This article is part of our Daily Games Cheat Sheet series.
TEAM ANALYSIS
Defenses to Avoid
Dallas Mavericks at Oklahoma City Thunder: I've beat up on the Maverick's defense all season, but I have to give them credit where they've earned it. In the two weeks before the break, the Mavericks held opponents to a stifling 42 percent from the field - the sixth best mark during that stretch. They also crept into the top 10 for opponent points per possession. They are nowhere near strong enough to justify avoiding Russell Westbrook or Kevin Durant on Thursday, but there is no one else on the Thunder with a desirable matchup.
Offenses to Use
San Antonio Spurs at Los Angeles Clippers: In a way, the All-Star break marks the start of the second season. And, like the start of the full season, the first few games back can be hard to project. While some teams come back fresh, ready, and eager, others lose precious intangibles - momentum? chemistry? routine? - and struggle to perform at pre-break levels. While all four teams in action Thursday should be veteran enough, and most are well-coached enough, to avoid a post-break swoon, the Spurs are often the safest bet in matters such as these. Finally, since no blurb would be complete without some stats: in the 10 games before the break, the Spurs, Thunder, and Mavericks were all in the better half of the league for opponent points per possession, while the Clippers were second-worst.
Teams on a Back-to-Back Set
First game of a back-to-back: Dallas Mavericks, San Antonio Spurs
Second game of a back-to-back: None.
DraftKings.com DAILY PLAYER RECOMMENDATIONS
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Point Guard
Russell Westbrook, OKC (vs DAL), PG, ($10,600): With so few options to choose from, the scores needed to win are likely to be very low. Westbrook scores 30 fantasy points on his bad nights - of which there were only three over the past month. The price here is cheap (for Westbrook).
Other suggestions: Chris Paul, LAC (vs SA), PG ($9,800)
Shooting Guard
J.J. Redick, LAC (vs SA), SG, ($3,300): Missed time due to back problems dropped Redick's salary more than a thousand dollars in the days before the All-Star break, but in the Clippers last two games - one of which was played after Thursday's salaries were determined - Redick totaled 35 points and 55.75 fantasy points in 68 minutes combined. He should be completely healthy now, and the salary won't be this low for long.
Other suggestions: Marco Belinelli, SA (at LAC), SG, ($3,000)
Small Forward
Chandler Parsons, DAL (at OKC), SF, ($6,600): I'm not bold enough to brave Matt Barnes' unpredictability. Westbrook has a better relative price and a better positional matchup than Kevin Durant. Kawhi Leonard was inconsistent before the break, and Al-Farouq Aminu is significantly overpriced. And, just like that, our small forward options are down to Parsons and some minimum salary end-of-bench guys. The price on Parsons is high, but not unreasonably so. The matchup is, at least on paper, favorable.
Other suggestions: For people who like Doritos - Matt Barnes, LAC (vs SA), SF, ($4,300)
Power Forward
Mitch McGary, OKC (vs DAL), PF, ($3,800): A rookie center - and one who wanted to remain in college for at least another year - can be forgiven for struggling against Marc Gasol, Zach Randolph, and the Grizzlies' frontcourt. In the two games before that - McGary's third and fourth NBA games, he averaged 18 points and 10 rebounds in 24 minutes. He has shown a lot of promise filling in for Steven Adams.
Other suggestions: None.
Center
DeAndre Jordan, LAC (vs SA), C, ($7,800): Jordan is a mixed bag. Some nights he posts 20-20s for 60-plus fantasy points – as he did in his last two games before the All-Star break. But in the two games before that, he combined for less than 20 points, 20 rebounds, and 60 fantasy points. The fair salary and the short slate of games make him worth the gamble.
Other suggestions: Tyson Chandler, DAL (at OKC), C, ($6,700)
INJURY REPORT
Out
Blake Griffin (elbow)
Steven Adams (hand)
Game-Time Decision
Tyson Chandler (ankle) is expected to play Thursday.
Rajon Rondo (face) is expected to play Thursday.
Serge Ibaka (nose) is expected to play Thursday.
