This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
Saturday's eight-game slate favors a stars-and-scrubs approach, as most of our elites are in exploitable matchups. If we can find enough value, we should strive for 2-3 premier players in most of our lineups.
SLATE OVERVIEW
MIA (-1.5) @ WAS O/U: 210
IND (-7.5) vs. NOR O/U: 214.5
BOS (-10.5) vs. OKC O/U: 205.5
ATL (-6.5) vs. CHA O/U: 226
MIL (-11) vs. ORL O/U: 212.5
MIN (-1.5) vs. MEM O/U: 219
UTA (-7) @ SAC O/U: 223.5
POR (-6.5) vs. PHI O/U: 217
INJURIES
We won't mention ongoing injuries in this section, just the most recent and noteworthy ones.
MIA Tyler Herro (wrist) - QUESTIONABLE
MIA Bam Adebayo (knee) - QUESTIONABLE
I wouldn't be surprised if both of these tags are eliminated later in the day, as Adebayo played Thursday, and Herro's status has already upgraded in the past 24 hours.
WAS Daniel Gafford (thumb) - QUESTIONABLE
If Gafford's thumb continues to bother him, Montrezl Harrell ($7,500) will garner another start.
BOS Jaylen Brown (hamstring) - QUESTIONABLE
BOS Robert Williams (knee) - QUESTIONABLE
Brown is no longer listed as out, but there's no telling when he'll be back on the floor. Dennis Schroder ($5,800), Al Horford ($7,000) and Grant Williams ($4,200) are the best pivots for these injuries, although you should consider Horford on rest alert due to the back-to-back.
MEM Dillon Brooks (hamstring) - QUESTIONABLE
MEM De'Anthony Melton (groin) -OUT
Brooks was starting to hum, so hopefully, this tag is just a precaution. I like Tyus Jones ($4,000) as a flier for Melton, as the veteran has been an excellent FP-per-minute provider in limited action.
PHI Joel Embiid (COVID-19 Protocols) - OUT
PHI Matisse Thybulle (COVID-19 Protocols) - QUESTIONABLE
Andre Drummond ($7,600) will continue to be a very popular pivot in Embiid's absence.
ELITE PLAYERS
It's a great night to go for it and pay up for Giannis Antetokounmpo ($11,500) as he faces an Orlando squad that won't have many answers for him. The Greek Freak has compiled two straight games with 60 or more FP. All three of the 10k-plus players are useful tonight, as Jimmy Butler ($10,100) should thump the Wizards and Ja Morant ($10,000) will enjoy a fast-paced matchup against the Timberwolves.
Moving down, I will gladly give some exposure to Jayson Tatum ($9,700) despite the quick turnaround. His monstrous game against the Lakers Friday was an impressive sight, and it was his second straight game with 34-plus points. I'm not too keen on much of the remaining 9k gems, but LaMelo Ball ($8,700), Donovan Mitchell ($8,300) and Rudy Gobert ($8,300) are all in play on the cusp of elite status.
Also consider: Domantas Sabonis, IND ($8,500)
EXPECTED CHALK AND CORE TARGETS
Tobias Harris, PHI ($7,500) @ POR
Harris just keeps on rolling, and he's been excellent during Philly's West Coast swing. In two games against Denver and Utah, he averaged 14.5 points, 5.5 rebounds,3.5 assists and 1.5 blocks. As he reacclimates to a full complement of minutes, we should see numbers well north of these averages, especially while Joel Embiid is sidelined.
Brandon Ingram, NOR ($7,900) @ IND
Ingram's minutes are slowly ramping up as he returns from his hip injury, and not that he is officially off a minute restriction, we should expect to see Ingram return to form. His return to action has been rocky, but he should regain access to his shot in short order. Saturday may be the night where he puts a solid night of shot volume and excellent secondary totals together.
John Collins, ATL ($7,100) vs. CHA
Collins' fantasy production over the past four games has been superb. He went over 42 FP in two of those contests and mustered a double-double in one of them. The only knock for Collins is his tendency to get into foul trouble early. If he can cut down on the mistakes and stay hot from the floor, he'll be in line for a great total against the Hornets, who are hurting inside currently.
Josh Giddey, OKC ($6,000) @ BOS
Giddey has surpassed Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as the most consistent scorer on a nightly basis. SGA can definitely pop, but he lacks Giddey's floor, making the rookie very dependable in cash contests. He's scored 30 or more FP in three consecutive contests.
Also consider: Clint Capela, ATL ($7,000) vs. CHA
VALUE PLAYS
As always, utilize the pivots available in the injury section for the best value plays.
Bobby Portis, MIL ($6,000) vs. ORL
Portis continues to get a full complement of minutes with Brook Lopez sidelined. He's coming off an excellent game against the Thunder where he posted a 17/13 double-double. He's also flashed a flair for the three-point shot of late, which has bolstered his scoring totals.
Kyle Anderson, MEM ($5,300) @ MIN
Anderson is priced just right as the oft-forgotten producer for the Grizzlies. Anderson's popularity is historically very low, so if we can get him for upside in this fast matchup, we should be way above the field in our exposure to him. Around 27 FP would be ideal at this salary, and he's beaten that number three times over the past 10 games.
Nassir Little, POR ($4,600) vs. PHI
Let's get a little sneaky with Portland and target a low-rostered player like Little. He comes off the bench and usually sees around 25 minutes, and although his last two games have been unimpressive, his shot was dialed in last week, and he even produced a double-double against Houston. The Sixers are struggling defensively and are easily exploited at the corners.
Also consider: Franz Wagner, ORL ($5,100) @ MIL
