Thursday’s NBA slate features four games, including a fantasy-friendly rematch between Detroit and Cleveland. Karl-Anthony Towns remains questionable tonight while Joel Embiid, Danilo Gallinari, Dante Exum, Nerlens Noel, Blake Griffin, Markieff Morris, and Kevin Porter Jr. are all ruled out. In this column, I generally set $6000 FD/$5000 DK as the bargain threshold, and I try to indicate when I think a position is particularly well-suited--or not--to using the cheap plays given the landscape of the particular slate. DraftKings’ pricing is notably sharper than FanDuel’s tonight, so I tried to provide a couple extra options to consider where it was feasible. Tonight’s slate tips at 7:00 pm EST.
Point Guard
Jeff Teague, Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Portland ($5600 FD, $5200 DK)
Some expected Shabazz Napier ($4900 FD, $5200 DK) to remain the dominant PG in Minnesota, but Teague has reclaimed the role and run with it, if Tuesday is any indication. He ramped up to 29 minutes, and even if he continues to come off the bench should equal that going forward. Portland is a great PG matchup, allowing the eighth-most fantasy points to the position. Teague’s price shot up, but this game features two bad defensive units (Portland ranks 21st in defensive efficiency) with offenses that play at a fast pace. He should hit near 30 fantasy points again tonight.
Darius Garland, Cleveland Cavaliers at Detroit ($4700 FD, $4800 DK)
This is a position I’d rather spend up on tonight, but Garland is a steady option at PG; as you know, he’s appeared here a lot lately. Playing 34-35 MPG, he had a solid game against the Pistons on Tuesday. While Colin Sexton has more upside, he’s also significantly more expensive. For a strong 25-30 fantasy point play, Garland is my guy.
Shooting Guard
Bruce Brown, Detroit Pistons vs. Cleveland ($5100 FD, $5000 DK)
Cleveland ranks as the sixth-best SG matchup, and Detroit is severely shorthanded again. Both Brown and Svi Mykhailiuk ($4200 FD, $4200 DK) should be fairly popular plays as higher floor bargain wings. Brown started in the win over Cleveland Tuesday, picking up seven assists en route to almost 30 fantasy points. Mykhailiuk made four three-pointers Tuesday, and continued to creep his fantasy production into the mid-20’s range. Both are in play tonight.
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Jarrett Culver, Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Portland ($4900 FD, $5100 DK)
It looks like Culver has some staying power, as he posted one of his best-scoring games Tuesday night (24 real points) and again filled the stat sheet. He’s now got four of the last five games over 31 fantasy points but is priced very fairly. I expect him to be a popular, but worthwhile option in what should be a good game tonight.
Small Forward
Darius Bazley, Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Houston ($3600 FD, $3500 DK)
Bazley should get the start with Gallinari out, and Houston is the league’s second-best SF matchup. This is expected to be one of the highest scoring and closest games of the night. I’m not expecting a miracle from Bazley, but if he scores 20-25 fantasy points, he’s well worth the price.
Cedi Osman, Cleveland Cavaliers at Detroit ($4600 FD, $4700 DK)
While Osman’s efficiency isn’t the best, he is playing a ton of minutes and is coming off another decent game in which he scored 17 points. He could definitely have better peripherals, but gets another shot at this Detroit team that allows the sixth-seventh-most fantasy points to opposing forwards.
Power Forward
Mike Muscala, Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Houston ($3600 FD, $4000 DK)
The Thunder will be without Gallinari and Noel tonight, which opens the door for Muscala to take advantage of the Rockets’ negligible defense. Allowing the fifth-most fantasy points overall, Houston is particularly generous to opposing forwards (Top 4 in the league). He played 17 minutes Tuesday and put up 20 fantasy points; I’m betting he matches or tops that tonight.
Sekou Doumbouya, Detroit Pistons vs. Cleveland ($5700 FD, $5800 DK)
Doumbouya’s rebounding was really lacking Tuesday night, but he continued to put up double-digit points with a couple steals against the Cavs. I expect a slightly better game from him tonight but if you’re wary of his higher salary tonight, the cheaper Christian Wood ($4400 both) or Tony Snell (SG, $3700 FD, $4500 DK) are also possibilities.
Center
Gorgui Dieng, Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Portland ($5600 FD, $6300 DK)
The price on Dieng is coming down as sites expect Towns to eventually be back. Until he is, however, Dieng is a quality play, and the cheaper the better. Tonight he gets the best center matchup of the day and fourth-best in the league. He should bounce-back from a surprisingly bad performance vs. Memphis on Tuesday.
Al Horford, Philadelphia 76ers vs. Boston ($5400 FD, $6000 DK)
You could certainly take a shot at Kyle O’Quinn or Mike Scott, or even Matisse Thybulle, but the safest play in the bargain range is Horford. He’s been in a bit of a slump and facing one of the best defensive teams in the league –his old team-- but Embiid’s absence is going to create enough of a void that he should have no choice but to produce in the 30-plus minutes he’s playing.
