I had a great DFS day yesterday, but, man, did the betting just kill my vibe. My best bet was the Sacramento-New Orleans over, and if you were on that as well, you know how devastating that 32-point fourth quarter was. That’s just the nature of basketball sometimes because it’s genuinely unpredictable. Our goal here is to limit some of that unpredictability, so let’s get into this Thursday card!
After a massive 11-game ledger on Wednesday, we’re down to just five games here. What’s crazy is how volatile the center position is. It feels like every starting center is injured, and it’ll cause chaos on this slate. The center position is the best position to capitalize for DraftKings, and it should make things fun!
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Schedule and Odds
- PHI at DET (PHI -7.5) O/U: 208.5
- UTH at ATL (UTH -1) O/U: 220.5
- BOS at MIA (MIA -7.5) O/U: 215.5
- HOU at PHX (PHX 10.5) O/U: 217.5
- OKC at LAL (LAL -12.5) O/U: 217.5
Injury Report
Core Plays
Jimmy Butler (SF – MIA): $10,700 DraftKings, $10,300 FanDuel
Jimmy Buckets has always been one of my favorite players, and he’s beyond hungry this season. The former All-Star has at least 37 DraftKings points in every game this year, dropping 47-plus in each of his last five games. That seems likely to happen again here, with Boston ranked dead-last in total defense.
I had a great DFS day yesterday, but, man, did the betting just kill my vibe. My best bet was the Sacramento-New Orleans over, and if you were on that as well, you know how devastating that 32-point fourth quarter was. That’s just the nature of basketball sometimes because it’s genuinely unpredictable. Our goal here is to limit some of that unpredictability, so let’s get into this Thursday card!
After a massive 11-game ledger on Wednesday, we’re down to just five games here. What’s crazy is how volatile the center position is. It feels like every starting center is injured, and it’ll cause chaos on this slate. The center position is the best position to capitalize for DraftKings, and it should make things fun!
Get a $5 bonus when you make your first deposit at FanDuel
Schedule and Odds
- PHI at DET (PHI -7.5) O/U: 208.5
- UTH at ATL (UTH -1) O/U: 220.5
- BOS at MIA (MIA -7.5) O/U: 215.5
- HOU at PHX (PHX 10.5) O/U: 217.5
- OKC at LAL (LAL -12.5) O/U: 217.5
Injury Report
Core Plays
Jimmy Butler (SF – MIA): $10,700 DraftKings, $10,300 FanDuel
Jimmy Buckets has always been one of my favorite players, and he’s beyond hungry this season. The former All-Star has at least 37 DraftKings points in every game this year, dropping 47-plus in each of his last five games. That seems likely to happen again here, with Boston ranked dead-last in total defense.
Russell Westbrook (PG – LAL): $10,700 DraftKings, $9,200 FanDuel
People were panicking when Westbrook collapsed in the opener, but he’s been the same old guy since then. Russ has at least 45 DK points in six of seven games since then, flirting with triple-doubles averages. Not that Westbrook needs any extra motivation, but you better believe he’ll be thirsty against his former team.
Chris Paul (PG – PHX): $8,500 DraftKings, $7,800 FanDuel
CP3 just had a gem of a night on Tuesday. The Point God dished out 18 assists in that masterpiece, getting his season average north of 40 DK points per game. That’s the stud we’ve become accustomed to, and it makes him intriguing against a Houston team that plays at the second-fastest pace in the NBA.
Cash Game Considerations
Anthony Davis (PF/C – LAL): $10,300 DraftKings, $10,500 FanDuel
Even though AD has to battle Russ and LBJ for touches, he’s still a beast. The big man is averaging nearly 50 DraftKings points per game, dropping at least 38 fantasy points in every game this year. That’s the definition of a cash-game player, and he should thrive against an OKC team that owns a 28th OPRK against opposing power forwards.
Donovan Mitchell (PG/SG – UTH): $9,400 DraftKings, $8,000 FanDuel
Mitchell has been a steady stud himself, scoring at least 32 DK points in every game this year. He’s also got his average north of 40 fantasy points per game, dropping a 58-point peach in his most recent outing. Atlanta can’t stop opposing guards either, ranked 22nd in OPRK against them this season.
Bam Adebayo (C – MIA): $8,100 DraftKings, $9,200 FanDuel
Big Bam is my favorite player in the NBA. This dude is one of the best all-around athletes in the NBA, providing value in every way possible. That’s evident by the fact that he has at least 34 DK points in every game this season en route to a 44-point average. That’s rough for a Celtics team that ranks bottom-three in points allowed and defensive efficiency.
GPP Targets
Deandre Ayton (C – PHX): $6,600 DraftKings, $7,800 FanDuel
Ayton probably wouldn’t be in this section if he didn’t miss the last two games. That makes him a risky recommendation but a perfect option for the GPP section. The big man struggled through the first two weeks but has 38 points and 33 rebounds combined over his last two games. Those numbers should continue here, with Houston ranked 24th in total defense and second in pace.
Isaiah Stewart (C – DET): $4,600 DraftKings, $4,800 FanDuel
Oof! Beef Stew has been one of the biggest disappointments for season-long fantasy managers, but this is DFS! That means his value gets based on a changing price, and this might be the lowest it gets. This is still a guy with 40-point potential, and we believe he’ll play big minutes since Philly sends out big men like Joel Embiid and Andre Drummond. That brings me to another point! If Embiid rests in the second half of a B2B, Drummond would be one of the best plays on the board.
Matisse Thybulle (SF – PHI): $3,600 DraftKings, $4,400 FanDuel
It feels like Thybulle is in this article every day! He’s earned it too, playing massive minutes in the absences of Ben Simmons and Tobias Harris. That earned him a start on Wednesday, dropping 26 DraftKings points across 38 minutes. Yes, 38 freaking minutes! If he plays that much at this price, Thybulle should be a lock in every lineup.
Value Plays
Hassan Whiteside (C – UTH): $4,100 DraftKings, $4,800 FanDuel
This is probably the best play of the day. Whiteside has proven to be a per-minute monster in the past, averaging 1.3 DK points per minute for his career. What makes him enticing here is the fact that Gobert is out. That means Whiteside should start at center and play 25-35 minutes. If he does that, Whiteside will surely record a double-double and provide at least 30 fantasy points. Good luck finding that from another sub-$5K player!
De’Andre Hunter (SF – ATL): $4,000 DraftKings, $4,500 FanDuel
Hunter was horrible through the first two weeks, but Wednesday was a silver lining. The sophomore dropped 34 DK points across 33 minutes of action. That’s the guy we saw through the first month of last season, and he should be asked to do more with Kevin Huerter picking up DNPs.
Cade Cunningham (PG – DET): $4,000 DraftKings, $4,600 FanDuel
Cunningham is building houses with all the bricks he’s throwing up, but it’s just a matter of time before he’s a stud. This guy was the number-one pick in the draft for a reason and will surely get going sooner rather than later. This might be the lowest we see his price at any point in his career.
Advantageous Pricing
- Bam Adebayo (C – MIA): $8,100 DraftKings, $9,200 FanDuel
- Russell Westbrook (PG – LAL): $10,700 DraftKings, $9,200 FanDuel
- Donovan Mitchell (PG/SG – UTH): $9,400 DraftKings, $8,000 FanDuel
- Deandre Ayton (C – PHX): $6,600 DraftKings, $7,800 FanDuel
- Trae Young (PG – ATL): $9,900 DraftKings, $8,600 FanDuel
- Kyle Lowry(PG – MIA): $7,700 DraftKings, $5,900 FanDuel
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Joel Bartilotta is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Joel, check out his archive and follow him @Bartilottajoel.
