This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
Although certain aspects of the 2020-21 NBA season remain heavily impacted by COVID-19, one constant remains: the league's annual Christmas Day extravaganza. There is a customary five-game slate on tap for Friday's holiday, with no shortage of elite teams and big-name superstars in action.
The ledger offers a strong balance of legacy franchises and up-and-coming clubs, beginning with a Pelicans-Heat tilt for the first matchup. The Warriors and Bucks strive to bounce back from their season-opening losses in the second contest, as Golden State particularly looks to demonstrate that its blowout defeat at the hands of the Nets isn't indicative of the caliber of this year's squad. The Nets-Celtics late-afternoon battle in Boston will see Kyrie Irving facing some of his former teammates, while Lakers-Mavericks and Clippers-Nuggets battles finish off the night in exciting fashion.
From the DFS perspective, there are plenty of decisions to be made considering the significant star power taking the floor. Prudent value plays will be especially critical to building a lineup that also fits in some of the players with the highest upside. And with four of the five contests projected to be especially competitive, there should be plenty of appealing game environments conducive to strong fantasy production.
Without further ado, let's dive into Friday's slate!
Slate Overview
Here's a further look at the three games with the highest projected totals:
Golden State Warriors at Milwaukee Bucks (Projected total: 232.0 points):
The Warriors were also involved in a game with a projected total of greater than 230 points on Opening Night against the Nets. And while that finished with a relatively robust 224 combined points, Golden State only contributed 99 to that tally. They're facing a similar caliber of opponent in this Christmas Day showdown, one that certainly offers the firepower to potentially match or exceed Brooklyn's 125 points in that contest. However, the Warriors could also be in a better position to show off some improved offensive production, considering Stephen Curry, Andrew Wiggins and Kelly Oubre shot a combined and atypically poor 14-for-51 from the field Opening Night, while the Bucks gave up 47.5 percent shooting - including 45.0 percent from three-point range - to the Celtics in their first game Wednesday.
Brooklyn Nets at Boston Celtics (Projected total: 227.5 points):
Both teams produced over 120 points in its opening contest, so this total could arguably be on the lower side. Each squad looked sharp from the field to start the campaign, with the Nets draining 45.7 percent of their shots against the Warriors - including 42.9 percent from three-point range. In turn, the Celtics boasted a 47.5 percent success rate from the floor with 45.0 percent from distance in their one-point win against Milwaukee. Both clubs' stars are at full health, and this game could be the highest scoring of the day with three of the four games between the teams last season finishing with totals between 231 and 264 points without Kyrie Irving or Kevin Durant available.
Dallas Mavericks at Los Angeles Lakers (Projected total: 227.5 points):
Both the Mavs and Lakers have sky-high expectations this season, but neither got their campaign off on a winning note. That adds some intrigue to this matchup that boasts three of the NBA's biggest stars in Luka Doncic, LeBron James and Anthony Davis. The Mavs will look to improve their offensive efficiency after shooting just 42.4 percent versus the Suns, while James and Davis will strive to make much more of an impact after combining for only a modest 40 points and shooting 3-for-10 from behind the arc versus the Clippers. These two squads eclipsed Friday's projected total in two of their four meetings last season (all pre-Orlando bubble), so this figure could prove to be relatively accurate.
Positional Breakdown
PG: There is very impressive depth at PG on Friday, beginning with Luka Doncic on top. Kyrie Irving, Stephen Curry, Jamal Murray and Jrue Holiday are all between $7K and $8.9K, making each potentially very rewarding plays at their salaries. The mid-range and value levels are also solid with the likes of Lonzo Ball, Goran Dragic, Jeff Teague, Lou Williams and Patrick Beverley among the options.
SG: Not only is SG also replete with appealing choices, but the good news is the top end is much more affordable than PG. Jimmy Butler ($8.2K) heads up the pool, while Paul George ($7.6K) and Khris Middleton ($7.4K) are undervalued based on their respective opening game production. Andrew Wiggins, Marcus Smart, Eric Bledsoe, Josh Richardson, Spencer Dinwiddie, Dennis Schroder and JJ Redick are all between $4.5K and $6.6K as well, offering plenty of salary flexibility.
SF: LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard head up the SF pool, with James particularly looking to bounce back from a modest Opening Night performance. Jaylen Brown, Brandon Ingram, Kelly Oubre, Caris LeVert and Michael Porter check in between $5.4k and $7.5K, making for a very deep and high-upside mid-tier. There's also value to be had in the form of Will Barton, Tyler Herro and Joe Harris.
PF: There's quite the top quartet at this spot, as Giannis Antetokounmpo, Anthony Davis, Jayson Tatum and Kevin Durant head up the player pool. Antetokounmpo is projected to be involved in the least competitive game of the day but certainly could generate elite production in a lopsided win, while Zion Williamson offers a nice discount at $7.7K for those who can't quite afford the top-shelf options. The overall depth at the position is hurt by Draymond Green's absence due to a foot injury, but Paul Millsap, Eric Paschall, Marquese Chriss and Kyle Kuzma are among interesting value options for large-field tournaments.
C: There's good value at center across all valuation points, offering us as DFS players plenty of flexibility with the rest of our rosters. Nikola Jokic and Bam Adebayo are at the top for those who want to pay up, while Steven Adams, Serge Ibaka, Brook Lopez, Montrezl Harrell and Jarrett Allen check in with salaries between $4.8K and $5.5K. Tristan Thompson, DeAndre Jordan and James Wiseman – at $4.6K, $4.5K and $4.2K, respectively – offering even more savings.
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.
Anthony Davis, LAL (calf)/ Status: PROBABLE
Davis is fully expected to play against the Mavericks while nursing what is considered a mild calf contusion.
Jimmy Butler, MIA (ankle)/ Status: QUESTIONABLE
Butler injury occurred in Wednesday's opener and it appears he'll be a game-time decision Friday.
Jamal Murray, DEN (calf)/ Status: PROBABLE
Murray is expected to play while dealing with what's labeled as left calf tightness.
Draymond Green, GSW (foot)/ Status: OUT
Green remains out for Friday's game, which should afford Eric Paschall another start at power forward.
D.J. Augustin, MIL (calf)/ Status: PROBABLE
Augustin missed the opener, but appears ready to make his Bucks' debut Friday as a member of the second unit.
Marcus Morris, LAC (knee)/ Status: OUT
Morris will remain out against the Nuggets because of right knee soreness. Nicolas Batum and Patrick Patterson should once again be primary beneficiaries.
JaMychal Green, DEN (calf)/ Status: OUT
Green will miss his second straight game to open the season, which should lead to heavy minutes for Paul Millsap again.
NOTABLE LONGER-TERM INJURIES: Kemba Walker, BOS (knee); Kristaps Porzingis, DAL (knee)
Elite Players
There are four players sporting five-figure salaries on the slate, with Giannis Antetokounmpo ($11,600), Luka Doncic ($11,300), LeBron James ($11,000) and Anthony Davis ($10,600) all fitting the bill. James reportedly rolled his ankle in the season-opening loss to the Clippers but isn't even on the injury report Friday, while Davis - as noted above - is slated to take the floor despite a mild calf strain. Of the quartet, James and Davis were the two that most underwhelmed relative to salaries in their openers, but each could well bounce back against Dallas.
There is also plenty of potential for elite production from a number of four-figure salaried players, beginning with Jayson Tatum ($9,800) and continuing with Nikola Jokic ($9,700), Kawhi Leonard ($9,500), Kyrie Irving ($8,900), Stephen Curry ($8,700) and Kevin Durant ($8,500). Jimmy Butler ($8,200) Paul George ($7,600) and Brandon Ingram ($7.300) also deserve inclusion on the list, although Butler has the questionable tag hanging over him as detailed in the previous section. Of note is the fact salaries have remained the same from each team's opening game, which could certainly make several of these players strong fantasy-point-per-dollar values once again Friday.
Expected Chalk
All of the names mentioned in Elite Players section are naturally going to be very popular Friday, although the fact there are 10 teams in action and so many stars available will help thin out rostering rates to an extent in tournaments. And with salaries holding steady, there could also be plenty of popular value plays with several being covered in the following section.
Key Values
Jeff Teague, BOS vs. BKN ($5,800)
Teague carried over his preseason momentum into the opener against the Bucks on Wednesday by recording 37.6 FD points over just 25 minutes off the bench. The veteran could often be a mismatch against some of the second-unit players he'll face in his current role and could well avoid the defense of some of Brooklyn's frontline players Friday. On that note, it's worth noting the Nets tied with the Pelicans last season for eighth-highest offensive efficiency rating (44.1) allowed to opposing benches and surrendered the 11th-highest figure in that category (48.5) to backcourts.
Caris LeVert, BKN at BOS ($5,800)
LeVert should be popular after his salary remained the same following an outstanding showing Opening Night versus the Warriors, one in which he posted a full line of 20 points, nine rebounds, five assists, two steals and one block over 25 minutes. Like Teague, the starting-quality wing could exploit mismatches against opposing second-unit players frequently this season. Additionally, it's worth noting that although it came under very different team circumstances, LeVert enjoyed plenty of success in his two encounters with the Celtics last season by averaging 32.0 points (on 57.5 percent shooting, including 38.5 percent from distance), 4.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.0 block across 31.5 minutes.
Dennis Schroder, LAL vs. DAL ($5,000)
Schroder's salary also remained frozen after a spectacular Opening Night in which he accumulated 39.4 FD points on the strength of a 14-point, 12-rebound double-double that also included eight assists across 28 minutes. As those numbers indicate, he appeared to be an excellent fit within the Lakers' offense right from the jump, and he accomplished his productive night despite shooting just 5-for-15 from the field. Schroder will face a Mavericks team that allowed 45.5 percent shooting to opposing second units last season, so that's promising for someone who averaged 20.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists against across 36 minutes over two games while with the Thunder. With such a reasonable salary, another strong return is very much in the cards.
Other value plays to consider: Eric Bledsoe, NO at MIA ($5,600); Michael Porter, DEN vs. LAC ($5,400); Montrezl Harrell, LAL vs. DAL ($5,100); Joe Harris, BKN at BOS ($4,300)
