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

There will be no shortage of value tonight, which means you'll be hunting for ceiling games. Atlanta is clinging to the No. 8 seed. Trae has been very reliable with usage rates that have been hovering around 30%.

The West continues to be an insane cluster. This is a critical game for seeding purposes. Toward the end of the season, we're looking for solidified minutes from guys, and you should get that out of Donte and Conley at cheap prices.

The West continues to be an insane cluster. This is a critical game for seeding purposes. Toward the end of the season, we're looking for solidified minutes from guys, and you should get that out of Donte and Conley at cheap prices.

Nothing is for certain in NBA DFS, but Payton should be a smash play without a TON of bodies in New Orleans. Assuming he starts, lock and load. If he doesn't, still viable, but a little scary.

Craig Porter is $3K flat on DK. Don't love the FD price, but you can at least think about him over there. It's usually a playing-time issue for Porter, who has been a good historical FPPM producer in his brief, young career. CLE will be lacking many bodies – and mostly guards tonight.

Again, we'll need a ceiling somewhere with all of the value. Edwards has a big role secured in a game where both teams have something to play for – and it's a pretty good implied total.

It's gross in the DFS streets right now! But Reeves should have a clear path to ~30 minutes, and we've seen him smash a few times this season when all of the cards broke his way on a given night. In terms of opportunity, the cards have broken his way today. Now, he just has to be an average basketball player at worst to pay off a $4K tag.

More value in the CLE game. Not much to add, but this kid can shoot the 3. Decent implied TT of 111, considering CLE will be down their three best players. That hints well at a possible nice game environment.

I guess it's always possible we see Tyson get a spot-start. I don't think I'd play him come off the bench, but we've seen him have a huge role on a few occasions this year when he's been in the rotation.

A volatile punt play, but he should be at least in the conversation tonight. We'll see how lineups shake out, but NOP is down so many bodies…

There's no way around CLE value everywhere tonight, and Hunter will be one of the best per-dollar plays on paper – especially on DK.

You know it's late-season NBA when Keion Brooks has entered the chat. The problem with a lot of these value guys, even with minutes, they could go for 10 points or 30. A fairly low-usage guy, but he can still pop off with 25-30 minutes – and he should be in line to see that kind of work. That's my best guess anyway as of the early afternoon.

Bridges and LeVert are two guys with 40-point upside or more. They'll give you a safer floor than a lot of these weird value plays we have tonight. The problem is, I think a third or half of these cheaper guys have a serious chance to outscore them. It's a risk/reward thing, but I have no problems with either of these solidified NBA vets. I'm just more about boom-or-bust during the last week of the season in GPPs. I don't think I would pay 6.8 for Bridges on FD, but I don't mind the DK price.

Bridges and LeVert are two guys with 40-point upside or more. They'll give you a safer floor than a lot of these weird value plays we have tonight. The problem is, I think a third or half of these cheaper guys have a serious chance to outscore them. It's a risk/reward thing, but I have no problems with either of these solidified NBA vets. I'm just more about boom-or-bust during the last week of the season in GPPs.

Cain is a bad FPPM producer, but he'll likely start. He's not a fun click, but when he's played 26+ minutes this season, he's tallied 12.75, 18.75, 23.25, 30, 26.25, and 22.75 DKP in those games.

Dirt cheap. Scary floor, and he's not a good FPPM guy. But anything can happen in this game when CLE is down plenty of bodies.

If Giannis plays, he's probably the best stud on the slate due to his ceiling.

We have some juicy plays all over the board at PF today. NYK is down multiple wings/bigs that should leave the door open for a $3.3 Achiuwa to play over 30 minutes.

With the afternoon Pels' news, JRE becomes another fantastic dirt-cheap $3K play. NOP will likely be forced to use him for ~30 minutes.

Two more not-so-fun clicks I have to list are Wade and Tosan. They're both on (currently) depleted rosters and should have big roles. Much prefer Precious and JRE.

Two more not-so-fun clicks I have to list are Wade and Tosan. They're both on (currently) depleted rosters and should have big roles.

KAT will be without a few of his colleagues, and he's sub-$10K. Really like this one for GPPs.

Love the bounce-back spot for Gobert after the dud. He was playing some truly elite ball. The game is a big one, and finding a contest with meaningful basketball and solidified minutes is half of the battle. Rudy has been playing a ton down the stretch.

Edey has played around 30 minutes in each of the last two games and has dominated. Like it for GPPs.

Matkovic has become one of my favorite plays following the afternoon Pelicans news. He can flash usage rates in the mid-20s, and he may be mostly blowout-proof tonight. He could see more than 30 minutes, and he's only accomplished such a few twice this year. When he's played 26+ minutes (8 games), he's tallied no fewer than 25.25 DKP on a given night.

Timme has been awesome this season down the stretch. Might need to squeeze a little more ceiling tonight, but he should give you a really nice floor at worst.

A very uncomfortable click. He's played one game with more than 8 minutes this season – he logged 34 in February and scored almost a FPPM. Large-field look – just know, he may legitimately score zero.