This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
Thursday features a light NBA slate, with just four games on tap beginning at 7:00 PM Eastern time. Despite the limited selection, certain guys still stand out as strong value plays at their respective prices. 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
De'Aaron Fox, SAC vs. DET ($8,600): Three of the teams in this slate are playing the second leg of a back-to-back, creating the opportunity for their opponents to take advantage of their tired legs. One such team is the Pistons, who will be traveling to Sacramento after facing the Lakers on Wednesday. Look for the explosive Fox to capitalize on this situation, as the second-year point guard is in the midst of a strong campaign that's featuring 18.0 PPG, 7.3 APG and 1.8 steals per game.
Russell Westbrook, OKC at SA ($12,100): Owners who don't employ Westbrook in this small slate risk watching him carry opponents' lineups with a monster effort while their collection of less productive alternatives fails to make up the difference. The triple-double machine is in good form at the moment, having eclipsed his season average of 53.5 fantasy points in nine of the past 13 games. Like Fox, Westbrook should also benefit from facing an opponent that's playing the second half of a back-to-back set.
SHOOTING GUARD
Lou Williams, LAC at DEN ($7,000): Williams has been locked in for a while, averaging 23.5 PPG and 5.8 APG over the past eight games. Look for the Clippers to lean heavily on both his scoring and distributing against a Nuggets team with the best record in the Western Conference. Denver plays terrific team defense, which will likely force Los Angeles to give Williams more 1-on-1 looks. While his efficiency might suffer, Williams' volume would benefit from such an approach.
Torrey Craig, DEN vs. LAC ($4,300): Craig had already carved out a sizable role with an average of 28 minutes over the previous eight contests, but he saw his playing time climb to a robust 38 minutes in Denver's last game Tuesday with fellow wing Gary Harris sidelined by a hamstring injury. He took advantage of the extended run with 11 points, 16 rebounds and four assists. Craig would be a tremendous value if Harris sits, but even if Harris suits up, it's worth locking Craig in at just $4,300 against a Clippers team that's allowing opponents to rack up 114.1 points per game.
SMALL FORWARD
Justin Jackson, SAC vs. DET ($3,900): Taken 15th overall in the 2017 draft -- 10 spots after Fox -- Jackson has taken a bit longer to turn into a meaningful contributor at the NBA level, but he appears to have turned a corner over the past three games. In those three most recent contests, Jackson's averaging 17.0 PPG, 5.0 RPG and 2.3 APG in 32 minutes per game -- 10 minutes higher than his season playing time average. Assuming his expanded role is here to stay, Jackson makes for a nice value play at just $3,900.
Josh Richardson, MIA vs. BOS ($6,500): Richardson's breaking out in his fourth season, averaging career highs in minutes per game (35), PPG (18.1), RPG (3.9) and APG (3.7). Easily Miami's most consistent game-to-game contributor, Richardson can be counted on for another solid performance against a Celtics team that's playing its second game in as many nights.
POWER FORWARD
LaMarcus Aldridge, SA vs. OKC ($8,100): Aldridge was held in check by the stingy Memphis defense Wednesday, but he's likely to bounce right back in this one considering he averaged 42.9 fantasy points over his previous six outings. The veteran big man is currently getting an even bigger piece of the pie than usual on offense, as reliable scorer Rudy Gay is sidelined by a wrist injury.
Marcus Morris, BOS at MIA ($4,700): Morris has been outperforming his $4,700 valuation recently, averaging 28.1 fantasy points over his past seven appearances. He's far from the first Celtics player most fantasy owners think of, but there's a good chance Morris ends up producing the best bang for the buck on the team here. Miami's among the 10 most generous teams on the glass, so look for a strong rebounding effort out of Morris in addition to his scoring.
CENTER
Andre Drummond, DET at SAC ($9,800): At his best, Drummond can give you north of 20 in both points and rebounds in addition to multiple steals and multiple blocks. Even when he fails to reach those thresholds, Drummond usually gets well over halfway to those totals in each category. He's more likely to approach his high ceiling than be stuck near his floor against a leaky Kings defense that gives up the third-most points (116.4) and the most rebounds (57.3) per game in the league.
