Week 16's Friday slate will be jam-packed with action. Nine games are set to tip-off between 7 and 10 p.m. ET and several matchups seem sure to produce some impressive fantasy performances. There are plenty of under-the-radar players who could steal the show ahead of the weekend, and we've picked out one that stands out from the rest as a DFS target. Let's go over some of Thursday's best and worst performances first, though.
Who's hot
Davis is back in the swing of things. The Lakers' star forward has excelled after posting mediocre stats against the Nets in his 2022 debut. He's averaged 29.5 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks over his previous four games. On Thursday night, Davis logged his second consecutive 30-point game against the Clippers and grabbed 17 boards in a losing effort. He's looked efficient from the field since returning from injury and seems poised to light it up in the back half of the season.
Young missed the Hawks' first game of the week with a shoulder injury but returned to action with a bang on Thursday. Atlanta's point guard dropped 43 points in a win against the Suns to snap their 11-game winning streak. Young's powering yet another late-season surge and has averaged 39.5 points and 8.5 rebounds on 59.6 percent shooting over his previous two outings.
Bridges is amid what's arguably the best three-game span of his career. The Suns' 3-and-D specialist has tallied at least 24 points and eight rebounds in three consecutive contests. He finished Thursday's matchup against the Hawks with 24 points, eight rebounds, four assists, and a pair of steals. Bridges has logged at least 40 minutes in five straight games and should continue to get a boatload of playing time while his team is short on wings.
Who's Not
Ayton hasn't looked good since returning from an eight-game layoff. While the Suns big has reclaimed his starting spot for Phoenix, his playing time and production are trending down. The 23-year-old big man is averaging 9.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 2.4 assists on 26.3 minutes per night in February. Whether he'll find his rhythm soon remains to be seen, but he hasn't looked like a reliable fantasy asset lately.
DFS Target
Remember the Thaddeus Young who finished as a top-10 fantasy power forward last season? He's still kicking. The Spurs started the big man on Thursday after Jakob Poeltl, and Jock Landale entered concussion protocols. Young showed that he's still a jack of all trades in the 24 minutes he logged against the Heat. He poured in seven points, eight rebounds, three assists, and two steals. He's unlikely to return much value if Poeltl or Landale clear protocols, but he'll easily be one of the best bargains available if he starts against the Rockets and the game isn't a blowout.
