Welcome to the Thursday NBA DFS slate. We’re almost into the playoffs, so things might get a little wonky with playing time and lineups, but that’s why I’m here to help you sift through that information.
Still, if you’re going to play NBA DFS, you must keep in mind lineup announcements and stay tuned for late swapping. That will be the easiest way to stay ahead of the field and in the money. We have a five-game slate tonight, which is a little limiting, but there’s some value across the way.
Ultimately, 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
Karl-Anthony Towns (C – NYK)
- DraftKings: $9,700
- FanDuel: $9,600
I will say, Giannis Antetokounmpo might take the number one spot here, but he’s doubtful tonight with an illness and injury management, so I didn’t want to burn my first write-up.
Karl-Anthony Towns is going to be highly rostered with over 40% projected rostership tonight, but it’s with good reason. Josh Hart and OG Anunoby are out, which is going to funnel the usage and looks in the frontcourt to Towns further. He’s the clear highest projected rostered player, and at a sub-$10,00 price tag, it’s easy to go to him here.
Trae Young (PG – ATL)
- DraftKings: $9,900
- FanDuel: $9,500
One of my favorite pay-up guards is Trae Young. Atlanta is still jockeying for NBA Play-In Tournament positioning, and I expect the usage to funnel to Young even more than his current 30% rate.
Brooklyn’s defense is bad, and I can’t imagine they will be playing for much here. The former Oklahoma guard should slice and dice his way to over 50 fantasy points. He has a clear ceiling of over 60 fantasy points against a banged-up Brooklyn team.
Anthony Edwards (SG, SF – MIN)
- DraftKings: $9,600
- FanDuel: $9,300
For the biggest game of the slate, I imagine usage is going to be consolidated to the best of the best, and that’s Anthony Edwards. Minnesota is trying to avoid the NBA Play-In Tournament. They can climb as high as the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference.
This is a massive pace-up spot against a defense ranked right in the middle of the pack over their last 15 games. This feels like a ceiling game where Edwards goes over 60 fantasy points.
NBA DFS Cash Game Targets
Mikal Bridges (SF, SG – NYK)
- DraftKings: $5,700
- FanDuel: $6,800
Given the roster and dual guard-forward eligibility with Mikal Bridges, I’m honestly surprised he’s not more highly rostered tonight. He’s projected for around 37 minutes tonight with a much higher usage rate given who is in the starting lineup.
The Knicks across the board look nice tonight, and Bridges is in that class. It’s not the sexiest of cash options, but he’s cleared 26 fantasy points in 15 of his last 17 games, so there’s a solid floor.
Ty Jerome (PG – CLE)
- DraftKings: $4,700
- FanDuel: $5,900
This is more of a value play on DraftKings and a cash option on FanDuel, but Ty Jerome is your other option for an easy value play. With almost all the Cleveland starters out, Jerome should see the floor for 33-35 minutes. He projects for around 40 fantasy points.
Jerome has averaged a 26% usage rate over his last 20 minutes when he’s on the court, with 15 points a game over 21 minutes a game. With the playing time boost in one of the highest totals, this is a clear option for your lineups across the board in this five-game slate.
Antonio Reeves (SG, SF – NOP)
- DraftKings: $4,000
- FanDuel: $4,600
There’s a chance Antonio Reeves ends up being the only player available for New Orleans, which is a bit of an exaggeration, but they only have nine or 10 guys right now with three questionable tags.
The Pelicans are the main team to keep track of tonight after lock as an ideal late-swap option if Jose Alvarado, Bruce Brown or Yves Missi are out. Even with them all in, I’m still intrigued by Reeves. He should play around 30 minutes. He isn’t the most efficient player, but with that many minutes and a 25% usage rate, I’m fine using him in cash games.
NBA DFS GPP Targets
Cade Cunningham (PG – DET)
- DraftKings: $10,500
- FanDuel: $10,400
For such a small slate, it’s still shocking to see Cade Cunningham’s projected rostership is at 6%. The Knicks are a pace-down spot and it’s not the friendliest of DFS matchups otherwise, but given his ceiling, this is an easy leverage play if you’re trying to get different in large-field GPPs.
We’ve seen consistent 60+ fantasy point outings from the Pistons guard, and that might be needed tonight without as many players available to get there.
Tyrese Haliburton (PG – IND)
- DraftKings: $9,200
- FanDuel: $9,400
Another guard without as high a ceiling but who feels criminally under-rostered is Tyrese Haliburton. He’s a 1.30 fantasy points per minute player and is only coming in around 40% rostered.
Cleveland’s defense is not going to be anything to worry about with four starters out and the No. 1 seed locked up. Technically, Indy still has something to play for. Again, this is more of a leverage play with how low-rostered he is and the potential ceiling, but I imagine Haliburton’s rostership will creep up closer to 10% as we get closer to lock.
Ja Morant (PG – MEM)
- DraftKings: $9,000
- FanDuel: $8,700
I mentioned how this game will likely funnel usage to Memphis’ best players like Ja Morant. He’s only projected for 5% rostership. In a game Memphis’ future hinges on, I’m shocked by that. He’s averaged 41 fantasy points per game, but in his last four matches, that jumps to 47.
Morant cleared 60 points a few times. Despite the pace-down spot, he’s off the injury report and seems fully healthy. With a 36% usage rate in his last five games, he’s going way too under the radar.
If you’re looking for a non-guard GPP option, I’d go with Julius Randle. He’s around 20% projected rostership but is falling through the cracks as one of the better players without insane rostership.
NBA DFS Value Plays
Precious Achiuwa (PF, C – NYK)
- DraftKings: $3,300
- FanDuel: $4,800
I mentioned the Knicks’ injuries earlier, which makes Precious Achiuwa basically a free spot in your lineups tonight. He’s projected for over 75% rostership, and that still feels generous on DraftKings, especially as a 30 fantasy point outing feels like a median outcome.
Achiuwa should see over 32 minutes of playing time tonight in a game with a decent 228 total. He’s shown up in previous starts, and with the potential for a 10X return on investment, I don’t feel I have to go into much detail here.
De’Andre Hunter (SF, PF – CLE)
- DraftKings: $4,300
- FanDuel: $5,400
When looking at Cleveland and New York, you can reason a lot of options for your lineup tonight, but De’Andre Hunter is up there as one of the best. He’s projected for around 70% rostership tonight. With a potential 8X value clearly within reason, you can see why.
Hunter averages nearly 1.10 fantasy points per minute and should see the floor for over 30 minutes tonight with four of Cleveland’s five starters out. He’s an easy play.
To not burn another Cleveland option, Dean Wade, Sam Merrill and Craig Porter rank slightly ahead of the next value option, but they’re all good options.
Jeremiah Robinson-Earl (PF – NOP)
- DraftKings: $3,300
- FanDuel: $3,900
Jeremiah Robinson-Earl is more of a GPP value play, but the Pelicans’ roster has three questionable tags for an already limited roster. Robinson-Earl should see a playing time boost tonight (26 minutes). He could play even more if anyone else expected to start is ruled out.
That puts Robinson-Earl at around a 6X-7X return range, which honestly feels a little low given the other options on Cleveland and New York. Still, he makes for a fine punt play.
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