FanDuel NBA: Thursday Value Plays

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Published on February 17, 2022

We had a great night of endorsements in Wednesday's 11-game slate. Let's try to keep the ball rolling for Thursday's five-game offering.

SLATE OVERVIEW

MIA (-4) @ CHA O/U: 226.5

BKN (-3.5) vs. WAS O/U: 218

DAL (-2.5) @ NOP O/U: 215.5

MIL (-6.5) vs. PHI O/U: 223

LAC (-9.5) vs. HOU O/U: 228

The marquee game is the PHI/MIL game, and although we only mentioned two total players for the game, I will use this opportunity to give a green light to every starter on both sides of the contest. I feel similarly about the Wizards, who could surprise the Nets as underdogs.

INJURIES

MIA Jimmy Butler (shoulder) - QUESTIONABLE

MIA Tyler Herro (knee) - OUT

Butler played through his injury Tuesday, so take his tag with a grain of salt. If he happens to miss, a pivot to Max Strus ($3,700) is the most sensible play. Herro will definitely miss, which should yield more opportunities for Kyle Lowry ($5,600).

CHA Gordon Hayward (ankle) - OUT

Hayward continues to miss, giving Kelly Oubre ($5,300) a prime spot in the Charlotte rotation.

BKN Kyrie Irving (home game) - OUT

Seth Curry ($6,000) and Patty Mills ($5,500) are currently your best options for Irving when the Nets play at home.

DAL Reggie Bullock (hip) - QUESTIONABLE

Dorian Finney-Smith ($4,900) is at a decent salary and would work as a fine pivot in Bullock's potential absence.

HOU Christian Wood (illness) - QUESTIONABLE

HOU Kevin Porter (illness) - QUESTIONABLE

Wood missed Wednesday's game but has a chance to return. More work would flow to Alperen Sengun ($4,800) if he misses again. Porter could return as well, but Dennis Schroder ($4,300) would benefit from a Porter absence.

ELITE PLAYERS

If you want to anchor your lineups with big men, you have a trio of elite options to consider, led by Joel Embiid ($11,400) and Giannis Antetokounmpo ($11,500). The two All-Star titans will clash in a potential Eastern Conference championship preview. Giannis has logged big double-doubles over the past couple of years against the Sixers, and his most recent line was a 31/16 monster. Embiid hasn't fared quite as well and didn't suit up the last time they met. I wouldn't fault an add for either player, but I think Giannis holds a slight advantage between the two. The third, lowest-price big man to consider is Jonas Valanciunas ($6,400), who sets up as a good contrarian play at center against the Mavericks.

LaMelo Ball ($8,800) leads a crew of Hornets that could pay off well, especially if Jimmy Butler can't make it. Luka Doncic ($11,300) is a little too expensive against the Pelicans, but he could end up with the lowest rostership percentage of the men at the top.

Finally, it will be a consistently-safe call to go with Kyle Kuzma ($7,700). I doubt this endorsement will change until we get a better idea of Kristaps Porzingis' impact, but for now, Kuzma runs this offense and is a nightly double-double threat.

EXPECTED CHALK AND VALUE PLAYS

Terry Rozier, CHA ($7,500) vs. MIA

Continuing with the trend mentioned above, the Hornets are a potential smash spot as underdogs against the Heat, and their value multiplies with a Butler absence. Rozier is my top play after Ball, but I expect decent lines from Oubre and P.J. Washington ($5,100) as well.

Reggie Jackson, LAC ($6,700) vs. HOU

Jackson is my favorite guard play in this salary range. He's been on an excellent four-game run with fantasy totals ranging from 31 to 50 FDFP, and Kevin Porter's potential absence further bolsters Jackson's value. Eric Bledsoe's usage used to add risk to his value, but his departure has blown the gates wide open for Jackson. Marcus Morris ($6,100) and Terance Mann ($5,900) are other high-value Clippers to target in this game.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, WAS ($4,200) @ BKN

This is an astonishing-low salary for KCP, who continues to put up great numbers amid Bradley Beal's absence. At this salary, we only need about 22 FDFP for Caldwell-Pope to pay off 5x value, and he has exceeded that number in three of his past four games.

Isaiah Hartenstein, LAC ($3,900) vs. HOU

You'll have to weather some variance from Hartenstein, but the Clippers are using the big man with increasing frequency, and with a potential absence for Christian Wood, the Rockets could be vulnerable inside. I would restrict him to GPPs as a salary cap saver.

In conclusion, look back through the injury section, and identify the best possible value pivots within.

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire.