This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
This is a very unusual Thursday because there are six games on tap as opposed to the usual three, which means there are twice as many options as usual. Even so, six games is a relatively small slate so there will still be quite a bit of redundancy among the popular options. As usual, you'll need to hit on some lower priced players to be able to separate yourself from the pack.
Point Guard
Kyle Lowry, $8500, vs DEN. Lowry is the third-highest priced point guard on Thursday, but he's $2500 cheaper than Russell Westbrook. Meanwhile, over their last 5 games Westbrook is averaging 46.1 FPts while Lowry is averaging 40.5. Plus, Lowry has a home against the Nuggets, who rank next-to-last in the NFL in production allowed to opposing point guards.
Isaiah Thomas: $7300, at SAC. Thomas is the lower end of the elite point guard options, with an average more in the mid-30s of FPts than in the 40s. However, he has 40-plus FPts potential in any given day and has a good match-up against a Kings defense that is 25th in production allowed to opposing point guards.
Shooting Guard
Avery Bradley, $6000, at SAC. Bradley had cooled down a bit, averaging only 14.3 points (20.0 FPts) over a 3-game stretch after averaging 22.4 points (32.4 FPts) over the previous five games. However, he bounced back strong against a tough Miami Heat defense to the tune of 25 points (37.9 FPts) in his last outing and appears primed for big things against a Kings defense that is dead last in production allowed to opposing shooting guards.
Small Forward
Kevin Durant, $10,500, at MIA, Paul George, $10,000 at POR and Kawhi Leonard, $9100, at MEM. I put these three together, here, because Thursday seems like a good day to go Big Boy at the small forward slot. There are only five players on Thursday averaging more than 40 FPts/G; one point guard, one center, and these three small forwards. But while there are other near-elite options at point guard and center, once you get away from the "Big Boys" at small forward there's a huge gap before the next level. There are solid, startable small forwards in that $5k to $7k range, but on a Thursday with limited games there's a very good chance that the two highest scores of the night might well come from this group of three.
Power Forward
Derrick Favors, $8000, vs ORL.Rudy Gobert injured his knee on Wednesday and is out indefinitely, leaving Favors to hole down the middle for the Jazz. Favors tends to grab more boards and score a bit more when Gobert is out of the line-up. And he has a good match-up against a Magic defense that is not very physical at the power forward slot.
Low-priced value - Ed Davis, $4600 vs IND or Andrew Nicholson, $4000 at UTA. If you took the advice to go Big Boy at small forward while also investing in your guards, you may not be able to afford to go for Favors at power forward. Davis has averaged 25.2 FPts over his last four games with a min of 12.8 but a high of 36.6 FPts. Meanwhile, Nicholson is averaging 20.8 FPts over his last five games (min of 12.9, max of 27.6) and 24.4 FPts over his last two games. Both are higher risk plays, but if they hit their recent averages they would keep you honest at a low enough price point to let you go big at other positions.
Center
Low-priced value - Ian Mahinmi, $5100 at POR or Bismack Biyombo, $3900 vs DEN. Mahinmi had been averaging 29 FPts/G over his last three games entering Wedensday, and continued his strong play with 14 points, seven boards, four blocks and a steal on Wednesday against the Clippers. Biyombo hasn't been quite that impressive, but is averaging 10.7 rebounds and 3.3 blocks over his last three outings and 22.1 FPts/G over his last five. Both will be on the second game of a back-to-back, which is worth keeping in mind, but both also have favorable match-ups against centers that aren't overpowering.
