This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
After our first big slate of the season Wednesday, we're back down to a four-game ledger Thursday. It's still Opening Night for some teams, as the Wizards, Spurs, Mavericks, Kings, Thunder and Nuggets will all be playing their first regular-season games.
Slate Overview
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Listed spreads/totals are from FanDuel Sportsbook and current as of Wednesday, 10/23 @11:00 p.m. ET:
Boston Celtics (-13) at Washington Wizards (O/U: 232.5)
San Antonio Spurs at Dallas Mavericks (-7.5) (O/U: 229.5)
Minnesota Timberwolves (-1.5) at Sacramento Kings (O/U: 225.5)
Oklahoma City Thunder at Denver Nuggets (-2.5) (O/U: 226.0)
In terms of spreads, the slate is truly a mixed bag, with the Celtics expected to run away with another victory after a jaw-dropping Opening Night effort versus the Knicks. The defending Western Conference champion Mavericks are also unsurprisingly solid favorites over the Spurs, while the Kings are just slight home underdogs as DeMar DeRozan makes his team debut. The Thunder-Nuggets clash could turn out to be the game of the night, given the stars on both sides.
All four projected totals profile well for DFS purposes, although the game with the highest of the night, the Celtics-Wizards battle, is expected to be a blowout.
Injury Situations to Monitor
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Devin Vassell, SAN (foot): OUT
In Vassell's absence, rookie fourth overall pick Stephon Castle is likely to draw the start at shooting guard.
Isaiah Hartenstein, OKC (hand): OUT
In Hartenstein's season-opening absence and that of multiple others in the frontcourt, Ousmane Dieng could serve as Chet Holmgren's primary backup.
Malcolm Brogdon, WAS (thumb): OUT
In Brogdon's absence, Carlton Carrington is likely to serve as the primary backup point guard behind Jordan Poole.
Other notable injuries:
Jaylin Williams (hamstring): OUT
Kristaps Porzingis, BOS (foot): OUT
Kenrich Williams, NOP (knee): OUT
Saddiq Bey, WAS (knee): OUT
Sam Hauser, BOS (back): QUESTIONABLE
Elite Players
We have five players with a five-figure salary on Thursday's slate – Luka Doncic ($11,900), Nikola Jokic ($11,700), Victor Wembanyama ($11,500), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ($11,300) and Jayson Tatum ($10,100).
Doncic should once again be the linchpin of the Mavs' attack this season, although the addition of Klay Thompson could lead to a slight hit to his overall usage on some nights.
Jokic should be primed for another MVP-caliber campaign after averaging 58.7 FD points per contest last season and postseason and will be in line to spearhead the Nuggets' offensive efforts.
Wembanyama lived up to the hype as a rookie and could be ready for a breakout second season, and he had two games with over 45 FD points against the Mavericks last season.
SGA will once again lead the Thunder's charge this season, and he could be slated for at least a slight bump in usage following the trade of one-time backcourt mate Josh Giddey this offseason.
Tatum led the Celtics' jaw-dropping three-point fest against the Knicks on Opening Night, getting his season off to a fantastic start by racking up 61.8 FD points across 30 minutes on 14-for-18 shooting, including 8-for-11 from three-point range.
Expected Chalk
Other likely chalk plays include:
Domantas Sabonis, SAC ($9,800)
Sabonis averaged 49.4 FD points per game last season/postseason and should benefit from the defensive attention that new addition DeMar DeRozan should receive.
De'Aaron Fox, SAC ($9,400)
Fox averaged 45.4 FD points per contest last season and had one tally of 63.4 FD points against Minnesota.
Anthony Edwards, MIN ($9,200)
Edwards opened the season with a 27-point effort against the Lakers that netted 34.7 FD points across 41 minutes.
Jaylen Brown, BOS ($8,200)
Brown was part of the Celtics' three-point barrage against the Knicks on Tuesday and recorded 34.9 FD points across just 29 minutes.
Kyrie Irving, DAL ($8,100)
Kyrie proved he was a good fit alongside Luka Doncic last season and could benefit from the presence of new arrival Klay Thompson, who has the potential to draw defensive attention if he quickly settles into his new team.
Key Values
Corey Kispert, WAS vs. BOS ($5,800)
Kispert earned himself a $54 million extension this offseason by putting together an impressive 2023-24 campaign during which he averaged a career-high 13.4 points and shot a crisp 48.6 percent overall. The 2021 first-round pick scored over 30 FD points on 13 occasions, with his season high of 46.2 coming against these same Celtics. Kispert shot a blistering 52.3 percent at home as well, and although Boston is certainly far from an appealing defensive matchup, Washington figures to remain highly aggressive Thursday considering what the defending champions just did on Opening Night to the Knicks.
P.J. Washington, DAL vs. SAN ($5,600)
It's a small slate, and Washington is the first of two Mavericks that I think can deliver strong returns on investment. Washington averaged 26.5 FD points per contest last season and postseason, and he recorded at least 30 FD points on 31 occasions. Washington flashed a ceiling north of 50 FD points in multiple games, and San Antonio surrendered 49.7 percent shooting to power forwards last season, along with 47.1 FD points per contest to the position.
Spencer Dinwiddie, DAL vs. SAN ($4,400)
Dinwiddie is back for his third stint with the Mavericks, and he's already proven a very good fit in Jason Kidd's system on the two previous occasions he spent time in Big D. Moreover, the veteran guard has experience playing alongside both Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, the latter who he was teammates with on the Nets. Dinwiddie should have a key role off the bench for Dallas to open the season, and the Spurs finished last season allowing the fifth-highest offensive efficiency rating allowed to second-unit players (45.0), along with 47.2 percent shooting in that split.
ALSO CONSIDER: Keldon Johnson, SAN at DAL ($6,000); Malik Monk, SAC vs. MIN ($5,700)
