Garion Thorne dives into Thursday’s five-game featured NBA slate to find three players you need to put in your DraftKings lineups.
10 teams. Five games. Three must-start DFS assets. That’s the vibe for Thursday.
Let’s dive in and break down who you’ll need to be rostering in your lineups tonight.
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PF LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers at Washington Wizards, $10,500
Despite being listed as questionable, I just can’t envision James sitting on Thursday night. First and foremost, the 40-year-old has been incredibly durable in 2024-25, having only missed three of the Lakers’ 45 games so far this season. On top of that, James’ presence will be needed — even against the lowly Wizards — as Anthony Davis (abdominal) is set to miss some time due to his own ailment. With Davis off the floor, James is producing an insane 1.51 FPTS per minute with a massive 33.5% usage rate. Davis most recently missed a game back on January 17 against Brooklyn, a night where James registered 29 points, eight assists, seven rebounds and 55.25 FPTS. That feels like James’ floor versus a Washington squad that is surrendering the most FPTS per contest to opposing power forwards and owns the NBA’s worst defensive rating (118.4). I’d also keep Dalton Knecht ($3,900) and Jaxson Hayes ($4,500) in mind as value options.
PG/SG Dyson Daniels, Atlanta Hawks at Cleveland Cavaliers, $7,500
On Wednesday, the Hawks got some awful news, as it was revealed that Jalen Johnson (shoulder) would undergo season-ending surgery. That means everyone aside from Trae Young ($9,800) is about to move up a peg in the team’s pecking order. My eye is on Daniels. While Young has actually been a less efficient DFS asset with Johnson off the floor in 2024-25, Daniels has been his production go from 0.88 FPTS per minute alongside Johnson to 1.09 FPTS per minute with his teammate on the sideline. We see the same trend in his usage rate, rising to 20.5% from 16.1%. In general, Daniels has been at his best in January, averaging season-highs in points (14.5), rebounds (5.8) and assists (4.1). Remember, that all goes along with Daniels registering a league-best 3.1 steals per contest. Put it all together and it’s no surprise that Daniels has exceeded 40 FPTS in three of his last four starts. I expect another ceiling performance on Thursday evening.
C Rudy Gobert, Minnesota Timberwolves at Utah Jazz, $5,600
Gobert isn’t the most consistent DFS asset on the planet, but it feels like some of his usual risk is mitigated on tonight’s slate. Let’s start with the salary. Gobert’s been priced below $6,000 since the beginning of January, but you’ll remember that he was once as expensive as $7,200 to begin the season. The discount certainly makes him more palatable in fantasy. Then there’s the matchup. Gobert should still be motivated to perform in Utah and the Jazz’s underwhelming defense should help him thrive. Utah is allowing 118.1 opponent points per 100 possessions this season — the worst mark of any team in the Western Conference. Finally, Naz Reid ($5,500; illness) is a question mark after sitting out Wednesday’s contest. I have my doubts he’ll suit up on the second night of a back-to-back in a game where the Timberwolves are already massive favorites. Gobert laid an egg against the Suns last night, but he produced an average of 38.5 FPTS in his three starts prior to that. I’ll bank on his upside.
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