The big questions on Thursday's three-game daily fantasy basketball slate are whether Luka Doncic is returning (looking probable), and if Steph Curry makes his way back into the starting lineup (also likely, but he'll get a minutes increase either way). Aside from that, the DraftKings, FanDuel, and Yahoo DFS options for tonight's playoff action might not be as strong as we are generally accustomed to, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't get excited about putting together winning lineups.
This is a preview of Fantasy Alarm's NBA DFS Playbook. To see the full Playbook, as well as get access to Fantasy Alarm's full suite of DFS tools -- including a lineup generator, ownership and stat projections, value plays, and much more -- become a subscriber!
DOMINATE YOUR DFS CONTESTS: Join DFS Alarm from Fantasy Alarm
Today's NBA DFS Playbook: Lineup picks, tips for Thursday
Steph Curry, PG, Warriors at Nuggets (Cash & GPP). It’s unclear when Curry will enter the starting lineup, but after what we saw from him on Monday, he is ready from a performance perspective. Although, if Curry can keep up the same pace that he had off the bench, then we will really be in good shape. He made 12-of-17 shots from the field on Monday, which was good for 34 points.
Patrick Beverley, PG, Timberwolves vs. Grizzlies (GPP). Beverley’s shot wasn’t falling on Tuesday, but he should play close to 30 minutes once again tonight while chipping in with some rebounds and assists. As long as he makes a few more shots, we are looking at 5x value once again.
Reggie Bullock, SG, Mavericks @ Jazz (GPP). Bullock has been playing a ton for Dallas to begin the postseason, and even with the potential return of Luka Doncic (left calf), I think that will continue thanks to his defensive prowess. He has made three three-pointers in each game so far while averaging five rebounds and 2.5 assists. Bullock is the perfect type of player to find a role and success in the postseason.
Desmond Bane, SG, Grizzlies @ Timberwolves (Cash). It was another solid game for Bane on Tuesday, as he scored 16 points to go along with four rebounds and four assists in 31 minutes. Bane has proven to be a very capable scorer, and while we aren’t really getting a bargain or a great deal of upside, he is a solid option if you need to plug a whole in your lineup.
Royce O'Neale, SF, Jazz vs. Mavericks (Cash & GPP). The shortened rotation for Utah works to O’Neale’s advantage. He scored 12 points and grabbed nine rebounds in 37 minutes of action of Monday. I’m not sure the forward makes four three-pointers again tonight, but the workload will be there once again.
Draymond Green, PF, Warriors @ Nuggets (Cash & GPP). Green’s game is generally perfectly suited to the postseason, but that wasn’t necessarily the case on Monday when he scored just six points along with six assists and three rebounds. We have become accustomed to much more than that from Green, and we even got it in his previous game, so I wouldn’t stray just yet.
Nikola Jokic, C, Nuggets vs. Warriors (Cash & GPP). And here is where we spend all that money we saved at other positions. It sounds crazy to say, but with 25.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, and five assists per game to begin the postseason, Jokic has been underwhelming. If Denver wants any chance of getting back in the series, they are going to need everything Jokic has to offer.
More Picks: PG Jordan Poole (Warriors), SG Anthony Edwards (Timberwolves), SF Bojan Bogdanovic (Jazz), PF Jaren Jackson Jr. (Nuggets), PF Maxi Kleber (Mavericks), C Xavier Tillman (Grizzlies)
For even more picks, plus full analysis and strategy advice, check out Fantasy Alarm's full NBA DFS Playbook for Thursday's slate!