This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
We have a compact four-game slate Thursday night, and two of those games feature solid favorites. Three of the contests have totals of more than 225 points as well, which, when combined with a relatively light injury report, makes for a solid DFS environment.
Slate Overview
Dallas Mavericks (-2) at Brooklyn Nets (+2) (O/U: 227.0 points)
Los Angeles Clippers (-7) at Oklahoma City Thunder (+7) (O/U: TBD)
Miami Heat (+7) at Golden State Warriors (-7) (O/U: 225.5 points)
Memphis Grizzlies (-3.5) at Sacramento Kings (+3.5) (O/U: 236.0 points)
The Mavs-Nets clash may technically carry the most star power of the night, but both teams are on the second game of back-to-back sets. The most eye-catching line/projected total of the night is likely attached to the Grizzlies-Kings clash, as Memphis is perhaps a bit of a narrower favorite than expected. The fact the game also carries the night's highest projected total could make it the contest to overstack creatively in tournaments for a shot at the top of the leaderboard.
Injury Situations to Monitor
NOTE: Injury reporting is incredibly 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.
Kawhi Leonard, LAC (knee): OUT
Leonard is dealing with stiffness in his surgically repaired knee, and the team is understandably handling him with caution. In his absence, Luke Kennard and Terance Mann should see extra minutes, and if Paul George (illness) also sits out, then the likes of Norman Powell, Reggie Jackson and Ivica Zubac could see sky-high usage.
Paul George, LAC (illness): QUESTIONABLE
If George sits out, the likes of Norman Powell, Reggie Jackson and Ivica Zubac will see their usage skyrocket, while Terance Mann or Luke Kennard will likely draw the start at two-guard.
Tim Hardaway, DAL (foot): QUESTIONABLE
If Hardaway sits out, Spencer Dinwiddie would likely draw another start at two-guard.
Other notable injuries:
Josh Giddey, OKC (ankle): OUT
John Konchar, MEM (shoulder): QUESTIONABLE
Marcus Morris, LAC (personal): OUT
Seth Curry, BKN (ankle): OUT
Donte DiVincenzo, GSW (hamstring): OUT
Elite Players
We have three players with five-figure salaries on Thursday's slate – Luka Doncic ($12,000), Ja Morant ($10,600) and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ($10,300).
Doncic's salary continues to rise, but it's justifiable, considering he scored 64.4 and 66.7 FD points in his last two games. The Nets also rank in the bottom 10 of the league in offensive efficiency allowed to point guards, making Doncic all the more appealing.
Morant has eclipsed 60 FD points in two of his last three games and draws a great matchup in the game with the highest projected total of the slate.
SGA isn't even carrying an injury designation after initially being declared out of Tuesday's game against the Clippers, a contest in which he scored 67 FD points. He gets another crack at LA Thursday and could avoid Paul George (illness) again.
Expected Chalk
Other likely chalk plays include:
Stephen Curry, GSW ($9,800)
Curry has scored at least 43 FD points in three straight following an opener where he eclipsed 60, and he should remain very popular on the small slate.
Kevin Durant, BKN ($9,700)
Durant is on the back end of a back-to-back set but is averaging 46.6 FD points and will naturally hold plenty of appeal Thursday.
Kyrie Irving, BKN ($9,400)
Irving is averaging 44 FD points per game and could certainly raise his level of play in a showdown against Luka Doncic.
Paul George, LAC ($9,000)
If George can power through his illness, he should be even more involved than usual with Kawhi Leonard (knee) and Marcus Morris (personal) unavailable.
De'Aaron Fox, SAC ($8,800)
Fox has scored 47 to 51 FD points in his first three games, outperforming this salary on each occasion and thereby likely making him very highly rostered Thursday in the game with the highest projected total of the night.
Key Values
Tre Mann, OKC vs. LAC ($5,400)
Mann was initially slated to fill in at point guard Tuesday until Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was deemed available to play. Still, he instead slotted in at two-guard in place of Josh Giddey (ankle) and posted 40.8 FD points across 36 minutes. Mann had already been putting some productive performances off the bench to start the season, and he could be in a perfect spot to produce handsomely again Thursday, especially if Paul George (illness) sits out for the Clippers. However, LA allows the eighth-highest offensive efficiency to twos overall (25.3 percent), so the matchup is solid irrespective of George's availability.
Santi Aldama, MEM at SAC ($5,300)
Aldama has opened the new season thriving as the Grizzlies' starting power forward, posting 27.8 to 38.7 FD points in three of his first four games. The 2021 first-round pick can space the floor effectively and takes 4.5 three-point attempts per game. He draws a matchup against a Kings team, allowing the seventh-highest offensive efficiency to power forwards (31.7 percent) and 42.6 FD points per game to fours. Sacramento is also yielding the fourth-highest three-point shooting (41.0 percent), opening up another path to fantasy success for a reasonably-salaried Aldama.
Max Strus, MIA at GSW ($4,600)
Strus makes for a quintessential tournament play, given his three-point upside and improved play earlier this season. Strus has both drawn starts and come off the bench, and he just produced his second tally of greater than 30 FD points in Wednesday's win over the Trail Blazers while logging 27 minutes on the second unit. Strus is shooting a solid 47.2 percent, including 37.5 percent from distance, and he faces a Warriors team that's given up the third-highest offensive efficiency to two-guards (30.3 percent) and the seventh highest to second-unit players (48.0 percent).
ALSO CONSIDER: Ben Simmons, BKN vs. DAL ($5,800); Kyle Lowry, MIA at GSW ($5,100)
