The NBA trade deadline is finally upon us, which means NBA DFS players will have to keep their eyes glued to their phones for important notifications. For instance, late on Wednesday night, we witnessed Cory Joseph be traded to the Detroit Pistons in exchange for Delon Wright. With Joseph being dealt to Detroit, the veteran point guard won’t be available for the Sacramento Kings on Thursday night versus the Golden State Warriors.

Seeing that trades could happen at any second on Thursday, it’s important to note that the situations of the players picked in this article could be subject to change. However, that won’t stop me from trying my best to deliver the best picks possible for Thursday’s upcoming slate of games.

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Most Value Per Dollar 

By taking a glimpse of Thursday’s slate on FanDuel, it’s obvious that the games between the New York Knicks and the Washington Wizards, plus the matchup between the Warriors and Kings, are going to be the two most popular choices on a five-game slate. Both games have the highest over/unders on the slate, and they provide us with plenty of value to utilize on a smaller slate.

There isn’t a position that sticks out on this slate, but the center spot feels like a position where you can live in the mid-to-low range. Paying up for a center could be a way to be contrarian in tournament contests. The point guard position also looks to be a spot where you could avoid paying up for the higher salary guys to create a more balanced build.

On smaller slates like these – and with the trade deadline likely causing chaos before the games begin – you’ll likely have to take risks at certain spots to make your lineup unique. Even with Joseph no longer available at point guard, there are still some value picks you could utilize in your lineups on Thursday.

If you’d like to see more information on how the betting landscape will be for this slate, check out BettingPros. Below is a list of the top-10 players of the day expected to generate the most value relative to their salary. These are ranked in order.

Andrew Wiggins (GSW): $6,800 at SAC
With Stephen Curry still sidelined for the Warriors, there are a few guys on Golden State’s roster benefitting from his absence in NBA DFS. One of the biggest beneficiaries has been Andrew Wiggins, who has seen a 28.2 percent usage in the past four games. Some people may be hesitant to trust Wiggins after his dud against the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday. Still, he draws the league’s worst defense – in terms of defensive efficiency – on Thursday, giving him a perfect chance to bounce back.

R.J. Barrett (NYK): $6,500 vs. WAS
R.J. Barrett is amid a nice groove right now for the Knicks as he’s hit 5x value at his current price in five out of his last six games. The second-year player out of Duke had an opportunity to face the Wizards on Tuesday and delivered 38.5 FD points on a $6,200 salary (6.2x value). Luckily for Barrett, he gets another chance to face Washington on Thursday, allowing him to play against the fastest-paced team in the NBA.

Buddy Hield (SAC): $6,400 vs. GSW
While everyone gravitates the game between the Warriors and the Kings in their builds, Buddy Hield could be a popular choice – and for a good reason. Hield has played in 34+ minutes in 11 of his last 12 games, proving that he has a consistent role for Sacramento. The three-point extraordinaire could easily hit 5x value as he squares off with Golden State, who is allowing the seventh-most FD points per game to shooting guards. Tyrese Haliburton is also in play for the Kings.

Jordan Poole (GSW): $6,200 at SAC
What a surprise, right? Another player from the impending fast-paced contest between the Warriors and the Kings. Besides Wiggins, Jordan Poole has seen his role in Golden State’s offense drastically change with Curry out with a tailbone ailment. In the last four games, Poole has garnered a 25.1 usage percentage and has a true shooting percentage of 63.1. After a disappointing outing on Tuesday versus Philadelphia, Poole should compile enough statistics to hit 5x value on Thursday.

Marcus Morris (LAC): $5,000 at SAS
Marcus Morris fits the bill at the power forward position among the value picks on Thursday’s five-game slate. With Serge Ibaka expected to miss a couple more games for the Los Angeles Clippers, Morris has seen his usage increase to a modest 20.1 percent in the five games that Ibaka has missed thus far. Morris has hit 5x value at his current price in three of his last five contests, and he’ll have a rematch with the San Antonio Spurs after facing them on Wednesday. Even though Markieff is worth a dart throw in some lineups, Marcus is a safer choice at the power forward position.

Mitchell Robinson (NYK): $6,200 vs. WAS
Mitchell Robinson recently returned from a hand injury, and on Tuesday against the Wizards, he had one of his most productive showings of the season. He would contribute 16 points, 12 rebounds, and three blocks en route to scoring 40.4 FD points. While it remains to be seen if Tom Thibodeau limits his minutes as he returns from injury, Robinson could have another explosive performance against Washington, the team that allows the most FD points per game to opposing centers (59.53).

Talen Horton-Tucker (LAL): $5,500 vs. PHI
The Los Angeles Lakers are searching for answers on how they can survive without LeBron James and Anthony Davis in the lineup. So far, the Lakers have come up empty as they’ve been blown out in back-to-back games. One player who expects to see an increased workload in the coming weeks is Talen Horton-Tucker. Horton-Tucker struggled earlier this week against the New Orleans Pelicans, but he’s poised to bounce back against a Philadelphia 76ers squad that has surrendered 43.71 FD points per game to shooting guards (second-worst in the NBA).

Alex Caruso (LAL): $3,800 vs. PHI
As previously mentioned in this article, sometimes you have to take risks to differentiate your lineups from others on smaller slates. A way to do that is by using Alex Caruso in one of your point guard spots on Thursday. Los Angeles is desperate to find guys who can help them win games, and Caruso is a player who contributes a ton of peripherals in the box score. At a $3,800 price tag, Caruso could be worth a flier in tournaments, and he could allow you to spend up elsewhere.

Nicolas Batum (LAC): $3,800 at SAS
Along with Caruso, Nicolas Batum could be a viable salary-saving option on Thursday. Batum notched 28.8 FD points on Wednesday in the Clippers’ lopsided win over the Spurs. Los Angeles will get another crack at San Antonio on Thursday, and Batum could see another bump in playing time, especially if either Paul George or Kawhi Leonard rests on the back-to-back.

James Wiseman (GSW): $4,200 at SAC
Throughout the entire season, it’s been tough to pinpoint how Steve Kerr will utilize James Wiseman. The rookie center has performed inconsistently in his first year, and he’s still trying to discover his role on the team. But on Thursday, if Wiseman gets 25+ minutes against the Kings, who are permitting 56.09 FD points per game to centers, then Wiseman could return a ton of value on Thursday at a thin position.

Check out our NBA Prop Bet Cheat Sheet for the top bets of the day

Studs Worth Their Salary

• Jimmy Butler (MIA) $9,500 vs. POR: Jimmy Butler has served as the main facilitator for the Miami Heat the entire season. Even if Goran Dragic returns on Thursday – who could be worth inserting in your lineups as well if he isn’t playing limited minutes – Butler should thrive against the Portland Trail Blazers in a massive pace-up game at home.
• De’Aaron Fox (SAC) $8,900 vs. GSW: Give me all of the Warriors and Kings players I can put into my lineups on Thursday. De’Aaron Fox has been a key cog in Sacramento’s offense this season and has returned 5x value at his current price in three out of the last five games. Without Curry for Golden State, expect Fox to dominate on Thursday.
• Bam Adebayo (MIA) $8,000 vs. POR: Given the scarce value at the power forward position, spending up at one of the power forward spots could be a popular build. If you are spending up at one of the spots, look no further than Bam Adebayo. Amid the trade rumors involving the Heat, Adebayo isn’t going anywhere, and he gets a chance to face a Portland team that has given up 47.56 FD points per game to power forwards in their last seven games.

Notable Players to Fade

• Russell Westbrook (WAS) $11,100 at NYK: Russell Westbrook is always capable of getting a triple-double on any given night, making him a valuable player in NBA DFS. However, his current price is too steep for his matchup with the Knicks. New York plays at a much slower pace than Washington, and Westbrook was held to 38.8 FD points by the Knicks on Tuesday with a price of $11,000.
• Ben Simmons (PHI) $8,200 at LAL: Like Westbrook, Ben Simmons can always stuff the stat sheet for the 76ers. With Joel Embiid still sidelined, some people may be interested in placing Simmons in their lineups. While Simmons is capable of exploding for 50+ FD points, it’s hard to rely on his scoring, especially against a short-handed Lakers team that Philadelphia could beat handily on Thursday. Also, Simmons has failed to reach 5x value at his current price tag in nine of his last 10 starts for Philadelphia.

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Skyler Carlin is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Skyler, check out his archive and follow him @skyler_carlin.