This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
Thursday's NBA slate has a 7:00 PM Eastern start time and features six games. A pair of prominent rookies are primed for big games in Atlanta, while elsewhere a star who got off to a slow start is beginning to find his game.
Find out who those guys are and more in the recommendations below. FanDuel's format only counts the eight highest scores in your nine-player lineup, so keep that in mind when making your selections.
POINT GUARD
Kyrie Irving, BOS vs. MIL ($7,600): Irving's starting to get his swagger back, as he had his best game of the season with 31 points, five assists and five rebounds in Tuesday's win over the Pistons. That's seven straight games with five-plus assists to open the season for Irving, and he's pulled down at least five boards in each of the past four games as well. Given his contributions outside of scoring, Irving should easily outplay his $7,600 valuation if his current 42.7 percent shooting continues to trend back towards last season's 49.1 percent, or at least towards his career 46.1 percent mark.
Trae Young, ATL vs. SAC ($7,300): Young's unlimited range and passing ability make him special when he's on, as illustrated by the fact that he's topped 20 points in three of his first seven games (including a 35-point outburst) and is averaging a healthy 6.6 assists. The rookie has a golden opportunity to approach his high ceiling in this home date with a Kings team that's giving up 116.8 points per game. That number grows to 121.4 in games played away from Sacramento.
SHOOTING GUARD
Jrue Holiday, NO at POR ($8,300): Portland fans probably still have nightmares about facing Holiday in last year's playoffs, as the two-way guard shut down Damian Lillard while exposing his counterpart's defensive deficiencies by averaging 27.8 PPG and 6.5 APG in a four-game sweep. Holiday continues to bear massive responsibility on both ends for New Orleans, as he routinely scores in the teens while approaching double-digit assists with some steals and rebounds. With Elfrid Payton battling an ankle injury and questionable to play as of publication time, look for Holiday to carry the New Orleans backcourt in a matchup he's proven he can exploit.
Rodney Hood, CLE vs. DEN ($5,700): Without Kevin Love (toe), the Cavaliers have turned to Hood to carry the load offensively, and he's delivered with 21.5 PPG over the past two games. While scoring is the main component of Hood's game, he's chipped in some supplemental stats in this two-game stretch with 3.0 RPG, 3.0 APG and 2.5 steals per game as well. Hood will once again have the green light against a Nuggets team that's playing its second road game in as many nights. Outplaying his $5,700 valuation shouldn't be difficult.
SMALL FORWARD
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, CHA vs. OKC ($4,100): Kidd-Gilchrist never lived up to expectations as the second overall pick in the 2012 draft, but he's become a versatile contributor for the Hornets, recording a stat line of at least 10 points and six rebounds in four of Charlotte's first eight games. His strong play hasn't gone unnoticed by coach James Borrego, as two of Kidd-Gilchrist's three highest minutes totals this season have come in the past two games. The long-armed forward is also chipping in 1.5 blocks per game, and his average of 0.3 steals is due to creep up toward his career 0.7 mark. That latter improvement is likely to start in this game against a Thunder team that's among the league's most careless with the ball at 15.7 turnovers per game.
Danilo Gallinari, LAC at PHI ($6,400): Finally healthy, Gallinari has showed off his offensive aptitude in the early going, scoring at least 20 points in four of seven games. The 6-foot-10 forward is more than just a scorer, as Gallinari's size has helped him pull in 6.1 RPG to complement his 20.0 PPG. Philadelphia's allowing more than the league average in both points (113.5) and rebounds (57.4) per game, putting Gallinari in position to once again excel in both categories.
POWER FORWARD
Marvin Bagley, SAC at ATL ($5,500): Bagley's still searching for his first career double-double, but he's often been tantalizingly close, having come within two rebounds of achieving that feat four times in his first eight games. Expect him to finally break through here. Atlanta's 60.3 rebounds allowed per game are second-most in the league, and scoring shouldn't be a problem considering Bagley has reached double-digit points in all but two games while the Hawks are surrendering 116.9 points per contest.
Montrezl Harrell, LAC at PHI ($5,600): Harrell played sparingly in the first two games, but his role has expanded in the past five contests, as has his production. Over the last five games, Harrell is averaging 16.4 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 1.8 blocks and 1.2 steals in 23 minutes per game, and there's still room for further growth in his playing time given the lack of appealing inside alternatives in the post-DeAndre Jordan era. Philadelphia's struggles defensively and on the glass have already been highlighted, and Harrell's primed to capitalize on those vulnerabilities.
CENTER
Nikola Jokic, DEN at CLE ($10,200): Jokic isn't even the most expensive center in this slate, but he has the capability to lead all available players in fantasy scoring here. The talented big man came one rebound short of triple-double Monday and one assist short Wednesday, but the third time might be the charm against an overmatched Cavaliers club. Cleveland's allowing 117.9 points per game, so Jokic should be able to raise his season average of 21.5 PPG given his vast offensive repertoire both outside and on the interior.
