There are only five games available to FanDuel players Thursday (Denver vs. Indiana in London is off the board), and immediately the status of the most expensive available player is what jumps out. New Orleans forward Anthony Davis, who has a cap value of $11,800 and is averaging 52.2 FanDuel points per game, hurt his left hip in Monday's win over the New York Knicks. Fouled hard by Kyle O'Quinn early in the fourth quarter, Davis tumbled into the stands and ultimately did not return to a game the Pelicans led by a comfortable margin. The good news for Davis and the Pelicans is that the X-rays came back negative, and he's listed as questionable for Thursday's game against Brooklyn.
The question: do you assume that Davis will play and build your FanDuel roster around him? Or do you look in another direction, with Golden State's Kevin Durant ($10,300) and Stephen Curry ($9,000) available as is San Antonio's Kawhi Leonard ($8,700)? Thursday shapes up as a night where, even with Davis' numbers this season, the better play would be to spread the salary cap money more equitably. There are some good matchups to be found, especially those involving poor defensive teams as Brooklyn (New Orleans), New York (Chicago) and Phoenix (Dallas) are all in action Thursday night.
Here are our FanDuel picks for Thursday, using the rules of a nine-player roster with a $60,000 salary cap. Stats used are from Basketball Reference and Rotowire. (Getty)
PG: Reggie Jackson, Detroit
Opponent: vs. Sacramento
Price: $6,400
At the start of January, Jackson had just begun a streak of five straight games with 34 FanDuel points or more. Then he went into a slump from a fantasy standpoint, scoring fewer than 25 FanDuel points in three of the next four games. But with solid outings in each of his last two games, Jackson may be back on the right track as trade rumors swirl. Pistons head coach and president of basketball operations Stan Van Gundy shut down the rumors, and that could have a positive impact on Jackson moving forward. Jackson didn't have his best game against the Kings on January 10, finishing with 19 points, three assists, two rebounds and four turnovers, but things could be different this time around based upon how Jackson's played in his last two games. (Getty)
PG: Michael Carter-Williams, Chicago
Opponent: at New York
Price: $4,800
Carter-Williams, who's still working to get more comfortable in the starter's role for the Bulls, may benefit from the failings of the Knicks Thursday night. The Knicks aren't particularly good defensively, and they're also 0-7 in the second half of back-to-backs this season. Maybe the Knicks will be more motivated given the way in which they lost to Philadelphia Wednesday night, but it's more likely that Carter-Williams produces a quality performance. (Getty)
SG: Klay Thompson, Golden State
Opponent: vs. Detroit
Price: $6,400
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr made the decision to rest Thompson for Tuesday's game against the Heat, taking advantage of the fact that Golden State was up against a team hit hard by injury. Under the assumption that the rest will be beneficial, Thompson becomes an even better option than he already was with his price tag. The concern with Thompson from a fantasy standpoint has been what can he provide outside of scoring, and in four of his last six outings he's grabbed at least five rebounds. If he can continue to do that, Thompson is an even greater bargain. (Getty)
SG: Buddy Hield, New Orleans
Opponent: at Brooklyn
Price: $4,200
After getting off to a slow start to his rookie season, Hield's made noticeable strides and was even named the Western Conference Rookie of the Month for December. Hield's accounted for 25 FanDuel points or more in four of the last six games, most recently tallying 26.3 points in Monday's win over the Knicks, and included in that stretch is a 20-point, five-rebound, two-assist effort against Cleveland. Hield has also made more than 52 percent of his three-pointers over the last 15 games. Brooklyn's had it's issues defensively, which could result in this being a good night for Hield. (Getty)
SF: Kevin Durant, Golden State
Opponent: at Houston
Price: $10,500
Durant's MVP chances are likely to be hurt by two factors: the seasons being produced by the likes of James Harden and Russell Westbrook, and the fact that he's playing on a team loaded with offensive weapons. The second factor may be why some overlook just how efficient Durant, who has been one of the NBA's most efficient players, has been in his first season in Oakland. In Wednesday's win over Oklahoma City, Durant scored 40 points on 13-for-16 shooting from the field (9-for-10 FT) while also grabbing 12 rebounds and dishing out four assists. Durant needed 28 shots to score 39 points against the Rockets on December 1, but the way he's been playing look for him to be more efficient this time around. (Getty)
PF: Draymond Green, Golden State
Opponent: vs. Detroit
Price: $7,800
Green did not shoot the ball well against Detroit on December 23, making just one of his eight field goal attempts which included an 0-for-6 night from three. However, he did contribute 12 assists, ten rebounds and two steals on that night as the Warriors won by six. Even if his shots aren't falling Green has the talent to impact games in other areas, which is why he's being selected for tonight's lineup. Green's shooting just under 45 percent from the field on the season, so look for him to be closer to that number than he was in the first meeting with the Pistons. (Getty)
PF: Julius Randle, Los Angeles Lakers
Opponent: at San Antonio
Price: $6,600
Two nights after getting whipped at home by Portland, the Lakers hit the road for two games beginning with one in San Antonio. Randle didn't shoot his best from the field in the first meeting between the two teams this season, making six of his 13 attempts, but he finish with nine rebounds and seven assists to go along with the 13 points scored. And up until Tuesday's loss, Randle was on a streak of five straight games with at at least 30 FanDuel points scored. (Getty)
C: Andre Drummond, Detroit
Opponent: at Golden State
Price: $8,200
In the first meeting with the Warriors, Drummond finished with 15 points, nine rebounds, two assists and two blocks (31.6 FanDuel points). In four of Drummond's last five games he's managed to tally 42 FanDuel points or more, most recently finishing with 42.9 points against the Kings despite scoring just nine points on 4-for-5 shooting from the field. If Detroit makes a concerted effort to get Drummond more paint touches, he'll be in line for an even better night because Drummond won't lack for rebounds or blocked shots. (Getty)
FanDuel NBA Lineup Picks, Advice & Analysis for January 12