This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
Thursday's slate slows back down to a five-game affair and is one of the more straightforward offerings we've seen this season.
SLATE OVERVIEW
UTA @ ATL (+7.5) O/U: 224
GSW @ DAL (-4) O/U: 224.5
POR @ PHI (-9) O/U: 227.5
HOU @ MEM (-2) O/U: 223.5
DEN @ LAL (-5) O/U: 219
Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook
INJURIES
GSW James Wiseman (wrist) - OUT
GSW Kevon Looney (ankle) - OUT
Both true centers on the roster are out, so it looks like Draymond Green ($5,800) may be called upon to shift up to the five for the time being.
POR Damian Lillard (abdomen) - QUESTIONABLE
If Lillard misses, Anfernee Simons ($4,400) would draw the start and get a significant boost, and Gary Trent ($6,200) would also start and see more shot volume.
HOU John Wall (Achilles) - OUT
HOU Victor Oladipo (rest) - OUT
Eric Gordon ($5,400) was the only player to beat value in this spot, but with Oladipo and Wall sitting, Jae'Sean Tate ($4,700) should be added as a key endorsement.
ELITE PLAYERS
A battle of three MVP candidates happens on Thursday, as Nikola Jokic ($11,000) takes on LeBron James ($10,700) and Anthony Davis ($10,300) in the Staples Center. This is the first battle between the Nuggets and the Lakers since last season, and the most conviving metric from that series was Jokic's ineffectiveness against the Lakers.
Davis won the matchup, so I favor him as the best target of the trio, followed by James. Jokic only had one double-digit rebound game in that series. Despite the back-to-back, Joel Embiid ($10,200) still looks like a fair play against a weak Portland defense, and the tangle between Stephen Curry ($9,900) and Luka Doncic ($11,300) will result in positive output for both players.
EXPECTED CHALK
Christian Wood, HOU ($8.900) @ MEM
It's a favorable spot for Wood against the Grizzlies, as they are still shuffling along without Jonas Valanciunas. Right now, the center spot is a mixture between Xavier Tillman ($5,400) and Gorgui Dieng ($5,300), and they should have a hard time staying consistent defensively against Houston's marquee big man.
Donovan Mitchell, UTA ($7,800) @ ATL
Mitchell put up 26 points and four assists in just 29 minutes against the Hawks a couple of weeks ago, so even a modest boost in usage should produce an even better result. Mike Conley ($7,000) also had a decent game against Atlanta and is also worth mentioning.
Kristaps Porzingis, DAL ($7,500) vs. GSW
You have to love Porzingis' PF eligibility tonight against Golden State, which will be playing without both of its big men and will find themselves at a size advantage in the paint on Thursday. Porzingis hasn't been particularly popular since his return from injury, but tonight is the night to load up on him.
Enes Kanter, POR ($7,000) @ PHI
FanDuel's center position is precious and extremely valuable. I think it's very likely that the public will slide down and flick to Kanter at this price point, especially in a game where Portland could be without a usage monster like Damian Lillard. Based on RotoWire's projections against his salary, Kanter could easily beat 6x value in this spot.
VALUE PLAYS
Michael Porter, DEN ($5,500) @ LAL
Historical data hawks will see this spot right away. After a night marred with foul trouble in his last game, Porter suffered a whopping $800 decrease in salary. The result is one of those wrinkles in the slate where a player isn't appropriately priced, especially in a spot versus the Lakers, where his inside game will be sorely needed.
Kelly Oubre, GSW ($5,300) @ DAL
Someone will need to step up with the Warriors' injury scenario, so it may be the day to fire up Oubre. He's yet to provide the kind of output we expected after the trade from Phoenix, but his 6-7 frame should come in handy as the team tries to shore up the backcourt in the face of multiple absences at the center position.
Carmelo Anthony, POR ($4,600) @ PHI
This depressed price is way too low for Anthony, who should see the ball more often while Enes Kanter struggles with Joel Embiid. He needs to get off the bench early to be truly useful, but if he can get north of 25 minutes, he should be able to beat the value at this salary.
Monte Morris, DEN ($3,900) @ LAL
Gary Harris will be out again, which means another start for Morris. At this reduced salary, he doesn't have to do much to meet 5x value, and increased shot volume could propel him well north of that number.
