Welcome to the Thursday NBA DFS slate. I hope you had a profitable week as we continue on this season. We only have a four-game slate tonight, so you may have to dig for some value but make sure to monitor injury news as there are still a handful of questionable tags across the board.
Late swapping and monitoring injury news is the perfect way to stay ahead of the field in DFS, no matter how big the slate. In the end, it’s about making the right choices and picking your spots, which is why I’m here. Let’s break down the top plays for this slate.
View the best player prop bets for tonight’s slate with our NBA Prop Bet Cheat Sheet
NBA DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer
NBA DFS Core Plays
- DraftKings: $11,100
- FanDuel: $11,400
For the player most likely to break 50 fantasy points tonight we have Anthony Davis as the highest-priced option. Creative, I know. Orlando’s defense has been solid this season but they’ve been hit with the injury big of late as Paolo Banchero has been out and Wendell Carter Jr. is still day-to-day, missing last night against the Clippers.
That’s the other thing, despite staying in Los Angeles, Orlando is coming off a late back-to-back, which can only help Davis’ case. He will get high ownership with such a small slate but he’s been surprisingly consistent, averaging over 55 fantasy points with four different outputs covering 60+. I expect he will be healthy tonight, but monitor the news, as he should give a 50+ fantasy point output.
Anthony Edwards (PG, SG, SG – MIN)
- DraftKings: $9,600
- FanDuel: $8,700
I was in between a couple of options here. In the end, I landed on Anthony Edwards in a prime matchup for a ceiling game. He’s in a pace-up spot, against a bottom-five defense with a point guard in Mike Conley. who is questionable tonight with a toe injury. Edwards has seen higher minutes recently with increased scoring and a continued high usage rate.
Edwards’ dual positional status as a guard/forward on FanDuel, paired with his pricing, makes him a prime play on their format. He is still a great play on DraftKings. I see Edwards eclipsing 50 fantasy points tonight and paying off his high price tag.
NBA DFS Cash Game Targets
- DraftKings: $6,600
- FanDuel: $6,800
For similar reasons as Anthony Edwards, Rudy Gobert is in a solid spot tonight against a sub-par defense in a pace-up spot. He is still being priced around his seasonal average. Toronto has been especially weak against opposing centers, allowing the third-most fantasy points to opposing big men this year.
Gobert has averaged over 30 fantasy points a game and has seen his minutes increase of late. He’s guaranteed a double-double here and can very well get to 40 fantasy points. Expect the Minnesota center to be highly owned but he slots in as a great option for your cash lineups without overpaying.
Lauri Markkanen (SF, PF – UTA)
- DraftKings: $7,100
- FanDuel: $7,500
At his current price point with such a high ceiling potential, Lauri Markkanen could be owned in around a third of lineups tonight. With a total of around 223 points, this is the second best game setup on the slate besides Minnesota-Toronto. Lauri has seen the floor for over 34 minutes in each of his last three games and he’s scoring at a higher rate, coming off a 25-point effort on Tuesday.
Markkanen is projected for around 40 fantasy points tonight and will be a great value option on the slate if you don’t want to pay up at forward.
NBA DFS GPP Targets
- DraftKings: $5,400
- FanDuel: $5,500
For such a favorable game where Utah will need to score to keep up and at a reasonable price, I’m surprised Collin Sexton isn’t garnering more ownership. Of course, this could change as we get closer to lock but it seems like Sexton is only expected for around 10-12% rostership, which is surprisingly low for a four-game slate.
Sexton has peaked at nearly 40 fantasy points. I project him for around 30 tonight. The Utah guard has been efficient with high usage when he’s on the court and projects well for a zag-type play tonight.
- DraftKings: $6,800
- FanDuel: $6,700
There are plenty of talented guards in today’s slate. Jalen Suggs is one, who is down the list and seems to be forgotten here, even in just a four-game slate. Given the injuries with Orlando, Suggs’ usage and playing time has continued to rise.
The former Gonzaga guard is quite volatile with a high ceiling, making him an ideal GPP pivot. He’s tallied as low as 10 fantasy points but has also eclipsed 50 against a solid Cleveland team. Being priced sub-$7,000 makes him a little less risky and his recent higher usage gives him a higher floor than normal.
NBA DFS Value Plays
Julian Champagnie (SG, SG – SAS)
- DraftKings: $4,600
- FanDuel: $4,800
A starter against the Utah Jazz priced under $5,000? Yes, please. Julian Champagnie has averaged over 22 fantasy points a game and has been consistent with over 20 in each of his last five outings. The Jazz are the nuttiest of matchups with the second-worst defense in the league and a top-10 pace of play.
On the court, Champagnie has managed 10+ points in each of his last five games as well as eight of his last nine. He’s in a prime spot for extra possessions against a terrible defense and can easily get over 6X here. I expect the Spurs to be the highest owned team on the slate tonight but there will still be great value all around.
Tristan Da Silva (SF, PF – ORL)
- DraftKings: $3,700
- FanDuel: $4,100
For a pure punt option, Tristan Da Silva should return great value as a starter projected for around 27 minutes. Orlando is riding high with their winning ways of late. Hopefully, Da Silva can find his scoring ways, as he normally contributes on the boards and assists.
Getting to 20 fantasy points would be ideal in this spot. He’s returned 18+ in four of his last five games. The Lakers aren’t exactly the easiest matchup, so he will be a great GPP option as he expects to be a sub-5% rostered.
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