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This article aims to highlight some of the best NBA DFS Plays at every position for your cash game lineups. Keep in mind that the following player write-ups were constructed earlier in the day, and sometimes injury/rest situations can alter the fantasy landscape. Monitoring our NBA News & Headlines Feed throughout the day will keep you in the loop while giving you the subsequent DFS consequences of each information piece.
We’ll take a look at Thursday’s five-game slate starting at 7:00 ET. See you after the All-Star Break!
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POINT GUARD
Kyle Lowry – Miami (at Charlotte) - DK: $6,600 / FD: $5,600 / Yahoo: $25
Lowry has been a bit up and down since his return, but he posted a sweet triple-double vs. the Pelicans last weekend, and gets one of the best matchups in the league tonight. Charlotte ranks fourth-best in overall fantasy points allowed, and plays at the highest pace. They also rank 29th in rebounding rate. These teams played a couple weeks ago and Lowry had a modest 30-fantasy point effort, but the Hornets have been keeping games closer since that blow-out loss. I like Lowry as a cheap high-floor, upside play for any lineup tonight.
Also Consider: Luka Doncic, LaMelo Ball, Dennis Schroder, Jrue Holiday, Reggie Jackson
SHOOTING GUARD
Seth Curry – Brooklyn (vs. Washington) - DK: $5,500 / FD: $6,000 / Yahoo: $19
Curry made an appearance here last night as well, and delivered another solid performance with his new team. There’s no standout matchups here, but overall this should be a competitive game with the Nets pushing the pace a bit. Curry is proving to be a major driver of the offense with Harden gone and Irving out, a trend that should continue tonight.
Also Consider: CJ McCollum
SMALL FORWARD
Deni Avdija – Washington (at Brooklyn) - DK: $4,500 / FD: $5,500 / Yahoo: $14
I’m building a very affordable core tonight so that I can mix in various stars that may or may not be playing with the requisite effort to pay off their hefty price tags the day before the break begins (more below). Avdija is not Kyle Kuzma, but he is averaging 33 fantasy points per game in the last two, and should continue to play 30-plus MPG. Capable of scoring big and recently having a 15-rebound game, Avdija is getting stats in every category, which gives him the floor I’m looking for at his low salary.
Also Consider: Brandon Ingram, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Khris Middleton
POWER FORWARD
Nicolas Batum – LA Clippers (vs. Houston) - DK: $4,200 / FD: $5,400 / Yahoo: $13
Sticking with that plan, Batum is one of a few cheap Clippers that might work for DFS tonight. Houston gave the Suns a run for the money last night, but are still the absolute best fantasy matchup in the league. Fastest pace, worst defensive rating, highest turnover rate, the good news goes on and on. Batum has posted back-to-back 30-plus fantasy point games thanks to efficient shooting and good hustle getting up the blocks and steals.
Also Consider: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kyle Kuzma, Tobias Harris
CENTER
Bam Adebayo – Miami (at Charlotte) - DK: $8,400 / FD: $9,500 / Yahoo: $35
Not to keep picking on the Hornets, but they are super-susceptible to opposing centers and Adabayo himself is averaging 56 fantasy points per game against them. The Charlotte frontcourt is deep right now, which should help ensure Adebayo is out there for his usual 35-ish MPG. He’s a double-double machine with a floor that’s really appealing given his discount from Embiid’s salary. Given Embiid’s matchup with the formidable Bucks, I’m choosing to save at center with Adebayo in just about every lineup.
Also Consider: Joel Embiid, Montrezl Harrell, Alperen Sengun (if Wood is out again), Jonas Valanciunas
Additional Notes
Giannis Antetokounmpo (F – MIL) is a player I’m uncharacteristically on the fence about. You can fit him in, but will he be worth it in a potentially low scoring, defensive showdown? I prefer spending on Giannis over Embiid or Ball, but also like what I can do with someone more moderate like McCollum. Luka Doncic is also an attractive option to spend up on in what could be a sneaky good spot for the Mavs (assuming the Pelicans will keep it closer this time). Ultimately, I’m going to diversify exposure to the superstars around the cheap core I’ve outlined here but if you’re going for just one, I guess it’s Giannis.
Reggie Jackson (G – LAC) is another guard option, a little higher priority than Neto given the great matchup and high game and team total, but also a little more expensive. He’s best value at Yahoo and FanDuel, where you can fit him and Giannis no problem. He’s been steady since the trade, and with Norman Powell out indefinitely, should still find plenty of usage.
Maxi Kleber (F/C – DAL) is a cheap filler more so geared for tournament lineups. He has terrific upside, but also a nasty floor. Like I said, hopefully New Orleans can keep this game closer than previous meetings, and Kleber can continue to play well enough to get the 30-plus minutes we want to see.
