This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
Thursday's eight-game NBA slate begins at 7:00 PM Eastern time and will take place primarily in the Eastern half of the United States. Read on to see which players stand out from the pack as options to target at their respective valuations. 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
Collin Sexton, CLE at SA ($6,300): Sexton has turned things up offensively in the past 10 games, averaging a robust 24.6 PPG. The development-focused Cavaliers should continue to run their offense through the rookie eighth overall pick, making Sexton a nice value pick at $6,300.
Jamal Murray, DEN at HOU ($7,000): Murray's a high-risk, high-reward option. Consistency hasn't been his strong suit on a deep Denver team, but Murray is terrific on his best days. He comes into this one having scored at least 43.5 fantasy points twice in his past three games, so momentum is on the point guard's side.
SHOOTING GUARD
Pat Connaughton, MIL vs. LAC ($5,100): Connaughton is seeing more court time with Malcolm Brogdon sidelined by a foot injury, and the athletic shooting guard is making the most of those extra minutes. He's been a pleasant surprise on the glass, averaging 6.9 RPG over the past eight games, along with 10.1 PPG in 28 minutes per game.
Bogdan Bogdanovic, SAC at NO ($4,900): Bogdanovic has seen his playing time climb back up to 29 minutes in each of his last two games, and he's responded nicely with 30.4 and 28.1 fantasy points. Significant minutes tend to lead to success on a Kings team that plays at the league's second-fastest pace (104.3), and Bogdanovic should also benefit from facing a fantasy-friendly opponent. New Orleans ranks just behind Sacramento with a pace of 103.9 and struggles on the defensive end with a 111.6 defensive rating that's eighth-worst in the NBA.
SMALL FORWARD
Jonathan Isaac, ORL at DET ($5,700): Isaac's 19-point performance was instrumental in Orlando's critical win over the Heat on Tuesday, and it upped his averages to 11.5 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 2.5 APG, 0.8 steals and 2.0 blocks over the past four games. His impact on both ends of the floor makes the sixth overall selection from the 2017 draft a versatile fantasy performer, and Isaac has a nice opportunity to build on his momentum against a Pistons team that's dropped four of its last five games.
Rudy Gay, SA vs. CLE ($6,400): If you don't want to pay up for San Antonio's top two scorers, Gay is a solid alternative. He's chipped in a serviceable 14.0 PPG and 6.6 RPG this season, and has thrived on the glass of late, pulling down nine rebounds in each of the last four games. Another strong performance is likely forthcoming against a Cavaliers team with a league-worst 116.1 defensive rating.
POWER FORWARD
Pascal Siakam, TOR at NY ($7,500): Siakam is primed to serve as the focal point of Toronto's offense with Kawhi Leonard (rest) sitting out this matchup with a Knicks team that has the league's third-worst defensive rating (113.2). He has played well of late with 36.0 or more fantasy points in 11 of his last 17 games, and Siakam has also demonstrated a tremendous ceiling by exceeding 60.0 fantasy twice in this stretch. There's plenty to like about him given the circumstances.
Julius Randle, NO vs. SAC ($8,400): Given the torrid expected pace of this affair, Randle should get scoring and rebounding opportunities galore. He's scored at least 23 points eight times in the past 12 games, adding nine-plus rebounds in half of those contests to go with a cool 4.0 APG over that span. Meanwhile, the Kings just allowed Mavericks power forward Dwight Powell to go off for 52.1 fantasy points Tuesday.
CENTER
DeAndre Jordan, NY vs. TOR ($6,800): Jordan's known more for catching lobs, but he's showcased his ability as a distributor out of the high post with the Knicks. He's averaging 4.7 APG over the past seven games despite posting a goose egg in that category against Denver during that stretch, and Jordan's chipping in a typical 11.0 PPG and 11.3 RPG to go with those dimes. Coming off a 50.6 fantasy point revenge game against the Clippers, Jordan should keep the good times rolling at home against the Leonard-less Raptors.
