This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
We currently have a four-game slate that will commence at 7:00 p.m. ET, but it is important to note that once this article goes live, it is not usually updated to reflect the latest information. Late-breaking news has adversely affected the slate several times over the past week; it will be essential to check back in with your lineups or wait until later in the day to build your rosters.
SLATE OVERVIEW
BKN (-3) vs. PHI O/U: 218.5
WAS (-3) vs. CLE O/U: 213.5
MIL (-12.5) @ ORL O/U: 216.5
GSW (-4.5) @ DEN O/U: 212.5
Back-to-back games: none
INJURIES
PHI Shake Milton (COVID-19 Protocols) - QUESTIONABLE
PHI Danny Green (COVID-19 Protocols) - OUT
PHI Andre Drummond (COVID-19 Protocols) - OUT
Drummond cleared protocols Wednesday but may be in some need of conditioning before re-taking the floor. The clearest pivots for Philly exist in the team's backcourt, with Seth Curry ($6,500) and Tyrese Maxey ($6,600) in line for increased output.
BKN Kessler Edwards (COVID-19 Protocols) - OUT
BKN David Duke (COVID-19 Protocols) - OUT
BKN Joe Harris (ankle) - OUT
The Nets' starters have all cleared protocols, so these absences will have little effect on Thursday's rotation.
CLE Jarrett Allen (COVID-19 Protocols) - DOUBTFUL
CLE Darius Garland (COVID-19 Protocols) - OUT
CLE Ricky Rubio (knee) - OUT FOR SEASON
CLE Cedi Osman (COVID-19 Protocols) - OUT
Rubio's ACL injury is a tough break for the Cavs, who have already lost Collin Sexton for the season. The most likely pivot will be Isaac Okoro ($4,600), who will man the two while Kevin Pangos ($3,900) sees his first starting action at point guard.
WAS Bradley Beal (COVID-19 Protocols) - QUESTIONABLE
WAS Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (COVID-19 Protocols) - QUESTIONABLE
WAS Montrezl Harrell (COVID-19 Protocols) - OUT
Beal and KCP have a chance to return if they test negative, so the Wizards' lineup is essentially a wait-and-see situation. If the injury situation stays the same, Corey Kispert ($3,600) and Deni Avdija ($5,300) will start again.
ORL Cole Anthony (ankle) - OUT
ORL Chuma Okeke (COVID-19 Protocols) - OUT
ORL Mo Bamba (COVID-19 Protocols) - OUT
ORL Hassani Gravett (COVID-19 Protocols) - OUT
ORL Terrence Ross (COVID-19 Protocols) - OUT
With Jalen Suggs also absent, the team will likely revert to R.J. Hampton ($5,300) for duties at point guard. The Magic may be at risk of not meeting the required roster limits tonight, so the entire game needs a look later in the day. There could be some low-cost value as lineups lock, and we've identified some great calls later in the article if the game goes off.
DEN Aaron Gordon (hamstring) - QUESTIONABLE
DEN Monte Morris (knee) - QUESTIONABLE
DEN Austin Rivers (thumb) - QUESTIONABLE
DEN Bones Hyland (COVID-19) - OUT
DEN Zeke Nnaji (COVID-19) - OUT
DEN Jeff Green (COVID-19) - OUT
The Nuggets have some serious COVID-19 issues that, coupled with their injury concerns, could lead to tonight's game being postponed. Facundo Campazzo ($5,400) is your best pivot currently.
My top three values from the injury section are Maxey, Hampton and Okoro.
ELITE PLAYERS
Tonight, my top player in the elite column is Giannis Antetokounmpo ($11,200). I prefer him ahead of Kevin Durant ($11,800) and Nikola Jokic ($11,700) because I believe Giannis will have the best chance of beating value against Orlando, who he just played. Orlando is still OK in the interior, so I think the Greek Freak will be utilized heavily despite the blowout risk. If I had to go higher, I would probably prefer Durant over Jokic.
I think Stephen Curry ($10,400) and James Harden ($11,100) are perfectly acceptable, but we've already identified budget picks like Maxey, Hampton and even Pangos, so the guard positions will probably need a budget guy at each spot so we can spend up at forward. Jrue Holiday ($9,500) clocks in at a $900 discount from Curry, making him a slightly more palatable value-beating elite option.
EXPECTED CHALK + VALUE PLAYS
Due to the size of the slate, we will be combining the two typical sections of the article.
Evan Mobley, CLE ($7,300) @ WAS
The Cavs will need help due to a severely depleted backcourt, and I believe they will lean on their talented rookie in a game they can still win. The condition of Jarrett Allen will correlate with Mobley's success, but the youngster has proven he can still produce with Allen on the floor, so he's a great call regardless of late-breaking news. Although he's gone two games without a double-double, the potential is there against Washington. I also like Lauri Markkanen's ($5,500) chances in this contest.
Franz Wagner, ORL ($7,100) vs, MIL
The depleted Magic will need all the help they can get, and they are fortunate to still have Wagner healthy. While Wendell Carter is also viable in this spot, Wagner fits well in a thin spot for tonight's player pool. You can always count on a full game's worth of output from Wagner, who regularly logs 35 minutes or more. He's coming off a superb 54-FP performance against the Bucks in game one of this tilt, and I expect a similar result tonight.
Spencer Dinwiddie, WAS ($6,300) vs. CLE
If Beal ends up sitting, Dinwiddie sets up to be Washington's primary beneficiary of Cleveland's backcourt malaise. He's played well in Beal's absence, averaging almost 44 FP per game over the last three games. While we are with the Wizards, I believe both Kyle Kuzma ($6,000) and Daniel Gafford ($5,200) will rise to the occasion once again. Both players have remained healthy and played admirably during the recent stretch.
Andrew Wiggins, GSW ($6,000) @ DEN
Wiggins returned from health and safety protocols with a solid 21- point effort in the first game of this tilt against Denver. He logged 31 minutes, so it appears no conditioning is needed, and given the possibility of Aaron Gordon being absent, Wiggins should be able to find openings with little difficulty. The 6K salary tag is currently way too low for the Warriors' second-best producer.
Will Barton, DEN ($5,500) vs. GSW
Barton also had 21 points in the last game, so I also like him in the second game of this tilt. Aaron Gordon's potential absence helps out Barton even more than Wiggins because it almost guarantees him a full complement of minutes. The injury deficiencies in the backcourt also aid Barton, as he's equally capable of directing the offense when necessary.
Also consider: Tobias Harris, PHI ($7,400) @ BKN, Kevin Love, CLE ($7,000), Gary Payton, GSW ($5,500) @ DEN
