NBA DFS Picks, Projections, Lineups, Injuries & More Today: Thursday Playbook

The Lakers are on a back-to-back and the Bulls have been a much tougher matchup of late, but they still play at a fast pace. Luka can dominate any matchup and has truly slate-breaking upside. 

Jalen Williams has a chance to return for the Thunder, but that shouldn't impact SGA much. The Grizzlies will be without Ja Morant again, and they play at the fastest pace in the league. 

Giddey is questionable on the injury report, so pay attention to news here. He has been on an incredible run for a Bulls team that is playing great basketball. Giddey has routinely topped 50 fantasy points over the past month, and he is a nightly threat for a triple-double. 

The Haliburton we saw in the first half of 2024 has returned, as he is averaging 21.1 points and 12.6 assists over his last 12 games. He gets one of the best possible matchups tonight against Washington, who plays at the 4th fastest pace and ranks 28th in DRtg. 

Evan Mobley is out tonight for the Cavs. Garland has seen a 2.5% usage rate and 2.9% assist rate bump with Mobley off the floor this season. The matchup is also excellent, as the Spurs have been one of the worst defenses in the league since Victor Wembanyama was ruled out for the season. 

Mitchell is playing huge minutes off the bench and has topped 30 minutes played in five straight games. The per-minute production (0.72 FPPM) leaves something to be desired, so hopefully some better value opens up. At least the Heat get an up-tempo matchup against the Hawks and the game features the closest spread of the evening. 

Evan Mobley is out tonight for the Cavs. Mitchell leads the team with a 34.4% usage rate (a team-best bump of +2.8%) with Mobley off the floor this season. The matchup is also excellent, as the Spurs have been one of the worst defenses in the league since Victor Wembanyama was ruled out for the season. 

Coby White has become a different player over the last month, surpassing even his breakout from last season. During that time, he has been getting to the rim and the free throw line at career-best rates. White has scored 35+ points in three straight games, with an average of 11 free throw attempts per game in those contests. 

The matchup for lead guards against the Hawks is always a conflicting one. It looks great on paper, as the Hawks play at the 2nd-fastest pace and rank just 17th in DRtg. However, the presence of a top perimeter defender like Dyson Daniels certainly has an impact individually. Herro has one dud and one ceiling performance against the Hawks this season, which makes him an intriguing GPP option. 

If Amen Thompson (questionable) sits out again, Green is one of my favorite FD plays and can be used in any format. If Thompson returns, Green is best viewed as a large-field GPP option with considerable upside in an elite matchup. 

Black has played around 30 minutes off the bench the last two games with Cole Anthony and Jalen Suggs out. He has outplayed Cory Joseph and should maintain his role on a slate where value options are presently thin. 

Franz finally topped 50 fantasy points in game earlier this week, but we just haven't seen it enough recently. Paolo Banchero is certainly the preferred Magic spend-up at this stage, and I think the field will prove that when ownership percentages are revealed. Franz is an intriguing contrarian option if the ownership gap ends up wider than currently projected. 

Wiggins has been a consistent producer since joining the Heat. His usage rate has been 27% with his new team, and it has been above 30% in four of his last six games. If Dyson Daniels is locking down Herro in this matchup, Wiggins might be able to take advantage. 

Strus is locked into a starting role and could push for 30 minutes with Evan Mobley out of the lineup. The matchup is elite against a Wemby-less Spurs team. 

Value options are pretty uncomfortable on this slate if we don't get some injury news to break our way. Terry has earned a bigger role with his recent play and is below $4,000 on both sites. His role would be more secure if Lonzo Ball (questionable) remains out. 

The Lakers are on a back-to-back, but only Rui Hachimura (out) appears on the injury report. The ceiling for LeBron has certainly been impacted by the arrival of Luka Doncic, but he can still smash in any spot. LeBron is a contrarian GPP option for large-fields. 

Banchero has been finding ceiling games with more regularity recently. Anthony Davis is expected to return tonight for the Mavs, so that is a bit of a downgrade in terms of matchup, but I still like this spot for him.  

JJJ has seemingly had foul trouble or injury scares in every game he has played recently. Add in the matchup against the top defense in the league and there is plenty of risk here, but it is risk I am interested in taking on at his price tag. JJJ owns a team-high 32.9% usage rate with Ja Morant off the floor this season. 

Bam is in one of the best game environments of the night given the two-point spread and up-tempo matchup with the Hawks. He should see mid-30s minutes in a close game with a chance to reach upper-30s.

Siakam has one of the best possible matchups against the tanking Wizards. He has a great chance to find a ceiling game if the Wizards can keep the score within the 13-point spread. 

Uncomfortable value options remain a theme for this slate. Keldon is a streaky shooter who can flash 35-fantasy point upside when he is going well. The tough matchup is what makes this a bit uncomfortable, but at least the Spurs won't have to deal with Evan Mobley. 

Evan Mobley is out tonight for the Cavs. Jarrett Allen should be a huge beneficiary, as his playing time should be extended in a close game. Allen has seen bumps of 2.4% in usage rate and 2.2% in rebound rate with Mobley off the floor this season. The matchup is also excellent, as the Spurs have been one of the worst defenses in the league since Victor Wembanyama was ruled out for the season. 

Turner has topped 39 fantasy points in three of his last four games and now gets one of the best possible matchups against the Wizards. I love the potential upside for his price in this spot. 

Sarr has taken on a bigger role now that the Wizards are in full-on tank mode. The team is looking to get a full evaluation of their first-round pick and that has resulted in 30+ minutes for Sarr the last two games. He is coming off a 42 FP outburst last night. 

Atlanta has been a strong matchup for bigs of late, as their frontcourt has been decimated by injuries. Ware should be locked in for at least upper-20s minutes, and we have seen as many as 35 minutes recently.