With only five games on Thursday's NBA schedule, there aren't a high number of options available to FanDuel participants. But one player certainly worth considering is Washington point guard John Wall, who could be headed to the All-Star Game for a fourth consecutive season next month (likely as a reserve). Wall's averaging 22.9 points, 10.2 assist and 4.5 rebounds per night for the Wizards, a team that is right in the middle of the Eastern Conference playoff race despite losing nine of its first 12 games. A big reason for the turnaround is Wall, who was named the Eastern Conference Player of the Month for December.
Wall's continued to play well in January, averaging 20.9 points, 10.8 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game. Thursday night he and the Wizards visit Madison Square Garden to take on the Knicks, a team that's 1-8 in the second game of a back-to-back this season. In those game the Knicks are allowing 115.2 points per game according to Basketball Reference's numbers, and with Wall, Bradley Beal and Otto Porter the Wizards are capable of threatening that mark.
Here are our FanDuel picks for Thursday, using a nine-player roster and a $60,000 salary cap. Some stats used are from Basketball Reference. (Getty)
PG: John Wall, Washington
Opponent: at New York
Price: $10,200
Boston approached its game against the Knicks Wednesday night with the mindset that things would be relatively simple, and they paid the price as Derrick Rose and company picked up the 11-point victory. Don't expect that kind of letdown from Wall and the Wizards, who who have won five of their last six games and find themselves in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race. Wall's accounted for at least 40.9 FanDuel points in ten of his last 12 games, and he finished Washington's win over the Knicks on November 17 with 23 points and 11 assists. (Getty)
PG: Austin Rivers, L.A. Clippers
Opponent: vs. Minnesota
Price: $5,600
With Chris Paul on the sideline with a left thumb injury, Rivers (who was already in the starting lineup) stands to get even more chances to make things happen offensively. Rivers has surpassed his FanDuel season average (17.7 ppg) in each of his last six outings. Rivers wasn't all that productive in the first game the Clippers and Timberwolves played this season, finishing with two points and four assists, but that was in a much different role than the one he currently holds. (Getty)
SG: Devin Booker, Phoenix
Opponent: at Cleveland
Price: $6,400
Prior to Monday's game against Utah, Booker had gone three straight games in which he tallied 39 FanDuel points or more. Among those games was his 42 FanDuel point outing against the Cavaliers on January 8, as Booker finished with 28 points, five rebounds and four assists. Cleveland will likely devote more attention to Booker defensively, but the way he's been playing it's tough to see him being shut down completely. (Getty)
SG: Will Barton, Denver
Opponent: vs. Utah
Price: $5,200
Since accounting for 41.8 FanDuel points against the Lakers last Tuesday, Barton's point total decreased in each of the next three games. Part of that has to do with the caliber of opposition, with San Antonio and the Clippers being two of the opponents. But he's active enough offensively to ensure that the slump won't be something that drags on for too long. Barton attempted just two shots in Denver's loss to Minnesota Sunday night, the least he's attempted in a game this season. That shouldn't be the case against Utah, and even with the Jazz being one of the NBA's best defensive teams Barton should be able to post a respectable FanDuel score. (Getty)
SF: LeBron James, Cleveland
Opponent: vs. Phoenix
Price: $10,500
Averaging 47 FanDuel points per game this season, James has actually failed to reach that mark in each of his last three games. He also didn't have his best game against the Suns on January 8, with seven turnovers significantly impacting his FanDuel score (38.8) on a night in which James finished with 28 points, eight rebounds and four assists. Cleveland ended its road trip with three losses in its final four games, and a recharged team (and James) should lead to a good night for the NBA's best player. (Getty)
SF: Andrew Wiggins, Minnesota
Opponent: at L.A. Clippers
Price: $6,800
After three straight games in which he scored 19 points or more, Wiggins was limited to just ten by the Spurs Tuesday night. He'll be up against another tough defensive team Thursday night, as the Clippers are ranked 5th in the NBA in defensive rating and 7th in scoring defense. Wiggins scored 22 points in the first meeting between the two teams in mid-November, but he did so on 8-for-24 shooting from the field. The hope here is that Wiggins can be more efficient against a team that's playing without two key starters in Chris Paul and Blake Griffin. (Getty)
PF: Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas
Opponent: at Miami
Price: $5,700
Slowly but surely Nowitzki has played off the rust that can accumulate when a player misses as much time as he did early in the season. Nowitzki's scored 27 FanDuel points or more in four consecutive games, a run that began with his 26-point, five-rebound, four-assist outing against Minnesota January 9. Miami can use the rugged James Johnson to defend Nowtizki, but given the personnel losses incurred by the Heat this season they aren't the deepest team at present time. That should work in Nowitzki's favor Thursday night. (Getty)
PF: Kenneth Faried, Denver
Opponent: at San Antonio
Price: $5,600
Faried was recently moved back into the starting lineup by head coach Mike Malone, and he's shot 19-for-22 from the field in his last two games. With Wilson Chandler (personal) out of the lineup, Faried should see even more playing time as the Nuggets look to extend their win streak to four games. Faried's task will be a difficult one given how deep the Spurs are in the front court, he's active enough to find a way to be a factor in the paint alongside Nikola Jokic. (Getty)
C: Dewayne Dedmon, San Antonio
Opponent: vs. Denver
Price: $3,900
On a team that includes LeMarcus Aldridge, Pau Gasol and David Lee, going with another Spurs reserve big man can be a risk. But Dedmon's played 19 minutes or more in five of the last seven games, grabbing seven rebounds or more in four of those appearances. Denver doesn't lack for interior depth either, which could result in Dedmon continuing to see quality minutes as part of the Spurs' second unit. Plus, at his salary cap number adding Dedmon is a risk worth considering. And for those who may not want to go that route, Knicks center Willy Hernangomez ($3,600) is coming off of the best game of his young career in New York's win over Boston Wednesday night. (Getty)
FanDuel NBA Lineup Picks, Advice & Analysis for January 19