This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
We have a typically expansive 10-game Friday night slate on tap. As of late Thursday night, six of the contests have a projected total of at least 220 points on FanDuel Sportsbook. That's music to DFS players' ears, considering more cumulative offense often equates to more paths to big fantasy scores. There should be no problem differentiating in tournaments and there are still plenty of elite players to choose from even though the injury report lists some big names.
Slate Overview
Here's a further look at the three games with the highest projected totals on Friday's slate:
Atlanta Hawks at Washington Wizards (Projected total: 232.0 points)
The Wizards can frequently be found with the highest projected total of the night, as they're allowing a co-NBA-high 120.4 points per game, the second-highest shooting percentage (48.8) and the fifth-highest three-point percentage (38.2). Washington is also playing at the league's second-fastest pace (107.8 possessions per game), while both teams rank in the top half of the league in points per game scored (Wizards-115.7/Hawks-113.1). Consequently, there's plenty of reason to believe this total is realistic and seeing it exceeded wouldn't be a surprise.
Sacramento Kings at Toronto Raptors (Projected total: 229.5 points)
The Kings are right up there with the Wizards in terms of allowing the most points per game (120.4), and Sacramento also ranks last in offensive efficiency allowed. What's more, the Kings give up an NBA-high 48.9 percent success rate from the field, including a pace-setting 39.8 percent from behind the arc. The Raptors are averaging a modest 110.3 points per contest, but it wouldn't be surprising to see them exceed that figure Friday given the Kings' extensive defensive deficiencies. Meanwhile, the Raptors have been more vulnerable on defense lately with 115.3 points per game allowed over their last three contests.
Brooklyn Nets at Oklahoma City Thunder (Projected total: 229.5 points)
The Nets have already scored between 128 and 135 points in three of the first five games Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant and James Harden have played together, and the opposing Thunder check in allowing 117.7 points per contest at home. OKC is also giving up 48.2 percent shooting at Chesapeake Energy Arena, and Brooklyn will come into Friday's game with the league's fourth-fastest pace (106.5 possessions per game). The Nets also average 119.8 points per contest but also give up 117.9 per road game, so both teams could actually be in for strong nights offensively.
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.
Karl-Anthony Towns, MIN (COVID-19 protocols)/ Status: OUT
Towns' projected absence Friday should afford Naz Reid - who's scored over 40 FD points twice in his last four games - another start.
Kawhi Leonard, LAC (COVID-19 protocols)/ Status: OUT
If Leonard remains out Friday as is likely, both Luke Kennard and Marcus Morris should continue seeing an uptick in opportunity.
Paul George, LAC (COVID-19 protocols/hamstring)/ Status: OUT
If George remains out Friday, Terrance Mann is projected to log another start at shooting guard.
Joel Embiid, PHI (back)/ Status: QUESTIONABLE
An absence on the part of Embiid would likely lead to a start for either Dwight Howard or Tony Bradley and elevated usage for the remainder of the 76ers' starting five.
Donovan Mitchell, UTA (concussion)/ Status: QUESTIONABLE
If Mitchell is forced to sit out a second straight game, Joe Ingles should draw another start in his stead and the remaining member of the Jazz' starting five should enjoy elevated usage.
D'Angelo Russell, MIN (quadriceps)/ Status: QUESTIONABLE
If Russell misses a fourth straight game, Ricky Rubio should get another start at point guard.
Larry Nance, CLE (wrist)/ Status: QUESTIONABLE
If Nance is forced to sit out another contest, Taurean Prince should log another start at power forward.
OG Anunoby, TOR (calf)/ Status: QUESTIONABLE
A second straight absence for Anunoby would lead to another start for Norman Powell at small forward.
Lonzo Ball, NOP (ankle)/ Status: QUESTIONABLE
If Ball were to sit out, Nickeil Alexander-Walker or Eric Bledsoe are likeliest to handle starting point guard duties.
Clint Capela, ATL (hand)/ Status: PROBABLE
Capela is expected to play Friday and handle his usual robust starting workload.
Patrick Beverley, LAC (knee)/ Status: OUT
If Beverley sits out again Friday, Reggie Jackson would be in line for another start at point guard.
Other notable injuries:
Rajon Rondo, ATL (knee)/ Status: QUESTIONABLE
George Hill, OKC (thumb)/ Status: QUESTIONABLE
Cam Reddish, ATL (quadriceps)/ Status: QUESTIONABLE
Juancho Hernangomez, DEN (COVID-19 protocols)/ Status: OUT
Derrick Favors, UTA (back)/ Status: QUESTIONABLE
Maxi Kleber, DAL (COVID-19 protocols)/ Status: OUT
Jarrett Culver, MIN (ankle)/ Status: OUT
Deni Avdija, WAS (COVID-19 protocols)/ Status: OUT
Ish Smith, WAS (COVID-19 protocols)/ Status: OUT
Elite Players
With 20 teams in action, there are eight players with five-figure salaries on the slate. However, two – Karl-Anthony Towns and Kawhi Leonard – are expected to remain out of action. As far as the remaining six, Luka Doncic ($11,500) sits up top, followed by Giannis Antetokounmpo ($11,300), Nikola Jokic ($11,200), Kevin Durant ($10,700), Trae Young ($10,600) and Bradley Beal ($10,500). From that group, Doncic is in a tough matchup again versus a Jazz team that limited him to "only" 42.8 FD points Wednesday while Durant and Young are in particularly advantageous matchups versus the Thunder and Wizards.
There are also several players with salaries in the high four-figures who have the ability to deliver elite scores, including James Harden ($9,800), Joel Embiid ($9,800), Clint Capela ($9,600), Russell Westbrook ($9,600), Andre Drummond ($9,400) and Kyrie Irving ($9,200). And if Embiid were to sit out with his back injury, Ben Simmons ($8,600) and Tobias Harris ($7,000) could outpace their salaries. Domantas Sabonis ($9,000), Julius Randle ($8,800) and Rudy Gobert ($8,300) are also three other four-figure-salaried examples with significant ceiling who are also in favorable matchups on paper.
Expected Chalk
All of the names mentioned in the Elite Players section are naturally going to be very popular Friday, and all projected Clippers' starters should also be on a healthy share of lineups given the immense usage vacuum the ongoing absences of Leonard and George creates. The same holds true for other 76ers if Embiid sits out, with Ben Simmons and Tobias Harris likely to be among the main beneficiaries. Then, a Donovan Mitchell absence in Utah would likely lead to Mike Conley, Bojan Bogdanovic and especially Rudy Gobert seeing plenty of extra clicks on their names.
Key Values
Norman Powell, TOR vs. SAC ($6,200)
After an uneven start to his season, Powell has really found a groove with his shot of late by hitting at least 20 points in four straight and draining his attempts at a 48.5 percent clip over that span - including 41.4 percent from behind the arc. He's also averaging a solid 4.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.3 steals during that sample, leading to tallies between 30.4 and 42.2 FD points. The veteran wing could well be in position to continue that type of success Friday, considering Sacramento ranks last in the NBA in shooting percentage surrendered (48.9). The Kings also sit in the bottom-half of the league in offensive efficiency allowed to small forwards (23.4 percent) and also give up the third-most FD points per game to threes (45.6).
Al Horford, OKC vs. BKN ($5,500)
Horford returned from a six-game personal leave to rack up an outstanding 49.2 FD points across 30 minutes versus the Suns on Wednesday. The fact the veteran was able to put in a solid workload without any issues certainly offers support for the notion he should see at least as many minutes Friday, if not more. The matchup Horford will draw is also very appealing, as the Nets have repeatedly been exploited by centers all season. Brooklyn checks in allowing the highest offensive efficiency to fives (37.2 percent), along with the second-most FD points per game to the position (58.7). It's also worth noting Horford had been trending up before his recent sabbatical by scoring 22.9 to 37.7 FD points in the four contests prior to his absence.
Doug McDermott, IND at CHA ($4,500)
McDermott moved to the bench Wednesday against the Hornets with Jeremy Lamb entering the starting five, but still logged 28 minutes and put together an impressive 28 points and five rebounds for 33.0 FD points. The veteran wing had turned in an absolute dud over 17 minutes against Toronto in the game before (3.2 FD points), but also scored 23.1 to 32.1 FD points in six of the previous seven contests. McDermott gets another crack at a Hornets' team giving up the eighth-highest offensive efficiency to second-unit players (44.0 percent), and the second-most FD points per game to small forwards (46.5).
Other value plays to consider: Naz Reid, MIN vs. PHI ($5,800); Reggie Jackson, LAC at ORL ($5,800); Jordan Clarkson, UTA vs. DAL ($5,800); Taurean Prince, CLE at NY ($5,400); Alec Burks, NY vs. CLE ($5,300); Jeremy Lamb, IND at CHA ($5,200); Darius Garland, CLE at NY ($5,200); Joe Ingles, UTA vs. DAL ($5,200)
