This article is part of our FantasyDraft NBA series.
Very few teams participating in Thursday's six-game slate have locked into their final standings, so almost everyone is playing with something more than a W on the line. The worst defense in action is the Timberwolves, while the best is the Nets (yes, you read that correctly) – they rank second-worst and second-best, respectively, in per-possession defense over the past 10 games.
GUARDS
Damian Lillard, POR vs. MIN ($16,300): Lillard struggled in Tuesday's game against the Jazz, but the Jazz are one of the toughest opponents in the league. Outside of that game, Lillard has been on a remarkable run going all the way back to the All-Star break. In the 21 games between the break, he averaged 29.3 points, 6.1 assists, 4.8 rebounds, 3.5 threes and 1.4 steals per outing. Not only are his averages high, but his production was consistent night after night: not once did he score fewer than 19 points, he made at least two threes in all but one game, he had either at least five assists or at least four rebounds in all but one game, and he achieved both 13 times.
Bradley Beal, WAS at NY ($13,600): Because of the Celtics lost to the Cavaliers on Wednesday, the Wizards still have a shot at the two seed in the East. If they lose to the Knicks, however, that possibility is all but extinguished. Though the Knicks' defense hasn't been horrible over the last 10 games, most of the teams who have been worse are not active Thursday, so by comparison they are one of the most fantasy-friendly opponents. Meanwhile, Beal has scored at least 20 points in 18 of 23 games since the All-star break, and he is averaging 23.3 per game over his last four.
Matthew Dellavedova, MIL at IND ($7,800): Dellavedova's value increased dramatically due to the injury to Malcolm Brogdon (back), who has already missed three games and will be out again Thursday. Tuesday's game against the Thunder was over before halftime, which led to Dellavedova playing only 17 minutes, while the Bucks gave extended run to the recently acquired Gary Payton II. In the two games prior, Dellavedova averaged 10.0 points, 6.5 assists and 2.0 threes in 34.5 minutes per game. He should be back to his full duties as the Bucks and Pacers fight for playoff positioning.
FORWARDS/CENTERS
Karl-Anthony Towns, MIN at POR ($18,300): The Trail Blazers' front court has struggled without Jusuf Nurkic (leg). On Tuesday, they allowed 30 points to Rudy Gobert and Jeff Withey, almost double their combined season average of 17.0. This is a rematch of Monday's game, when Towns himself took advantage of Nurkic's backups for 34 points and 12 rebounds. Additionally, Towns is averaging 30.0 points and 10.0 rebounds per game over his last five.
Richaun Holmes, PHI vs. CHI ($11,900): The 76ers' frontcourt keeps getting thinner and thinner. Joel Embiid (knee), Jahlil Okafor (knee) and Robert Covington (knee) are all out for the season. Tiago Splitter (calf) is available, but he has yet to play more than eight minutes in a game this season. As of this week, Dario Saric (foot) is under a 24 minutes cap, after averaging 32.7 per game during the first 19 games after the All-Star break. With all of these injuries, the only players available to spell Holmes are fringe NBA players, which opens the door for Holmes to see tons of minutes. Since the All-Star break, Holmes has averaged 18.8 points and 9.2 rebounds per-36 minutes. Bulls center Robin Lopez is a strong defender, but a notoriously bad rebounder.
Kelly Oubre, WAS at NY ($6,900): Oubre's role and production have increased over the past three weeks, but his price remains near the minimum. Before he received a DNP-CD on March 15, Oubre was averaging only 19.2 minutes per game, and he is averaging 23.3 minutes since. His role has continued increasing since March 15, too – over the first five games, he averaged 20.4 minutes and 5.4 points, but over the next six games those increased to 25.7 minutes and 11.8 points. With the extra minutes, he has also increased his rebounding, steals and three-point shooting.
UTILITY
Jeremy Lin, BKN at ORL ($12,300): Lin's revival has played a major role in the Nets' convincing recent imitation of a real-life basketball team. He finds ways to contribute every night – the last time he failed to score in double-digits, he accumulated eight assists, four rebounds, two steals and a block. He has scored at least 25 fantasy points in six straight games, and the Magic are the third-most favorable opponent for a point guard over their last five games.
Courtney Lee, NY vs. WAS ($9,800): Similar to Lin, when Lee's shot isn't falling, he has found other ways to impact the box score. Lee has scored in double-digits in six of his past eight games – and in each of the other two games, he grabbed seven rebounds, matching his third-highest total this season. Over the eight game span, he is averaging 12.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.5 steals in 34.8 minutes. After the Timberwolves, the Wizards are the next worst per-possession defense in action Thursday.
