NBA DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer: Thursday (3/7)

Most Thursdays tend to be lighter, but that’s not the case here. We have seven games making up this Thursday card, and that’s my favorite number of games from a DFS standpoint. Anything above 10 games is too much, while anything fewer than five isn’t enough. That’s why 7-8 games is the sweet spot, and that’s what we have here. With that in mind, let’s dive into this perfect slate!

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

NBA DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer:

Schedule and Odds

• BKN at DET (BKN -2) O/U: 217
• MIN at IND (IND -1) O/U: 229
• MIA at DAL (DAL -5) O/U: 228
• TOR at PHX (PHX -10) O/U: 232
• BOS at DEN (DEN -1) O/U: 221
• CHI at GSW (GSW -6.5) O/U: 223
• SAS at SAC (SAC -8.5) O/U: 236

Check out our consensus game odds and the odds from each sportsbook at BettingPros.

Injury Report

• Cam Thomas (ankle) OUT
• Ben Simmons (back) OUT
• Tyler Herro (knee) OUT
• Luka Doncic (ankle) Probable
• Scottie Barnes (hand) OUT
• Devin Booker (ankle) OUT
• Jakob Poeltl (finger) OUT
• Victor Wembanyama (shoulder)
• Karl-Anthony Towns (knee) OUT
• Jaylen Brown (knee) Questionable
• Cameron Johnson (ankle) OUT
• Bennedict Mathurin (shoulder) OUT
• Ochai Agbaji (knee) Questionable
• Bruce Brown (knee) OUT
• Day’Ron Sharpe (ankle) Questionable

Core Plays

Anthony Edwards (SG/SF – MIN): $8,800 DraftKings, $9,300 FanDuel
This was a tough slate to pick core options, but Edwards is easy since KAT is out. This youngster is having a breakout season for the top-seeded T-Wolves, averaging 44 DraftKings points per game. His biggest asset is the matchup with Indiana. The Pacers play at the fastest pace in the NBA while ranked 28th in total defense. When they played in December, ANT had 53 fantasy points!

Jimmy Butler (SF/PF – MIA): $8,300 DraftKings, $9,000 FanDuel
It’s a little early for Playoff Jimmy, but he’s starting to find that form that carried Miami to the Finals last year. Butler has scored at least 49 DraftKings points in six of his previous seven outings. It’s surprising he’s still sitting around $8K behind that type of production, and we definitely want to use him against Dallas. The Mavs sit 23rd in total defense while allowing the sixth-most fantasy points to opposing forwards. In their last matchup, JB had 61 DK points!

Dennis Schroder (PG – BKN): $6,100 DraftKings, $6,600 FanDuel
Dennis the Menace was relegated to bench duties in his first two weeks with the Nets, but he’s the starting point guard now that Thomas and Simmons are sidelined. That’s led to Schroder scoring at least 32 DraftKings points in four straight fixtures. That’s what he did with the Raptors earlier in the year, and we love that he faces a 27th-ranked Detroit defense. We saw Schroder score 45 fantasy points the last time he faced this pitiful Pistons team!

Cash Game Considerations

Luka Doncic (PG – DAL): $12,200 DraftKings, $12,600 FanDuel
Luka is playing at a different level than everyone else right now. The Slovenian is leading the league with 66 DraftKings points per game but has been even better as of late. In fact, Luka has at least 71 fantasy points in nine of his last 12 outings. That’s historic, and it makes Doncic impossible to avoid as long as he’s posting numbers like those. Miami is a tough matchup for most, but Doncic dropped 65 and 72 DK points in their last two matchups.

Nikola Jokic (C – DEN): $11,400 DraftKings, $12,000 FanDuel
The Joker isn’t the best option in DFS anymore, but he’s still in the top three. The big man is on his way to another MVP, averaging 60 DraftKings points per game. He’s also done that while establishing a 50-point floor, and you know he’ll be motivated in a premier game against the Celtics. Jokic is averaging nearly 70 fantasy points per game in their last two matchups!

Domantas Sabonis (PF/C – SAC): $10,600 DraftKings, $10,800 FanDuel
We had Domas in here yesterday, and we’re going back to him for all the same reasons after his monster night. The big man is up to 44 straight double-doubles and is about half an assist shy of posting triple-double averages in that span. He’s flirting with 60 DK points per game in that stretch and is one of the safest bets with the guaranteed double-double every night. A matchup with San Antonio is the icing on the cake, with the Spurs sitting 24th in defensive efficiency and 25th in points allowed.

GPP Targets

Kelly Olynyk (PF/C – TOR): $6,800 DraftKings, $6,500 FanDuel
It’s taken numerous moves to make Oly fantasy relevant, but injuries to Jakob Poeltl and Scottie Barnes have forced Olynyk into a 30-minute role as a starter. When this stat-stuffer is given over 30 minutes a night, Oly averages 37 DraftKings points per game. That’s what we’ve seen in the past, and he needs to be above $7K on both sites if he’s going to be one of the primary playmakers for this shorthanded Toronto team.

Keegan Murray (PF – SAC): $5,800 DraftKings, $6,600 FanDuel
This sharpshooter can be frustrating with his volatility, but we love him in premier matchups. That’s what we have here, with the Spurs surrendering the third-most fantasy points to opposing power forwards. We love that when evaluating Keegan’s recent form, scoring at least 31 DraftKings points in four of his last five outings. We’ve also seen flashes of a 60-point ceiling earlier in the year, and that sort of ability makes him intriguing against one of the worst defenses in the league.

Value Plays

Tre Jones (PG – SAS): $5,300 DraftKings, $5,500 FanDuel
Jones has been stellar since taking over as the starting point guard in San Antonio, scoring at least 25 DraftKings points in all but a few games since earning this role two months ago. Tre also totals a 31-point average in this newfound role despite posting two duds in his most recent outings. Those stinkers have lowered his price enough, and we don’t mind that he faces a 22nd-ranked Kings defense.

Ausar Thompson (SF – DET): $5,400 DraftKings, $6,300 FanDuel
Thompson has been tremendous whenever he’s started this year, and he’s locked into this lineup since Detroit traded half of their roster at the deadline. The rookie has started nearly 40 games this year, averaging almost 30 DraftKings points per game in that expanded role. We expect him to get better as the season closes, and that increased workload should bode well against a Brooklyn team that ranks 25th in total defense over the last month.

Alex Caruso (PG/SG – CHI): $5,300 DraftKings, $5,900 FanDuel
AC has showcased a 25-point floor since entering the starting lineup, and it should continue since Zach LaVine is out for the year. This defensive stud is also averaging close to 30 DK points per game as a starter and should play 35 minutes to guard Stephen Curry. We saw AC compile 38 fantasy points in his final matchup with the Warriors last year, and it looks even better since Golden State ranks 19th in defensive efficiency this season. Don’t overlook his masterpiece on Wednesday either, collecting 11 points, three rebounds, four assists, four steals, and three blocks in a defensive showcase.

Advantageous Pricing

• Rudy Gobert (C – MIN): $7,500 DraftKings, $8,600 FanDuel
• TJ McConnell (PG – IND): $4,700 DraftKings, $5,800 FanDuel
• Kyle Anderson (SF/PF – MIN): $4,300 DraftKings, $5,500 FanDuel
• Dennis Smith (PG/SG – BKN): $4,300 DraftKings, $5,300 FanDuel
• Dereck Lively (C – DAL): $4,500 DraftKings, $5,500 FanDuel
• Daniel Gafford (C – DAL): $4,400 DraftKings, $5,800 FanDuel
• Bradley Beal (SG – PHX): $6,900 DraftKings, $7,900 FanDuel
• Andre Drummond (C – CHI): $5,700 DraftKings, $6,800 FanDuel
• Kristaps Porzingis (PF/C – BOS): $7,400 DraftKings, $8,400 FanDuel
• Derrick White (PG/SG – BOS): $6,200 DraftKings, $7,600 FanDuel
• Jrue Holiday (PG/SG – BOS): $6,000 DraftKings, $7,000 FanDuel
• De’Aaron Fox (PG – SAC): $8,500 DraftKings, $7,500 FanDuel
• Zach Collins (PF/C – SAS): $4,300 DraftKings, $6,100 FanDuel

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