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USATSI

Thursday's NBA slate will be a light one, as only four teams will hit the hardwood. The Milwaukee Bucks will face the San Antonio Spurs in the first matchup of the night before the Denver Nuggets and Golden State Warriors wrap things up in a Western Conference battle. There are plenty of strong daily fantasy plays, and I've gone over the options to pick out stud, mid-tier, and value plays worth watching. Here's who you should keep an eye on as you look to build optimal lineups on Fanduel and DraftKings.

Stud: Nikola Jokic

Jokic is averaging 30.5 points, 13.5 rebounds, and 6.5 assists per game through two meetings with the Dubs this season and his best performance against them of 2023-24 could come on Thursday. The Warriors have mixed up their starting lineup and will likely start rookie big man Trayce Jackson-Davis against the reigning NBA Finals MVP. The rookie's inexperience and the absence of Draymond Green should make fantasy managers salivate at this matchup.

Mid-tier: Jonathan Kuminga

Golden State's young core is finally getting a chance to step up and Kuminga is one of the biggest beneficiaries of their lineup changes. Only Stephen Curry played more minutes than him in the Warriors' recent win over the Orlando Magic. He's averaging 15.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game as a starter and his team will need his length and athleticism on the wings against Michael Porter Jr. and Aaron Gordon. 

Value: Blake Wesley

The Spurs are down Doug McDermott and Zach Collins. Malaki Branham is doubtful for Thursday, and that means Wesley will likely play a major role off the bench again. He posted 10 points with a pair of steals, a rebound, and an assist his last time out against the Memphis Grizzlies. There's plenty of blowout potential here with the Bucks favored by 10.5 points. The developing first-round pick from the 2022 NBA Draft class has a chance to thrive with more opportunities to contribute early and late in the game in garbage time. He's averaging 6.6 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and a steal when he plays at least 20 minutes.