There are six games on Thursday’s NBA slate. Utah is playing the second night of a back-to-back.
This article was written on Wednesday night. Any changes will be updated. Keep track of all the injury news at DK Network.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $200K Fadeaway [$50K to 1st]
Guard
Stud
Reed Sheppard, Houston Rockets vs. Golden State Warriors ($6,300)
For much of the season, Reed Sheppard was relegated to a reserve role, playing in the low-20s off the bench. Sheppard’s defense isn’t great, and Ime Udoka preferred having size and length on the floor. Injuries and a lack of outside shooting have thrust Sheppard into a more prominent role recently, as Amen Thompson and Jabari Smith Jr. have been sidelined. Sheppard has averaged 35.3 minutes across his last four games, while starting in three during that stretch. He put up at least 30 FPTS in all four contests with a high of 60.8 FPTS. Smith and Thompson are questionable for Thursday, so there’s a strong chance Sheppard gets another start and plays a ton of minutes.
Other Options: Cade Cunningham ($11,200), Anthony Edwards ($9,700), Amen Thompson ($8,000), Keyonte George ($7,900), Immanuel Quickley ($7,400)
Value
Jevon Carter, Orlando Magic vs. Dallas Mavericks ($3,900)
Jevon Carter was in and out of the lineup in Chicago, averaging only 11 minutes per game. His playing time has steadily increased since arriving in Orlando eight games ago, averaging 22.3 minutes a night and playing 30 minutes back-to-back games. Carter is averaging just 0.74 FPTS per minute with the Magic, but he’s finished with at least 24 FPTS in four of eight games. Anthony Black is questionable for this one, so another 30 minutes for Carter is certainly a possibility.
Other Options: Donte DiVincenzo ($5,600), Max Christie ($5,200), Nolan Traore ($4,900)
Forward
Stud
Kyle Filipowski, Utah Jazz at Washington Wizards ($7,500)
We never know what shenanigans Utah will employ on a nightly basis, so there’s always risk. Since Jusuf Nurkic succumbed to injury six games ago, Kyle Filipowski has averaged 26.3 minutes, which is somewhat of a disappointment. I initially expected low to mid-30s. That said, he’s put up at least 22 FPTS in each game during that span, with four performances over 30 FPTS and two over 40 FPTS. Now he faces a Wizards team that ranks sixth in pace and 29th in defensive rating this season.
Other Options: Paolo Banchero ($9,600), Kevin Durant ($9,100), Michael Porter Jr. ($8,100)
Value
Leaky Black, Washington Wizards vs. Utah Jazz ($3,400)
Leaky Black was recently signed to a two-way contract on February 21. He’s since appeared in two games, playing 30 minutes in both contests and finishing with 16.8 and 24.8 FPTS. He’s only averaging 0.61 FPTS per minute, but there’s a strong chance he plays close to 30 minutes once again — Jamir Watkins and Kyshawn George are both ruled out for this game. He’s cheap and has a fantastic matchup against Utah.
Other Options: Andrew Wiggins ($6,000), Jaime Jaquez Jr. ($5,800), Devin Vassell ($5,700), Will Riley ($5,600), Justin Champagnie ($5,200), Danny Wolf ($4,800), Tristan da Silva ($4,700)
Center
Stud
Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs vs. Detroit Pistons ($10,900)
Victor Wembanyama could become the greatest fantasy player ever, but he has a long way to go before he unseats Nikola Jokic from the Iron Throne. While Wembanyama has the three-time MVP beat in the defensive categories, he doesn’t dish out as many dimes and can be inconsistent scoring-wise.
However, Wembanyama has cleared 60 FPTS in 12 games this season, including four performances with over 70 FPTS. He put up 50.8 and 43 FPTS in his last two games, the latter of which came in just 24 minutes of action in a blowout. I’m forecasting a competitive matchup with Detroit, so Wembanyama should see a normal workload. Wembanyama is averaging a robust 1.62 FPTS per minute and just dropped 63.2 FPTS against Detroit on Feb. 23.
Other Options: Bam Adebayo ($8,400), Jalen Duren ($8,200), Kyle Filipowski ($7,500)
Value
Kel’el Ware, Miami Heat vs. Brooklyn Nets ($4,900)
It’s been a roller coaster of a season for Kel’el Ware. He was in the Erik Spoelstra doghouse for much of the early season but thrived when Bam Adebayo missed time due to injury. While his playing time has been volatile, Ware has cleared 40 FPTS in 11 games this season, including four performances over 50 FPTS. Ware has played 29 minutes in back-to-back games and logged 36.8 and 39.2 FPTS. May the good times continue.
Other Options: Justin Champagnie ($5,200), Jakob Poeltl ($5,200), Dwight Powell ($4,000)
