Filling In Your Thursday NBA Lineups
Here are theScore's sample NBA lineups for Thursday, March 24:
Cash Game Without UTIL
| POS | NAME | OPPONENT |
|---|---|---|
| PG | Chris Paul (LAC) | vs. POR |
| PG | Shelvin Mack (UTA) | vs. OKC |
| SG | Jrue Holiday (NO) | at IND |
| SG | Sean Kilpatrick (BKN) | vs. CLE |
| SF | Paul George (IND) | vs. NO |
| SF | Luke Babbitt (NO) | at IND |
| PF | Thaddeus Young (BKN) | vs. CLE |
| PF | Myles Turner (IND) | vs. NO |
| C | Robin Lopez (NY) | vs. CHI |
Paul wouldn't normally be a savvy cash-game play, but on such a small slate, the volume of the production that CP3 brings keeps DFSers from leaving budget on the table while creating a high floor. Mack and Babbitt have taken advantage of new roles that aren't reflected in their current prices. Robin Lopez is a cheaper option than his brother with a steadier frequency of cash-game value.
GPP Without UTIL
| POS | NAME | OPPONENT |
|---|---|---|
| PG | Russell Westbrook (OKC) | vs. UTA |
| PG | Damian Lillard (POR) | at LAC |
| SG | Sean Kilpatrick (BKN) | vs. CLE |
| SG | Gerald Henderson (POR) | at LAC |
| SF | LeBron James (CLE) | at BKN |
| SF | Luke Babbitt (NO) | at IND |
| PF | Taj Gibson (CHI) | at NY |
| PF | Myles Turner (IND) | vs. NO |
| C | Brook Lopez (BKN) | vs. CLE |
Westbrook is the most expensive player on the slate but if he can play up to his recent clip, he'll be a boon for DFSers that trust in his abilities. Henderson has hit tournament value in two of his last six games and is cheap enough to do so again. Gibson has three cash-game and three tournament-level returns in his last nine games.
Cash Game With UTIL
| POS | NAME | OPPONENT |
|---|---|---|
| PG | Jrue Holiday (NO) | at IND |
| SG | Sean Kilpatrick (BKN) | vs. CLE |
| SF | LeBron James (CLE) | at BKN |
| PF | Myles Turner (IND) | vs. NO |
| C | Robin Lopez (NY) | vs. CHI |
| G | Shelvin Mack (UTA) | vs. OKC |
| F | Paul George (IND) | vs. NO |
| UTIL | Luke Babbitt (NO) | at IND |
Holiday is practically the last man standing on the Pelicans' roster, so expect him to bear most of the workload on offense. Like CP3, James and George aren't necessarily strong cash-game plays because of their high salaries, but their elite floors will create separation from DFSers that prioritize value over sheer production.
GPP With UTIL
| POS | NAME | OPPONENT |
|---|---|---|
| PG | Russell Westbrook (OKC) | vs. UTA |
| SG | Sean Kilpatrick (BKN) | vs. CLE |
| SF | LeBron James (CLE) | at BKN |
| PF | Myles Turner (IND) | vs. NO |
| C | Brook Lopez (BKN) | vs. CLE |
| G | Gerald Henderson (POR) | at LAC |
| F | Luke Babbitt (NO) | at IND |
Brook Lopez has struck tournament gold in 16 of 68 games this season, a rate of 20.6 percent - a substantial figure for a player of his upper-middle tier salary. The rest of these players have high floors or should far exceed expectations due to recent changes in their usage.