Which players should you build around and which players should you fade in DFS as we tip off tonight's NBA action? Our experts have the answers.
Today's panel includes ESPN Fantasy's Jim McCormick, Andre Snellings and Kyle Soppe, as well as DFS expert Renee Miller.
Players to build around
Jim McCormick -- Jamal Murray, Denver Nuggets
The Nuggets are in must-win mode as they sit just one game out of the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. During the past 10 games, the Minnesota Timberwolves have ceded 52.5 fantasy points per game to point guards on FanDuel's scoring model, third most in the league. Murray, meanwhile, has produced at least 28 fantasy points in 13 straight and is regularly nearing 40 minutes on the floor for a depleted Denver backcourt. I'm confident in projecting 35 fantasy points for Murray tonight, with an impressive ceiling if his shot is falling from beyond the arc.
Renee Miller -- Jamal Murray, Denver Nuggets
I specifically asked myself, who is the mid-range high floor player with upside that I must have? Murray checks a lot of boxes for me tonight. This is going to be a fast paced, hard-played game by both sides, with plenty of playoff implications. Both teams rank in the bottom of the league in defensive efficiency, while coming in fourth (Minnesota) and sixth (Denver) in offensive efficiency. Among a lot of more expensive options I like in this game, Murray gets an additional advantage of maybe not having to face Jeff Teague, who is questionable tonight. All in all, Murray looks like a lock for 35 fantasy points and a nice cornerstone to a lineup with star forwards and/or centers.
Andre Snellings -- Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves
Towns and Nikola Jokic will be going heads up in a battle between two young offensive superstars with questionable defense, whose teams are by-the-way in a dogfight for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. Both Towns and Jokic have put up monster numbers of late to try to get their teams to the finish line, but in their two head-to-head meetings this season Towns has gotten the slightly better of the matchup. Plus, on both FanDuel and DraftKings, Jokic is higher-priced than Towns.
Kyle Soppe -- Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves and Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets
Yep...stars and scrubs for me tonight. The Wolves and Nuggets square off in a huge game, as neither team is far from either hosting a first round playoff series or missing the postseason all together. When two bottom five defenses matchup, you can expect some fireworks (Vegas says 225 points and I'm tempted to say even more) and there really is no secret as to who is driving these offenses. You might remember the last time Minnesota reached triple figures: Towns messed around and set a franchise record by pouring in 56 points against the Hawks last week. All in all, KAT is averaging over 24 points and almost 13 rebounds since the beginning of February and he has provided nice value with his versatility over that stretch as well, averaging 1.7 3PM to go along with 2.0 blocks-plus-steals. He will be going head-to-head with a player in Jokic that has scored 65 points on 61 percent shooting in his two April games and is averaging 2.9 blocks-plus-steals over his past 10 games. There is no shortage of viable options despite a shorter slate, but these are the two that will be playing for the most and both are in great form to carry you tonight.
Players to fade
Jim McCormick -- Larry Nance Jr., Cleveland Cavaliers
It's not that Nance is a major name on Thursday's slate, but rather he has earned a reputation as a nice value given a productive start to his career in Cleveland. Which is to say, fantasy investors might still have a positive impression of his usage and role with the Cavs, but he hasn't topped 22 minutes of playing time in the past eight games as the team trends small and skilled with lineups. When seeking out bargain bigs tonight, I'd rather look to Brooklyn's Jarrett Allen.
Renee Miller -- Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors
Motivation matters, as Andre Snellings keeps telling us. The Warriors are firmly in the two-seed, playing a decent defensive team at a slower than desired pace on the road. Golden State is getting healthier on the whole, but Green tweaked an ankle the other night, nothing serious, but still. How hard is he going to go on it tonight in a meaningless game? This team has been playing for June all season, and it's hard to imagine a fairly expensive Green exceeding value tonight. For less of the salary cap, I like Derrick Favors or Paul Millsap. Even John Henson finds himself in an enviable spot tonight.
Andre Snellings -- Tobias Harris, LA Clippers
Harris will be facing a stellar Utah Jazz defense, on the road, on Thursday night. The Jazz have allowed the fifth-fewest fantasy points to small forwards and the fourth-fewest to power forwards in the NBA this season. Harris has only faced the Jazz once this season, but he had a subpar game in that outing with only 13 points (6-17 FG), 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal and 2 TO in 40 minutes of action.
Kyle Soppe -- Eric Bledsoe, Milwaukee Bucks
I understand the appeal in the Nets matchup, but given that I am loading up on star power in my frontcourt tonight, it means that I am passing on Bledsoe. The Bucks have some potential to move up in the standings, but are they really that motivated to do so? Right now they project as Toronto's first round opponent and by winning games down the stretch, they could move up and face Boston/Cleveland...is it worth it to prioritize either of those matchups over entering the playoffs healthy? The Bucks are in the playoffs and that is all I expect them to care about, so don't be surprised if they try to keep Bledsoe fresh over the final week of the regular season. Let's say I'm wrong with that guess and Milwaukee is determined to move up in the standings, then what happens? They blow out a terrible Nets team, making it difficult to feed all of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, and Bledsoe. This is a great matchup, but I'll fade what I expect to be a common play tonight in an effort to gain an edge on the field.
