DraftKings Daily Fantasy Basketball Helper: Thursday 2/4/21

With five games to choose from on Wednesday's slate -- which locks at 7:30 p.m. EST -- let's look at the top options across all five positions for NBA DFS.

Be sure to check out our projections, which are updated throughout the day as news breaks, and our other DFS tools such as advanced stats and a matchup heat map.

Here are some of the top plays on today's DraftKings slate. As always, good luck.

Point Guard

Ben Simmons ($8,300) -- Despite playing on the second leg of a back-to-back, the Philadelphia 76ers have one of the most advantageous matchups as they are at home against the Portland Trail Blazers. According to NBA.com, Portland ranks 28th in defensive rating on the year and 30th over the last five games alone. In that same five-game span, they have allowed 121.2 points per game, including four games of at least 121 points. The Sixers average a hair shy of 112 points a game at home, the same place their versatile point man averages 43.4 DraftKings points per game this season -- 6.9 more than away from Wells Fargo.

Anfernee Simons ($4,600) - On the other side of Thursday's matchup in Philly, the Blazers could be even more under-manned than they have been in recent games. In addition to C.J. McCollum and Jusuf Nurkic remaining sidelined, both Derrick Jones Jr. and Damian Lillard are listed as questionable as of Wednesday night. Jones' absence should continue to shift Portland toward smaller lineups on the wing, but if Lillard is out, Simons should draw the start and play above 30 minutes. According to NBA Wowy, his usage also increases to 21.1%, and he averages 0.88 DK points per minute when Lillard, McCollum and Nurkic are off the floor this season. He has a high chance of exceeding his salary-implied total given the circumstances.

Shooting Guard

Eric Gordon ($5,800) -- Houston's oddball of a season rolls on. John Wall didn't play on Wednesday, and it's uncertain if he is going to remain sidelined or if he'll play the second game of the back-to-back. At the same time, Houston coach Stephen Silas noted that Victor Oladipo will likely be rested on Thursday, meaning an opportunity for Gordon to act as the de facto point guard for the Rockets. In a lead role, absent Wall, Oladipo or James Harden, the veteran has averaged a massive 1.43 DK points per minute via a 33.7% usage rate -- 9 percentage points above his season average. The Memphis Grizzlies are inconsistent defensively, but they are fresh off allowing 134 points to the Indiana Pacers. Houston could bring back good value if they face that type of soft resistance. Expect Gordon to lead the charge if Wall and Oladipo are both out.

Seth Curry ($4,600) -- Curry's shot has been off since returning from his stint on the team's Health and Safety Protocols list. In a half-dozen games, he's shot just 41.5% from the floor and 31.8% from three, averaging fewer than 10 points a game. Prior to that, he had been shooting an efficient 60.3% from the floor and 59.5% from beyond the arc, and while that wasn't all that sustainable, he did shoot nearly 50% from the floor last year. If and when he gets his shot back to that level, he should have a pop-off game or two. Curry has still averaged 26.2 minutes per night and has logged as many as 31 during this most recent stretch. With the Blazers allowing nearly 38 three-point attempts a game, this could be his time to get back to his efficient shooting ways.

Small Forward

LeBron James ($10,000) -- Tonight there are a handful of players who can get you 50 to 70 DraftKings points, and among them, James is fifth in salary and $900 under Luka Doncic. Oh -- and you can slot him in either the point guard or small forward spot in your lineup. That versatility, along with the salary and matchup, make him a smash play. The visiting Nuggets should push the Lakers in a close game, and that will likely force the King to play 30 or more minutes, something he has done 17 times this season to the tune of 26.0 points and 50.7 DK points a game in such outings. And with both Gary Harris and P.J. Dozier ruled out, James should dominate the Nuggets' smaller wings.

Jae'Sean Tate ($4,700) -- In addition to the likes of Wall and Oladipo, David Nwaba could also be sidelined after missing his second straight game on Wednesday. The ankle sprain might keep him from playing on Thursday, as well, and that could mean an even larger role for Tate. The rookie has already made nine starts while averaging 25.5 minutes per night, but he should receive closer to 30 minutes across the two forward spots if Nwaba is out, which bodes well for his fantasy relevance. When playing 30-plus minutes this season, he has averaged 11.8 points and 25.0 DK points with nearly a steal and a block a game.

Power Forward

Draymond Green ($5,200) -- Green is not enjoying anything close to his past seasons. Not only did he get off to a slow start with an injury, but after averaging 7.4 and 8.0 points per game in the previous two seasons, he has fallen to just 4.6 in his 27.2 minutes of work this year. He's shooting his lowest percentage (33.3%) since his rookie year, and his defensive stats are lacking. But all that being said, Green is showing more signs of life lately, tallying at least six assists in four straight games and managing a combined 2.8 blocks plus steals a game during that span. He shot just 1-for-7 from the floor last game, but he still ended the night with 31.75 DK points -- a return of 6.1 points per $1,000 at tonight's salary. The icing on top? Green played 36 minutes and could push into the mid-30s again with all of James Wiseman, Kevon Looney, Marquese Chriss and Alen Smailagic out for Golden State.

Dorian Finney-Smith ($3,900) -- Facing the Warriors, the Mavericks are getting a pace boost from the league's second-fastest team. That means that role guys like Finney-Smith could find their way to value through increased opportunity. That's especially the case for DFS, a guy who has played at least 32 minutes in 6 of his 12 games this year. He should feed off of Luka's playmaking to get you around 20 DK points, and the salary relief will help to balance your lineup with one of James, Doncic or Nikola Jokic.

Center

Nikola Jokic ($11,000) - One way or another, it looks like paying up at center is the right move. Sure, the Lakers are the NBA's most efficient defense, but the Joker has recently lit up the Utah Jazz -- sixth in defense -- for 47 points, a double-double and 77.5 DK points. He's a fantasy stud through and through, and while Marc Gasol is a crafty defender, it's not like Gasol is playing 30 minutes a night. Averaging nearly 60 DK points per game on a 29.6% usage rate, Jokic is poised for a big night against LeBron and company.

Christian Wood ($8,800) -- Next to Gordon, Wood is going to be the Rockets' number-two option in Thursday's contest. NBA Wowy's splits show us that he averages 1.36 DK points per minute without all three of the lead guards previously mentioned, doing so on a 28.6% usage rate and 18.9% rebound rate. And despite last night's dud, Wood is in great form, tallying at least 39 DK points in seven straight coming into yesterday. Over the last seven, he's shooting 62.5% from the floor and a red-hot 47.1% from three-point land.

Brett Oswalt is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Brett Oswalt also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username BRO14THEKID. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his/her personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in his articles are the author’s alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.