It’s a five-game NBA slate on Thursday, as just ten teams are set to tip off across the association. Still, plenty of big names are expected to take the floor, including Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Cade Cunningham, and Kevin Durant. With a select group of stars in action, narrowing down who to start in season-long fantasy and DFS formats is a difficult task. Here are the three guards at the top of tonight’s fantasy basketball rankings:
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $300K Fadeaway [$100K to 1st]
1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder vs. CLE ($10,500)
In tonight’s battle of the titans, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is clearly the best player on the court. Oklahoma City’s face of the franchise has been his usual MVP-caliber self, averaging 31.1 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.9 assists this season. The guard also manages to play a big role on the other end of the floor, leading the NBA’s best defense with 2.0 steals and 1.1 blocks per game.
With all of those counting stats, it’s no surprise that Gilgeous-Alexander has become a matchup-proof DFS option. Still, Thursday isn’t exactly a must-start situation. The Cavaliers are holding opposing point guards to the sixth-fewest DK fantasy points this season. However, when these two teams last met in Cleveland on January 8th, SGA recorded 32 points and nine rebounds (53.75 FPTS). No matter who is guarding him, the Canadian has a firm grip atop these fantasy basketball rankings.
2. Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons vs. IND ($10,300)
Trailing right behind SGA is Cade Cunningham. The Pistons have shocked the world en route to a 21-19 record, and it’s been their point guard leading the way. Through 36 games, the former number one pick has posted 24.5 points, 6.6 rebounds and 9.4 assists while shooting 46.0% from the field (38.2 3PT%).
What makes Cunningham so dangerous is that he doesn’t need to shoot the ball well to pick apart a defense. The Oklahoma State product’s passing skills have never been better, as seen during last Saturday’s 17-assist masterpiece vs. the Raptors. The Pacers have given up the ninth-most points (116.9) to opponents this season, so there’s also room to dominate as a scorer. Cade should take advantage of a weak Indiana defense, giving him a real case to rank above every guard on tonight’s slate.
3. Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns at WAS ($9,100)
Even though Kevin Durant demands more attention from most fans, don’t sleep on Devin Booker. The four-time All-Star selection has been a bit inconsistent as a shooter (44.0 FG%), but he’s made up for it by serving as Phoenix’s leading play maker. This season, the guard is averaging 25.2 points, 4.0 rebounds and 6.9 assists for the Suns.
What makes Booker such an appealing option tonight is the perfect matchup: a date with the Wizards. Washington’s league-worst defense is giving up the most points (122.6) and the second-most DK fantasy points to point guards, just to name a few lowlights. Fresh off of three straight games of 50 or more DK fantasy points, Booker should dominate once again. At nearly $1,000 less than the top two guards on this list, he has sneaky value on Thursday’s fantasy basketball rankings.
