This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
Thursday's NBA slate is a tiny one, with just two games on tap after 8:00 PM Eastern time. Read on to see which players are primed to provide the best value in the Pacers-Bucks and Thunder-Trail Blazers matchups. 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
Darren Collison, IND at MIL ($7,000): Collison is flying under the radar relative to the premier point guard matchup in this slate's other game, but he's demonstrated a high floor of late. Over his past 15 games, Collison has scored at least 31.2 fantasy points nine times, dipping below 26.8 only once. That consistency is a valuable trait in such a small slate, where avoiding busts is key to finding success.
Russell Westbrook, OKC at POR ($12,200): With Paul George looking rusty (8-25 FG) in Tuesday's return from a shoulder injury, Westbrook could once again be asked to take on a larger share of the workload on offense. In such a small slate, owners who look elsewhere will be hard-pressed to make up the difference if Westbrook plays up to his astronomical ceiling.
SHOOTING GUARD
C.J. McCollum, POR vs. OKC ($8,000): There's a lot of volatility in McCollum's game, but owners chasing upside can't overlook his pure scoring ability. With two 35-point barrages and a 27-point effort over his past five games, McCollum is a major difference-maker when he gets hot. Is he worth the risk of the 14-point and six-point performances he's posted over this same stretch? That's for you to decide.
Malcolm Brogdon, MIL vs. IND ($6,500): On the opposite end of the spectrum from the explosive McCollum lies the reliable Brogdon, who has recorded 28.7 or more fantasy points in all but one of his last 13 appearances. Whether you pair the two to balance the risk or go all-in on one approach, Brogdon is well worth a look at his $6,500 valuation.
SMALL FORWARD
Maurice Harkless, POR vs. OKC ($6,000): Harkless has thrived recently with Evan Turner on the sidelines, averaging 32.2 fantasy points over the past seven games. With Turner already ruled out for this one, the versatile and affordable Harkless is primed to provide excellent value.
Bojan Bogdanovic, IND at MIL ($7,700): Bogdanovic has taken his scoring to a new level over the past five games, pouring in 27.2 PPG. He's 10-for-19 from behind the arc over the three most recent contests, and Bogdanovic's proficiency from deep should continue against a Bucks team that's giving up a league-high 12.5 made 3-pointers per game.
POWER FORWARD
Thaddeus Young, IND at MIL ($6,600): Young's versatile skill set has been on full display over the past four games with fellow Pacers power forward Domantas Sabonis sidelined by an ankle injury. He has recorded 11 points, five rebounds and five assists in each of the games Sabonis has sat, so Young can safely be relied upon for another well-rounded outing with his teammate already ruled out for this one.
Ersan Ilyasova, MIL vs. IND ($3,800): Ilyasova's coming off a double-double and has used his combination of size and range to record 18.7 or more fantasy points in five of the past six games. He's a great fit for owners looking to save up for expensive players at other positions.
CENTER
Steven Adams, OKC at POR ($7,000): Adams is cheaper than two other centers in this slate, even though he probably has the highest floor of anybody at the position due to his tenacity on the glass. The competitive New Zealand native will be in search of his fifth consecutive double-double here, having posted 13.5 PPG and 15.0 RPG to go with 1.5 steals and 1.3 blocks per game over the first four games of this streak. He could come up slightly short of those averages and still provide great value at $7,000.
