This article is part of our DraftKings NBA series.
We are looking at a tidy three-game NBA slate for Thursday, November 29.
Jumping into that, the Clippers-Kings matchup seems ripe for the DFS picking. It easily paces all totals with a 234 over/under that should have plenty of fantasy production to go around. Buddy Hield, Marvin Bagley III, Tobias Harris and maybe Boban Marjanovic all appear to be primary picks. We'll get to the detailed analysis of each player in a bit.
Per usual, we have several injuries to monitor with potential for more while moving closer to tip-off. You'll want to stay in the loop with Rotowire's NBA News Feed before setting your final lineups. As of Thursday morning, these are the situations we are looking at:
Victor Oladipo is doubtful. He has missed five straight games with Darren Collison and Domantas Sabonis picking up the offensive slack in his place. That should be the case again with a confident matchup against the Lakers.
Lonzo Ball questionable. Remember that Rajon Rondo will continue to miss time as well. If Lonzo Ball is out, Brandon Ingram will assume more ball-handling duties. This would obviously raise his fantasy prospects. Josh Hart and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope could see more minutes too.
Marcin Gortat questionable. He missed yesterday's game, freeing Boban Marjanovic to become a solid value commodity with 29 fantasy points in 19 minutes.
With that, I'll be breaking down the best fantasy choices on DraftKings for Thursday. The following write-ups contain a blend of cash game staples, bargain fillers, and tournament pivots.
GUARDS
Buddy Hield, SAC vs. LAC ($5,700): We can forgive Buddy Hield for a down performance in a tough matchup vs. Utah on Sunday. The Kings have had plenty of time to rest up, and this is a solid bounce-back spot for the entire team. Hield went for 35+ fantasy points in three of his past four games prior to Sunday's blowout loss, and I'm expecting him to climb back to that level of production on Thursday. As mentioned in the introduction, there should be plenty of fantasy production to go around in a high-scoring matchup against the Clippers; I'm banking on Hield to claim his share.
Darren Collison, IND at LAL ($4,700):Darren Collison is really starting to assert himself with Victor Oladipo sidelined. Collison has remarkably notched 11 assists in each of his past two games, hitting 35+ fantasy points in both of those contests. There's an excellent chance his fantasy uptick will continue with Victor Oladipo expected to miss tonight's tilt against the Lakers. Playing up in pace against a Lakers team that ranks 22nd in overall defensive efficiency seems like a great spot for Collison to keep things rolling.
Kyle Lowry, TOR vs. GS ($8,000):Kyle Lowry isn't necessarily a must play through all formats, but he's certainly worth a strong look if the salary doesn't prove to be too cumbersome. I'll discuss a few more branches of the decision tree later in this article. As for the Toronto point guard, he is a steady fantasy producer who has been humming along with his 40 fantasy point average lately. It's hard to envision a ton of upside for Lowry, but hosting the defending champions at home should inspire a solid overall performance. Golden State ranks bottom ten in assists allowed per game, and that's a key component of Lowry's fantasy profile.
Other guards to consider:Bogdan Bogdanovic, SAC vs. LAC ($5,200), Quin Cook, GS at TOR ($4,800), Lou Williams, LAC at SAC ($5,600)
FORWARDS
LeBron James, LAL vs. IND ($10,700): I'm doing everything in my power to roster LeBron James tonight. There is plenty of value to make that happen, and it's a strategy I fully intend to deploy on Thursday night. Few teams are equipped with a legitimate defender to slow down LeBron James, and Indiana is no exception. This is a strong bounce-back opportunity for James and company, who are returning home following an embarrassing 32 point loss at Denver on Tuesday. As if LeBron's usage rate wasn't high enough, he could be asked to handle the ball even more if Lonzo Ball (questionable) misses this game.
Marvin Bagley III, SAC vs. LAC ($5,300): I firmly believe that Marvin Bagley III has some of the best per-dollar upside of this slate. He has proven himself with 40-plus fantasy points in two of his past four games, earning increased playing time above 30 minutes in a couple of those. That's good news moving forward, especially considering he's still cheap on DraftKings while playing in one of the best game environments of the night. Bagley's opponent, the LA Clippers, rank 21st in defensive efficiency vs. opposing power forwards.
Tobias Harris, LAC at SAC ($8,200): Most of my early lineup combinations revolve around taking either Tobias Harris or Kyle Lowry for a similar price in the utility spot. It's a close call, but I'm somewhat leaning towards Harris at the moment. The Clippers forward has been a beast this season, notching 41-plus fantasy points in four of his past six. This is an excellent matchup against a Sacramento team that ranks 24th in defensive efficiency vs. opposing power forwards, second in pace and 27th in rebound rate.
Other forwards to consider:Serge Ibaka, TOR vs. GS ($5,500), Brandon Ingram, LAL vs. IND ($5,800), Domantas Sabonis – GPP, IND at LAL ($7,500)
CENTERS
Boban Marjanovic, LAC at SAC ($3,500): This is an injury-contingent play based on the status of Marcin Gortat. Gortat missed last night's game, which prompted Boban Marjanovic to an efficient 29 fantasy points in 19 minutes against Phoenix. As mentioned earlier, Sacramento hasn't been great against opposing frontcourts or on the glass this season, so there's a real opportunity for Marjanovic to make some fantasy noise if he sees reasonable minutes. Keep your eyes peeled for an early indication on Marcin Gortat's injury status to determine whether or not Boban is a legitimate value play.
Myles Turner, IND at LAL ($6,200): If the injury situation doesn't work out for Boban Marjanovic, the next best move revolves around re-arranging your lineup to make Myles Turner work. He comes at a substantial discount to the other high-end centers with a reasonable shot at similar upside. Turner has notched 33+ fantasy points in five of his past six games, and he has an excellent opportunity to keep that going against a Lakers team that ranks 29th in defensive efficiency against opposing centers.
Other centers to consider:Willie Cauley-Stein – GPP, SAC vs. LAC (5,900), Montrezl Harrell, LAC at SAC ($7,600)
