With only seven games on the schedule for Thursday night in the NBA, the options are definitely limited when it comes to constructing the ideal lineup for Daily Fantasy League purposes. That means putting in some extra time when it comes to finding the best superstar players to build around along with the value plays that will help maximize the potential of your lineup. Here is a look at some important fantasy advice to consider for Thursday’s NBA action.
Weak Defense To Target: Philadelphia 76ers
The 76ers have dropped three straight and seven of their last eight to further cement their position in the basement of the NBA standings. It isn’t about to get any easier for them with the Chicago Bulls in town on Thursday night. Philadelphia has allowed an average of 105.0 points per game this season and it’s been even worse of late. They’ve allowed 111.6 points per game over their last five. It is definitely worth targeting their weak defense by plugging in players from Chicago. Jimmy Butler has been sensational for the Bulls all season but if you can’t afford him then it’s worth taking a chance on Nikola Mirotic, who has averaged 14.8 points, 8.0 rebounds, 2.8 three-point shots, 1.8 blocks and 1.3 assists per game over the last week and is an excellent value play in Daily Fantasy Leagues right now.
Player Who’s Hot Right Now: DeMarcus Cousins, Sacramento Kings
Sacramento has remained in the playoff hunt thanks in big part to the play of Cousins, who has been absolutely on fire of late. Cousins has averaged 31.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 2.0 steals and 2.0 three-point shots per game over the last week of action and while he is fairly expensive it is worth selection him as the superstar to build around as the Kings lean heavily on him when they visit the Utah Jazz on Thursday night.
Injuries, Rest Create Opportunities For… Trey Lyles, Mario Chalmers
The Utah Jazz are dealing with plenty of injuries and one of their major concerns right now is the one of their starting power forward, Derrick Favors. He has missed 11 straight games and while it looked like he’d be close to returning on Wednesday, he was held out once more. That means that there will be continued opportunity for the Jazz’ 2015 first-round pick, Trey Lyles. Lyles stepped up last night and delivered a career-high 16 points with a couple of rebounds and a couple of threes. He’s now played at least 26 minutes in five straight games. We’d love to see more rebounds and blocks – especially considering that he’s 6’10 – and he should deliver if he continues to see big minutes. Although he only had a couple of rebounds on Wednesday, he had averaged 9.3 rebounds per game over his previous three outings. Lyles should be a cheaper option in Daily Fantasy leagues on Thursday as he’s mostly an overlooked asset.
Meanwhile, the Memphis Grizzlies continue to search for an identity and it seems as though head coach Dave Joerger has liked what he has seen from Mario Chalmers in recent weeks. Chalmers continues to play substantial minutes for Memphis and he has averaged 15.8 points, 6.5 assists, 5.5 rebounds, 2.0 three-point shots and 1.8 steals per game over the last week of action. This is a team that needs offense and he provides a bit of pop. He is another strong value play for Thursday’s slate with the Grizzlies set to host the Detroit Pistons.
Highest Scoring Game Of The Night: LAL @ GS
The Golden State Warriors lead the NBA with an average of 114.4 points per game this season and there isn’t any reason to expect their offensive juggernaut to slow down even a little bit when they host the lowly Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson are the obvious superstar plays but Brandon Rush has also put up some surprisingly decent numbers of late and should be a strong candidate for a decent performance against his former team. Meanwhile, Lou Williams has been outstanding for the Lakers recently but it’s also worth considering playing Jordan Clarkson for Los Angeles.
