This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
With six games on the schedule for Thursday's slate, there's plenty of options to sort through at all levels of the price scale. The following list should provide a handful of players to consider building your lineup around:
GUARDS:
Chris Paul, HOU vs. POR ($7,600): Paul's status should be monitored closely up until tip-off for those planning to use him, as there's certainly a chance the Rockets opt to rest some of their veterans with the No. 1 seed in the West locked up. That said, if Paul does play, you're getting an intriguingly discounted price for Paul, who's been $8,000 or above in every game but one so far this season. Paul posted a dud of 18.4 FanDuel points his last time out, but preceded that with four 40-plus FanDuel point outings, all of which would be surpassing value at a $7,600 price. Again, Paul will be fairly risky due to his chances of being rested, but he could come at a nice discount if cleared to play.
Will Barton, DEN vs. MIN ($7,300): Barton is coming off one of his better games of the season, posting 26 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and two steals across 37 minutes against the Pacers on Tuesday. That was good enough for 50.5 FanDuel points, which bumped up his average to 37.1 FanDuel points over the last three games. While it would have been nice to catch Barton ahead of his last outing, Thursday's matchup provides plenty of opportunity as well. This game features the highest over/under on the slate, with both sides fighting for one of the final spots in the Western Conference playoff race. That means big minutes for all the starters and if Barton continues his strong play, he should have plenty of chances to hit that 40-FanDuel point mark. Gary Harris (knee) remains out.
Shabazz Napier, POR at HOU ($3,600): Admittedly, Napier wasn't as strong of a play as expected the last time he filled in for Damian Lillard (ankle). However, in nine total starts this season, he's still averaging 15.8 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.4 assists across 33.7 minutes. That sort of production would be more than needed for a guy priced just over the minimum, so Napier is a must-play in my eyes. He'll likely be highly owned, but if you're trying to pay up for some of the high-priced guys, a minimum salary like Napier will go a long way in helping you do so.
FORWARDS:
Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL vs. BKN ($11,500): I'd prefer to pay the big bucks at the center position for Thursday's slate, but if you're not interested in Karl-Anthony Towns ($10,000) or Nikola Jokic ($11,000), Antetokounmpo should be your guy. He's facing off against a Nets team that he dominated for 78.1 FanDuel points back at the end of January. The Bucks are also battling for playoff positioning and would likely much rather be the No. 7 seed (currently eighth) with the hope of playing a Boston team now without Kyrie Irving (knee) for the entire playoffs. For that reason, Antetokounmpo should get all the minutes he can handle despite being locked into a playoff spot, making him a strong play once again.
Paul Millsap, DEN vs. MIN ($7,500): Millsap has been playing very well of late, averaging 25.3 points, 9.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.7 blocks across his last three games. His price has shifted up a bit, but not enough where I'd be worried about it. At $7,500, he'd likely only need numbers in the upper-30s to hit value, which he's done in each of the last three games. During that three-game stretch, he's tallied 38.4, 51.1 and 48.8 FanDuel points, respectively, which would all be very strong outputs for his price. Despite being solid overall this season, the Bucks have also given up the seventh most FanDuel points to power forwards over the last five games.
Joe Harris, BKN at MIL ($3,900): Harris is admittedly risky and likely only someone to use in tournament settings, but he should be picking up another start with DeMarre Carroll (hip) out. Over his last five games, he's surpassed 19.0 FanDuel points three times, including a whopping 43.4 against the Cavaliers at the end of February. I'm certainly not expecting him to put up that sort of production, but more hoping for something in the upper-20s or low-30s. At a near minimum price, Harris' likely 30-plus minute workload should give him every opportunity to do so.
CENTERS:
Karl-Anthony Towns, MIN at DEN ($10,000): Like I mentioned in the Barton blurb, this game has the highest over/under on the night and both teams are fighting for one of the last spots in the playoffs. For that reason, look for the Timberwolves to go to Towns early and often, even if Jimmy Butler (knee) is cleared following pregame warmups. As an added bonus, Towns has been priced $10,400 or more in each of the last nine games he's played, so fantasy owners are even getting a slight discount here. Towns is averaging an impressive 54.0 FanDuel points over his last three games and faces off with a Nuggets team that has given up the 12th most FanDuel points to centers over the last five games.
Clint Capela, HOU vs. POR ($7,300): I'm not a huge fan of really any centers other than Towns or Nikola Jokic ($11,000), though Capela would be my choice if I'm trying to pay down a bit. Capela has double-doubled in two straight games and is averaging 40.4 FanDuel points over his last five games, all of which are strong indications that Capela could hit value at a price of $7,300. Like Chris Paul, however, Capela's status would need to be monitored all the way up until tip-off to make sure he's not resting.
