It’s a select four-game, eight-team night in the NBA. With so few teams playing, determining which big names to start in season-long fantasy and DFS formats is no easy task. Here are the three guards at the top of tonight’s slate:
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $300K Fadeaway [$100K to 1st]
1. Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves at TOR ($9,600)
Anthony Edwards is off to another scorching start, putting up 28.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.8 assists through fourteen games. With Karl-Anthony Towns in New York, the Timberwolves have felt comfortable allowing their All-NBA guard to take full control of the offense. While Ant’s scoring numbers have taken a slight dip as of late, he’s still produced more than 40 DK fantasy points in all but four outings this season.
The 23-year-old has a juicy matchup on tap when the Wolves travel up north. The Raptors are surrendering 119.5 points per game to opponents, the fourth-worst mark in the league. Toronto is especially vulnerable against guards, giving up the eighth-most DK fantasy points to the position. Edwards should get fed tonight against a team with no answer for him on defense.
2. Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons at CHA ($9,700)
The 7-9 Pistons have been one of the biggest surprises in the association, thanks in large part to the improved play of Cade Cunningham. The former number one pick has taken his game to another level this season, posting 23.3 points, 7.3 rebounds and 8.8 assists across sixteen games. The fourth-year pro is currently averaging 49.5 DK fantasy points per game.
Even though they’ve shown some growth, the Hornets are still a below-average NBA defense, giving up 114.1 points per game (19th). When these two teams last met on November 6th, Cunningham put together a 20-point, ten-rebound, ten-assist masterpiece. Another triple-double will have the dynamic guard at the top of Thursday’s leaderboard.
3. LaMelo Ball, Charlotte Hornets vs. DET ($9,500)
Speaking of the Hornets, their offense revolves around LaMelo Ball like no other team in the NBA. The former All Star is leading the league with a 37.1% usage rate. Such a gigantic workload has led to some eye-popping numbers: 28.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 6.6 assists through fourteen games. Even after Tuesday’s disappointing twelve-point, 24-minute outing vs. the Nets, there’s little reason to expect Ball’s numbers to dip.
Detroit, tonight’s opponent, has been surprisingly stingy on defense, currently allowing the seventh-fewest DK fantasy points to guards. Still, Ball managed to notch a solid 25-point, six-rebound, eight-assist game against the Pistons earlier this month. With so few quality guards available, this is a clear-cut choice for third on the list.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $300K Fadeaway [$100K to 1st]
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is barmy) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
