Tonight’s NBA DFS slate gives us a chance to exhale after a Wednesday slate where cash lines on FanDuel crept past 320 in many cases. There are only three games Thursday, but there’s still an opportunity to swing a profit in low-risk daily fantasy basketball cash contests.
The games featuring the Suns and Knicks could prove particularly fruitful for FanDuel users. Shooting guard Devin Booker has already been ruled out for Phoenix, while small forward T.J. Warren is listed as doubtful. Elsewhere, Trail Blazers shooting guard C.J. McCollum is a game-time decision. We’ll update this post when his status is determined.
Update: McCollum has been ruled out.
MORE: SN DFS | Player Updates
As part of our multi-step lineup approach, we used Fantasy Alarm’s premium features to analyze points allowed by position and projected point values. Below are the conclusions of that research.
Tonight's FanDuel NBA DFS lineup: Pick advice, sleepers for Thursday, Dec. 6
FAVORITE VALUE — PG De’Anthony Melton, Suns @ Trail Blazers ($4,500). It’s difficult to describe just how bad the Suns looked without Booker and Warren in their last game against the Kings, but a 36-9 deficit after the first quarter provides a decent enough outlook. Amid that debacle, Melton was a plus-24 in his 23 minutes on the floor, providing an assuredness with the ball most of his teammates lacked. In what could be another lopsided result Thursday against the Trail Blazers, Melton will start and likely get some more good run even in a blowout. And when he’s on the court, he usually takes advantage, posting more than a fantasy point per minute this season. Look for the USC product to be an under-the-radar steal in this slate.
STUD TO STICK WITH — PG Chris Paul, Rockets @ Jazz ($8,100). This will probably be the only close game Thursday night, and the Jazz have not done a great job defending point guards this season. While Paul might not deliver his most efficient outing, he’s probably going to play at least 35 minutes and have the ball in his hands very often. He can’t go 1-for-8 shooting again, right?
STAR TO AVOID — C Rudy Gobert, Jazz vs. Rockets ($9,800). Gobert’s price tag has exploded recently, and it’s gotten to a pretty absurd point considering he has to play against Clint Capela on Thursday. It will be a challenge for him to even get to 40 FD points, and he’ll need 49 to hit his value. We recommend looking to Jusurf Nurkic, Al Horford or Deandre Ayton at the center position instead.