The NBA has eight games on the schedule this Thursday, and the first six of those make up a strong DraftKings DFS fantasy basketball slate that tips off at 7:00 p.m. ET. The Hornets are the only team on the board playing for a second night in a row, so we have 11 of the 12 injury reports impacting Thursday’s main slate. Several important players are still questionable, but some strong options are already emerging who can be considered as the core of your lineup for this Thursday. Be sure to check back for updates to our models as injury updates come out throughout the day, but let’s run down the top options to consider, based on what we know coming into the day.
Let’s dive into some of the top plays on the slate using the FantasyLabs tools and projections.
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Note: Projections and Leverage Scores/Ratings may change throughout the day after this article is posted. The NBA DFS landscape changes quickly.
Consult the NBA Player Models directly for any updates as we get closer to lock.
NBA DFS Point Guard Picks
Stud
With Nikola Jokic still sidelined, Jamal Murray has been carrying the load for the Nuggets and churning out huge fantasy games. He gets an outstanding matchup to attack against the Wizards, who have been the best matchup for opposing point guards all season.
Murray is probable for this contest with a hip injury, but as long as he plays his typical minutes, he’ll be a top option to build around. The 28-year-old is averaging 28.2 points, 8.7 assists, and 4.5 rebounds in 36.2 minutes per contest over his last 14 games. He has at least 50 DraftKings points in six of his last eight games, including on Tuesday when he had 28 points and 11 assists in a loss to the Lakers.
The Nuggets and Wizards met less than a week ago in Denver, and in the rematch, the Nuggets have the third-highest implied team total on the slate, according to our Vegas Dashboard. Murray went off for 42 points and 62.75 DraftKings points in last Saturday’s win for Denver, and he’s in a great position to deliver another monster game Thursday.
Value
On the other side of that matchup, Tre Johnson has the highest Projected Plus/Minus on the entire slate. The rookie has been stepping up for the Wizards and is getting plenty of playing time. His usage has already been up and could climb even higher on Thursday since Trae Young is still out, and Khris Middleton (illness), Bilal Coulibaly (back), and AJ Johnson (illness) are all questionable.
Johnson shot an ugly 1-for-10 against the Nuggets and only had 10 DraftKings points. However, aside from that game, he has been very productive as a value play, producing 23.7 DraftKings points per game over his 10 games in 2026. He has scored double-digit points in six of his last seven games and bounced back from his down game in Denver with 15 points, five assists, and 25.2 DraftKings points in Monday’s loss to the Clippers.
The No. 6 overall pick in the draft, Johnson should continue to get lots of room to grow on the job the rest of this season, and getting him at a salary of just $4,500 brings both a high ceiling and a high floor in this rematch on Thursday night.
Fast Break
Like Murray without Jokic, Stephen Curry will have to carry more of the workload for the Warriors since Golden State will be without Jimmy Butler the rest of the season. Curry has the second-highest ceiling, median, and floor projection at point guard behind only Murray and comes a little cheaper in what should be a favorable matchup in Dallas.
The Spurs have the highest implied team total of the night as they face the Jazz in Utah. De’Aaron Fox has a strong plus/minus as a midrange option as a result. The veteran has at least 14 points in five consecutive games and in seven of his last eight. He had 40.2 DraftKings points last Monday against the Jazz on 14 points, eight assists, five rebounds, and four steals in 33 minutes. He’s a strong option to add to the mix with an upper-mid-range salary. On the other side of that Jazz-Spurs matchup, Keyonte George is also worth a look, since he’s been so hot lately for Utah, producing 29 or more points in three straight games, including a 43-point game Tuesday. George is questionable with a forearm strain, though.
Brandin Podziemski has the second-highest Projected Plus/Minus at point guard since he’ll also be helping the Warriors fill in the gaps without Butler. Pod Racer has exceeded salary-based expectations in five straight games with double-digit points and over 21 DraftKings points in each contest. His high point during that stretch shows his upside as well, since he reached 40 DraftKings points on Monday against Miami.
Don’t forget to check out our NBA SimLabs Lineup Generator to create advanced DFS lineups using the power of simulation:
NBA DFS Shooting Guard Picks
Stud
Sometimes it can be helpful to have different perspectives on a specific position, and one great way to get different looks is by using the ShotQuality projections, which can be built right into your models page. In the ShotQuality projections for Saturday, Kevin Durant has the second-highest median, ceiling, and floor projections at shooting guard, and he has a better Plus/Minus projection than most of the other top options.
Durant and the Rockets have been flying high as they roll into Philadelphia for Thursday night’s game. They knocked off the Spurs on Tuesday behind 18 points and seven assists from Durant, who posted over 35 DraftKings points for the 14th straight game, dating back to Christmas Day. He’s also had over 55 DraftKings points in three of those games, including last Friday against the Timberwolves, when he went off for 61 DraftKings points on 39 points, seven assists, four rebounds, and two steals in 40 minutes.
KD brings an immensely high ceiling, but he has also been consistent enough to confidently build around in almost any matchup. His flexibility with both guard and forward eligibility also helps him fit into multiple roster builds with other stars.
Value
In their favorable matchup against Utah, Spurs shooting guards Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper have top-five Plus/Minus projections at the position. If you are looking for a mid-range play, Castle makes sense and brings a very high ceiling, while Harper can be a lower-cost pivot if you’re looking to spend elsewhere and think Harper could get more work in a blowout.
Castle has proven he can produce in a variety of ways and stuff the stat sheet when at his best. He had 13 points, eight assists, seven rebounds, and 37.25 DraftKings points in the Spurs’ loss to the Rockets and has between 33 and 42 DraftKings points in five straight games with at least eight assists in each game. While Fox is classified as the team’s point guard, Castle has been more productive in assists lately and has a high ceiling against the Jazz, against whom he had 33 DraftKings points on Monday.
In that contest, Harper had 29.75 DraftKings points on 15 points and five assists in 25 minutes. He has hit for at least 20 DraftKings in four of his last five games, with that as his high point, and the rookie continues to get good playing time off the bench. If the Jazz are missing too many players to keep Thursday’s matchup competitive, Harper could end up getting more run off the bench.
Fast Break
Anthony Edwards has the highest median, ceiling, and floor projections at shooting guard and is coming off two massive games. He had 55 points and 68 fantasy points against the Spurs and followed that up with 38 points and 58.5 fantasy points against the Jazz. The Timberwolves are back home to take on the Bulls after losing both those close games, and Edwards could take out his frustrations from those two losses with a monster game at home. Durant’s Plus/Minus projections are a little better, but both stars bring very high ceilings.
With so much uncertainty in the Wizards’ rotation, Kyshawn George could end up picking up lots of work and bring a very high ceiling as a result. He had 29 points and an impressive 55.75 fantasy points against the Nuggets in their matchup last week, and he has the third-highest Plus/Minus projections at shooting guard on Thursday, along with the fourth-highest ceiling projection in both sets of projections.
Depending on who the Jazz have available, Walter Clayton Jr. could end up in a large role. The rookie has shown potential when given playing time, and with Keyonte George and Brice Sensabaugh questionable and Lauri Markkanen still out, Clayton could end up in a major role on Thursday.
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NBA DFS Small Forward Picks
Stud
The Hornets came up short on Wednesday night in an ugly loss to the Cavs at home, but they’ll look to get back on the right track on Thursday when they visit the Magic. While the offense struggled with LaMelo Ball shooting just 1-for-15 from the field, Brandon Miller still posted a solid game and remains a steady option at small forward in most matchups. Miller has the third-highest median, ceiling, and floor projections in the ShotQuality projections for Thursday’s slate at small forward, and he has a much higher Plus/Minus projection than the two options ahead of him. In fact, he has the highest Plus/Minus projection of all small forwards in the FantasyLabs projections.
Miller had 24 points and 36 DraftKings points in Wednesday’s loss and has at least 34.5 DraftKings points in four of his last six. He is taking plenty of shots and getting lots of opportunities for the Hornets, who seemed to be heading in the right direction before Wednesday night’s letdown.
The Magic can be a tough matchup overall, but this will be their first game since two games overseas in the past week. They’ve been a little more beatable on the defensive end lately, and if the Hornets give Ball or other options the night off, Miller could end up with even more scoring responsibilities on Thursday, which would raise his ceiling even higher.
Value
Spurs small forward Julian Champagnie has been a key contributor all season for the Spurs, and he can chip in production in a wide variety of ways. His salary is still under $6,000, and he has the second-highest Plus/Minus projection of all small forwards on Thursday in his team’s favorable matchup against the Jazz.
Champagnie is coming off a monster game of 27 points and 48 fantasy points on Tuesday against the Rockets, and he continues to benefit from the absence of Devin Vassell (adductor). Champagnie has scored in double figures in 10 of his past 12 games, and he continues to contribute solid numbers in many other categories as well.
The Jazz have been a good matchup for just about every position this season, but especially on the wing, they have been giving up big games while Lauri Markkanen is sidelined. Champagnie only had 13 points and 19.5 fantasy points against them on Monday, but he should be able to build on Tuesday’s big game and have a better game in Thursday’s rematch.
Fast Break
Top draft pick Cooper Flagg continues to carry a heavy workload for the Mavericks, and he’ll look to continue to step up against the Warriors. He has the second-highest median, ceiling, and floor projection at the position behind only Durant, and he has the potential to go off for a huge game. Like most rookies, he’s a little inconsistent, but he definitely brings a high ceiling.
If George and Sensabaugh are out, the Jazz will need more production from Ace Bailey, another rookie who has shown good upside. Bailey had 20 points on Tuesday against the Timberwolves and has at least 29 DraftKings points in three of his last four. The same rookie disclaimer applies to Bailey as it does to Flagg, but both players could end up with big workloads this Thursday.
Moses Moody is one of the Warriors who will need to step up without Butler going forward. Moody is just $4,600 and has exceeded salary-based expectations in four of his last five games, posting at least 25 fantasy points in three of those contests. Against Dallas, he has the fifth-highest Plus/Minus projection of all small forwards in both sets of projections.
NBA DFS Power Forward Picks
Stud
On Tuesday against the Spurs, Alperen Sengun came up just one assist short of a triple-double and still finished with an impressive 53.75 DraftKings points. He exceeded salary-based expectations for the third time in his last five games, and he remains a strong play to build around on Thursday against the Sixers.
Sengun has the highest median, ceiling, and floor projections of all power forwards on Thursday, and he has a strong plus/minus projection as well. With Steven Adams (ankle) sidelined, Sengun will likely have to do more work on the boards, which boosts his overall ceiling. In his eight games without Adas this season, Sengun is averaging 45 DraftKings points per contest.
He has 20+ points and at least 47 DraftKings points in three straight contests, and on Thursday, he should be in a good spot to keep rolling against the banged-up 76ers.
Value
While he’s questionable with an illness, Khris Middleton has been a great value play lately when he’s been able to get on the floor, and he has the second-highest Plus/Minus projection at power forward in both sets of projections this Thursday.
Middleton has exceeded salary-based expectations in each of his last three games, with over 27 DraftKings points in each matchup. He faced the Nuggets in one of those games, contributing 16 points, seven rebounds, four assists, and 31.25 DraftKings points in Saturday’s loss in Denver.
If he’s able to play without restrictions on Thursday, Middleton has great upside for a play under $5,000, and he can help your salary cap stretch to fit in stars in other spots. The veteran is giving the Wizards some much-needed production when healthy, but check his status along with Bilal Coulibaly’s to see how much usage Middleton will get before locking him in.
Fast Break
After a couple of rough games in road losses, Julius Randle should be in a good spot to bounce back at home against the Bulls, who allow the second-most DraftKings points per game to power forwards. Randle had over 41 DraftKings points in three straight games before cooling off with just 31 DraftKings points against the Jazz on Tuesday. He has at least 15 points in 12 straight games and has averaged 22.7 points, 7.1 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.0 steals in 33.7 minutes per contest in his 10 games in 2026.
With Jokic out, Peyton Watson became a key fantasy contributor and poured in some huge games. He seems a little overpriced now that Aaron Gordon is back in the mix, and since Gordon is probable, they could hurt each other’s value on Thursday against the Wizards. However, both bring huge upside if they get most of the work and are worth considering in this matchup for GPP builds.
Draymond Green has the highest Projected Plus/Minus on the slate at power forward, and he will likely have to step into a more involved role in the offense with Butler out. He’s a very volatile play in more ways than one, but he still has a high ceiling and should be able to post a good game against the Mavs, who are still without Anthony Davis (finger) and could also be without Daniel Gafford (ankle, questionable) and Moussa Cisse (illness, questionable), leaving Dwight Powell and Jeremian Robinson-Earl to split the minutes at center.
NBA DFS Center Picks
Stud
Victor Wembanyama had a down game on Tuesday against the Rockets, ending up with 14 points on 5-of-21 shooting and 0-of-7 from three-point range. He has struggled against Houston in his last few matchups against them, but on Thursday night, he gets a great bounce-back opportunity against the Jazz.
Wemby has the highest Projected Plus/Minus of all centers and the second-highest Projected Plus/Minus on the whole slate in both sets of projections. He also has the highest pure ceiling projection on the whole slate, which makes him the best option to build around if you can make his salary work under the cap.
He is in a smash spot against the Jazz, who he just faced last week and posted 33 points, 10 rebounds, and 59.5 DraftKings points against in just 26 minutes on Monday. Especially after a down game, he’ll be fired up to drop a huge stat line on Thursday, and the Jazz have been a great matchup for opposing big men all season.
Value
After Wemby and Draymond, from a value perspective, there’s a pretty steep drop-off to the rest of the position in terms of Plus/Minus projections. Rudy Gobert has been consistent, though, and if you need a mid-range play at center, he’s a strong, steady option.
Gobert has at least 10 rebounds in 10 straight games, averaging 34.5 DraftKings points per game over that span. He has at least 32 DraftKings points in seven of his eight games this month, and he’s in a good matchup against the Bulls, who have allowed the fourth-most DraftKings points per game to centers this season.
Fast Break
Joel Embiid has the third-highest median, ceiling, and floor projection at center on Thursday, behind only Wemby and Sengun. He’s had 44+ DraftKings points in three of his last four games and continues to ramp back up to full strength. When healthy, he’s a fantasy force, and he seems to be getting healthy enough to be worth considering on most slates.
Jalen Smith has been very good for the Bulls on a per-minute basis all season, but lately he’s been getting more minutes and continues to contribute strong numbers. He has at least nine rebounds in six straight contests and in eight of his last nine. He has also turned in five double-doubles during that span, with over 32 DraftKings points in four of those games.
This doesn’t seem like the slate to punt your center spot, but if you want to go ultra-cheap at the position, Luke Kornet at $4,000 and Marvin Bagley III at $4,200 each have a Plus/Minus projection in the top five at center in both sets of projections.
Pictured: Jamal Murray
Photo Credit: Imagn
