Thursday’s 3-game NBA slate has the unbeaten Warriors in Minnesota, where Ricky Rubio $7500 and Andrew Wiggins $6400 are both questionable with knee injuries. Wiggins should return, but if Rubio sits again, Zach LaVine $3500 will start against Stephen Curry $10600 and a case can be made for using both.
Klay Thompson $6700 was quiet last night in Memphis and Draymond Green $6900 played through an illness while Harrison Barnes $5200 picked up the slack offensively (19 PTS, 4 REB, 3 AST, 3 STL, 1 BLK.) Whether that was a fluke or a trend is uncertain. I expect Klay to improve and Andre Igoudala $4800 is also worth considering.
For the Timberwolves, Karl-Anthony Towns $7500 is averaging a double-double with three blocks; he can outplay the timeshare of Festus Ezeli $4600 and Andrew Bogut $4700. Though Nemanja Bjelica $4700 doesn’t start, he’s already a key contributor, with 30+ minutes in his last three. If Wiggins isn’t 100%, Kevin Martin $4600 might get extra run.
Plays of the Day
The $250K Sharpshooter is just a $3 buy-in (FREE to new depositors at DraftKings) that pays the top 19,550 finishers from up to 95,833 teams. First place wins $20,000. Enter before the 7:30 ET deadline; you can make unlimited lineup changes until each player’s game begins.
I’m shocked that Dallas beat the Clippers and amazed that Dirk Nowitzki outscored Blake Griffin $9400. Mavs fans relentlessly jeered DeAndre Jordan $7700, who did not play well. Chris Paul $8600 missed nine of 11 shots — that groin injury may be lingering — and J.J. Redick $4400 (back) left early. Assuming he sits this one out, Austin Rivers $3100 and Jamal Crawford $3500 are potential bargains.
The well-rested Suns lost by only six in L.A. on November 2 and will have revenge on their minds. Eric Bledsoe $8000, Brandon Knight $7000 and Tyson Chandler $5400 are the safest plays, with Markieff Morris $5900 and T.J. Warren $3500 also worth considering.
In the early game, the Over/Under is 182, so individual numbers will probably not be off the charts. Hassan Whiteside $8100 is a better play if Rudy Gobert $6800 (ankle) can’t go. The Heat are East contenders when Chris Bosh $7200 and Dwyane Wade $6200 are healthy. However, Goran Dragic $5400 has had two horrible starts in a row (a combined 3-for-15) so Beno Udrih $3000 might be a worthwhile addition.
If Whiteside has to deal with Derrick Favors $7100 instead of Gobert, Trevor Booker $3000 might start at PF and has been a DFS bargain before in that situation. Rodney Hood $4700 and Alec Burks $5000 are both capable of getting hot. Gordon Hayward $6300 is the top-salaried of a relatively weak SF group but isn’t exactly dominating this season.
Recently there have been several late scratches that have affected player values. It’s always important to double-check your lineups as close to game time as possible and stay on top of breaking news.
| Pos | Premium | Midrange | Bargain |
| PG | Stephen Curry $10600 | Brandon Knight $7000 | Zach LaVine $3500 |
| SG | Eric Bledsoe $8000 | Klay Thompson $6700 | Austin Rivers $3100 |
| SF | Gordon Hayward $6300 | Harrison Barnes $5200 | Andre Igoudala $4800 |
| PF | Blake Griffin $9400 | Chris Bosh $7200 | Nemanja Bjelica $4700 |
| C | Hassan Whiteside $8100 | DeAndre Jordan $7700 | Tyson Chandler $5400 |
The Fantasy Spin features DFS advice every day of the NBA season. Follow Kent Williams @SheridanFantasy for updates.