NBA Winners from Downtown 11-5-15

Winners From Downtown is bringing the top daily picks for your cash games, alongside some value plays, and Vegas notes. Tonight's Thursday slate is one of the better ones we will see this season with 5 games. Generally we only see 2-4 games on this slate. While players like Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant are in play, balance may be the way to go tonight on a short slate in cash games. Those two may be better reserved for tournament action. I'll highlight the top plays to help you build a solid core and profit! Be sure to check out our minutes tool, and Colossus lineup optimizer.

Projections show DraftKings prices and fantasy points.

Vegas Notes

- Only the Thunder-Bulls game has a total over 200 points tonight. It is currently listed at 211, with the Bulls as a 1-point favorite.

- The Jazz-Nuggets game has the lowest total on the board at 190 points, with the Jazz listed as 2.5 point favorites on the road.

- There are 3 teams playing a back-to-back tonight: Thunder, Jazz, and Blazers.

- Tonight's games are projected by Vegas to be very close, with the Grizzlies currently the biggest favorite at only 4 points against the Blazers.

Top Picks

Salary: FD: $8,000 DK: $7,400

Whiteside is back to his dominant 2014-15 self, with 48 points, 29 rebounds, 6 blocks, and 3 steals on 23-27 shooting from the field in his last two games. Tonight he draws a matchup against Minnesota, who is bottom-10 in the NBA in rebounding differential this season at -5.3. They are allowing a whopping 13.3 offensive rebounds per game, and Whiteside feasts down low. With Marc Gasol banged up, he is the clear-cut top option at Center, and he's one of the first players I'll be locking into my cash games tonight.

Salary: FD: $8,900 DK: $8,700

If you're looking for Russell Westbrook-like consistency at PG tonight, give Lillard a look at a discount of around $2,000 on both sites. Lillard has been a usage monster this season, and had no trouble posting a huge line against the best defense in the NBA last night. Tonight, he draws the tough individual matchup against Mike Conley, but he has shown time and time again that he is matchup proof, especially considering he is the focal point of the Blazers' offense. Lock Lillard in and move on tonight.

Salary: FD: $8,000 DK: $7,200

Despite dealing with flu-like symptoms and only playing 25 minutes last night, Favors racked up 31.5 DK points against the Blazers. Tonight, he draws one of the most favorable matchups on the planet against the soft Denver frontcourt. Assuming he is healthy enough to play around 30 minutes tonight, he should easily reach and exceed value. Check his status prior to tip to make sure, but Favors is a very appealing play tonight against Denver. His DK price is particularly enticing.

Salary: FD: $8,000 DK: $7,700

Butler's WORST game this season was a 32.25 FP performance against the Cavaliers, and tonight's up-tempo game will suit his skill set very well. The Bulls/Thunder game has the highest total on the board by a wide margin, and Butler has one of the highest floors of any player tonight due to his ability to contribute across all categories. He'll likely spend some time guarding Kevin Durant and/or Russell Westbrook, and the Thunder's frantic pace can lead to a lot of turnovers at times. Butler is the easy cash game choice at SG tonight.

Salary: FD: $6,600 DK: $6,800

Batum has been terrific over his last three games, averaging 16 points, 5 assists, and 8 rebounds per contest. He has been one of the more consistent cash game options at a weak SF position for a few years now, and that isn't going to change in his new role with the Hornets. His usage rate is up in his new role with Charlotte, and a matchup against a banged-up Mavericks team is a solid one. Best of all, Batum can hit value even when his shot isn't falling, which raises your floor in cash games.

Value Plays