This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
The NBA has only two games Thursday, the last night of action before the All-Star break, so there obviously will be a lot of overlap in player usage. There are still some interesting choices to be made, though, as the distribution of elite players differs across the positions. Point guard has two elite options in John Wall and Isaiah Thomas, and small forward has the same with Jimmy Butler and Paul George. Are you better off stacking those positions and going min elsewhere, or paying a bit more across the board and going with lesser options at the elite positions? That's the decision you'll have to make, and hopefully we can provide some information that helps you make your decision.
Premium
Isaiah Thomas, BOS at CHI ($10,000): Thomas has been one of the hottest offensive producers in the NBA for months now, scoring at least 20 points in 40 consecutive games. Over his last 10 games, he has averaged 33.9 points and 6.2 assists per game. On Thursday he faces the Bulls, who have allowed the 10th-most fantasy points to point guards.
Moderate
Bradley Beal, WAS at IND ($7,600): Beal averaged 25.5 points, 3.8 assists, 3.5 boards and 1.0 steals in his last eight games and is the closest to an elite shooting guard option on the market Thursday. He faces the Pacers, who he scored 20 points with four assists, three rebounds and a steal against last Friday.
Affordable
Marcus Smart, BOS at CHI
The NBA has only two games Thursday, the last night of action before the All-Star break, so there obviously will be a lot of overlap in player usage. There are still some interesting choices to be made, though, as the distribution of elite players differs across the positions. Point guard has two elite options in John Wall and Isaiah Thomas, and small forward has the same with Jimmy Butler and Paul George. Are you better off stacking those positions and going min elsewhere, or paying a bit more across the board and going with lesser options at the elite positions? That's the decision you'll have to make, and hopefully we can provide some information that helps you make your decision.
Premium
Isaiah Thomas, BOS at CHI ($10,000): Thomas has been one of the hottest offensive producers in the NBA for months now, scoring at least 20 points in 40 consecutive games. Over his last 10 games, he has averaged 33.9 points and 6.2 assists per game. On Thursday he faces the Bulls, who have allowed the 10th-most fantasy points to point guards.
Moderate
Bradley Beal, WAS at IND ($7,600): Beal averaged 25.5 points, 3.8 assists, 3.5 boards and 1.0 steals in his last eight games and is the closest to an elite shooting guard option on the market Thursday. He faces the Pacers, who he scored 20 points with four assists, three rebounds and a steal against last Friday.
Affordable
Marcus Smart, BOS at CHI ($5,800): Smart has played very well lately, enough so to raise his price almost into the moderate range. He has a whopping 18 steals in his last four games, including eight Wednesday night as part of a 21-point, five-board, five-assist effort against the 76ers. He faces a Bulls squad that has allowed the fifth-most fantasy points to shooting guards in the last 10 games.
Premium
Paul George, IND vs WAS ($8,600): Jimmy Butler has more scoring upside, but he also is more expensive on a day when relative cost goes a long way. George has scored more than 30 points three times in his last 11 games, the last of which happened last Friday in a 31 points, four boards, two assists effort against Thursday's opponent the Wizards.
Moderate
Markieff Morris, WAS at IND ($7,400): Morris is the only strong option at power forward. He averaged 24.5 points, 8.0 boards and 1.5 steals in his two games since returning from injury, including a 26 points, 10 boards, three assists last Friday against these Pacers.
Affordable
Doug McDermott, CHI vs BOS ($4,400): McDermott only makes a good play if Dwyane Wade sits, but there seems little upside to the Bulls or Wade for him playing on the last day before the break when he's dealing with injuries to both wrists. Check for official word on his availability. In the meantime, if he sits it would benefit McDermott, who scored 20 points with five assists in 32 minutes Tuesday with Wade sidelined.
Premium
Marcin Gortat, WAS at IND ($7,300): Gortat averaged 15.2 points and 11.6 boards in his last 10 games, and last Friday he hung 14 points and 16 rebounds on this same Pacers team.
Moderate
Robin Lopez, CHI vs BOS ($4,700): Lopez averaged 13.3 points, 6.9 boards, 1.5 assists and 1.3 combined steals/blocks in his last eight games. He had a down outing in his last game against the Raptors, but he has a better matchup against a Celtics squad that has allowed the 12th-most fantasy points to centers this season.
Affordable
Kelly Olynyk, BOS at CHI ($4,600): Olynyk has been very solid for the last two weeks, averaging 14.2 points, 6.7 boards, 2.2 assists and 1.2 steals in his last six games. He matches up with a Bulls squad that has allowed the 12th-fewest fantasy points to centers this season.
