This article is part of our DraftKings NBA series.
TEAM ANALYSIS
Defenses to Avoid
Chicago Bulls vs. Los Angeles Clippers
There is no true "defense to avoid" Thursday night – there is barely even a "defense to be wary of." Of the eight teams in action, only the Bulls rank in the top third for both opponent points per game and opponent points per possession. Generally speaking, the Bulls are worthy of avoiding, but their recent schedule has not been kind. Thursday will be their third game in four nights and the second night of a tough back-to-back against likely playoff teams, the Celtics and Clippers. The Clippers are a strong offense, and though Thursday is their third game in four nights as well, their opponents have been considerably easier. The Bulls' defense is good enough that daily gamers should always be cautious of them, but because of their schedule, I'm not as worried about them as I normally would be.
Offenses to Use
New York Knicks at Sacramento Kings:
This was a tough decision. The Kings, Nets and 76ers all have terrible defenses, but their opponents, the Knicks, 76ers and Nets, respectively, are all terrible offenses. While players on all three offenses are worth an extra look Thursday, I like the Knicks the best due to the Kings extra-speedy pace of play. Of the three defenses, the Kings also double as the only one that has been getting actively worse as the season wears on – the Nets' and 76ers' last 10 games look very similar to their total season stats, while the Kings defense has gotten decidedly worse.
Teams on a Back-to-Back Set
First game: 76ers, Thunder
Second game: Bulls, Clippers, Hawks, Knicks
DAILY PLAYER RECOMMENDATIONS
Point Guard
Russell Westbrook, OKC vs. ATL ($10,400): Last week, I highlighted Westbrook at this exact price, explaining that he "doesn't spend much time priced below 11 grand, so take advantage while you can." One week later, his price is unchanged, but it still feels artificially low. On Sunday, he tallied a triple-double and scored 57.25 fantasy points. On Monday, he was limited to 47.75 fantasy points because the Thunder blew out the Grizzlies and Westbrook was only needed for 25 minutes. In his last 10 games, he only has one truly damaging performance for a daily gamer. While he was only OK when I recommended him last Thursday, this time around he faces an easier defense and a faster-paced opponent.
Other suggestions: Jose Calderon, NYK at SAC ($4,300)
Note: several point guards sport atypically cheap prices, but I disqualified from formally recommending because they scored fewer than 10 fantasy points in their most recent game. All of these players had shown positive trends recently. While I won't personally use any of them, the following players are the ones I would have shoehorned into the above recommendations (listed in approximate order of preference): Isaiah Canaan at BKN ($5,000); Shane Larkin, BKN vs, PHI ($4,500); Darren Collison, SAC vs. NY ($4,800); T.J. McConnell, PHI at BKN ($4,600).
Shooting Guard
Andre Roberson vs. ATL ($3,200): Roberson seems locked into a relatively stable starter's workload. He's not particularly efficient, but his high minutes count and near-minimum salary make for excellent fantasy upside. He has played at least 22 minutes in eight of his last 10 games, and at least 29 minutes in five of those.
Other suggestions: Jimmy Butler, CHI vs. LAC ($7,500); Langston Galloway, NYK at SAC ($3,700)
Small Forward
Kevin Durant, OKC vs. ATL ($10,100): Is it weird to stack an offense in basketball? Probably. But these Thunder salaries look like the best pre-Christmas sale I've seen this year. The Hawks are an average defense and an average matchup at small forward, but playing the second night of a back-to-back. And while Thabo Sefolosha is a good defender, it's hard to imagine him getting the better of his former superstar teammate. Don't worry if the price is too steep for your tastes, as small forward is deep Thursday.
Other suggestions: Omri Casspi, SAC vs. NY ($5,300); Bojan Bogdanovic, BKN vs. PHI ($4,200); Lance Thomas, NYK at SAC ($3,100)
Power Forward
Thaddeus Young, BKN vs. PHI ($7,400): Young enters Thursday riding a three-game double-double streak, scoring at least 18 points in each game. Before the current streak, Young had double-doubled in four of six. When he faced off against the 76ers, his former team, he outperformed his season averages by two rebounds and one and a half points.
Other suggestions: Kristaps Porzingis, NYK at SAC ($7,800); Josh Smith, LAC at CHI ($3,700)
Center
Pau Gasol, CHI vs. LAC ($7,700): Gasol has been one of the most consistently underpriced players on DraftKings for more than a year. As a general pricing guideline, for most players that daily gamers actually consider using, every thousand dollars in salary should correspond to about five fantasy points. Therefore, Gasol's $7,700 salary is what should be expected for a player averaging just shy of 40 fantasy points per night. However, he's scored 41.75 in the worst outing of his last five, with other performances of 49.25, 62.25, 54.00 and 46.25.
Other suggestions: DeAndre Jordan, LAC at CHI ($7,100); Joakim Noah, CHI vs. LAC ($4,500).
INJURY REPORT
Out
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, F, BKN (ankle)
Chris McCullough, F, BKN (knee)
Mike Dunleavy, F, CHI (back)
Carl Landry, F, PHI (wrist)
Kendall Marshall, G, PHI (knee)
Willie Cauley-Stein, C, SAC (finger)
Game-Time Decision
Andrea Bargnani, C, BKN (hamstring)
