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Often I struggle to find cheap options, but Thursday’s slate is kind of unusual in that I had a harder time finding expensive players I really like. For that reason, I suggest choosing your studs first and filling in around them so you don’t get stuck playing someone like Blake Griffin who will probably be just fine but may not represent much of a value.
Point Guard
Rajon Rondo is averaging 15.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 8.5 assists and 2.5 steals per game against the Cavaliers. Rondo missed a triple-double by one rebound and one assist Sunday, and we could see similar production in this game.
Damian Lillard has scored at least 19 points in 18 consecutive games, and he is averaging 28.9 points, 4.4 rebounds and 5.7 assists in March. Lillard is exceptionally safe, and I will happily lock in his position on a day in which the point guard class is underwhelming, to say the least.
Kris Dunn has played at least 24 minutes in four consecutive games, and he is averaging 12.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 3.0 steals over his last three games. Dunn may not have the upside of someone like Jeremy Lin or Tyler Ulis, but Dunn is safe and cheap.
| PLAYER | TM | H/A | OPP | GP | MPG | FT% | 3PTM | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | FG% | USAGE | FDPTS/G | DKPTS/G | YPTS/G | $FD | $DK | $Y |
| Rajon Rondo | CHI | H | CLE | 64 | 26.5 | 63% | 0.7 | 7.5 | 4.9 | 6.5 | 1.4 | 0.2 | 2.4 | 41% | 17.40% | 23.9 | 25.7 | 24.2 | $6,500 | $6,600 | $21 |
| Kris Dunn | MIN | H | LAL | 69 | 17 | 61% | 0.3 | 3.9 | 2.2 | 2.2 | 1 | 0.5 | 1.2 | 39% | 14.50% | 11.7 | 12.5 | 11.8 | $3,900 | $3,900 | $10 |
| Damian Lillard | POR | H | HOU | 69 | 35.8 | 89% | 2.8 | 26.7 | 4.9 | 5.8 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 2.7 | 45% | 31.40% | 40.9 | 43.9 | 42.3 | $9,300 | $9,200 | $46 |
Shooting Guard
This may be your last chance to use David Nwaba as a punt play. Nwaba is averaging 9.0 points and 5.3 rebounds in 26.0 minutes per game over his last three games. With Brandon Ingram expected to sit again, Nwaba will likely play a large role in the Lakers’ tanking effort once again.
Eric Gordon was one of my worse calls Tuesday, but I’m going back to the well Thursday. Gordon is averaging 21.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists against Portland this season, and it doesn’t hurt that Ryan Anderson remains out.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is averaging 17.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists against the Nets this season. He is a fine alternative if you don’t quite trust Eric Gordon.
Phoenix is hosting a Clippers’ team on the second half of a back-to-back, and the Clippers could be without Austin Rivers, who suffered a hamstring injury Wednesday. Booker is always a risky cash play, but it certainly looks like a favorable situation. Booker is averaging 23.8 points, 2.5 rebounds and 3.3 assists on 3+ days rest this season.
| PLAYER | TM | H/A | OPP | GP | MPG | FT% | 3PTM | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | FG% | USAGE | FDPTS/G | DKPTS/G | YPTS/G | $FD | $DK | $Y |
| Kentavious Caldwell-Pope | DET | H | BKN | 70 | 33.7 | 84% | 2.1 | 14.1 | 3.2 | 2.6 | 1.2 | 0.2 | 1.1 | 41% | 19.10% | 23.5 | 25.3 | 24.5 | $4,700 | $5,200 | $19 |
| David Nwaba | LAL | A | MIN | 14 | 16.9 | 63% | 0.1 | 4.6 | 2.9 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 59% | 10.40% | 10.4 | 10.7 | 10.4 | $3,700 | $3,300 | $10 |
| Eric Gordon | HOU | A | POR | 68 | 30.8 | 84% | 3.4 | 16.4 | 2.6 | 2.6 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 1.7 | 41% | 22.30% | 24.1 | 26.8 | 25.8 | $4,800 | $5,300 | $16 |
| Devin Booker | PHX | H | LAC | 72 | 34.9 | 84% | 1.9 | 21.6 | 3.2 | 3.2 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 3 | 42% | 28.20% | 29.5 | 32.2 | 30.5 | $7,600 | $7,200 | $28 |
Small Forward
Tobias Harris and Marcus Morris are averaging 23.5 points and 4.5 rebounds and 18.0 points and 4.0 rebounds respectively against the Nets. Given the choice between the two, I would rather play Harris, but I would be perfectly content to save some money with Morris.
Jimmy Butler is averaging 21.3 points, 8.0 rebounds and 8.0 assists in three games against the Cavaliers this season. Those numbers are even more impressive considering Dwyane Wade played in all of those games and Butler has been much better with Wade off the floor.
| PLAYER | TM | H/A | OPP | GP | MPG | FT% | 3PTM | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | FG% | USAGE | FDPTS/G | DKPTS/G | YPTS/G | $FD | $DK | $Y |
| Marcus Morris | DET | H | BKN | 74 | 32.9 | 79% | 1.5 | 14 | 4.7 | 2.1 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 1.1 | 41% | 20.10% | 23.6 | 25.2 | 24.4 | $4,900 | $5,100 | $20 |
| Tobias Harris | DET | H | BKN | 75 | 31.5 | 85% | 1.3 | 16.2 | 5.1 | 1.7 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 1.2 | 48% | 21.70% | 26 | 27.5 | 26.6 | $5,400 | $6,000 | $21 |
| Jimmy Butler | CHI | H | CLE | 68 | 36.9 | 86% | 1.1 | 23.5 | 6.2 | 5.5 | 1.9 | 0.4 | 2.1 | 45% | 26.40% | 41.7 | 43.6 | 42.3 | $10,000 | $10,000 | $48 |
Power Forward
On the one hand, I’m pretty sure Nikola Mirotic has never put together four good games in a row in his entire NBA career. On the other hand, Cleveland’s defense is pretty terrible, and Mirotic is averaging 10.7 points and 7.7 rebounds against the Cavs this season. I would rather play Mirotic than Julius Randle or Marquise Chriss, and he is cheaper than Randle as well.
Kevin Love has been inconsistent since returning from his knee injury, but he has two double-doubles in six games since his return. As good as Nikola Mirotic has been offensively, the idea that he, Bobby Portis and Joffrey Lauvergne could slow down Kevin Love is laughable. I might be reticent in a cash lineup, but at the very least Love belongs in a GPP lineup.
Especially on a smaller slate, it can be helpful to identify the cheapest player at a given position who you can play without hating yourself. At power forward on Thursday’s slate, that player is Jon Leuer. Leuer has scored two points twice in the last 10 days, and one of those games came against Brooklyn, which could be problematic. That being said, Leuer had double-digit points twice in that span as well, which cannot be said for guys like Larry Nance Jr. and Trevor Booker. The Nets are still the worst team in the NBA in points allowed, and I feel pretty confident Leuer will get his this time around.
| PLAYER | TM | H/A | OPP | GP | MPG | FT% | 3PTM | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | FG% | USAGE | FDPTS/G | DKPTS/G | YPTS/G | $FD | $DK | $Y |
| Nikola Mirotic | CHI | H | CLE | 62 | 23.5 | 76% | 1.7 | 10.1 | 5.2 | 1 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 1.1 | 41% | 19.60% | 19.7 | 21.3 | 20.5 | $5,200 | $5,800 | $15 |
| Jon Leuer | DET | H | BKN | 69 | 26.5 | 89% | 0.7 | 10.7 | 5.5 | 1.6 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.9 | 49% | 17.40% | 20.4 | 21.4 | 20.7 | $4,100 | $4,200 | $11 |
| Kevin Love | CLE | A | CHI | 52 | 31.2 | 88% | 2.5 | 19.3 | 10.9 | 1.9 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 2 | 43% | 26.60% | 35.6 | 38.4 | 36.8 | $7,400 | $7,300 | $36 |
Center
Brook Lopez has at least 23 points and seven rebounds in each of his last two games, and he could make it three in-a-row against the Pistons Thursday. Lopez had 29 and seven against Detroit last week, and he was even better in their first meeting.
Clint Capela is averaging 18.0 points and 8.0 rebounds against the Trail Blazers this season. I don’t necessarily expect Capela to match that Production Thursday, but he is averaging 14.0 points and 9.2 rebounds over his last five games.
| PLAYER | TM | H/A | OPP | GP | MPG | FT% | 3PTM | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | FG% | USAGE | FDPTS/G | DKPTS/G | YPTS/G | $FD | $DK | $Y |
| Brook Lopez | BKN | A | DET | 68 | 29.6 | 81% | 1.8 | 20.7 | 5.3 | 2.4 | 0.5 | 1.6 | 2.5 | 48% | 29.30% | 32.4 | 34.8 | 33.3 | $7,100 | $7,000 | $29 |
| Clint Capela | HOU | A | POR | 59 | 23.7 | 54% | 0 | 12.5 | 7.9 | 0.9 | 0.5 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 65% | 19.70% | 25.6 | 26.6 | 25.6 | $5,600 | $5,600 | $17 |
Player News
Aaron Gordon had a quiet night, finishing with 13 points (6-of-13 FGs, 0-of-1 FTs), five rebounds, three assists, one steal, and one three-pointer in the Nuggets’ loss to the Thunder on Tuesday.
Gordon was mostly held in check on the offensive end, finishing with his fewest three-point makes of the series, the second-lowest scoring output, and no production from the free throw line. While Gordon has made several big plays down the stretch of games this postseason, he was notably quiet in Game 5, making his line feel even less spectacular. He’s performed well in Denver’s two home games this series and will need to empty the tank on Thursday in Game 6 to help the Nuggets keep their season alive.
Jamal Murray scored 28 points (10-of-27 FGs, 5-of-5 FTs), four rebounds, three assists, one block and three three-pointers in 42 minutes for the Nuggets in their loss to the Thunder on Tuesday.
Murray registered his third 20-plus-point game of the series on Tuesday, but did so on rather inefficient shooting. A monster 13-point third quarter is where much of his production came from, which gave Denver a decent lead going into the final quarter. However, Murray cooled off down the stretch, scoring five of Denver’s 19 points in the fourth quarter. Both he and the rest of the Nuggets will want a better close to Thursday’s Game 6 if they hope to extend their season.
Nikola Jokic was dominant in the Nuggets’ loss to the Thunder on Tuesday, posting 44 points (17-of-25 FGs, 5-of-5 FTs), 15 rebounds, five assists, two steals, and 5 three-pointers.
Jokic bounced back in a big way on Tuesday after a few inefficient shooting performances in Games 2, 3 and 4. The three-time MVP had his fingerprints all over the game on the offensive side, regaining his shooting touch and being particularly dangerous from beyond the arc. He made some contributions as a passer, but still hasn’t found a way to dominate in this series as a facilitator, not yet tallying more than six assists in any game. Even with the Nuggets receiving the inevitable bounce-back game for Jokic, it wasn’t enough for them to take control of the series. Denver will need everything it can get from Jokic in Thursday’s Game 6 if it wants to extend the season.
Luguentz Dort came up big for the Thunder in their win over the Nuggets on Tuesday, finishing with 12 points (4-of-8 FGs), three rebounds, one assist and four three-pointers.
Well-known for his prowess on the defensive end, Dort’s offensive eruption in the fourth quarter helped the Thunder climb from out of a big hole to secure a come-from-behind win and move Oklahoma City one win closer to a trip to the conference finals. His three triples in the final frame were huge, but a late assist on a Jalen Williams three might have been the play that delivered the Thunder the victory. Dort’s double-digit outing marked his third of the series, and Oklahoma City would welcome another as it tries to close out the series on Thursday in Game 6.
Jalen Williams was impressive for the Thunder on Tuesday, posting 18 points (5-of-14 FGs, 6-8 FTs), nine rebounds, four assists, one steal and two three-pointers in the win over the Nuggets.
Williams landed in double figures in scoring for the fifth time in as many games this series. And while he continued to struggle with shooting efficiency, he remained impactful as a facilitator. The fourth-year wing also delivered one of the biggest shots of Game 5 as he sank a corner three-pointer late in the fourth quarter to give Oklahoma City a lead it wouldn’t surrender the rest of the way. Williams will continue to be relied upon when the Thunder head to Denver for a chance to close out the Nuggets in Game 6 on Thursday.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander tallied 31 points (12-of-23 FGs, 6-of-6 FTs), six rebounds, seven assists, two steals, two blocks and one three-pointer in the Thunder’s win over the Nuggets on Tuesday.
Gilgeous-Alexander did it all for the Thunder on Tuesday, taking on the roles of scorer and facilitator while remaining active on the defensive end along the way. Most importantly, he was key in the final handful of blows that Oklahoma City dealt Denver down the stretch in what ended up being a dominant 34-19 fourth quarter for the Thunder. Gilgeous-Alexander, an MVP finalist, delivered his third 30-point game of the series and will have a chance on Thursday to produce his fourth as the Thunder try to eliminate the Nuggets.