This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
We have a six-game slate on tap for Saturday night, and with multiple teams on the second game of back-to-back sets, there's some caution that will need to be exercised with respect to how cap dollars are invested. The injury report also has some notable names on it, adding to the challenge of the lineup-building process.
Slate Overview
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Listed spreads/totals are from FanDuel Sportsbook and current as of Friday, 1/26 @ 8:30 p.m. ET:
*Los Angeles Clippers at Boston Celtics (-7) (O/U: 235.5)
Utah Jazz (-8.5) at *Charlotte Hornets (O/U: 236.5)
*New Orleans Pelicans at *Milwaukee Bucks (-6.5) (O/U: 237)
Los Angeles Lakers at Golden State Warriors (-2) (O/U: 239.5)
Minnesota Timberwolves (-11) at *San Antonio Spurs (O/U: 226.5)
Sacramento Kings at *Dallas Mavericks (-1.5) (O/U: 240)
*denotes team on second night of back-to-back set
With half of the teams on the slate on the second night of back-to-back sets, it's not surprising there are some relatively elevated spreads. However, as the NBA demonstrates every night, there are always at least a couple of surprising game flows/results in the offing, and we also have a couple of potential wire-to-wire battles on paper in the Lakers-Warriors and Kings-Mavericks battles.
Projected totals are encouraging from a DFS perspective, considering all but one checks in at over 235 points. However, given some of the larger projected advantages for favorites, some of those totals could be achieved with some second-unit players having more involvement than usual.
Injury Situations to Monitor
For all the latest updates, visit RotoWire's NBA Injury News page and our comprehensive NBA Injury Report.
Anthony Davis, LAL (Achilles): QUESTIONABLE
If Davis sits out, Christian Wood and Jaxson Hayes would likely handle the majority of minutes at center, while LeBron James (questionable-ankle) would be due for even higher usage than usual.
LeBron James, LAL (ankle): QUESTIONABLE
If James sits out, Anthony Davis (questionable-Achilles) would be in line for even more usage than usual, while Jarred Vanderbilt would likely handle a starting power forward role.
Kyrie Irving, DAL (thumb): GTD
If Irving sits out again Saturday, Luka Doncic could be due for another night of massive usage, while Grant Williams is likely to remain in the starting five.
Kristaps Porzingis, BOS (ankle): DOUBTFUL
In Porzingis' likely absence, Al Horford may draw a spot start at center, while Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown could see even more usage than usual.
Zion Williamson, NOP (foot): GTD
If Williamson misses another game Saturday, Trey Murphy could draw another turn with the starting five.
Other notable injuries:
Jakob Poeltl, TOR (ankle): OUT
Ivica Zubac, LAC (calf): OUT
Gordon Hayward, CHA (calf): OUT
Mark Williams, CHA (back): OUT
Elite Players
We have seven players with five-figure salaries that have a chance to play on Saturday's slate – Giannis Antetokounmpo ($12,400), Luka Doncic ($12,200), Anthony Davis ($11,100), Domantas Sabonis ($10,400), Victor Wembanyama ($10,300), Jayson Tatum ($10,200) and LeBron James ($10,000).
Antetokounmpo has scored over 60 FD points in three of his last four games, although he'll be playing his third game in four nights Saturday.
Doncic is coming off having scored 73 points Friday night against the Hawks, a performance that netted 94.5 FD points. He did play 44 minutes and is on his third game in four nights Saturday, but he could be on the floor without Kyrie Irving again Saturday.
Assuming Davis is cleared to play Saturday, he'll be trying to eclipse 40 FD points for the seventh time in the last eight games.
Sabonis has now generated at least a double-double in 26 straight games, and he's scored at least 47.1 FD points in seven of the last eight contests, including five straight.
Wembanyama has scored between 48.4 and 56.4 FD points in four straight games and back-to-back double-doubles heading into a tough matchup against Rudy Gobert and the Timberwolves.
Tatum is set to log even higher usage than usual with Kristaps Porzingis likely out, a scenario in which the former averages 46.8 FD points per 36 minutes.
Assuming LeBron plays through his ankle issue, he'll look to build on the 48.8 FD points he posted against the Bulls on Thursday while facing a Warriors team that should present a favorable matchup.
Expected Chalk
Other likely chalk plays include:
LaMelo Ball, CHA ($9,700)
Ball has been under 40 FD points in his last two games, but his ceiling and name value should still keep him popular Saturday.
Kawhi Leonard, LAC ($9,300)
Kawhi scored 60.2 FD points two games ago and will be playing in what could be the marquee game of the night against the Celtics, which should help keep him highly rostered at his salary.
Anthony Edwards, MIN ($9,200)
Edwards has scored over 40 FD points in four of the last seven games, and he'll draw a favorable matchup against a defensively deficient Spurs team.
De'Aaron Fox, SAC ($9,100)
Fox carries a ceiling well north of 5x his salary, and he could be facing a fatigued Luka Doncic frequently Saturday.
Stephen Curry, GSW ($8,900)
Curry should be an integral part of a marquee and likely wire-to-wire battle against the Lakers, and he's coming off having scored 44.2 to 48.5 FD points in three of his last four games.
Key Values
Malik Monk, SAC at DAL ($6,000)
There's always a slight element of risk when rostering Monk, but he's been more consistent than ever this season and he's just one game removed from a seven-game stretch where he'd averaged 33.5 FD points. The veteran guard is set up well for one of his better performances against a Mavs team that just played in a track meet of an interconference clash against the Hawks on Friday night, and that's allowed the 11th-highest offensive efficiency rating to two-guards (23.9) while also giving up an NBA-high 48.4 FD points per game to the position in the last 15 games. Moreover, Dallas is also conceding the sixth-highest offensive efficiency rating to second-unit players (45.6), along with 47.9 percent shooting in that split.
Mike Conley, MIN at SAN ($5,900)
Conley's production unsurprisingly fluctuates while sharing the floor with multiple high-usage options, but he's averaged 27 FD points over the last seven contests while shooting 38.1 percent from three-point range in that span. The Spurs already gave up a tally of 36.8 FD points across 33 minutes to Conley this season, and San Antonio also checks in allowing an NBA-high 31.8 offensive efficiency rating to point guards, along with 41.4 percent three-point shooting to the position. San Antonio is also conceding 53.4 FD points per contest to ones in the last 30 games, brightening Conley's outlook further.
Jarred Vanderbilt, LAL at GSW ($5,300)
Anthony Davis and LeBron James are both likelier than not to play through their questionable tags Saturday, but Vanderbilt remains a viable option at his salary irrespective of his teammates' status. The veteran big man has been a consistent contributor off the bench, and he's put up 24.1 FD points per contest in the last six games while averaging 9.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 2.0 steals across 22.7 minutes per contest. Vanderbilt has scored over 21 FD points on seven occasions overall in 25 games, and he faces a Warriors team that's allowed the eighth-highest offensive efficiency rating to power forwards (29.2), along with 52.1 percent shooting, including 39.4 percent from distance. Golden State is also allowing the fourth-most FD points per game to the position in the last 15 games (52.5), adding to Vanderbilt's appeal.
