This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
Thursday's 8:00 PM Eastern time NBA slate features three games, including some players making their first appearances of the young season. Read on to see which players offer the best value in this small slate. FanDuel's format only counts the eight highest scores in your nine-player lineup, so keep that in mind when making your selections.
POINT GUARD
Ben Simmons, PHI vs. CHI ($11,000): Simmons came up two assists short of a triple-double in Tuesday's opener, and the sophomore stud should continue to stuff the stat sheet moving forward. While a pure shooting stroke is a useful tool on the court, Simmons' all-around ability minus that skill translates to immaculate results in the fantasy realm. He costs a pretty penny, but Simmons should be worth the investment against the rebuilding Bulls.
Lonzo Ball, LAL at POR ($6,600): Ball will likely cede some ball-handling duties to LeBron James and Rajon Rondo, but Lonzo offers a diverse skill set with room for growth. He's certainly a risk at $6,600 after missing much of the preseason while recovering from a knee injury, but his assists/steals/rebounds upside is relatively high for the position, even as he comes off the bench behind Rondo.
SHOOTING GUARD
Rodney McGruder, MIA at WAS ($3,500): McGruder's an excellent low-cost option, especially since a dud would be nullified with the lowest score in a lineup dropped on FanDuel. Miami's injury issues should again force him into a starting role, and McGruder could take advantage of that opportunity if his preseason stats are any indication. In five preseason appearances, McGruder averaged 14.6 PPG, 4.6 RPG and 2.8 APG in 27 minutes per game. He was okay in Wednesday's opener with eight points, three rebounds and three assists over 32 minutes.
CJ McCollum, POR vs. LAL ($7,200): McCollum's a tremendous scorer, having averaged 20.8, 23.0 and 21.4 PPG over the past three seasons. At a shooting guard position lacking in diverse producers in this slate, enjoy McCollum's scoring and the $1,000 you save by picking him over the nearly identical Bradley Beal.
SMALL FORWARD
LeBron James, LAL at POR ($11,700): Players that can fill up the stat sheet are the best assets since they can overcome an off shooting night and carry fantasy teams on their best days. James can deliver excellent multi-category contributions with the best of them, and carving out the cap space for both him and Simmons shouldn't be an issue with the ability to punt one spot on a low-salary option.
Evan Turner, POR vs. LAL ($4,100): Turner's a near lock for around 25 minutes and could see a lot more if Maurice Harkless (knee) sits or is limited by his injury. As has been a common theme here, Turner can contribute to the box score in multiple ways, giving him a nice floor as long as he gets minutes. Cheap options like him are a key component if you want to afford multiple stars.
POWER FORWARD
Bobby Portis, CHI at PHI ($5,700): Portis supplanted Jabari Parker as the starting power forward late in preseason, and the big man is a double-double threat with big offensive upside when given starter's minutes. He averaged 13.2 points and 6.8 rebounds in just 22 minutes per game last season and posted a usage rate higher than that of Paul George, but Portis should see his role expand significantly and have no problem outperforming his $5,700 valuation with Lauri Markkanen (elbow) sidelined.
Brandon Ingram, LAL at POR ($6,800): Ingram had a couple explosive outings in the preseason, twice eclipsing 25 points. The second overall selection in the 2016 draft averaged 16.1 PPG, 5.3 RPG and 3.9 APG last season, and his ability to blow by defenders and get to the line gives Ingram a high ceiling that could be on display from the get-go in Year 3. Certainly, there are concerns about how he'll fit alongside James, but Ingram's production hasn't been hamstrung by the four-time MVP's presence thus far. We'll see if that carries over to the regular season.
CENTER
JaVale McGee, LAL at POR ($4,500): McGee will open the season as Los Angeles' starting center, which should lead to increased minutes, even with his asthma -- and general lapses on both ends -- putting a cap on his playing time. He already averaged 18.8 points, 9.9 rebounds and 3.3 blocks per 36 minutes, and McGee should get plenty of easy looks in close with LeBron, Rondo and Lonzo spoon-feeding him.
