A week into the new year, the NBA’s superstar pecking order is beginning to take shape. Big names, including Trae Young, Devin Booker and Kevin Durant are set to take the floor tonight. That makes narrowing down a select group to start in season-long fantasy and DFS formats a difficult task. Here are the three guards at the top of Thursday’s board:
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1. Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks at PHX ($10,300)
Trae Young is having the worst shooting season of his career, connecting on just 40.1% of his field goal attempts this season (34.0 3PT%). Still, Atlanta’s best player has found a way to remain productive with a league-leading 12.2 assists to go with 22.6 points and 3.5 rebounds per game. The three-time All-Star has become the perfect DFS player; his counting stats have reached the point where a good shooting night feels like a bonus rather than a requirement.
Fresh off of a 24-point, 20-assist masterpiece against the Jazz, Young will try to keep the good times rolling on Thursday. That shouldn’t be too difficult against a Suns team giving up the ninth-most DK fantasy points to opposing point guards. In a high-octane matchup against a Phoenix team with plenty of firepower, the Hawks will need Trae to be at his best. Expect the dynamic passer to keep his teammates involved while looking for some easy buckets.
2. Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons vs. GSW ($10,200)
The Pistons have surged all the way to a .500 record (18-18), thanks in large part to their franchise cornerstone. Cade Cunningham has always been a solid player, capable of stuffing a stat sheet on any given night. Still, he was never putting up numbers like this: 24.0 points, 6.6 rebounds and 9.3 assists on 45.4% shooting from the field (37.2 3PT%). The end result might be the best Detroit team in over a decade.
In a battle of polar opposites, the slumping Warriors will travel to Motown on Thursday. A once-promising roster has looked like a shell of themselves over the past few weeks, with major shooting struggles from Steph Curry to cap off 2024. Although Golden State ranks 12th in points allowed (111.1), that number has surged to 25th over the team’s past three games (118.7). Given Cunningham’s massive workload, there’s a lot to like about this matchup tonight.
3. Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns vs. ATL ($9,800)
Kevin Durant has acted as Phoenix’s leading scorer this season, but don’t forget about the team’s other superstar. Devin Booker has enjoyed another terrific campaign, posting 24.6 points, 3.9 rebounds and 6.8 assists through 30 games. On Wednesday, he recorded a 39-point, ten-assist outing vs. the Hornets.
As great as Booker is, his fantasy status is boosted by tonight’s showdown with the Hawks. This season, Atlanta is giving up the third-most points (119.8) and the most three-pointers made (15.5) to opponents, as well as the fifth-most DK fantasy points to shooting guards. Assuming this becomes a shootout, there’s no reason not to back the four-time All-Star in this one. Booker is solid value for managers looking to save some of their budget while rostering on an elite guard.
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is b.armetta) 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.
