NBA Thursday $25,000 Lineup Tips

We have passed the quarter mark of the NBA season with the standing really starting to take shape. Boston and Cleveland, who played off in last season’s Eastern Conference Finals are currently sitting at the top of the East, whilst the Rockets and the Warriors sit atop the West. Utah is making its move, winning six of their last seven matches. James Harden is the clear favourite for the MVP ahead of LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo and Aussie Ben Simmons is the tear away favourite for the Rookie of the Year. There are ten matches to choose your lineups from today with the highlight being Milwaukee v Detroit.

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Here is a team you may consider for the NBA $25k+ Thursday competition

Point Guard

Rajon Rondo ($12,550)

After being injured for the first ten games of the season, Rondo is just starting to heat up for the Pelicans. He has recorded double doubles in his last three matches and gets a really favourable matchup in this match against Denver. Rondo is the perfect Point Guard for the Pelicans’ dominant big men as he is a very creative passer. This match should be a shootout with two high paced offenses playing against each other, look for Rondo’s hot form to continue.

Austin Rivers ($11,050)

Rivers can be very inconsistent at times, but there is no doubt that he will get every opportunity to score well against the Timberwolves. Rivers is the classic case of the coach’s son getting more playing time than he deserves, but with the injury crisis the Clippers are dealing with, Rivers is their best offensive weapon for the time being. Expect a lot of shots from Rivers, which hopefully translates into a big score.

Shooting Guard

Jonathan Simmons ($9,400)

The former San Antonio Spur has been upgraded to the starting lineup replacing the injured Terrance Ross and he has seen a good bump in his output. Simmons is an athletic beast, who is good at scoring in the paint. Simmons’ Magic take on the Hawks who have one of the worst defenses in the league. Expect a lot of points in this match, which will hopefully suit Simmons perfectly.

Bojan Bogdanovic ($8,300)

Not many people could have predicted how well the Pacers would be playing this season. After losing their All Star player Paul George, the Pacers have totally rebuilt their game style, and it is working. The Pacers sit in seventh spot in the East, but have taken some scalps including wins against the Cavaliers, spurs and Timberwolves. Bogdanovic is a solid starter on this team who is a good catch and shoot player. Hopefully he gets plenty of open looks against the struggling Bulls.

Small Forward

Kevin Durant ($19,000)

With Steph Curry out for an extended period of time, it is up to Durant to carry the Golden State offense. Durant will likely play as the primary ball handler along with Draymond Green and will likely take it upon himself to be their primary scorer. Without Curry’s influence on the game, hopefully the hornets are able to keep it close enough for the Warriors to ensure that Durant plays a full game. If he plays a full game, expect Durant to have a big one.

Damyean Dotson ($6,200)

With Tim Hardaway Jr. out injured, Dotson is now the starter. As we say constantly, the most important stat on Draftstars is minutes, as you cannot score points if you’re not on the court. Dotson played 29 minutes in his last match against the Pacers, and should see a similar amount against the Grizzlies. Dotson finished his last match with 25.75 DS points and a similar result would be great.

Power Forward

Kenneth Faried ($9,000)

Faired has taken a bigger role at the Nuggets with the injury to Nikola Jokic. Faried is a high energy big man who is a decent scorer and rebounder. Faried has recorded two double-double in his last three matches, but faces a tough task going up against DeMarcus Cousins. Faried should still be able to score well enough to justify his salary, he looks like a good value pick.

Bam Adebayo ($7,000)

Adebayo has been starting lately, replacing the injured Hassan Whiteside. Adebayo has been serviceable lately, scoring efficiently in the paint and rebounding well. He is a raw exciting prospect who should be able to do his thing against the Spurs who are decimated by injuries. He looks a good cheap player who should be able to score above 20 DS points.

Centre

Andre Drummond ($17,500)

There is no doubt that Drummond is one of the most improved players in the league. The dominant big man is leading the league in rebounds, averaging 15 per match and he has drastically improved his shooting. Drummond has recorded 17 double-doubles out of 23 matches this season and he should be able to add to that pretty easily against the Bucks. Look for the big man to dominate again and rack up a huge score.

The Line Up

PG: Rajon Rondo ($12,550)

PG: Austin Rivers ($11,050)

SG: Jonathon Simmons ($9,400)

SG: Bojan Bogdanovic ($8,300)

SF: Kevin Durant ($19,000)

SF: Damyean Dotson ($6,200)

PF: Kenneth Faried ($9,000)

PF: Bam Adebayo ($7,000)

C: Andre Drummond ($17,500)

Salary Remaining: $0