This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
FanDuel has a hefty 12-game slate that kicks off at 7:00 p.m. ET. Let's get started with a dive into the Vegas numbers.
Slate Overview
Charlotte Hornets (-4) vs. Philadelphia 76ers O/U: 214
Cleveland Cavaliers (-8.5) vs. Portland Trail Blazers O/U: 217
Minnesota Timberwolves (-1) @ Indiana Pacers O/U: 234.5
Boston Celtics (-4) vs. Dallas Mavericks O/U: 218.5
Miami Heat (-2) vs. Washington Wizards O/U: 211.5
Toronto Raptors (-1.5) vs. Brooklyn Nets O/U: 221.5
Atlanta Hawks (-5.5) vs. Sacramento Kings O/U: 239.5
Denver Nuggets (-2) @ Oklahoma City Thunder O/U: 229
Milwaukee Bucks (-7) vs. Chicago Bulls O/U: 219
New Orleans Pelicans (-7) @ San Antonio Spurs O/U: 232.5
Utah Jazz (-11.5) vs. Detroit Pistons O/U: 229
Golden State Warriors (-7.5) vs. Los Angeles Clippers O/U: 222.5
Right off the bat, we're looking at the Hawks and Kings, and I encourage you to dive into these teams and look for value that we didn't mention. I echo that sentiment with the Timberwolves and Pacers. We grabbed exposure with nearly every game except the Nuggets-Thunder matchup, as salaries didn't seem to correspond well -- putting up an elite in that game is about the only worthy play. I also think the Clippers-Warriors total is a little low, and DFS players should be able to find good value there.
Injuries
***NOTE - This is a list of recent and noteworthy injuries and not a complete list. Use your best judgment for ongoing and less-prominent injury scenarios.
PHI Joel Embiid (foot) - OUT
PHI James Harden (foot) - OUT
PHI Tyrese Maxey (foot) - OUT
The trio of foot injuries is likely why Vegas likes Charlotte in this matchup. Shake Milton ($6,000) and De'Anthony Melton ($7,400) have held up the backcourt, and you'll probably see Montrezl Harrell ($4,900) start in Embiid's place.
CHA LaMelo Ball (ankle) - OUT
Unlike Philadelphia, the Hornets are used to Ball being sidelined, and they should get a strong performance out of Terry Rozier ($7,700), and if Dennis Smith ($6,000) is ready to play, he'll contribute as well.
CLE Caris LeVert (ankle) - OUT
CLE Kevin Love (thumb) - QUESTIONABLE
Dean Wade ($3,500) is probable, so I would give him a go, and Cedi Osman ($3,800) remains a good low-cost pivot.
DAL Spencer Dinwiddie (shoulder) - QUESTIONABLE
Dinwiddie represents a good chunk of Dallas' production, so it would be an unfortunate absence as a road dog against the Celtics. Tim Hardaway ($4,800) is usually rock solid as a multi-position replacement for missed output, so I like him best in this spot.
BOS Jayson Tatum (ankle) - QUESTIONABLE
Tatum is a huge questionable tag to monitor. If he misses, you have to expect Jaylen Brown ($8,500) to take over the game. I'd focus on Brown over any spot replacements that might arise if Tatum is a scratch.
WAS Bradley Beal (quad) - QUESTIONABLE
We've seen the production of pivots here recently, and I don't like the options. I like what Deni Avdija ($4,400) has been up to in this scenario, so give him a bit more love.
MIA Jimmy Butler (knee) - OUT
MIA Max Strus (shoulder) - QUESTIONABLE
MIA Tyler Herro (ankle) - QUESTIONABLE
MIA Gabe Vincent (knee) - QUESTIONABLE
What's most notable is Herro's upgrade, so if he returns, I'm inclined to use him. I'm not crazy about this game, but aside from Herro, Caleb Martin ($5,400) is relevant if Strus misses, and though it pains me to say it, Kyle Lowry ($7,400), although expensive, has been pretty consistent over the past week.
BKN Kyrie Irving ($8,700) is back. Do with that what you will.
TOR Pascal Siakam (groin) - OUT
TOR Scottie Barnes (knee) - QUESTIONABLE
Barnes could be back, and otherwise, it's business as usual for the Raptors. I wouldn't tinker too much here.
SAS Jakob Poeltl (knee) - QUESTIONABLE
If Poeltl misses, the newly re-activated Zach Collins ($4,500) may get his chance Wednesday night.
DET Cade Cunningham (leg) - OUT
DET Isaiah Stewart (toe) - OUT
DET Saddiq Bey (ankle) - OUT
Killian Hayes ($5,600), Marvin Bagley ($5,000) and Alec Burks ($4,600) are my favorite pivots on Detroit's injury-riddled roster.
UTA Mike Conley (leg) - OUT
We were all over Collin Sexton ($4,700) on Monday, and I think almost everyone in the public was shocked that he didn't play better. Although I salvaged some cash lineups, my high exposure to him hurt me. It was Jordan Clarkson ($6,300) who took over, and although I won't give up on Sexton completely, you have to amp up some exposure to Clarkson.
Elite Players
As usual, Luka Doncic ($12,000) and Giannis Antetokounmpo ($11,800) are smash spots nightly, although I may keep my exposure down for Doncic, who may be without Dinwiddie against a very tough Boston defense. Another five-figure talent worth considering is Kevin Durant ($10,800). He's got dual eligibility and a superior mismatch against the Raptors. Kyrie Irving's return is allowing Durant to do his thing.
I think Vegas is spot on with the lofty projected total, so I'm going to give a blanket endorsement to several top talents on the Hawks and Kings, with Trae Young ($9,900) and De'Aaron Fox ($9,700) leading the way. Dive deep into these rosters, and it's hard to go wrong. Vegas is also awarding a high total to the Timberwolves-Pacers game, so I like Tyrese Haliburton ($9,400) and Karl-Anthony Towns ($9,000) in the 9k range.
There's no need to reiterate Jaylen Brown's ($8,500) value if Tatum is out, but there is one grouping in the 8k range that deserves scrutiny. The trio of Brandon Ingram ($8,100), Zion Williamson ($8,100) and CJ McCollum ($8,000) are bunched together and appear to have a great matchup against the Spurs, who may be without Jakob Poeltl in the paint. The Over/Under here is also pretty high, and I will probably utilize at least one of these players in every lineup.
Expected Chalk and Other Targets
Anthony Edwards, MIN ($7,700) @ IND
Edwards is the album to my broken record player this season, as I rarely keep him off the board, but I think his utilization could be especially potent in Wednesday's fast-paced affair. It's been quite some time since Edwards has played the Pacers, but they are as weak as they've ever been out at the wing positions, and as we all know, Edwards is a hybrid who won't sit over at the corner like other swing men. We could see some highlight reel-worthy stuff from Edwards tonight.
Kyle Kuzma, WAS ($7,600) @ MIA
I'd like to see Kuzma just a little cheaper, but he pretty much matched 5x value at this salary when he put up 21 points and eight rebounds against Miami a few days ago. Miami is hurting at various positions, and only a return from Tyler Herro would temper my endorsement for Kuzma.
Zach LaVine, CHI ($6,900) @ MIL
The Bulls will have to play LaVine for maximum minutes, and that's critical for him. His monstrous shot volume tends to weather a bad night of shooting, and when LaVine heaves up over 20 shots a game, he's going to get you into the 30-FDFP range more often than not. Add in some decent secondary numbers, and he could crush value with 40 FDFP if he can gain traction against the Bucks.
Gordon Hayward, CHA ($6,400) vs. PHI
Hayward is definitely worth a conversation at this salary. He's put up FDFP totals of 36 and 30 in his first two games back in action, and he did so with very little effort. One should expect Hayward to keep trending up as he gets closer to 100 percent, and while Ball is out, every Hornet needs to pitch in a bit more.
Also consider: Andrew Wiggins, GSW ($6,500) vs. LAC, Clint Capela, ATL ($6,500) vs. SAC
Value Plays
You'll want to revisit the injury section to find impeccable value on this slate, but we'll identify a few more budget calls that slipped through the cracks. From the injury section, Deni Avdija is my favorite value.
Kelly Olynyk, UTA ($5,300) vs. DET
I always enjoy going beyond the numbers. Could this be a bit of a revenge scenario for Olynyk? He had a fairly unspectacular tenure there, and he may want to put the hurt on them while they are hurting at almost every position. Judging from who's healthy, Marvin Bagley and Jalen Duren may be the only guys equipped to stop him.
Marcus Morris, LAC ($4,900) @ GSW
Morris checks all the boxes for me, and at this salary, I think he's easily one of the best plays on the slate. He's consistently chalk when Kawhi Leonard takes a seat, and with Leonard out against the Warriors, I expect a big night. The Warriors have not impressed defensively this season, and despite an off night against Utah, Morris has been filling up the stat sheet in a myriad of ways. FDFP totals in the mid-20s are quite doable for Morris, and all he needs is a little above 25 FDFP to meet 5x value, which is our usual target when hunting for the 300 score. Norman Powell ($5,100) is another guy who's impossible to ignore.
On such an enormous slate, it isn't easy to get specific with everyone, but here are some values below 5k if you need additional salary cap relief.
PF Jarred Vanderbilt, UTA ($4,800) vs. DET
SG Shaedon Sharpe, POR ($4,700) @ CLE
PF P.J. Tucker, PHI ($4,600) @ CHA
