After a busy Wednesday night in the NBA, the schedule will be significantly lighter on Thursday with only four games on the slate. That means it will be that much more important to hit with every selection in DraftKings Daily NBA Fantasy Leagues, finding the perfect combination between star players and strong value options. Here is some important NBA fantasy advice to consider for Thursday’s action.
Weak Defense To Target: Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings have lost three straight and seven of their last 10 games overall and their terrible defense is the biggest of several reasons why they continue to struggle. The Kings have allowed an NBA-worst 109.6 points per game this season so it only makes sense to target them when they visit the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday night. Dirk Nowitzki and Chandler Parsons are both decent options, but the best value play could very well be Wesley Matthews. Matthews has averaged 12.5 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.3 three-point shots, 1.9 assists and 1.0 block per game over the past week of action and he is available at a very decent price tag if you want to take advantage of the NBA fantasy matchup against Sacramento.
Player Who’s Hot Right Now: Eric Gordon, New Orleans Pelicans
New Orleans has been devastated by injuries all season, but they welcomed Eric Gordon back on Saturday and he delivered an impressive performance. Gordon scored 31 points with three rebounds, three steals and two assists in a loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves and there is every reason to expect another strong performance when they host the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday night. Gordon is available at a very reasonable price on DraftKings so strongly consider plugging him in to your lineup.
Injuries, Rest Create Opportunities For… Luol Deng, Mirza Teletovic
The Miami Heat are dealing with injuries to Chris Bosh and Tyler Johnson, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that Luol Deng’s production has picked up of late. He’s played at least 30 minutes in seven straight games. Deng has averaged 11.7 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.2 three-point shots per game over the last week of action, which is quite healthy, but his post All-Star Break numbers have been even better. Before the break, he was scoring 10.6 points. 47 rebounds and 1.5 assists. After the break, he’s contributing 18.9 points, 10.1 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.3 steals. He’s still just 30 years old but somehow has become a forgotten man. With the extra opportunity, though, and the plus-matchup against the Phoenix Suns on Thursday, he’s worth a start.
Meanwhile, the Suns have a couple of notable value options including most notably Mirza Teletovic. The Markieff Morris trade has given Teletovic a great opportunity to produce and he has taken advantage by averaging 11.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.2 three-point shots and 1.0 assist per game over the last seven days. Teletovic is still available at a very reasonable price so consider him another strong value NBA fantasy play.
Highest Scoring Game Of The Night: OKC @ GS
The rematch between the Thunder and Warriors should be another high scoring affair as they rank 1-2 in points per game this season. The two teams combined for 239 points in their first meeting when Golden State prevailed 121-118 in overtime with Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant absolutely going off. Both players are worth considering for Thursday night although an ankle injury could limit Curry’s production if it continues to nag him. Andre Iguodola had 12 points, six rebounds and two steals in that first game and could be a strong play from the Warriors. Meanwhile, Steven Adams had 10 points, nine rebounds, two assists and a steal for the Thunder in that initial meeting and could be a good fit as an inexpensive option to fill out an NBA fantasy lineup for Thursday night.
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