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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 seven-game slate starting at 7:00 ET.
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POINT GUARD
Brandon Goodwin – Cleveland (at Detroit) - DK: $4,000 / FD: $3,500 / Yahoo: $11
Cleveland will be without both Garland and LeVert tonight. Previously, Goodwin was racking up the fantasy points with Garland out, and tonight should be a great time to fall back on the cheap guard. Since Cleveland’s backcourt wasn’t necessarily expected to be out after the break, Goodwin’s salary is especially inviting. It helps that Detroit is the third-best PG matchup in the league, offering a significant pace boost and ranking 25th in defensive rating, 30th in rebounding rate.
Also Consider: De’Aaron Fox, Steph Curry, Ja Morant, Coby White, Aaron Holiday
SHOOTING GUARD
Bogdan Bogdanovic – Atlanta (at Chicago) - DK: $5,400 / FD: $6,700 / Yahoo: $20 (SF)
I normally try to avoid the crowded Hawks’ wing rotation, but Bogdanovic is winning me over with his consistently high-level pre-break play. He averaged over 20 real points per game in the four games before the All-Star Break, but also contributed ample assists and rebounds to go along with at least one, and as many as four, steals per game.
Also Consider: Devin Booker, Zach LaVine, Jaylen Brown, Desmond Bane, Seth Curry, Josh Giddey
SMALL FORWARD
Justise Winslow – Portland (vs. Golden State) - DK: $6,100 / FD: $6,700 / Yahoo: $19
I can’t get enough of Winslow even as his salary is starting to reflect his value. Since joining the Trail Blazers, Winslow has played at least 32 minutes and scored at least 32 fantasy points per game (five games). This is a tough on-paper matchup with the Warriors, but Portland is at home, gets the small pace bump, and might see some stat lines boosted based on the Warriors’ second-highest turnover rate in the league. The over/under is one of the higher totals of the night, and while Winslow isn’t going to break the slate, he is likely to fill a F slot with a high floor on the cheap.
Also Consider: Saddiq Bey, Josh Hart, Andrew Wiggins
POWER FORWARD
Brandon Clarke – Memphis (at Minnesota) - DK: $5,100 / FD: $6,400 / Yahoo: $18 (C)
Even where I have to use him at C or U slots, Clarke is a player I’m still willing to force into lineups. First, this should be an excellent game for fantasy with the over/under approaching 240 points and the spread a mere minus-2 in favor of the Grizzlies. Both teams play fast, and Minnesota gives up the ninth-most fantasy points while ranking 22nd in rebounding rate. Clarke is not playing that many minutes most games, but is reliably producing double-digit points, around eight rebounds and a steal or two for about 33 fantasy points per game before the break.
Also Consider: DeMar DeRozan, Evan Mobley, Darius Bazley, Jerami Grant, Torrey Craig, Jaden McDaniels
CENTER
Nikola Jokic – Denver (at Sacramento) - DK: $12,500 / FD: $11,400 / Yahoo: $56
Early in my planning for tonight I was considering trying to fit both Domantas Sabonis and Jokic in lineups, but ultimately, Jokic is the best fit and the best choice for the slate. I’d rather surround Jokic with good players than Jokic and Sabonis with scrubs. He needs no justification; averaging 60 fantasy points per game, he has performed well in even the toughest matchups, e.g. his 70-fantasy points vs. Golden State just before the break. The Kings are still on-paper an outstanding frontcourt matchup, but the addition of Sabonis changes that equation. Still, the Kings play fast and overall have been good for opposing teams’ fantasy value. The total here is 229.5 points, with the Nuggets 4.5-point favorites on the road. A close, high scoring game is perfect for Jokic to anchor tonight’s cash game lineups.
Also Consider: Deandre Ayton, Nikola Vucevic, Karl-Anthony Towns, Jusuf Nurkic, Isaiah Stewart, Jarrett Allen
Additional Notes
Torrey Craig (G/F – PHX) and Aaron Holiday (PG – PHX) deserve a look as super-savings options with both Chris Paul and Cameron Payne out tonight. You might also consider pivoting to Ayton at center in big GPPs as he will undoubtedly enjoy some extra usage with Paul off the floor. Craig has varied positional eligibility, which is indicative of his ability to do a little bit of everything when given the opportunity. I think he has a nice floor for the price in a great matchup with the Thunder forwards. Holiday is somewhat more of a wild card, he could get 40 fantasy points or 10 – I’m waiting to see if he gets the start before fully trusting him.
De’Aaron Fox (PG – SAC) is a player I’m striving to fit into tonight’s lineups. The shakeup at the trade deadline gives him more responsibility and in the limited games we saw him with Sabonis, it was working for Fox. He’s the cheapest of the ‘star’ PGs tonight, and his new role/attitude should coincide nicely with a matchup that has been the fourth-best for PG. Fox put up 47 fantasy points against them in the first meeting, well above his season average.
Jaden McDaniels (F – MEM) There are scenarios where I’m trying to also fit another star like Jaylen Brown into lineups, which forces another really cheap forward. McDaniels is a risky play, but I noted the great game factors above, and there have been suggestions that McDaniels might be usurping Jarred Vanderbilt. He certainly outperformed the starter in the last two games before the break, and is still near minimum salary everywhere.
