This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
As usual, FanDuel will exclude the early game on Saturday and begin their featured slate at 7:00 p.m. ET with the Wizards-Trail Blazers matchup.
SLATE OVERVIEW
WAS (-7.5) vs. POR O/U: 217.5
ATL (-3) vs. NYK O/U: 213.5
BKN (-7) vs. NOP O/U: 228
MIA (-1.5) vs. PHI O/U: 207.5
CLE (-5) @ OKC O/U: 209.5
BOS (-4.5) vs. CHI O/U: 218.5
SAS (-2.5) vs; LAC O/U: 218
DEN (-3.5) vs. LAL O/U: 228.5
DAL (-9.5) vs. ORL O/U: 208
The massive player pool will require us to rely more on the Vegas game totals to see where we can siphon the most production. It is an even better tool to gauge which games to fade. DAL/ORL and PHI/MIA are games with low exposure in this article.
INJURIES
POR Damian Lillard (abdomen) - OUT
POR CJ McCollum (chest) - OUT
POR Norman Powell (COVID-19 Protocols) - OUT
POR Larry Nance (knee) - OUT
With Lillard potentially out until March at the earliest, Anfernee Simons ($7,500) will be a permanent pivot. Dennis Smith ($5,000), Ben McLemore ($5,200) and Robert Covington ($5,600) are all viable pivots tonight.
WAS Bradley Beal (COVID-19 Protocols) - OUT
Spencer Dinwiddie ($6,900) is your top pivot.
NYK Kemba Walker (knee) - OUT
Immanuel Quickley ($4,800) will have a slightly higher role in the rotation with Walker out.
ATL Clint Capela (ankle) - QUESTIONABLE
If Capela fails to suit up, Onyeka Okongwu ($4,100) will receive another start.
BKN Kyrie Irving (inactive) - OUT
BKN LaMarcus Aldridge (foot) - OUT
BKN Nicolas Claxton (hamstring) - QUESTIONABLE
Irving won't play at home, and Patty Mills ($4,900) will usually be the beneficiary when that happens. Claxton would have a significant role if he plays, but Day'Ron Sharpe ($4,400) would start again if both big men sit.
PHI Shake Milton (back) - OUT
PHI Matisse Thybulle (shoulder) - QUESTIONABLE
PHI Danny Green (hip) - OUT
Seth Curry ($6,300) and Tyrese Maxey ($5,600) will both be in play amid Milton's continued absence.
CHI Zach LaVine (knee) - OUT
Coby White ($5,200) emerges as one of my favorite pivots for Saturday. Ayo Dosunmu ($3,700) will also see a boost in playing time.
BOS Marcus Smart (COVID-19 Protocols) - OUT
Dennis Schroder ($5,500) will get the start. Payton Pritchard ($3,700) will also hold value in the second unit.
LAC Paul George (elbow) - OUT
LAC Luke Kennard (COVID-19 Protocols) - OUT
Amir Coffey ($5,500) and Nicolas Batum ($4,600) will continue to start and are excellent values against the Spurs.
SAS Derrick White (COVID-19 Protocols) -QUESTIONABLE
There's a logjam at the two, and there's no clear pivot who will deviate from their normal production. For value, Devin Vassell ($4,700) would be my first choice if White remains out.
ORL Wendell Carter (hamstring) - QUESTIONABLE
ORL Mo Bamba (toe) - OUT
Chuma Okeke ($5,200) and Robin Lopez ($5,000) are your best pivot options for the Magic.
DAL Kristaps Porzingis (COVID-19 Protocols) - OUT
Maxi Kleber ($5,500) will continue on as Porzingis' replacement.
ELITE PLAYERS
Although we have seven players above 10k in the player pool, we will let tonight's projected game totals do the talking and make the absolute best decisions with our spend-up options. LeBron James ($11,300) gets my primary endorsement among the elites, Denver's defense is solid, but I still think James is the best at this level. James Harden ($10,300) is another great option to consider against the Pelicans, who rank near the bottom defensively in every category but most notably against the three (29th).
We slide down and find both Julius Randle ($8,200) and DeMar DeRozan ($8,000) at ridiculously low prices. Randle is in a good pace-up spot against a Capela-less Hawks, and DeRozan will be working overtime to compensate for Zach LaVine's absence.
Also consider: Kevin Durant, BKN ($10,900) vs. NOP
EXPECTED CHALK AND CORE TARGETS
Jusuf Nurkic, POR ($7,300) @ WAS
The Trail Blazers desperately need Nurkic's contribution on a nightly basis, and he failed to deliver opposite Nikola Jokic in their last game. He has a softer opponent against the Wizards, who struggle defensively and rank 26th in the league in offensive boards. Double-double potential looms here for Nurkic, who has exploded to extremely high totals in the right matchup.
Lonzo Ball, CHI ($6,800) @ BOS
Ball's game script is similar to DeRozan's, as both players will need to be at the top of their game to make up for LaVine's missing output. He wasn't at his best in his last matchup against the Celtics, but increased usage should help his numbers and get him into the mid-30 FP range.
Josh Giddey, OKC ($6,700) vs. CLE
While the Cavaliers are playing very well of late, it would be a mistake to discount the Thunder in this spot, as they are almost entirely healthy and have all of their major playmakers in action. Giddey's recent numbers are superb, averaging 36 FP per game over his past five contests. A good rebound number and success from beyond the arc should produce a total that pays off this salary.
Also consider: Brandon Ingram, NOP ($8,200( @ BKN, Jonas Valanciunas, NOP ($7,600) @ BKN, Alec Burks, NYK ($5,900) @ ATL
VALUE PLAYS
The top value plays from the injury section are White, Dinwiddie and Maxey.
Reggie Jackson, LAC ($5,300) @ SAS
The projected total is one reason why I didn't give Dejounte Murray a top endorsement, but I do think the salary is right for Jackson, who should be able to bounce back after a woeful performance against the Pelicans. After a bad game, players at a favorable salary point are often victims of lower rostership after a bad outing, and I project much less popularity for Jackson as a result.
Keldon Johnson, SAS ($5,000) vs. LAC
It's tough to ignore one of the Spurs' best scoring options at this low salary. He's had two opportunities against the Cavs this season, and although he averaged close to 30 FP over the two contests, he is shooting much better of late and should be able to improve on the earlier matchups. One area where he exceeded his averages against the Cavs was off the glass, where he averaged 8.5 rebounds over the two games.
Darius Bazley ($5,300) and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl ($3,800), OKC vs. CLE
Some might scoff at the prospect of pitting more Thunder targets against the Cavs, but Cleveland is on a back-to-back after a hard-fought win against the Spurs. Oklahoma City could take advantage of a slow start from Cleveland, and I bunch these two performers together as low-cost options that could beat value in this spot very easily. While Bazley is the better option, Robinson-Earl's fantasy viability is ramping up. Both players need to be at their rebound projections, but it can happen if they catch the Cavs flat-footed.
Also consder: Aaron Gordon, DEN ($5,100) vs. LAL
