This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
While there are only four games on the main slate for Thursday, there's still plenty of things to keep in mind, including which stars should be utilized. The following list of players should give DFS owners a guideline for who to potentially build around:
GUARDS:
Stephen Curry, GSW vs MIN ($9,900): This matchup features the highest over/under on the night, so it should be an uptempo contest and it would be wise to grab some top talent from either side. Curry presents one of the more intriguing options, as he's notched at least 40 FanDuel points in 12 of the last 13 games, while also surpassing the 50-point mark in five of those contests. That gives fantasy owners a safe floor for his price, but also gives plenty of upside. Russell Westbrook ($11,900) remains the top priced point guard, but you can save $2,000 and pivot to Curry, who has played just as well of late.
Jamal Murray, DEN vs NYK ($7,500): Murray's inclusion here is simply because of his recent surge offensively. He's posted back-to-back 30-plus-point outings, which was good enough for 52 and 47 FanDuel points. While I typically wouldn't recommend grabbing someone at their top price, this is an exception considering his strong play of late and matchup against a Knicks squad that has given up the seventh most FanDuel points to point guards on the season.
Buddy Hield, SAC at MIA ($5,900): The Kings are typically a team I like to avoid due to an always changing rotation, but with the current plan of resting a handful of veterans each game, Hield has seen his role climb a bit of late. He's logged at least 25 minutes in five straight games, which includes four outings with more than 25 FanDuel points. One of the few rotation players for the Kings that is guaranteed significant playing time makes Hield one of the better mid-tier shooting guard options.
FORWARDS:
Kevin Durant, GSW vs MIN ($10,500): Like I mentioned with Curry, stacking some of the top guys from this game is a must considering the expected pace of play. Durant has a safe floor of roughly 40 FanDuel points, but can go off on any single night. With the TImberwolves' defensive stopper Jimmy Butler questionable to play after missing three straight games with a knee injury, that would only bump up Durant's effectiveness overall. For that reason, if you can afford him, go ahead and pay up for Durant on a fairly small four-game slate.
Tim Hardaway, NYK at DEN ($5,900): Hardaway has played in six games since returning from an extended absence, averaging 19.3 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists across 29.2 minutes, which is good enough for 29.4 FanDuel points. That included a 41.5 outburst against the Pelicans, which exemplifies his ability to score in bunches. Hardaway's price was up in the mid-to-upper $6,000s prior to his injury, so he's still a bit discounted and fantasy owners will want to take advantage of that while they can.
Kelly Olynyk, MIA vs SAC ($4,600): Olynyk is definitely the riskiest pick I have listed here, as his production has fluctuated somewhat significantly on a game-to-game basis. He only had 13.9 FanDuel points the last time out, but preceded that with 31.5 and 24.5 showings, so he can provide value when he's on. With a matchup against a Kings defense that struggles to cover opposing frontcourts, I'm betting on one of Olynyk's better outings rather than a down effort.
CENTERS:
Hassan Whiteside, MIA vs SAC ($9,300): As mentioned above, the Kings struggle defending opposing frontcourts, specifically giving up the fourth most FanDuel points to the center position. Whiteside himself has also been surging late after some mid-season struggles, posting over 40 FanDuel points in three of the last four games and over 50 in two of those. Whiteside's price certainly reflects that, but the matchup is just too juicy to pass up.
Steven Adams, OKC vs WAS ($7,300): If you can't pay up for Whiteside, Adams makes for an intriguing backup option. He's averaged 15.8 points, 11.6 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.4 blocks over the last four games, which equals out to 37.3 FanDuel points. With the center position fairly barren below Anderson's price range, this is about as low as I would go at the position. The WIzards aren't necessarily fantastic at defending opposing centers either, as they're about middle of the pack when it comes to FanDuel points given up to the position.
