This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
With a five-game slate featured Thursday, there are less options to sort through all over the price scale. However, that doesn't mean there's a lack of potential value plays, so the following list of players should be considered when building your DFS lineups:
GUARDS:
Spencer Dinwiddie, BKN vs NYK ($7,700): In terms of point guards for Thursday's slate, Dinwiddie has one of the best overall matchups, as he's facing a New York defense that gives up the fifth most FanDuel points to the position. However, Dinwiddie himself has also elevated his play of late, with back-to-back performances of 42.2 and 31.1 FanDuel points. He averaged 13.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 10.5 assists and 1.5 steals across 32.0 minutes during the two-game stretch, as he's been an extremely effective facilitator. His assist numbers give him a fairly nice floor, so with a favorable matchup added to that, Dinwiddie should continue his recent surge.
Caris LeVert, BKN vs NYK ($6,100): LeVert has really picked up his game of late as well, averaging 34.6 FanDuel points over his last four contests. While a 54-FanDuel-point outing against the Thunder does inflate that number a bit, it still shows LeVert's overall upside. Fellow wing Allen Crabbe is dealing with some soreness in his left foot and if he's ultimately held out, LeVert could potentially draw into the starting lineup and see an increase in his usage. Either way, a solid mid-tier price of $6,100 and a game featuring one of the higher over/unders on the night, should push LeVert into consideration for your lineups.
Yogi Ferrell, DAL at GS ($4,700): Ferrell is one of the more intriguing low-cost point guards for Thursday's slate, as he continues to start with rookie Dennis Smith (hip) sidelined. Ferrell is coming off one of his better performances of late, posting 31.6 FanDuel points against the Spurs on Tuesday. At first glance, Ferrell appears to be heading into a tough matchup against the Warriors, though Golden State has actually given up the seventh most FanDuel points to the position over the last five games. That's likely due to the absence of Steph Curry (ankle) and he's slated to sit out again, so fantasy owners shouldn't be overly concerned in regards to Ferrell's opposing defender.
FORWARDS:
Kristaps Porzingis, NYK at BKN ($10,200): With only a handful of higher priced players available on a five-game slate, Porzingis instantly jumps out as strong play. He blew up for 66.7 FanDuel points Tuesday against the Lakers, while also preceding that with 55.6 FanDuel points against the Hawks, so he's certainly streaking and worth the look at a five-digit price tag. Only adding to the intrigue is the matchup, as it should be a competitive game with a high over/under. Not to mention the Nets give up the third most FanDuel points to power forwards, so look for Porzingis to have his way Thursday.
Jimmy Butler, MIN vs SAC ($9,500): Coach Tom Thibodeau continues to run his starter's into the ground, evidenced by the fact that Butler has averaged a whopping 41.8 minutes over his last six games. While that's never encouraging for Butler's season-long durability, that's certainly appealing for his temporary DFS value. During that six-game stretch, Butler has averaged 47.8 FanDuel points, so he's well worth the $9,500 price tag, especially with a favorable matchup against a relatively inexperienced Kings roster,
Jordan Bell, GSW vs DAL ($4,300): With both Zaza Pachulia (shoulder) and Draymond Green (shoulder) doubtful for Thursday's contest, Bell is looking at extended playing time once again. He logged 26 minutes Monday and posted 25.2 FanDuel points, which was a solid output for his price. Still, he peaked at 43.2 FanDuel points earlier this season, a prime example of his overall upside when he sees the minutes. Even without Steph Curry, Green and Pachulia, the Warriors are overwhelming favorites over the Mavericks, but the Warriors wouldn't consider resting Bell considering he's a rookie second-round pick. He should get all the minutes he can handle.
CENTERS:
Andre Drummond, DET at ATL ($9,400): Drummond has really struggled recently, putting up just 21.5 and 24.5 FanDuel points during his last two contests. For a $9,400 price tag, fantasy owners are likely looking for at least double that, which obviously brings about some concerns. However, the Hawks are still without Dewayne Dedmon and started the undrafted Tyler Cavanaugh at center in their last game, so Drummond has a really juicy matchup against an inexperienced player. This appears to be a prime bounce-back opportunity, so even with the lack of recent production, I'm willing to pay up for Drummond at center.
Willie Cauley-Stein, SAC at MIN ($6,000): If you can't afford the likes of Drummond, Karl-Anthony Towns ($10,100) or Kevin Love ($7,900), Cauley-Stein is a solid fall-back option. He returned from a three-game absence Tuesday and played a full 30 minutes, so he's over the back injury that kept him sidelined. Prior to that absence, Cauley-Stein had posted over 30 FanDuel points in four of six contests, while peaking at 44.6 against the Clippers. While Minnesota may have some superstars on the roster, Towns has played some poor defense for much of this season, so fantasy owners shouldn't be afraid of the matchup. The Timberwolves have given up the seventh most FanDuel points to the position over the last five games.
