NBA $30,000 Thursday Lineup Tips

Another week of NBA is behind us and the good teams are starting to rise to the top. There are four teams who have won over ten games this season so far; the Warriors, the Celtics, the Rockets and the big surprise packets, the Pistons. Whilst there is a long way to go in this season, they are all positioning themselves nicely for a playoff run, and should be in a good position come the second half of the season, unlike some of the favoured teams who have had slow starts, like the Thunder and the Cavaliers. There is a huge eleven games to choose your lineups from today, with Tip-Off not until 11.30am AEDT.

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Here is a team you may consider for the NBA $30k+ Thursday competition

Point Guard

Kemba Walker ($14,350)

Walker has been in good form lately, scoring at least twenty points in his last two matches. Walker played well against the Celtics, who lead the league in defense against Point Guards and now faces the Cavaliers who are amongst the league’s worst at defending Guards. Walker tends to take a lot of shots and can be inaccurate at times, but if he gets hot, he is a Draftstars machine.

Kyle Lowry ($13,250)

Another consistent guard with a good matchup, Lowry and his Raptors take on the Pelicans who really struggle to defend outside shooters. Lowry should be able to shoot freely, as his partner in crime DeMar DeRozan – who prefers to shoot from close to the rim – struggles going against the two dominant big men in the league, DeMarcus Cousins and Anthony Davis. Lowry also passes the ball well and is always a chance for a Double-Double, which means he is a good choice for your lineup.

Shooting Guard

Donovan Mitchell ($10,300)

The 2017 draft class has started the season in fantastic fashion with players like Lonzo Ball, Frank Ntilikina, Jayson Tatum, Lauri Markkannen and Dennis Smith Jr all having immediate impacts for their teams. Donovan Mitchell is another rookie that has starting very well for his new team, scoring over 20 points on five occasions. Mitchell is getting plenty of opportunities to shoot, which means that he has the potential to score very well. He comes up against the Knicks, who are not very good defensively. Mitchell looks like a good play for your lineup.

Garrett Temple ($6,600)

With a couple of injury concerns at the Kings, Garrett Temple should still be getting decent minutes. Temple is a good value option as he is a decent efficient shooter who will also pick up a few rebounds and assists. Temple and his Kings go up against the worst team in the league, the Atlanta Hawks, so he should be able to have a solid day on the court. Don’t expect him to have a massive game, but he is a good cheap option in today’s games.

Small Forward

Courtney Lee ($9,000)

Lee is one of the range of Knicks who have improved this year for them to be sitting in a playoff spot (Yes, I know it’s too early to be talking playoffs) in the Eastern Conference. The Knicks are stronger defensively and are playing high tempo basketball, which is paying dividends. Lee is a consistent scorer who also averaging career highs in rebounds and assists this season.

Dillon Brooks ($7,950)

Brooks is another example of a versatile player who provides consistent fantasy production. Brooks has been filling in for the injured Andrew Harrison and has played himself into a bigger rotation for the Grizzlies. The Grizzlies started the year on fire, but have struggle a bit recently. They’ll need a big game from Brooks against the Pacers to turn it around.

Power Forward

Kristaps Porzingis ($16,950)

Porzingis struggled a bit in his last match against the Cavaliers, wasting a lot of shots to shoot at 33% from the field. He will be looking to bounce back strongly against the Jazz, who are missing their star centre and defensive weapon, Rudy Gobert. Porzingis should be able to do as he pleases, racking up a lot of points and grabbing rebounds. It is interesting to note, Porzingis has scored under 20 DS points twice this season, and he followed both of those performances up with over 45 DS points. He will be disappointed with how he played in his last match, where his Knicks coughed up a 23 point lead to lose, so the stage is set for a huge bounce back game.

Caleb Swanigan ($5,000)

With Al-Farouq Aminu set to miss another match with an injured ankle, Swanigan should get the start and a bump in his court time. Minutes are the most important stat for Draftstars scoring, as you cannot score DS points from the bench. Swanigan is solid bench player, but he should see his fantasy production explode with increased minutes. Look for him to put up four to five points per thousand salary, which is a great return from any player. Swanigan is a must pick at his basement salary.

Centre

Andre Drummond ($16,550)

Who could have predicted that the Pistons would have the fourth best record at this stage of the season? The Pistons are firing and one of the big reason is the play of Andre Drummond. Drummond is a monster when it comes to pulling in rebounds, grabbing at least 12 in every match this season. He has racked up seven Double-Doubles this season including a huge 24 points/15 rebounds the last time he faced the Bucks. Drummond should be able to bully the Bucks big men Thon Maker and John Henson and put up another huge DS score.

The Line Up

PG: Kemba Walker ($14,350)

PG: Kyle Lowry ($13,250)

SG: Donovan Mitchell ($10,300)

SG: Garrett Temple ($6,600)

SF: Courtney Lee ($9,000)

SF: Dillon Brooks ($7,950)

PF: Kristaps Porzingis ($16,950)

PF: Caleb Swanigan ($5,000)

C: Andre Drummond ($16,550)

Salary Remaining: $50