This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
With six games scheduled on a typically smaller Thursday slate, there's plenty to keep an eye for DFS purposes. Some characteristically uptempo teams, injured stars and the impending trade deadline will all likely have a big impact on where to invest your money. The following list of players should give DFS owners a guideline for who to potentially build around:
GUARDS:
Stephen Curry, GSW vs DAL ($9,800): There are a few things working in Curry's favor for this game. First off is the matchup, as the Mavericks have given up the 10th most FanDuel points to point guards on the season. The second is the fact that the Warriors could be without Kevin Durant, who is currently questionable with a hand injury. Considering the weaker foe, it wouldn't be surprising if Durant was ultimately held out, which would allow Curry to take on increased usage. That said, Curry is coming off his worst four-game stretch of the season in terms of fantasy production and the Warriors lost two straight and three of their last four, so I'm fully expecting a monster bounce-back performance.
Wesley Matthews, DAL at GSW ($5,800): The Warriors are surprisingly poor at defending opposing shooting guards, giving up eighth most FanDuel points to the position on the season. Matthews, himself, has also played particularly well of late, posting 30 or more FanDuel points in three of the last four games, while tallying 39.9 his last time out against the Clippers on Monday. He shot an impressive 7-of-12 from the three-point line in that game, so it's worth it to grab him when he's firing on all cylinders.
Fred VanVleet, TOR vs NYK ($4,900): Despite struggling to get minutes at the start of the season, VanVleet has earned a much larger role of late, which has resulted in some solid figures for fantasy purposes. Over his last two games specifically, the guard has averaged 11.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 8.0 assists and 1.5 steals across 29.5 minutes, good enough for 33.0 FanDuel points. At a price of just $4,900, VanVleet has some of the better upside in terms of cheaper guard options. If you're in need of a salary break to fit in an expensive guy like Curry, VanVleet should help give you that flexibility while not sacrificing too much upside.
FORWARDS:
Paul George, OKC at LAL ($8,600): The Thunder are heading into Thursday's contest with George's fellow superstars Russell Westbrook and Carmelo Anthony on the injury report. Both players are dealing with their own respective ankle injuries and even if they aren't held out, could be monitored closely throughout the contest. That should mean some extra usage for George, who was already having a strong stretch of games. George has posted two 60-plus FanDuel point outings over his last four games, showing his potential when given the ball more. When you add that to the fact that the Lakers are one of the more uptempo teams in the league, this should be an up-and-down game with tons of extra statistics available to pile up.
Michael Beasley, NYK at TOR ($6,200): The Knicks have officially lost Kristaps Porzingis (knee) for the season, so Beasley enters the starting lineup and should continue to work with the top unit moving forward. While Beasley is already in line for a hefty workload, the Knicks are also slated to be without Enes Kanter (mouth) on Thursday, which should mean Beasley gets all the minutes he can handle. Known for his offensive prowess, Beasley is going to get off a ton of shots, which should make him a worthy investment at $6,200.
Kyle Kuzma, LAL vs OKC ($4,700): The Lakers have officially traded Larry Nance to the Cavaliers, which allows Kuzma to field a much bigger role off the bench behind Julius Randle. Randle has also reportedly been on the trade block, though a deal currently hasn't been completed. Either way, this presents an opportunity to grab Kuzma at a cheaper price, as it will likely start to climb in the coming few weeks with the Lakers inclined to get some of their younger players mre involved to push their development along in the second half of the season.
CENTERS:
Julius Randle, LAL vs OKC ($7,300): If Randle isn't moved like I mentioned above in the Kuzma blurb, you can go ahead and roll him out in what is a very weak center position for Thursday's DFS slate. Randle has logged 30 or more FanDuel points in four out of the last five games, a stretch where he's averaged 33.7 FanDuel points. Of course, this will be something to monitor up until the deadline, so make sure to check back a few times before lineup lock. Larry Nance has also been traded, which could mean a few extra minutes for Randle.
Kyle O'Quinn, NYK at TOR ($4,000): O'Quinn is easily my favorite value play of the day, as he's expected to fill in for Enes Kanter in the starting lineup at center. He's put up some fairly strong numbers when given significant workloads previously this season, including six other times surpassing the 30-FanDuel-point mark. At a price of just $4,000, O'Quinn has a shot to provide some big returns. Go ahead and role him out, especially with so little options elsewhere at the position.
