This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
We're set for a four-game all-day Saturday playoff slate, one that will be especially intriguing considering the number of star players that are carrying injury tags or have already been ruled out. The fact there are eight teams in action does help keep the player pool robust, but the entire dynamic of the lineup-building process is naturally affected by the health questions.
Slate Overview
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Given there are two prominent stars in Giannis Antetokounmpo and Ja Morant with questionable tags, the lines attached to their games could be subject to change.
As of late Friday night, there is no spread larger than the 7.5 points the Suns are favored by, which is a byproduct of Kawhi Leonard's second consecutive confirmed absence. The other three contests carry spreads of 4.5 points or less, which portends a competitive slate overall.
There's one outlier in terms of projected totals, as the 76ers-Nets clash carries a very modest figure of 208.5 points. The three other contests clock in over 220 points.
Injury Situations to Monitor
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Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL (back): QUESTIONABLE
If Antetokounmpo is ruled out for a second straight game, Jrue Holiday, Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez, who combined for 65 points in Game 2, would have a chance to be the primary beneficiaries. Bobby Portis, who generated a 13-point, 15-rebound double-double in Game 2, would likely draw another start.
Ja Morant, MEM (hand): QUESTIONABLE
If Morant sits out a second straight game, Tyus Jones would be in line for another start at point guard.
Joel Embiid, PHI (knee): OUT
Kawhi Leonard, LAC (knee): OUT
Other notable injuries:
Paul George, LAC (knee): OUT
Anthony Davis, LAL (foot): PROBABLE
LeBron James, LAL (foot): PROBABLE
Dennis Schroder, LAL (Achilles): PROBABLE
Kyle Lowry, MIA (knee): QUESTIONABLE
Elite Players
We have six players with five-figure salaries that have a chance to play on Saturday's slate – Giannis Antetokounmpo ($12,000), Anthony Davis ($11,800), LeBron James ($11,000), Ja Morant ($10,400), Devin Booker ($10,300) and Kevin Durant ($10,000).
If Antetokounmpo can overcome his questionable tag, he'll look to play his first full postseason game against a Heat team that he averaged an efficient 19.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and 7.5 assists across just 21 minutes in two regular-season contests.
Davis is fully expected to play through his probable tag and will be looking to bounce back from his drop in production in Game 2, even though he still found his way to 41.3 FD points in that contest.
James was the star of Game 2 for the Lakers with 51.9 FD points on the strength of a 28-point, 12-rebound double-double, and he's exceeded 50 FD points in four straight overall.
Morant will have to overcome his questionable tag, and it's worth noting he posted only 28.2 FD points in 30 minutes in Game 1 and could have his shooting affected by his ailing hand if he does try to push through.
Booker went off for a whopping 71.7 FD points on the strength of a 45-point effort in Game 3, and he's played no fewer than 43 minutes in any of the first three games. With Leonard out again for the Clippers, Booker should have a much more palatable path to production.
Durant scored 42.7 FD points in Game 3, a total preceded by 43.7 and 62.3 FD points in the first two games of the series.
Expected Chalk
Other likely chalk plays include:
Russell Westbrook, LAC ($9,900)
Westbrook will again take the floor without Leonard, a circumstance in which he scored 63.6 FD points across 39 minutes in Game 2.
Jimmy Butler, MIA ($9,700)
Butler dipped to 38.1 FD points in Game 2, but that came across just 28 minutes. Given that efficiency and the 63.5 he tallied in Game 1, he should be in plenty of lineups Saturday.
Jrue Holiday, MIL ($9,200)
Holiday may take the floor without Antetokounmpo again in Game 3, a scenario in which he generated 46.5 FD points in Game 2. Holiday also produced 50.1 FD points in Game 1, and he sees a team-high +5.7% usage bump when Antetokounmpo is off the floor.
Jaren Jackson, MEM ($9,000)
Jackson has produced 51 and 43.3 FD points in the first two games of the series and will be even more popular if Morant is out again, as Jackson sports a 29.4 percent usage rate and averages 51.8 FD points per 36 minutes without his star teammate on the floor.
James Harden, PHI ($8,700)
Harden boasts a 31.7 percent usage rate and averages 49.3 FD points per 36 minutes without Embiid on the floor, which should help keep him very popular Saturday.
Key Values
Norman Powell, LAC vs. PHO ($7,000)
Powell was the biggest beneficiary of Kawhi Leonard's Game 3 absence, exploding for 51.5 FD points across 40 minutes on the strength of a blistering hot shooting night. Powell went 15-for-23 from the floor, including 7-for-12 from behind the arc, and he should be in prime position for a massive usage rate again in Game 3. Powell also had tallies of 27.6 and 39.3 FD points in two other starts during the regular season, and if he carries over even some of the momentum into Game 4, he once again delivers a handsome return.
Tobias Harris, PHI at BKN ($6,600)
Harris has been very productive over the first three games of the series, averaging 32.7 FD points per contest while shooting 56.1 percent, including 60.0 percent from three-point range. The veteran forward now will have a chance to take the floor without Embiid, a scenario in which he averages 37.3 FD points per 36 minutes. The Nets have been highly susceptible to small forwards as well, allowing the fifth-highest offensive efficiency rating to threes (23.8) since the beginning of the regular season.
Cameron Johnson, BKN vs. PHI ($6,100)
Johnson has also delivered nicely for his squad in the Nets-76ers series, averaging 31.7 FD points across the first three games while shooting 57.1 percent, including 50.0 percent from three-point range. He's scored 42.3 and 29 FD points in his last two games specifically, and he'll now face a 76ers squad without Embiid down low. Johnson has taken an aggressive 7.3 three-point attempts per contest in the series so far, and with this being a win-or-go-home game for Brooklyn, Johnson should maintain a similar level of aggression.
ALSO CONSIDER: Austin Reaves, LAL vs. MEM ($5,700); Xavier Tillman, MEM at LAL ($5,500); Torrey Craig, PHO at LAC ($5,300); P.J. Tucker, PHI at BKN ($4,100); Paul Reed, PHI at BKN ($3,700)
