Rui Hachimura has scored 37+ fantasy points in three out of his past four games.
See below for a breakdown of value plays for tonight’s slate of games on Fan Duel by FantasyPros.
Draymond Green (GSW) $6,600 at MIA
The decision to play Draymond Green is completely contingent on whether or not Stephen Curry plays. Since Green doesn’t contribute much in the scoring department, he’s reliant on grabbing rebounds, dishing out assists, and getting you plus-three points for steals and blocks on FanDuel. While Green sees a slight uptick in rebounds when Curry is out, he sees a massive decline in assists (3.51 fewer assists) when Curry is sidelined. With Curry back in the lineup for the Golden State Warriors, Green should be able to hit 5x value at his price tag of $6,600.
Rui Hachimura (WAS) $6,000 at DET
Rui Hachimura could be finding his groove right now as he’s earned 37+ FD points in three out of his past four games. The second-year forward has seen his role for the Washington Wizards expand recently as he’s averaged 37.9 minutes per game since March 13th. If Beal is forced to miss another game for the Wizards on Thursday, Hachimura should continue being the second scorer on the team alongside Russell Westbrook, making him a decent value at $6,000 against the Detroit Pistons.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker (NOP) $5,800 vs. ORL
Along with the injury to Zion that could cause him to miss Thursday’s game, the Pelicans have also been without Ball in recent games. Amid the absence of Ball, Stan Van Gundy has elected to give Nickeil Alexander-Walker more minutes, which he has taken advantage of. In the 240.9 minutes that Alexander-Walker has played without Williamson or Ball on the floor, he’s seen a 26.5 percent usage for the Pelicans. If one of either Ball or Williamson is designated as out, Alexander-Walker has achieved 5x value at his current price in seven out of his last nine outings.
Michael Carter-Williams (ORL) $5,300 at NOP
Another player with a hyphen in his last name playing in Thursday’s bout between the Pelicans and the Orlando Magic is Michael Carter-Williams. After a game where he was held scoreless versus the Los Angeles Lakers on March 28th, Carter-Williams exploded for 44.9 FD points against the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday. Even though Carter-Williams isn’t a cerebral scorer, he should have no trouble – especially with an expanded workload – producing against a New Orleans team that allows the second-most FD points per game to point guards.
Danilo Gallinari (ATL) $5,200 at SAS
The Atlanta Hawks will be without Collins on Thursday, leaving them extremely thin in the frontcourt. Whenever Collins isn’t on the floor, Danilo Gallinari has been one of the Hawks’ main beneficiaries. Gallinari sees a solid 24 percent usage when Collins is on the sideline, which is the team’s second-highest. Sitting at $5,200 on FanDuel, Gallinari seems like a pretty safe bet to hit 5x value versus the San Antonio Spurs, with Collins set to miss at least Thursday’s contest.
Terance Mann (LAC) $5,100 vs. DEN
Paul George has been dealing with a nagging foot injury, forcing the Los Angeles Clippers to insert other players into the rotation. With George, Patrick Beverley, and Serge Ibaka missing time, Terance Mann has seen more run with the Clippers in recent games. Mann has surpassed 5x value in five out of his last six games, including the past two games that George has missed. It should be noted that playing Mann can be risky as the Denver Nuggets have surrendered the seventh-fewest FD points per game to shooting guards in the last 30 games.
Saben Lee (DET) $5,000 vs. WAS
The Pistons are in full rebuild mode and are giving extended minutes to most of their younger players. Saben Lee has been handed a starting role, but his minutes have been inconsistent in the past four games. If Lee can crack the starting lineup again against the Wizards, he’ll get a chance to play in a pace-up game versus a Washington squad that has been the fourth-worst team against point guards in terms of FD points allowed per game in the past 15 games.
Cody Zeller (CHA) $4,600 at BKN
Attacking the Brooklyn Nets in the paint has proven to be one of the rare ways to cause fits for the second-seed in the Eastern Conference. While Cody Zeller isn’t a dominant big man, by any means, he’s more than capable of stuffing the stat sheet. Zeller played in 20+ minutes for the first time on Tuesday since returning from a two-game absence on March 24th. We need Zeller to exceed 20+ minutes again for him to give us massive value at the center position on Thursday.
Isaiah Hartenstein (CLE) $4,000 vs. PHI
Isaiah Hartenstein made his debut for the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday versus the Utah Jazz, pouring in 34.3 FD points. While Hartenstein made only two of his eight shot attempts on Monday, he snagged 14 rebounds, and he recorded a team-high seven assists. Given that Nance, Allen, and Kevin Love are out for the Cavaliers again, Hartenstein is a free square at the power forward position.
James Wiseman (GSW) $4,000 at MIA
Just by hearing the Warriors speak about James Wiseman, they realize he’s a 19-year-old rookie who’s being thrown into the NBA amid an unusual season. Wiseman hasn’t had the rookie campaign he envisioned having, but he’s still playing a decent-sized role with the team. The first-year center has garnered 25+ minutes in four straight games, and if he can avoid foul trouble, he should be able to get 20+ FD points against the Miami Heat. If you’re someone who prefers to pay down at center most nights, Zeller and Wiseman look to be viable – but risky – options.
