This article is part of our DraftKings NBA series.
We're set for a solid seven-game Saturday night slate, a ledger the size many would consider ideal for DFS purposes. While there are three games between teams with winning records that should prove very competitive, even a pair of matchups between clubs with zero postseason aspirations hold DFS appeal due to the poor defensive play of each squad.
Slate Overview
Sacramento Kings at Orlando Magic (-2) (O/U: 221.5 points)
Indiana Pacers at Toronto Raptors (-11) (O/U: 224.5 points)
Brooklyn Nets (-3.5) at Miami Heat (O/U: 230.0 points)
Chicago Bulls at Cleveland Cavaliers (-2) (O/U: 222.5 points)
Milwaukee Bucks at Memphis Grizzlies (-1.5) (O/U: 233.0 points)
Oklahoma City Thunder at Denver Nuggets (-15) (O/U: 230.0 points)
Houston Rockets (-4) at Portland Trail Blazers (O/U: 231.5 points)
The Kings-Magic and Rockets-Trail Blazers are the two aforementioned games between non-contending squads that could still be a source of solid individual performances, a fact reflected in today's value selections later in the article. The Nets-Heat and Bulls-Cavaliers games should also help generate some strong DFS efforts from big names, as each team has plenty to play for in terms of postseason positioning.
The Bucks-Grizzlies game does lose some of its luster due to a couple of confirmed big-name absences in Jrue Holiday and Ja Morant plus the possibility that both Khris Middleton and Giannis Antetokounmpo sit out as well, but there should be some DFS opportunities to exploit with some of the remaining healthy players stepping into bigger roles.
Injury Situations to Monitor
NOTE: Injury reporting is especially fluid in the NBA, where the status of multiple players can change during the course of a day. Therefore, although the following serves as a foundation for the latest injury report as of the time the article is written, check back throughout the course of the day with RotoWire for the latest news regarding the status of all players on that night's slate, including those carrying injury designations that aren't listed in this section.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL (knee): QUESTIONABLE
If Antetokounmpo were to miss his third game in the last four with ongoing knee soreness, Bobby Portis and Serge Ibaka could be primary beneficiaries.
Ja Morant, MEM (knee): OUT
In Morant's ongoing absence Saturday, Tyus Jones should continue to see an expanded role.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, OKC (ankle): GTD
If Gilgeous-Alexander were to sit out, Aleksej Pokusevski and Lindy Waters could see a boost in playing time.
De'Aaron Fox, SAC (hand): OUT
In Fox's ongoing absence, Davion Mitchell should log another start.
Jrue Holiday, MIL (ankle): OUT
With Holiday sitting out Saturday, George Hill and Jevon Carter could log the majority of minutes at point guard.
Khris Middleton, MIL (wrist): PROBABLE
If Middleton suits up as expected following a two-game absence, he could be in line for particularly elevated usage if Giannis Antetokounmpo (knee) joins Jrue Holiday (ankle) on the shelf.
Other notable injuries:
DeMar DeRozan, CHI (hip): PROBABLE
Ben Simmons, BKN (back/conditioning): OUT
Domantas Sabonis, SAC (knee): OUT
Josh Giddey, OKC (hip): OUT
Josh Hart, POR (knee): GTD
Jusuf Nurkic, POR (foot): OUT
Anfernee Simons, POR (quadriceps): OUT
Tyler Herro, MIA (knee): QUESTIONABLE
Gary Trent, TOR (toe): QUESTIONABLE
Jarrett Allen, CLE (finger): OUT
Lonzo Ball, CHI (knee): OUT
Elite Players
We have six players with five-figure salaries that have a chance to suit up on Saturday's slate – Nikola Jokic ($12,000), Giannis Antetokounmpo ($11,800), Kevin Durant ($11,600), Kyrie Irving ($10,900), Darius Garland ($10,200) and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ($10,000).
Jokic has scored over 60 DK points in three of his last five games alone and is averaging 61.8 DK points per home game this season. However, he's been notably under his overall season average of 60.4 in three prior games vs. OKC, putting up an average of 45.4 DK points in those outings.
If Antetokounmpo plays through his knee soreness, he'll be looking to extend a streak of three straight games with over 57 DK points. It's also worth noting he compiled 68.3 DK points against the Grizzlies in his one prior meeting against them.
Durant has scored over 60 DK points in two straight, with Kyrie Irving available, as he'll be on Saturday night, for the first game in the sample. KD has also averaged 45.6 DK points in two games against the Heat while shooting 48.7 percent.
Irving has scored 63 to 87 DK points in three of his past four games and put up 49.3 DK points in his one prior game versus the Heat.
Garland dipped to 36.8 DK points in his most recent game but had scored over 50 in two of the prior three and has averaged 42.3 in three games against Chicago.
If Gilgeous-Alexander can play through his ankle injury, he'll face a Nuggets team he's already averaged 47.3 DK points against in three prior games despite shooting just 36.1 percent in those outings.
Expected Chalk
Other likely chalk plays include:
Pascal Siakam, TOR ($9,200)
Siakam just scored 52.3 DK points against the Cavaliers in his last game and has eclipsed 50 in five of the last eight games, which should make him very popular Saturday.
DeMar DeRozan, CHI ($8,900)
DeRozan's return from a one-game absence and his average of 43.3 DK points in three prior games against the Cavs should keep him highly rostered in what is a key game for both teams.
Zach LaVine, CHI ($8,500)
While DeRozan's return will ding his usage, LaVine should still find himself in plenty of lineups after he racked up 50.8 DK points in his most recent game and 46 three games ago as well.
Wendell Carter, ORL ($8,500)
Carter has developed into a highly reliable DFS option in his breakout season, and although he slipped to 28.5 DK points in a tough matchup against the Warriors last time out, he'd posted 48.5 and 59 in two of the prior three. His highly favorable matchup against the short-handed Kings frontcourt should also make him very popular.
Desmond Bane, MEM ($7,800)
Bane is averaging 41.6 DK points per 36 minutes with Ja Morant off the floor and is coming off having scored 47.8 DK points without him in two of the last three games.
Key Values
Davion Mitchell, SAC at ORL ($6,000)
Mitchell is one of several players who have a chance to outperform their salaries due to an expanded role Saturday. In the rookie's case, De'Aaron Fox's ongoing absence due to a hand injury will open up a fourth straight starting opportunity, with Mitchell having posted 46.8 and 38.3 DK points in his last two turns with the first unit. He'd also racked up 32.3 four games ago off the bench against the Bucks, and Saturday, he faces a Magic team allowing the sixth-highest offensive efficiency to PGs (26.7 percent), along with the third-most DK points per game to the position in the last 15 (53.4). Mitchell also enjoyed some success against Orlando earlier in the season as a reserve, putting up 28.3 DK points in just 24 minutes while shooting 70.0 percent.
Dennis Schroder, HOU at POR ($4,700)
Schroder has scored 21 to 29.5 DK points in three of the last four, and he's averaged 35.8 DK points over three previous games against the Trail Blazers overall while shooting 52.9 percent, including 50.0 percent from behind the arc. The aforementioned tally of 29.5 came against Portland on Friday night, meaning there's little reason to doubt Schroder can't replicate or even exceed that feat against a team now allowing an NBA-high 57.2 DK points per game to PGs in the last 15, along with NBA-high 48.0 percent offensive efficiency to second-unit players.
Kris Dunn, POR vs. HOU ($4,600)
Dunn is almost a mirror-image play of his fellow backup point guard on the other side of the Trail Blazers-Rockets clash, and given the poor play of current starter Brandon Williams in the last two games, it's even possible Dunn ascends to the first unit or at least sees a healthy allotment of minutes. The veteran just put up 28.8 DK points across a sparse 19 minutes on Friday night against Portland, and he also scored 22.8 to 31.3 in four of the prior five games. The Rockets are just as vulnerable for attack as well, as they're allowing NBA-high 28.1 percent offensive efficiency to point guards, 51.3 DK points per game to the position in the last seven and the second-highest offensive efficiency to bench players (47.6 percent) as well.
ALSO CONSIDER: Mo Bamba, ORL vs. SAC ($5,700); Tyus Jones, MEM vs. MIL ($5,100); Damian Jones, SAC at ORL ($4,400); Serge Ibaka, MIL at MEM ($3,600)
