There are eight games on Thursday’s NBA slate. Denver and Orlando are 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
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Boston Celtics ($11,200)
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has put up at least 40 FPTS in all five games since returning from injury, including two performances with 60.8 and 75.8 FPTS, respectively. He may not have the floor/ceiling combo of Nikola Jokic, but it’s still pretty, pretty high. You can sharpie him in for at least 20 points a night, along with rebounds, dimes, and defensive stats. SGA plays in the mid-to-high 30s during competitive games, and he should follow suit in a tough matchup with Boston. The reigning MVP has cleared 60 FPTS 11 times this season, including two games over 70 FPTS.
Other Options: Cade Cunningham ($10,900), Jaylen Brown ($9,300), Devin Booker ($8,800), VJ Edgecombe ($8,100), Desmond Bane ($7,700), Quentin Grimes ($7,400), Nickeil Alexander-Walker ($7,300), Stephon Castle ($7,200), Jalen Suggs ($7,100), Ty Jerome ($7,000), De’Aaron Fox ($6,900), Dyson Daniels ($6,800), Jalen Green ($6,800), Collin Gillespie ($6,500)
Value
Ajay Mitchell, Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Boston Celtics ($4,700)
Ajay Mitchell returned on Monday after a near two-month layoff. He didn’t miss a beat, notching 24 points, two rebounds, three assists, and a steal across 29 minutes. He garnered a 28.6% usage rate and finished with 33.5 FPTS. With Jalen Williams still sidelined, Mitchell should remain an integral cog in the Oklahoma City juggernaut.
Other Options: Cam Payne ($6,000), Javon Small ($5,500), Baylor Scheierman ($4,300), Kam Jones ($4,100) [if he starts]
Forward
Stud
Jalen Johnson, Atlanta Hawks vs. Brooklyn Nets ($10,800)
Jalen Johnson has returned to form after a recent absence to nurse a hip injury. On Saturday, Johnson racked up 62 FPTS across 39 minutes. He followed it up with 54.2 FPTS in 38 minutes on Tuesday. Johnson trails only Nikola Jokic for the most triple-doubles in the NBA this season. He’s gone for at least 60 FPTS 16 times with a high of 92 FPTS. And he faces a friendly matchup against a porous Brooklyn defense.
Other Options: Paolo Banchero ($9,500), Jaylen Brown ($9,300), Desmond Bane ($7,700), Dyson Daniels ($6,800), Jalen Green ($6,800), Aaron Gordon ($6,500), Jaime Jaquez Jr. ($6,400), Jaylin Williams ($6,200) if Isaiah Hartenstein is out
Value
Tristan da Silva, Orlando Magic vs. Washington Wizards ($4,900)
Since Franz Wagner suffered another injury, da Silva started seven of the last nine games, averaging 31.3 minutes, 11.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.2 steals, 0.6 blocks and 2.2 treys. Nothing spectacular but very solid. That translated to at least 20 FPTS in all but one of those contests, and the game that he missed, da Silva finished with 19.2 FPTS. He did also put up at least 30 FPTS in four of those games. The floor is high and the ceiling is limited, but there’s a smidge of upside, especially since he will likely play over 30 minutes against a Washington team that is first in pace and dead-last in defensive rating over the last 15 games. It doesn’t get any better than that.
Other Options: Royce O’Neale ($5,500), Will Riley ($5,400), Devin Vassell ($5,200), Noah Clowney ($5,100), Bilal Coulibaly ($4,900), Tim Hardaway Jr. ($4,800), Danny Wolf ($4,800), Julian Champagnie ($4,700), Ousmane Dieng ($4,700), Trendon Watford ($4,000), Jabari Walker ($3,800)
Center
Stud
Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets at San Antonio Spurs ($12,500)
There are plenty of good options at the position, but Jokic has the highest floor/ceiling combo in the game. Period. He’s failed to hit 50 FPTS only four times and has gone over 80 FPTS eight times with a high of 106.5 FPTS. Jokic leads the league in triple-doubles and is a threat to mess around on any given night. This should be an extremely competitive game, requiring Jokic to once again lead the Nuggets while playing a full complement of minutes.
Other Options: Victor Wembanyama ($10,900), Bam Adebayo ($9,900), Jalen Duren ($7,900), Onyeka Okongwu ($7,600), Jaylin Williams ($6,200) if Isaiah Hartenstein is out
Value
Daniel Gafford, Dallas Mavericks at Memphis Grizzlies ($5,000)
I usually shy away from players that don’t get 30 minutes of run. Gafford plays around 24 minutes a night. But he does average 1.09 FPTS per minute and finished with at least 30 FPTS in each of the last three games, including a high of 42.2 FPTS. Memphis is 11th in pace and 27th in defensive rating over the last 15 games, so the environment should be a fantasy-friendly one. In addition, Memphis is super thin in the front court and lacks size, so Gafford could be a menace on the glass. He’s double-doubled in three straight.
Other Options: Jay Huff ($5,700), Wendell Carter Jr. ($5,300), Danny Wolf ($4,800)
