This article is part of our DraftKings NBA series.
We have nine games to tackle tonight, so let's dive right into the slate!
SLATE OVERVIEW
PHI (-7.5) vs. MIA, O/U: 209
CLE (-3.5) vs. CHA, O/U: 213.5
WAS (-1.5) vs. CHI, O/U 230.5
TOR (-3.5) @ DET, O/U: 216.5
OKC (-6.5) vs, MEM, O/U: 219
MIN (-7.5) vs. NO, O/U: 231.5
DEN (-9.5) vs. ORL, O/U: 203.5
BOS (-2.5) @ DAL, O/U: 218.5
Both the CHI/WAS and MIN/NO games jump off the slate with the fastest pace, and I favor the Wizards and the Pelicans as prime places to target. I also like looking at the Celtics, Cavs and Hornets. I've largely avoided the ORL/DEN game due to the low O/U, and I think the MIA/PHI game will be defensive, so it's a night I'll fade most Sixers. There are a few lines that I have issue with, but I'll elaborate on those below.
INJURY SITUATIONS TO MONITOR
Luka Doncic is the most notable ongoing injury, and we'll assume you're up-to-date on the other ongoing injury struggles. There are some other minor scrapes across the NBA landscape, but these are the spots that will most affect our builds.
Karl-Anthony Towns (knee) QUESTIONABLE
We'll get further word on this later in the day, but Gorgui Dieng ($4,000) is the way to go if Towns can't make it tonight.
Fred VanVleet (knee) QUESTIONABLE
It looks like VanVleet will miss another game. Norman Powell ($6,400) will get the start, but I'll continue to give a little love to Kyle Lowry ($7,700) in this spot as well.
Rui Hachimura (groin) OUT
I hate to see my favorite rookie go down like this. Davis Bertans ($6,500) should be a great play in this high-scoring game, and we could also see a little bit more of Isaac Bonga ($3,300) in this scenario.
JJ Redick (groin) QUESTIONABLE
Keep an eye on this one, but I think Redick will make the second half of this back-to-back. Both Lonzo Ball ($5,400) and Josh Hart ($5,300) saw bumps in his absence.
ELITE PLAYERS
Our top guys are out or questionable, and as we slide down we see a lot of players with some tough defensive matchups that could yield lower scores. As a result, our elite endorsements will come in at a cheaper price.
Pascal Siakam, TOR ($8,800) vs. DET
Both Andre Drummond and Blake Griffin are dealing with injuries, and although Drummond is likely to return, Siakam and the Raptors should easily beat the spread in this game. With three straight games of 40 or more DKFP under his belt, Siakam should continue his work as a multi-category contributor and plant a flag in the paint for Toronto.
Damian Lillard, POR ($9,000) vs. GS
C.J. McCollum went off recently, so now it's Lillard's turn against the Warriors. He laid the hammer down on Golden State with a 51 DKFP score in their last meeting, The variance in this backcourt can be frustrating and McCollum is always there to steal some thunder, but I'll go with Lillard's history and overlook his last two games, which didn't meet projections.
Hassan Whiteside, POR ($8,500) vs. GS
Let's keep going with Portland. I first looked at Whiteside and said "too expensive", but upon closer inspection, I saw the impressive 40.5 DKFP performance Whiteside pulled against the Warriors in their last matchup. The Warriors took that first game, but Golden State's downward slide is well-documented and we could see an even bigger score from Whiteside if the offense flows his way.
EXPECTED CHALK AND OTHER TARGETS
Brandon Ingram, NO ($8,000) @ MIN
Some of the Vegas lines confuse me tonight. The bookmakers must have Karl-Anthony Towns on a hotline, because they definitely crafted this spread under the assumption that he would play. Either way, I think the game sets up well for Ingram, and with JJ Redick potentially out again, 40 or more DKFP is a definite possibility. He'll likely square off against another guy I like tonight, Andrew Wiggins ($7,600).
Kemba Walker, BOS ($7,400) @ DAL
Walker has been my DFS savior more than once this season, and I like the Celtics against a Doncic-less Mavericks. Walker shouldn't see much resistance on the perimeter and I think he'll be good for at least five threes and a slew of assists. He'll also need to amp it up a bit more with Jayson Tatum likely limited.
Ja Morant, MEM ($7,200) vs. OKC
I was thinking about Morant in this matchup without even looking at his salary. Sometimes you just have a good instinct and go with it. I was a little flummoxed by the line in this game, however. I think Vegas is giving the Thunder a little too much credit, and with Morant at the helm of this offense, the rookie will continue to pop for big scores when the game flows his way.
Carmelo Anthony, POR ($6,300) vs. GS
Ownership should be through the roof while his salary is this low. I've called Anthony "the missing link" for Portland already, as they've historically had trouble finding a guy like Anthony to hold down the wing and stretch the floor with excellent perimeter shooting. He looks a decade younger out there and with a spot in the starting five, it appears that the sky is the limit. Expect a lot of threes and some rebounds thrown in against the Warriors.
Also consider: Bradley Beal, WAS ($9,500), Chris Paul, OKC ($7,500), Gordon Hayward, BOS ($6,300)
VALUE PLAYS
Tristan Thompson, CLE ($5,900) vs. Cody Zeller, CHA ($5,700)
This is a nice spot for Thompson, who still sees a lot of time on the court despite Kevin Love's presence. Not that Thompson needs an audition, but one of the reasons we are seeing 30 more minutes from Thompson might be due to a gradual phase-out of Love, who arguably has the most buzz as the trade deadline approaches. Either way, the Cavs face a Hornets team that should struggle without P.J. Washington, and you could also easily consider Larry Nance Jr.,($4,000) for deeper value as well. If you believe in the Hornets, the center position is now Zeller's to lose, and on a night where we can definitely entertain the thought of two centers, Zeller is definitely a candidate, especially when you consider the number of minutes he'll likely see tonight. The only stumbling block for Zeller could be Bismack Biyombo ($5,000), who might also assume a larger role, and may even start over Zeller.
Isaiah Thomas, WAS ($5,100) vs. CHI
Thomas is back from injury and he wasted no time in putting up a big number in his return (36.8 DKFP). All Thomas needs for 6x value at this price is 30 DKFP, and with this game having the second-highest O/U on the slate, Thomas should have plenty of opportunities to meet and beat that score.
Derrick Favors, NO ($4,700) @ MIN
As Favors eases back into things, he now approaches what could be a huge opportunity if Towns misses the game as expected. I'll only go this way if Towns is out, but we could see a big game from Favors against a depleted Minnesota backcourt.
Darius Garland, CLE ($4,400) @ CHA
Garland is coming off a career-high 35.5 DKFP against the Raptors, which should be a huge confidence boost for the rookie after a lukewarm beginning to his NBA career. He'll now square off against a far weaker opponent, and it's reasonable to think the Cavs will test him with a heavier load.
Also consider: Tyler Herro, MIA ($5,200), Seth Curry, DAL ($4,700), Enes Kanter, BOS ($4,200)
