Thursday features a four-game main slate starting at 7 p.m. ET.
Also, don’t forget that for large-field tournaments, you can utilize our Lineup Optimizer to effortlessly create up to 300 lineups or use our Lineup Builder if you like to hand-build your lineups.
You can also use our SimLabs Lineup Generator, a tool that creates the most user-friendly lineup generation process.
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
Thursday’s slate is on the smaller side, so there aren’t a ton of studs to choose from. At point guard, only five players are priced at $7,000 or higher on DraftKings. Four of them have a negative Plus/Minus projection, with Andrew Nembhard standing out as the lone exception.
Nembhard has taken over as one of the Pacers’ top offensive options this season with Tyrese Haliburton on the sidelines. He’s averaged 1.01 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in six of his past seven games. That includes four straight performances with at least 35.5 DraftKings points.
Nembhard is currently listed as questionable for the Pacers, but if he’s in the lineup, he’ll take the floor in a solid spot vs. the Hornets. They rank 23rd in defensive efficiency for the year, and Nembhard ranks fourth at the position in projected Plus/Minus and second in projected ceiling.
Value
Point guard has been a bit of a revolving door for the Mavericks this season. They’ve tried Cooper Flagg, D’Angelo Russell, and Ryan Nembhard, but Brandon Williams appears to be the flavor of the week. He’s played at least 23.7 minutes in five straight games, and he’s responded with a positive Plus/Minus in all of them.
Williams is projected for another 25 minutes on Thursday, and he’s averaged 0.99 DraftKings points per minute over the past month. That should be more than enough to pay off his $4,700 salary: Williams has averaged a Plus/Minus of +8.30 with a comparable salary and minute projection this season (per the Trends tool).
Williams also draws one of the best possible matchups vs. the Jazz. They’re dead last in defensive efficiency for the year, and Dallas is also catching them on a great night. Utah is on the second leg of a back-to-back after going to overtime vs. the Thunder on Wednesday.
Fast Break
Keyonte George is having a breakout in his third professional season. He’s averaging 24.3 points, 6.9 assists, and 4.3 rebounds per game, and his shooting efficiency is up across the board. He’s knocking down 45% of his field goals and 37.2% of his 3-pointers, both of which represent big increases from his marks last year. As a result, his fantasy production is also way up. He’s averaged an excellent 1.32 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he’s racked up at least 49.25 DraftKings points in four of his past five games. He ultimately has the top ceiling at the position.
T.J. McConnell is another potential option for the Pacers. His ceiling is capped by his minimal volume – he’s currently projected for just 19.5 minutes – but McConnell racks up fantasy points at a phenomenal rate. He’s averaged 1.31 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in eight of his past nine games. He would get a bump if Nembhard is ultimately ruled out, but he’s a viable value target regardless.
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
Norman Powell remains one of the NBA’s most underrated scorers. He’s averaging a career-best 24.3 points per game in his first year in Miami, and he’s doing it with impressive efficiency. He’s knocked down 49.0% of his shots from the field and 42.3% from 3-point range.
Powell doesn’t bring much else to the table for fantasy purposes, but that hasn’t stopped him from providing value. He’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in six of his past nine games, and he’s displayed a solid ceiling in those contests. He went off for 50.75 DraftKings points vs. the Pelicans two games ago, and he also had 45.5 DraftKings points vs. a tough Pistons defense.
Powell draws a very friendly matchup Thursday vs. the Bulls. They rank third in pace and 25th in defensive efficiency, and the Heat’s 122.25 implied team total ranks second on the slate.
Value
The Mavericks are the only team with a higher implied team total than the Heat on Thursday’s slate, and Max Christie stands out as one of their best values. He’s seen a nice spike in playing time recently, and he’s currently projected for 33 minutes in our NBA Models.
That’s a ton of playing time for someone priced at just $4,400. Historically, players with comparable salaries and minute projections have averaged a Plus/Minus of +3.09. Christie has also averaged a solid 0.86 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he notched 41.25 DraftKings points vs. the Rockets two games ago. He provides an excellent floor and ceiling for his price tag, making him a strong option in all formats.
Fast Break
Kon Knueppel disappointed on Wednesday, finishing with just 28.5 DraftKings points in just under 33 minutes. Still, that stands out as a clear outlier. Knueppel has averaged 1.11 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, so he should be able to get back on track vs. the Pacers. Indiana is currently on a 13-game losing streak, and they’re 26th in defensive efficiency during that stretch.
Anthony Edwards has the top ceiling projection at shooting guard on Thursday, and he ranks second in that department on the entire slate. The Timberwolves are coming off back-to-back blowout wins, which capped Edwards at around 30 minutes in each. Still, that hasn’t stopped him from scoring 56.0 and 43.75 DraftKings points. Thursday’s contest vs. the Cavaliers should be more competitive, with the game featuring just a 2.5-point spread and a 238.5-point total.
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NBA DFS Small Forward Picks
Stud
Flagg got off to a slow start this season, which isn’t a huge shock for a 19-year-old rookie. However, he’s started to put his immense talent on display recently. He averaged 23.5 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game in December while shooting better than 51% from the field.
For fantasy purposes, Flagg has averaged 1.20 DraftKings points per minute over the past month. He’s coming off a solid performance vs. the Kings in his last outing (20 points, eight rebounds, six assists, and one steal), and there’s no reason he can’t do it again vs. the Jazz. He ranks third at the position in projected Plus/Minus, and he’s No. 1 in projected ceiling.
Value
Sticking with the Mavericks, Naji Marshall stands out as another excellent value option. The team is currently a bit thin in the frontcourt, with Dereck Lively out for the year and P.J. Washington listed as doubtful. It should result in a solid spike in playing time for Marshall, who is currently projected for 31 minutes.
Marshall has historically been a nice option with a comparable salary and minute projection. He’s averaged a Plus/Minus of +3.91 in that split, including 28.84 DraftKings points per game as a member of the Mavericks. Marshall is coming off 27.5 DraftKings points in 31.3 minutes in his last outing, and he could certainly exceed that figure vs. the Jazz.
Fast Break
Brandon Miller may not suit up on the second leg of a back-to-back, but it’s hard to ignore what he’s done recently. He’s played some of his best basketball of the season in recent games, scoring at least 40.0 DraftKings points in four of his past five games. He had 47.0 DraftKings points in just 31.1 minutes vs. the Thunder’s elite defense on Wednesday, so he’s underpriced if he suits up vs. the Pacers.
Ayo Dosunmu continues to churn out quality performances for the Bulls. He’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in six straight games, scoring at least 29.0 DraftKings points in each of them. He could lose a few minutes with Coby White expected to suit up on Thursday, but he’s averaged 1.04 DraftKings points per minute over the past month. He’s still projected for 27 minutes in our NBA Models, which should be enough to return value in a high-paced contest vs. the Heat.
NBA DFS Power Forward Picks
Stud
When Anthony Davis is healthy enough to play, he’s still one of the best players in the league. He didn’t shoot the ball well in his last outing – he was just 7-23 from the field – but he still finished with 19 points, 16 rebounds, two assists, and two blocks in a win vs. the Kings. He had 54.5 DraftKings points the game prior, so he’s still capable of putting together big fantasy performances.
Davis stands out as one of the top overall plays on Thursday’s slate. He’s massively underpriced on DraftKings, where his $9,300 salary comes with a 99% Bargain Rating. He leads all power forwards in Pro Trends, and he leads the entire slate in median, ceiling, and projected Plus/Minus. He’s expected to be the highest-owned player on this slate, but he’s still showing up as undervalued in Sim Labs. His optimal lineup rate checks in above 67%, while his projected ownership is closer to 42%.
Value
Matas Buzelis continues to show promise in his second season. His playing time was a bit inconsistent to start the year, but he’s seen more minutes of late due to the team’s injury situation. He’s responded with a positive Plus/Minus in six straight games, including at least 35.25 DraftKings points in three of his past four.
Buzelis is projected for 30 minutes on Thursday’s slate, and he’s averaged an excellent 1.08 DraftKings points per minute over the past month. It wouldn’t be a shock if he exceeded that figure vs. the Heat, who have played at the fastest pace in the league this season. He’s another player who seems underpriced on DraftKings, and his $6,000 salary comes with an 86% Bargain Rating.
Fast Break
Klay Thompson is yet another potential value target for Dallas. He’s dirt cheap at just $3,800, and he saw 27.3 minutes in his last outing. Thompson hasn’t been very efficient of late, but he’s still managed 0.81 DraftKings points per minute over the past month. On nights where his shot is falling, he’s still capable of providing nice upside for his price tag.
Pascal Siakam doesn’t have quite the same ceiling as Davis, but he’s another quality pay-up option on Thursday. He’s gone for at least 44.75 DraftKings points in two of his past three games, and he’s been forced into a larger offensive role with all of the team’s injuries. If Nembhard is unable to suit up vs. the Hornets, Siakam’s involvement would be even greater than usual: he’s increased his production to 1.21 DraftKings points per minute with Nembhard, Bennedict Mathurin, and Obi Toppin off the floor this season.
NBA DFS Center Picks
Stud
Who had Jusuf Nurkic turning back into a fantasy stud on their 2026 bingo card? Nurkic has gotten the opportunity to play big minutes for the Jazz following the injury to Walker Kessler, and he’s taken full advantage. He’s racked up a positive Plus/Minus in seven of his past eight games, including at least 47.5 DraftKings points in three straight. He’s played at least 30.8 minutes in all three of those outings, and Nurkic has averaged an elite 1.42 DraftKings points per minute over the past month.
There’s always some risk with veterans like Nurkic on the second leg of a back-to-back, especially when they play for bad teams. Still, as long as he’s in the lineup, he’s worth considering vs. the Mavericks. It’s a solid matchup, with Nurkic owning a +1.22 Opponent Plus/Minus.
Value
Ryan Kalkbrenner is out for the Hornets, leaving Moussa Diabate as their clear-cut top center. That’s an appealing proposition for fantasy purposes. Diabate is currently projected for 30 minutes in our NBA Models, and he’s averaged 0.96 DraftKings points per minute over the past month.
Diabate stands out as an elite value at just $5,200. His price tag comes with a 97% Bargain Rating, and he has plenty of upside vs. the Pacers. They’ve struggled mightily against opposing centers this season, and Diabate leads the position with a +3.87 Opponent Plus/Minus. Only Davis has a better projected Plus/Minus at center, and Diabate ranks fourth in that metric for the entire slate.
Fast Break
Daniel Gafford has seen a slight uptick in production in recent games. He’s coming off a double-double in his last outing, finishing with 10 points and 13 rebounds vs. the Kings. His playing time should be pretty secure with Washington doubtful, and Gafford has averaged 1.05 DraftKings points per minute over the past month. Basically, if you’re expected to play for the Mavericks on Thursday, you can be considered vs. the Jazz.
Nikola Vucevic has quietly turned in some big fantasy performances in recent games. He’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in five straight outings, and he’s had at least 48.25 DraftKings points in three straight. Overall, he’s increased his production to 1.28 DraftKings points per minute over the past month. He ranks second at the position in ceiling projection, and he could be a bit undervalued on this slate.
Pictured: Anthony Davis
Photo Credit: Imagn
