RADIO
The NBA serves up another solid seven-game slate Thursday night, one that sees plenty of notable players carrying injury designations. However, a good portion of those stars are expected to take the floor, although the likes of James Harden (hamstring) and LeBron James (ankle) will remain out.
It’s also an intriguing ledger from the standpoint of competitive matchups and potential offensive showcases, with the Nets-Mavericks, Hawks-Pacers, Clippers-Lakers and Thunder-Warriors games all standing out for one or both reasons.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for FanDuel on 5/6/21. I’ll be providing multiple player suggestions for players at guard, forward and center on FanDuel, aiming to highlight one option apiece at the high, middle and lower end of the salary scale. You can also check out DraftKings lineup picks and injury news before lineups lock. Good luck, RotoBallers.
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FanDuel DFS Guards
Russell Westbrook, PG – at TOR ($11,600)
Yes, this does qualify as the no-brainer choice of the night, although given the amount of energy Westbrook has expended of late and the fact this will serve as the Wizards’ third game in four nights, there are no guarantees he can provide a full 5x return on his hefty salary yet again. Nevertheless, it’s impossible to argue with the fact he’s delivered over 70 FD points in three straight games, an astounding stretch that he’ll look to extend against a Raptors squad he most recently put up 55.3 FD points against April 5. Toronto does come in allowing the sixth-lowest offensive efficiency (24.8 percent) to point guards for the season, but they’ve also given up the seventh-most assists (25.8) and ninth-most rebounds (54.0), two key components of Westbrook’s fantasy production.
LaMelo Ball, PG – vs. CHI ($7,500)
Ball hasn’t missed a beat in his return to action following his wrist injury, averaging 39.5 FD points across 29.7 minutes in his first three games back. The stellar rookie’s shot is still somewhat rusty, but Thursday, he’ll face a Bulls team that’s allowed the fourth-highest offensive efficiency (28.3 percent) to point guards on the season, along with 47.1 FD points per game to ones, including the third-most assists (8.9) to the position. Devonte’ Graham (knee) should also remain out for the Hornets on Thursday, which locks Ball into perhaps even a bit more minutes than he’d already be slated to see.
Tim Hardaway Jr. PG – vs. BKN ($6,000)
Hardaway has produced a couple of particularly noteworthy stat lines of late, tallying 48.7 and 44.3 FD points against the Pistons and Heat in two of the last three games. The latter contest included a career-high 10 three-pointers, and Hardaway is draining an outstanding 52.6 percent of his long-distance shots over the last four contests. Kristaps Porzingis will miss another game Thursday with his knee injury, and Hardaway is now sporting a 25.4 percent usage rate and averaging 31.7 FD points per 36 minutes with his teammate off the floor. The Nets will also bring a significant bump in pace to the Mavericks, and Brooklyn is already allowing the second-highest offensive efficiency (25.8 percent) to small forwards, along with 43.6 FD points per contest to threes over the last 15 games. Finally, consider the Nets are also allowing the ninth-highest three-point shooting percentage (37.5) on the road, further strengthening Hardaway’s case.
Also consider: Luka Doncic ($10,900); Stephen Curry ($9,900); Bradley Beal ($8,900)
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FanDuel DFS Forwards
Kevin Durant, SF- at DAL ($10,600)
Speaking of the Nets-Mavericks showdown, Durant makes for an excellent option if you’re paying up at either forward spot. KD has scored 55 to 61.6 FD points in his last three games, and he’s sporting a 32.4 percent usage rate and averaging 52.5 FD points per 36 minutes without James Harden (hamstring) on the floor. Durant has also been at his best on the road this season, averaging over two more points per contest and also shooting nine percentage points better from behind the arc when traveling (52.5 percent, compared to 43.5 percent at home). The Mavs have been one of the stingiest teams in the league against small forwards all season, but Durant’s expected usage and the fact he’s come within two-tenths of an FD point of delivering at least 5x return on his current salary on 11 occasions in 29 games keeps him firmly in play in what should be a wire-to-wire battle.
Draymond Green, PF – vs. OKC ($7,900)
Green is likely to take the floor without Kelly Oubre (wrist) again Thursday, and he’s averaging 38.8 FD points per 36 minutes with his teammate out of action. Green also already racked up 59.0 FD points against this same Thunder squad April 14, and OKC comes in allowing the second-highest offensive efficiency (27.1 percent) to power forwards. The Thunder is also yielding the most FD points per game (49.3) to fours, including 53.9 over the last seven. Green is on an extended stretch of strong play, averaging 39.8 FD points over the last 13 games, and despite the fact he’s seen a salary bump, the matchup and expected usage could still lead to a greater than 5x return.
Daniel Theis, PF – at CHA ($5,300)
Just as was the case in Boston, Theis still produces an occasional clunker now that he’s in Chicago, but he’s averaging a solid 24.2 FD points over his last 14 contests. The big man’s deep shot isn’t falling with anywhere near acceptable consistency, but he’s still shooting 52.0 percent overall during that span and has scored 23.4 to 50.9 FD points in four of his last five games. Theis draws an appealing matchup Thursday, as the Hornets are allowing the fourth-highest offensive efficiency (26.6 percent) to power forwards, along with the fifth-most FD points per game (50.2) over the last seven contests.
Also consider: Anthony Davis ($9,400); Bogdan Bogdanovic ($7,400); Darius Bazley ($6,500)
FanDuel DFS Centers
Jonas Valanciunas – at DET ($8,100)
Valanciunas has essentially been matchup-proof all season, and he’s certainly exploited favorable situations spectacularly. The big man did foul out after just 20 minutes Wednesday against the T-Wolves, but he still posted 24.0 FD points in that span. He also put up 38.7 to 43.7 FD points in the three prior games, and he scored 33.5 FD points over 30 minutes Feb. 19 against the Pistons. Detroit is slated to rest Mason Plumlee again Thursday, and the Pistons are allowing the 10th-highest offensive efficiency (33.2 percent) to centers, along with 53.9 FD points per game to the position for the season. Additionally, it's worth noting the Pistons give up the third-most points in the paint per game (51.0), while 74.0 percent (12.3 PPG) of Valanciunas' scoring this season has emanated from that part of the floor.
Khem Birch – vs. WAS ($5,800)
Birch has cooled off a bit after a recent five-game stretch where he averaged 35.7 FD points, as he’s followed it up by generating just 18.3 and 21.6 FD points in the following pair of contests. However, he continues to log a steady allotment of playing time that usually sees him with at least 30 minutes of floor time each night, and Thursday, he gets an excellent matchup against a Wizards team that’s allowed the seventh-highest offensive efficiency (33.7 percent) to centers, along with the second-most FD points per game (57.8) to fives. Washington also continues to play at a league-high pace of 107.8 possessions per game, which could well be integral to boosting Birch’s production back up.
Moses Brown – at GS ($4,900)
Brown continues to see some fluctuations in his scoring contributions, which in turn has led to some uneven fantasy production. However, as he just demonstrated against the Kings on Tuesday when he posted 32.4 FD points despite just scoring six points, his work on the boards can still lead him to some big returns. Brown has eclipsed 30 FD points in six of his last 15 games, and he’s offered over a 5x return on his current salary on 16 occasions already. One of those was a 40.4 FD-point showing versus the Warriors back on April 14, and Golden State checks in allowing the 11th-highest offensive efficiency (32.9 percent) to centers, along with the ninth-most FD points per game (55.6) to the position. Then, as with Birch, Brown will also be in position to benefit from a bump in pace Thursday, adding to his already strong case.
Also consider: Nikola Vucevic ($9,000); Clint Capela ($8,000); Dwight Powell ($4,900)
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