This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
We're back to a conventional Friday night schedule with the In-Season Tournament all but done with 13 games. The size of the slate insulates us from injuries and fortunately there are only a handful of particularly notable confirmed or potential absences.
Slate Overview
For the latest spreads and over-unders, visit RotoWire's NBA Odds page. There, you can also find player props, futures, picks articles and sportsbook bonus codes.
While we do have a few elevated spreads, there are six lines set 5.5 points or fewer on FanDuel Sportsbook as of Friday morning to give us plenty of close games to choose from and therefore lead to elevated minutes for frontline players.
In terms of projected totals, there are four over 235 points and another at 230.5. While that doesn't quite constitute half the slate, it does provide us with a solid amount of games that could be helpful in terms of offensive output and remarkable individual performances.
Injury Situations to Monitor
For all the latest updates, visit RotoWire's NBA Injury News page and our comprehensive NBA Injury Report.
Kevin Durant, PHO (ankle): OUT
In Durant's absence, Devin Booker should see even more usage than usual while Jusuf Nurkic could also get more opportunities. Josh Okogie and Keita Bates-Diop could be direct beneficiaries in terms of filling in for Durant.
Trae Young, ATL (illness): QUESTIONABLE
If Young sits, the remainder of the starting five will receive a big bump in usage while Dejounte Murray would likely slide over to point guard and assume primary ball-handling duties.
Bam Adebayo, MIA (hip): OUT
Adebayo's ongoing absence should lead to more usage for Jimmy Butler and Caleb Martin while Orlando Robinson would start again at center.
Evan Mobley, CLE (knee): QUESTIONABLE
If Mobley can't suit up, Georges Niang could draw a start at power forward.
Other notable injuries:
Lauri Markkanen, CLE (hamstring): OUT
Zach LaVine, CHI (foot): OUT
Jerami Grant, POR (concussion): OUT
Bradley Beal, PHO (back): OUT
Tyler Herro, MIA (ankle): OUT
Jamal Murray, DEN (ankle): PROBABLE
Malcolm Brogdon, POR (knee): QUESTIONABLE
Deandre Ayton, POR (knee): DOUBTFUL
Elite Players
We have nine healthy players with five-figure salaries on Friday's slate – Nikola Jokic ($12,600), Joel Embiid ($12,500), Luka Doncic ($12,400), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ($11,500), Devin Booker ($10,800), Jayson Tatum ($10,500), De'Aaron Fox ($10,200), Trae Young ($10,000) and Domantas Sabonis ($10,000).
Jokic has regularly made 60-65 FD points his floor of late, including 69.5 against the same Rockets team from four games ago.
Embiid is coming off a 50-point, 13-rebound double-double versus the Wizards that netted 76.1 FD points and he's managed at least 61.9 from five straight.
Doncic put up a memorable first-half triple-double Wednesday on his way to 67.5 FD points while also exceeding 70 the previous two appearances.
SGA racked up 64.6 FD points in his most recent game against the Rockets and has been over 50 in six straight.
Booker will be taking the floor without Durant on Friday, a scenario where the former sports a massive 37.3 percent usage rate and averages 52.5 FD points per 36 minutes.
Tatum bounced back from a couple of sub-40-FD tallies by going off for 56.4 against the Pacers on Monday. Even though the matchup against the Knicks is generally tough, the star forward will have the benefit of three days off.
Fox scored a modest-by-his-standards 39 FD points on Monday versus the Pelicans in the In-Season Tournament quarterfinal-round loss, but like Tatum will be well rested and facing a Suns squad without Durant.
Young has already led the Hawks to some jaw-dropping offensive displays this season and has registered 44.5 FD or more in eight of the last 10 games.
Sabonis posted 64.6 against the Pelicans on Monday and like Fox should benefit from not having to go up against Durant.
Expected Chalk
Other likely chalk plays include:
Donovan Mitchell, CLE ($9,900)
Mitchell is naturally capable of production as elite as any player on the slate and checks in having scored between 51.4 to 66.7 FD from three of the last four.
Anthony Edwards, MIN ($9,000)
Edwards enjoyed a successful return to action from a two-game absence against the Spurs on Wednesday and should be popular at his salary in an appealing matchup versus the Grizzlies.
Tyrese Maxey, PHI ($9,000)
Maxey is virtually a lock for 35-40 FD on any night and offers even more upside in a matchup against the fast-paced, defensively-challenged Hawks.
Jusuf Nurkic, PHO ($7,500)
Nurkic could be a major beneficiary of Durant's absence having averaged 42.5 FD points per 36 minutes without his teammate on the floor.
Shaedon Sharpe, POR ($7,400)
Sharpe appears set to take the floor without both Jerami Grant (out) and Deandre Ayton (doubtful), a scenario in which he lists a 25.1 percent usage rate.
Key Values
Anfernee Simons, POR vs. DAL ($6,600)
Simons could well be just as big a beneficiary of the Trail Blazers' frontcourt absences as the talented guard comes in having just put up 34.2 FD across 37 minutes against the Warriors on Wednesday following an 18-game absence due to a thumb injury. He sees a 3.6 percent usage rate increase when both Grant and Ayton are off the floor, and the Mavs check in allowing 43.4 FD points to shooting guards and 37.4 percent three-point shooting to the position.
O.G. Anunoby, TOR at CHA ($6,100)
Some of Anunoby's numbers have been slightly down this season, though he's also shooting a career-best 40.9 percent from three-point range and is still supplementing his fantasy production with 1.1 steals per contest. The veteran has produced a trio of tallies over 30 FD points in his last six games and is shooting an even more impressive 46.2 percent from distance during that stretch. The Hornets could facilitate more of the same considering they give up the third-most FD points per game to shooting guards (44.7) and fifth-most made threes (3.7) to the position.
Malik Monk, SAC at PHO ($5,800)
Monk has recently delivered some impressive performances off the bench by averaging 30.9 FD points over his last four outings while shooting 52.9 percent - including 50.0 from deep. He's also scored at least 34.1 FD across five games to give him an impressive ceiling for his salary. The Suns have struggled against the shooting guard position having yielded the sixth-highest offensive efficiency rating to the position (25.1) and 42.5 FD points per game to twos overall.
ALSO CONSIDER: Cam Thomas, BKN vs. WAS ($6,500); Scoot Henderson, POR vs. DAL ($4,900)
