This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
We have a Friday slate much closer to what's usually on a Thursday with only three matchups and a condensed player pool that won't be significantly affected by injuries.
Slate Overview
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Listed spreads/totals are from FanDuel Sportsbook and current as of Friday, 12/20 @11:00 a.m. EST:
Charlotte Hornets at Philadelphia 76ers (-11) (O/U: 215.5)
Milwaukee Bucks at Cleveland Cavaliers (-9) (O/U: 220.5)
Oklahoma City Thunder (-1) at Miami Heat (O/U: 217.0)
We do have two big favorites on the night, essentially directing our attention as DFS players to the Thunder-Heat showdown that could certainly live up to expectations. The Bucks-Cavaliers line is heavily affected by Damian Lillard's confirmed absence, as is the lower projected total for that game.
Injury Situations to Monitor
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Damian Lillard, MIL (calf): OUT
In Lillard's absence, Giannis Antetokounmpo should see a bump in his already massive usage rate and enjoy more ball-handling opportunities while AJ Green is likely to start at point guard.
Joel Embiid, PHI (face): QUESTIONABLE
If Embiid sits out again, Andre Drummond is likely to draw another start at center while Tyrese Maxey and Paul George would see even more usage than usual.
Other notable injuries:
Brandon Miller, CHA (ankle): QUESTIONABLE
Max Strus, CLE (ankle): QUESTIONABLE
Khris Middleton, MIL (illness): PROBABLE
Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL (knee): PROBABLE
Elite Players
We have four players with five-figure salaries on Friday's slate – Giannis Antetokounmpo ($12,200), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ($11,100), Joel Embiid ($10,400) and LaMelo Ball ($10,200).
Antetokounmpo is already highly appealing even at his salary due to his ceiling, but he'll be in even better position Friday due to Lillard being out, a scenario where the big man boasts a 36.2 percent usage rate.
SGA, like the rest of his teammates, had an undeachieving game in the NBA Cup Final, but he bounced back with 62.8 FD points against the Magic on Thursday, his third straight game over 60.
Embiid is probably on the wrong side of questionable to play Friday, but if he does suit up, he carries a ceiling north of 50 FD points any time he's on the floor for a normal amount of minutes.
Ball will be in even better position than usual if Brandon Miller logs a second consecutive absence, with the former posting 69.3 FD points without his backcourt mate Thursday on the strength of a 34-point, 13-assist double-double.
Expected Chalk
Other likely chalk plays include:
Tyrese Maxey, PHI ($9,100)
Maxey went off for 61.5 FD points against these same Hornets on Monday without Embiid, and the same circumstances may apply again on Friday.
Paul George, PHI ($8,800)
George also benefited from Embiid's absence Monday with a season-best 33 points and 56 FD points, which should help keep him very popular at his salary.
Jimmy Butler, MIA ($8,200)
Butler went off for 87.8 FD points across 44 minutes against the Pistons in Monday's OT win with a 35-point, 19-rebound, 10-assist triple-double, and that alone should make him extremely popular on such a small slate.
Key Values
Kelly Oubre, PHI vs. CHA ($6,300)
Although Maxey and George would project as the biggest beneficiaries in the event of another Embiid absence as outlined earlier, Oubre is also a candidate to outperform his salary and could do so irrespective of the big man's availability. The veteran wing has scored in double digits in each contest of his current 10-game starting run, averaging 13.3 points (on 52.0 percent shooting), 7.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.7 steals across 34.4 minutes per game. Those figures have led to an average of 31.1 FD points per game during that span, with Oubre exceeding 31 FD points on seven occasions overall in the sample. He just topped out at 40.8 FD points against the Hornets in Monday's game, and he could certainly be capable of a successful encore Friday.
Brook Lopez, MIL at CLE ($5,300)
Lopez should see a bump in opportunities with Lillard out of action Friday, as the big man tends to become more offensively involved whenever a key fellow first-unit member is out. Lopez bounced back with 26.1 FD points against the Hawks last Saturday after a string of middling offensive performances, and he's averaging 40.8 FD points per 36 minutes with Lillard off the floor this season. The Cavs present a tough matchup on paper for centers, but Lopez notably posted 37.2 FD points across 36 minutes in a Nov. 4 meeting with Cleveland with Antetokounmpo out of the lineup.
Cody Martin, CHA at PHI ($5,100)
Martin may be playing without Brandon Miller for a second consecutive game Friday, and the former already averages 30.8 FD points per 36 minutes when not sharing the floor with his teammate this season. Martin current sports career highs in points (8.7), rebounds (4.7) and made threes (1.2) while also boosting his overall shooting to 44.5 percent after averaging just 38.2 percent from the field over the previous two seasons. He's flashed some nice upside for his salary this season by scoring 24.7 FD points or more on 12 occasions already, and if he enjoys an expanded role Friday, he could certainly deliver a strong return on investment.
ALSO CONSIDER: Nick Richards, CHA at PHI ($5,600)
