Stephen Curry Scores 29 as the Warriors Win a Sixth Straight and Devin Booker Drops 30 to End the Suns' Skid: Thursday NBA Fantasy Notes

Thursday's two-game NBA slate delivered two lopsided results with real fantasy takeaways. Stephen Curry scored 29 points as the Golden State Warriors beat the Miami Heat 120-100 for their sixth straight win since an 0-3 start, and Devin Booker scored 30 as the Phoenix Suns beat the Orlando Magic 117-104 to end a four-game losing streak. Here is what each game means for your lineups heading into a nine-game Friday.

Warriors 120, Heat 100: Curry keeps rolling, Lendeborg keeps producing

Golden State broke the game open in the third quarter, outscoring Miami 38-23 in the period, including a 26-9 stretch the Heat never recovered from. Curry finished with 29 points and passed Oscar Robertson for 17th place on the NBA's career scoring list.

Yaxel Lendeborg is the key fantasy name here. The rookie followed his recent 37-point outburst without Curry with a well-rounded 17 points, eight rebounds and six assists alongside Curry. That is the line that matters for fantasy managers: it shows his production is not purely a function of Curry's absence. A rookie forward who fills the box score in three categories is a must-roster player in all formats, and his role looks secure on a team that is winning.

Draymond Green's 11 assists are a reminder that he remains a useful assists-and-defense specialist in category leagues, even if his scoring is modest.

For Miami, Giannis Antetokounmpo's 20 and 14 was solid but unspectacular, and the bigger note is Davion Mitchell's 22 points. Mitchell's scoring outbursts come and go, but when he is hitting shots, he provides steals and threes in category formats. He is a streaming option rather than a hold in standard leagues. Bam Adebayo's double-double keeps him steady as a rebounding and defensive-stats contributor.

Suns 117, Magic 104: Booker carries Phoenix

Booker scored 23 of his 30 points in the first half on 8-of-13 shooting, and Dillon Brooks added 24. Phoenix was playing the second night of a back-to-back after a home loss to Portland on Wednesday, which makes the result more impressive. The Suns' defense was the story: Orlando committed 25 turnovers, and Phoenix turned them into 36 points.

Booker remains a fantasy first-round-caliber scorer when he is on, and the four-game skid was more about the team than his production. He is a hold and start in all formats.

Dillon Brooks is having a strong scoring stretch, and 24 points makes him worth a look in deeper leagues, particularly for threes and steals. His value fluctuates with his shot-making, so treat him as a streamer in 12-team leagues.

For Orlando, Wendell Carter Jr. was the bright spot with 27 points and 13 rebounds. When Carter gets this kind of usage, he is a valuable double-double big. The concern is the team context: the Magic have lost three straight, and 25 turnovers point to a team that is struggling to organize its offense. Carter is worth starting while his role is this large.

Schedule notes for the week ahead

Both winners carry momentum into the weekend, and for weekly lineup leagues, game volume matters as much as form. Golden State's six-game run has come with Curry healthy for most of it, and the one stretch he missed produced Lendeborg's breakout, which means the rookie offers a useful hedge for Curry managers: if Curry ever sits for rest on a back-to-back, Lendeborg's usage climbs further.

Phoenix's win came on the second night of a back-to-back, so the Suns should have fresher legs for their next game. Booker's first-half burst suggests he is healthy and aggressive, which is the main thing Booker managers needed to see after a losing streak. For Orlando, the three-game losing streak raises the question of whether the coaching staff will tweak its rotation. Any change that hands Carter more minutes in the middle would be good news for his fantasy value, while a move toward smaller lineups would cut into his rebounding.

In daily fantasy, Thursday's results offer a reminder of how quickly salaries lag production. Lendeborg's salary on most sites has not yet caught up with his usage, which makes him a strong value option on slates where Golden State plays. Carter's 27-and-13 line will likely push his price up, so the value window there may already be closing.

Fantasy takeaways

Must-roster: Yaxel Lendeborg. If he is somehow available in your league, pick him up today.

Streamers: Davion Mitchell (threes, steals), Dillon Brooks (points, threes).

Hold steady: Curry, Booker, Giannis, Adebayo and Carter. None of them did anything on Thursday to change their outlook.

Sell signal to watch: Orlando's turnover problem. If it continues, it lowers the efficiency of every Magic player. Monitor the next few games before making a move.

Betting angle

Golden State's six-game streak has the market adjusting, and the Warriors' third-quarter surges have become a pattern worth knowing for live betting and second-half lines. Phoenix covering on the second night of a back-to-back is a reminder not to automatically fade tired teams when the opponent is turnover-prone.

For the model's view of Friday's nine-game slate, including Boston at Charlotte and San Antonio at Sacramento, see the NBA predictions page and the daily NBA picks piece when it publishes.

What's next

Friday's slate is busy: Washington at Atlanta, Boston at Charlotte, Philadelphia at Cleveland in LeBron James' return, Utah at Dallas, Oklahoma City at Memphis, Toronto at Milwaukee, Minnesota at New Orleans, Portland at the Lakers and San Antonio at Sacramento. Several key injury decisions, including Anthony Davis' ankle, will shape those lineups. Check final statuses before lineup lock, and prioritize Lendeborg pickups before Golden State's next game.