This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
While there are only two games on the slate for the final day prior to the All-Star break, there's still some decisions to be made, including which stars should be utilized. The following list of players should give DFS owners a guideline for who to potentially build around:
GUARDS:
Eric Bledsoe, MIL vs DEN ($8,000): While the majority of my picks are going to come from the LAL/MIN game do to the pace of play and lack of defense, I do think Bledsoe has a chance to put up some strong numbers. He's played particularly well of late, averaging 40.1 FanDuel points over his last five outings. Adding to that, he's heading into a favorable matchup against the Nuggets, who have given up the fourth most FanDuel points to the point guard position on the season. His opposing guard, Jamal Murray, is dealing with some significant chest pains as well, so Bledsoe could take advantage of him not being at full strength.
Isaiah Thomas, LAL at MIN ($7,300): Those that used Thomas during Wednesday's slate were sorely disappointed, as the guard was ejected early on after a scuffle with the Pelicans' Rajon Rondo. However, in the previous matchup, which was his Lakers' debut, Thomas had one of his better performances of the season and posted 22 points, one rebound, six assists and a steal across 31 minutes. That's the sort of production I'm looking for Thursday, as the Lakers continue to run at the quickest pace in the entire league and Thomas shouldn't have trouble finding shot attempts.
Josh Hart, LAL at MIN ($6,000): The Lakers are once again going to be without Lonzo Ball (knee), which means Hart's stay in the starting lineup should continue Thursday. He's logged 30 or more FanDuel points in five of the last six games, giving him some highly coveted consistency. With a lack of cheap options on the slate, getting some strong mid-tier production is a must and Hart immediately jumps out as a guy who should be able to hit that 30-FanDuel-point mark once again.
FORWARDS:
Jimmy Butler, MIN vs LAL ($9,500): Like mentioned previously, there's a lack of cheap value plays Thursday, so it's going to be extremely tough getting a guy like Giannis Antetokounmpo ($11,700) in your lineup. For that reason, it makes sense to save $2,200 and pivot down to Butler, who still has plenty of upside. You have to love his matchup against the uptempo Lakers and despite barely surpassing 30 FanDuel points the last two times out, he preceded that with three performances of 54 points or more, which is much closer to my expectation for Butler on Thursday.
Wilson Chandler, DEN at MIL ($6,200): I really would like Chandler a whole lot more if he was in the mid-to-low $5,000s, but in such a small slate, I still feel comfortable using him at his current price. After a brutal first half of the season, it appears the trade deadline gave the veteran a bit of a spark and he's logged 46.1 and 37.1 FanDuel points over his last two games, respectively. That easily hits value at his current price, so if he can continue to stay hot, that should make Chandler a strong play.
Taj Gibson, MIN vs. LAL ($5,200): Gibson is my least favorite selection on this list, but I wanted to find at least one player that I'd feel comfortable gambling on at a fairly cheap price. He's only $5,200, which should help get guys like Karl Anthony-Towns or Butler in your lineup. Gibson matches up against a Lakers team that has given up the fifth most FanDuel points to power forwards over the last five games and as I've reiterated multiple time already, the expected pace of play is super beneficial for fantasy purposes. Gibson certainly has a capped ceiling, but does at least have a shot at reaching the 30-FanDuel-point plateau.
CENTERS:
Karl-Anthony Towns, MIN vs LAL ($10,300): If you can afford him, Towns should have his way with the Lakers, giving him some of the highest potential on Thursday's slate. Towns has averaged a whopping 32.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.0 steal and 3.0 blocks across his last two games, good enough for 61.8 FanDuel points. It's safe to say he's in a groove and I don't see the Lakers doing much to get in the way of that surge continuing moving forward. Go ahead and fire Towns up at center if possible.
Julius Randle, LAL at MIN ($7,500): If you simply can't afford Towns, Randle should give you an extra couple thousand to work with, while still providing some decent production. He's averaged 33.8 FanDuel points across the last six games and continues to act as one of the Lakers' top options offensively. Isaiah Thomas' presence could mean a slight dip in Randle's usage, but not enough where I think he can't hit value.
