanDuel
With James Harden sitting out, Embiid is going to be impossible to avoid. Of course, it didn’t really matter whether Harden played or not, because we’re talking about the reigning MVP. Embiid was one of the league leaders with 56 fantasy points per game last season and saw his usage skyrocket whenever Harden was off the floor. He’s also mauled Milwaukee throughout his career, averaging nearly 60 DK points per game against them over the last five years.

Giannis Antetokounmpo (PF/C – MIL): $10,200 DraftKings, $12,000 FanDuel
Giannis has been one of the safest players in DFS throughout his career, and it will continue to be that way. This MVP candidate led the slate with 57 DraftKings points per game last season, and finished second to Nikola Jokic among everyone. He’s also established a 30-point floor, and we’re not really worried about the Damian Lillard addition. Much like Embiid, Giannis has feasted in these matchups, averaging over 65 DK points per game against Philly in that same span.

GPP Targets

Kelly Oubre Jr. (SF/PF – PHI): $5,700 DraftKings, $5,300 FanDuel
With Harden sitting, Oubre looks like he might be starting for his debut in Philly. People forget just how good this guy used to be, with Oubre typically around $7K on both sites when he was playing for Washington and Phoenix. That’s encouraging, since he averaged 33 DK points per game last season, which is quite the total from a sub-$6K player. There’s simply no competition for Oubre, and he should be locked into 30 minutes in what could be a bounce-back season.

Pat Connaughton (SF – MIL): $4,600 DraftKings, $4,100 FanDuel
This one concerns me a bit, but something tells me Connaughton will have a breakout year. This guy has always flashed moments of brilliance in the past, and it’s nice that he doesn’t have to compete with Grayson Allen for minutes anymore. That means Patty should play 25 minutes a night, and he can provide a 25-point average in that type of role. That’s all you can hope for with a $4,600 player!

Value Plays

Tyrese Maxey (PG – PHI): $7,500 DraftKings, $7,700 FanDuel
This is one of the best plays on this slate. Maxey has been a great player since being drafted, but he will be unstoppable with Harden out of the picture. Maxey will be the primary ball-handler, and that means 35 minutes, 20 shots, and a 30% usage rate. He can average over 40 DraftKings points in that type of role, and this might be the cheapest he’ll be all season if Harden continues to sit.

Jusuf Nurkic (C – PHX): $6,100 DraftKings, $7,900 FanDuel
Not enough people discussed the Nurk addition for Phoenix. He’s a gritty center that gives this team a presence down low, and he showed that in the opener. The big man had 14 points and 14 rebounds and should be utilized a ton in the post. That’s on par with the 32-point average we saw last season, and he’ll likely get a price bump if this production continues, especially with Beal and Book out. Not to mention, LA posted a 27th OPRK against opposing centers last season.

Advantageous Pricing

Anthony Davis (PF/C – LAL): $8,800 DraftKings, $10,300 FanDuel

Giannis Antetokounmpo (PF/C – MIL): $10,200 DraftKings, $12,000 FanDuel

Jusuf Nurkic (C – PHX): $6,100 DraftKings, $7,900 FanDuel

LeBron James (SF/PF – LAL): $8,700 DraftKings, $10,100 FanDuel

Austin Reaves (SG/SF – LAL): $5,600 DraftKings, $6,900 FanDuel

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