DraftKings Daily Fantasy Basketball Helper: Thursday 4/1/21

With seven games to choose from on Thursday's slate -- which locks at 7:00 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

Russell Westbrook ($11,000) - Really, how can you justify fading Westbrook? Over the last three games, all he's done is put together three straight triple-doubles with back-to-back monster nights. In his last two he's tallied no fewer than 22 points, 14 boards, and 14 assists in each, and has averaged 82.1 DraftKings points in the process. Bradley Beal is again questionable for Washington, so if he sits, we can expect Westbrook to have close to the 36.5% usage rate (via NBA Wowy) he's posted when his running mate has been off the floor this season. The matchup with the Pistons is just icing on top.

Cory Joseph ($4,200) - If you're prioritizing Westbrook -- as you should be -- you're going to need some savings to accommodate his high salary. And while you could look to other positions, Joseph could be placed in the guard or utility spot and meet value. Due to injuries and roster changes, it's down to him and Saben Lee at the point, and over the last four games, he's had the edge in minutes (nearly 25 a game). In that time he's averaged 25.6 DK points per game and 1.04 per minute with his new team. According to NBA.com, the Wizards rank 26th in defensive, meaning Joseph will have an even higher floor on Thursday night.

Shooting Guard

Terry Rozier ($8,000) - Rozier made for a strong play on Tuesday, and all he did was score 27 points and tally up 45.25 DK points in 39 minutes. It marked Scary Terry's third straight game of 37-plus minutes and fourth in the last five. Over the last five, he's averaged 43.8 DK points on a 24.7% usage rate -- right on par with his year-long share of the offensive burden sans LaMelo Ball. As the Charlotte Hornets make their push toward the playoffs, expect Rozier to lead the way, doing so tonight against the Brooklyn Nets, who rank 26th in opponent points per game this season.

Terance Mann ($5,200) - Mann has carved out a role for the Clippers, but since Paul George went to the sideline he's done even more as he's taken on a chunk of his minutes and production. In his last four appearances, the 24-year-old has averaged 31.3 minutes and 30.8 DK points per contest, consisting of double-digit scoring and some solid peripherals. He's had a half-dozen assists in two straight games. Mann will face stiff competition in the Denver Nuggets, but it's hard to bypass him given his current role.

Small Forward

Brandon Ingram ($7,800) - As it was announced yesterday, Zion Williamson sprained his thumb, and though he might avoid missing time, he is considered questionable against the Orlando Magic. If he's held out as a precaution, we should see Ingram shoulder the offensive load, and at a reduced salary. Meanwhile, the Magic are trying to find their way with their newly-acquired players and young, fresh faces. Ingram and the Pelicans possess an implied team total of 116.75 points, according to NBA Finals odds.

Hamidou Diallo ($5,100) - Another one of Detroit's recent acquisitions, Diallo has been stepping up in a bench role. Since playing his first game back from injury, he's seen 27 and 26 minutes in two games, turning his workload into 19 real-life and 39.6 DK points a game. Wednesday's performance was without Wayne Ellington, who could remain out on Thursday as the Pistons shift toward evaluating young players for next season. It might not be long before Diallo draws the start and even more minutes. He too should benefit from the up-tempo matchup with Washington's league-leading pace.

Power Forward

Jerami Grant ($7,200) - In continuing the Detroit stack, Grant makes a lot of sense as a great mid-tier play tonight. He's fresh off a 30-point game, and in the absence of the departed Derrick Rose and Blake Griffin, he's used an elevated 27.8% of the offensive possessions in route to 1.00 DK points per minute. Logging 35 minutes a game, the Wizards should provide enough of a boost for Grant to exceed his salary-implied total of 36 fantasy points. He's a great option alongside both Joseph and Diallo.

Rui Hachimura ($6,800) - On the other side of this same game, Hachimura has slowly gotten better and better all year and has really come on of late as a consistent producer. His minutes have trended up by month, and with it has come better fantasy numbers. For March, he's up to 17.0 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game, but in the last 10 he has put up 20.2 a game on 52.8% shooting, along with 7.8 boards and 1.5 assists. Hachimura's averaged 33.7 DK points over that span, including 39 in his past two. He should feed off of Westbrook's scorching hot run.

Center

Bam Adebayo ($8,300) - The Miami Heat center faded into the background for a time, but in recent games he's exploded with some nice statlines. Since the break, he has used 23.4% of the offensive possessions, grabbed 14.5% rebounds and assisted on 25% of field goals, resulting in per-game averages of 19.3 points, 9.6 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 2.1 blocks-plus-steals. Adebayo's managed at least 41 DK points in 6 of 9 games, including three north of 50. The Warriors have improved defensively, but they still rate third-worst against centers, according to FantasyPros.

Isaiah Hartenstein ($3,700) - For Cleveland, they're set to be without both Jarrett Allen and Larry Nance Jr. for a second straight game. While Kevin Love is also questionable, it's likely to be a split between Hartenstein and Dean Wade down low, and it was the former who saw the start on Monday. In his team debut he was able to go for double-digit boards, 7 assists and 35 DK points in 26 minutes. You should have him in the majority of your lineups, especially if you're rostering Westbrook on this Thursday slate.

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 authors alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.