This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
We're set for a bigger-than-usual Saturday night slate, as nine games are on tap. We thankfully don't have a very extensive injury report, which leaves us a robust player pool, but there are a couple of blowout concerns interspersed among a host of other games that project to be very competitive.
Slate Overview
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Listed spreads/totals are from FanDuel Sportsbook and current as of Saturday, 10/26 @11:00 a.m. ET:
Cleveland Cavaliers (-9.5) at Washington Wizards(O/U: 229.0)
Boston Celtics (-14) at Detroit Pistons (O/U: 225.5)
Miami Heat (-5.5) at Charlotte Hornets (O/U: 224.0)
Toronto Raptors at Minnesota Timberwolves (-14.5) (O/U: 218.5)
Oklahoma City Thunder (-10) at Chicago Bulls (O/U: 231.5)
Orlando Magic at Memphis Grizzlies (-1) (O/U: 223.0)
Houston Rockets (-1.5) at San Antonio Spurs (O/U: 222.0)
Dallas Mavericks (-2.5) at Phoenix Suns (O/U: 231.0)
Sacramento at Los Angeles Lakers (-1) (O/U: 229.5)
As just alluded to, we're looking at a mixed bag of a slate in terms of betting numbers. With four double-digit spreads and one that falls just short of that mark, we're certainly going to incur a bit of a risk of limited minutes with some of the biggest stars on those big favorites in particular. At the same time, we do have three sub two-point lines and one that's just above it, so it's truly shaping up as a night of extremes.
Projected totals aren't especially remarkable, as there are only two of 230 points. However with another pair just under that threshold, we do have a fair amount of offense projected for the slate as a whole.
Injury Situations to Monitor
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Immanuel Quickley, TOR (pelvis): OUT
In Quickley's ongoing absence, Davion Mitchell is likely to enjoy an expanded role.
Jaren Jackson, MEM (hamstring): GTD
If Jackson remains out Saturday, Santi Aldama is likely to handle the bulk of starting power forward duties.
RJ Barrett, TOR (shoulder): GTD
If Barrett misses another game, Ochai Agbaji is likely to remain in the starting five at small forward.
Brandon Miller, CHA (hip): OUT
In Miller's absence, Seth Curry could draw another start at shooting guard.
Other notable injuries:
Kelly Olynyk, TOR (back): OUT
Sam Hauser, BOS (back): OUT
Tre Jones, SAN (ankle): OUT
Kevin Love, MIA (personal): OUT
Mark Williams, CHA (foot): GTD
Jonathan Isaac, ORL (hip): GTD
Steven Adams, HOU (calf/knee): GTD
Lonzo Ball, CHI (knee): GTD
Grayson Allen, PHO (personal/Achilles): GTD
Elite Players
We have five players with five-figure salaries on Saturday's slate – Luka Doncic ($11,800), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ($11,400), Victor Wembanyama ($11,200), Anthony Davis ($10,700) and Jayson Tatum ($10,200).
Doncic got his season started with 54 FD points across 36 minutes against the Spurs on Thursday, and despite talk of more managed minutes, still logged a robust workload. The spread for the Mavs-Suns game is also one of the narrowest of the night, so playing time shouldn't be a concern in this spot either.
Gilgeous-Alexander was in midseason form right out of the gate Thursday, posting 61.4 FD points across 36 minutes in his season debut against the Nuggets. OKC is a 10-point favorite Saturday night, however, so minutes could be more abbreviated if the game isn't competitive.
Wembanyama had a relatively modest-by-his-standards 28.3 FD points in the opener against the Mavericks, but that came over just 28 minutes and only included one block.
Davis has been spectacular over his first two games, recording 72.2 and 58.6 FD points while putting up scoring numbers reminiscent of his Pelicans heyday (35.5 PPG) and multiple blocks in each contest. The Lakers are also just one-point favorites Saturday, removing some of the concerns about potentially limited minutes.
Tatum, on the other hand, sees his Celtics as 14-point favorites, so despite his excellent play over the first two games (55.5 FD points per game), there could be a chance he doesn't quite approximate the same numbers Saturday.
Expected Chalk
Other likely chalk plays include:
LaMelo Ball, CHA ($9,900)
Ball appears to be healthy and has scored 64.1 and 42 FD points in his first two games, with the second figure coming Friday despite the fact he fouled out after just 29 minutes.
Domantas Sabonis, SAC ($9,700)
Sabonis was his usual self in the Kings' opener with 40.1 FD points and put up a solid 13 shot attempts despite the presence of offseason arrival DeMar DeRozan.
LeBron James, LAL ($9,600)
LeBron has played a clear second fiddle to Anthony Davis thus far but has still posted 32 and 35.8 FD points across a pair of 34-minute stints.
Paolo Banchero, ORL ($9,300)
Banchero scored 56.7 and 38.7 FD points in his first two games and should remain very popular at his salary in a game against the Grizzlies that only carries a one-point spread.
Anthony Edwards, MIN ($9,200)
Edwards has opened the new season with tallies of 34.7 and 46.4 FD points while already taking 49 shots, the type of aggressiveness that could make him a very good value at his salary.
Key Values
Naz Reid, MIN vs. TOR ($5,600)
Reid enjoyed a breakout season last year, and after a relatively quiet opener against the Lakers, he put together a performance reminiscent of a season ago with a 19-point, 13-rebound double-double against the Kings on Thursday. Those numbers helped yield 37.1 FD points, marking the 28th time since the start of last season that Reid eclipsed 30 FD points. The upside is certainly there at his salary, and with the Timberwolves big favorites Saturday, the reserve big man could see a solid workload against a Raptors squad that's allowed 61.2 percent shooting, including 52.6 percent from three-point range, to second-unit players through two games.
Tre Mann, CHA vs. MIA ($5,400)
Mann looks set to be a force off the bench for the Hornets this season if the first two games are any indication. With Brandon Miller's absence due to a hip injury helping Mann's cause, the fourth-year guard has posted tallies of 32.7 and 26.6 FD points across 27 minutes over his first two games. Miller is expected to remain out Saturday, and Mann, who's shooting 40.0 percent from behind the arc in his first pair of contests, should therefore be in line for another robust allotment of second-unit minutes. Mann's shooting can be inefficient, but at his salary and in his expected role, he doesn't carry an inordinate amount of risk.
Nikola Jovic, MIA at CHA ($5,300)
Jovic is an interesting consideration on the other side of the Heat-Hornets battle after totaling 27.5 FD points across 24 minutes during the Heat's opener against the Magic while filling his new starting power forward role. The third-year big encouragingly took seven three-point attempts in that contest, and although he only drained one, it's a reminder of the floor-spacing capability and role Jovic is expected to have this season. The Hornets have had trouble defending frontcourt players in recent seasons and Jovic has a ceiling well north of 30 FD points, making him a value option for either cash games or tournaments Saturday.
ALSO CONSIDER: Julian Champagnie, SAN vs. HOU ($5,000); Chris Boucher, TOR at MIN ($4,600)
