There are two games on Thursday’s NBA slate.
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 $300K Fadeaway [$100K to 1st]
Guard
Stud
Jamal Murray, Denver Nuggets at Oklahoma City Thunder ($7,800)
On this slate, I lean towards staying in the midrange instead of paying up for SGA or Jokic. The Thunder have one of the best defenses in the league and held Murray to a low shooting percentage the last few seasons. That said, Murray garners a usage rate in the 28% range and still averaged 24 points, seven rebounds, eight assists, one steal, one block and 2.7 treys in three games against the Thunder last season.
Other Options: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ($9,900), Donovan Mitchell ($8,200), Tyrese Maxey ($8,000), James Harden ($7,100)
Value
Sam Merrill, Cleveland Cavaliers at Philadelphia 76ers ($3,700)
Last season, Merrill averaged 26.5 minutes per game with 12.8 points, three treys, 2.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 0.6 steals. He should be out there in the mid-20s once again due to his ability to space the floor. He shot 42% from downtown last season and put up at least 20 FPTS 31 times, with 11 over 30 FPTS and two over 40 FPTS.
Other Options: Christian Braun ($4,600), Ajay Mitchell ($4,400), Cason Wallace ($4,100), Jared McCain ($3,800), Jaylon Tyson ($3,600)
Forward
Stud
LeBron James, Philadelphia 76ers vs. Cleveland Cavaliers ($7,000)
James only garnered a 21% usage rate on Tuesday, but played 33.8 minutes and finished with 14 points, nine rebounds, seven assists, a steal and a block, good for 39.2 FPTS. He is the facilitator for this 76ers squad and provides the fantasy goodies in a variety of ways. This is the home opener in Philadelphia and the crowd should be raucous, which is when LBJ thrives.
Other Options: Evan Mobley ($7,900), Jaylen Brown ($7,600), Jalen Williams ($6,400)
Value
Chet Holmgren, Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Denver Nuggets ($5,800)
In the opener, Holmgren played 30 minutes and produced 14 points, seven rebounds, two assists and four blocks, good for 33.2 FPTS. He only shot 3-of-8 from the field, but he was uber-aggressive and showed no ill effects from getting Wembanyama’d in the playoffs last season. He should get much cleaner looks in this one, as Denver isn’t as stout on defense as San Antonio while still racking up the fantasy goodies on the defensive end of the floor.
Other Options: Aaron Gordon ($5,500), Peyton Watson ($4,700), Cam Johnson ($4,500), Cason Wallace ($4,100), Sam Merrill ($3,700), Jaylon Tyson ($3,600)
Center
Stud
Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers vs. Cleveland Cavaliers ($7,700)
Normally, when Nikola Jokic is on the slate, it’s almost an auto-click, but value is tough to find on this two-game slate and I prefer to live in the midrange as of now. In the opener, Embiid looked relatively spry, playing 33 minutes and contributing 13 points, 11 rebounds, six assists, three blocks and two steals. He did not shoot well, but with LeBron running the show and high-quality teammates, there should be plenty of good looks. In addition, Jarrett Allen is questionable. If he misses, the matchup becomes juicier. The main thing is that Embiid is healthy and is making a concerted effort on defense.
Other Options: Nikola Jokic ($10,900), Evan Mobley ($7,900)
Value
Aaron Gordon, Denver Nuggets at Oklahoma City Thunder ($5,500)
Not feeling the value at center, so Gordon it is. A ringing endorsement! Gordon doesn’t provide much in the defensive stats, but he rebounds and gets easy looks, whether it be from cutting to the rim for Jokic masterpieces or hanging out beyond the three-point line, where he’s been a marksman, draining 43% and 38% from downtown over the last two seasons.
Other Options: Isaiah Hartenstein ($4,800)
