This article is part of our DraftKings NBA series.
Saturday evening is the calm before the storm, so to speak, as Sunday will see every team in the league take the floor. Conversely, we have just three games on tap Saturday night, but fortunately for DFS purposes, three of the six teams on the floor do have something to play for in terms of postseason positioning.
Slate Overview
New Orleans Pelicans at Memphis Grizzlies (-5.5) (O/U: 232.5 points)
Golden State Warriors (-6.5) at San Antonio Spurs (O/U: 219.5)
Sacramento Kings at Los Angeles Clippers (-11.5) (O/U: 225.5 points)
The spreads don't portend a particularly competitive night Saturday, but as is often the case at this point in the season, there could be some unpredictable results. In terms of incentive, the No. 9-seeded Pelicans need to keep winning to avoid any kind of tie with the No. 10-ranked Spurs at the end of the regular season, as San Antonio owns the head-to-head tiebreaker. If the two teams finished with identical records, they'd swap places in the standings.
Meanwhile, the Warriors will also need to keep winning if they want to ensure holding on to the No. 3 seed. However, Golden State will be sitting Klay Thompson out Saturday night for injury management purposes, but fortunately for them, the Spurs will be sitting several starters out as well.
Injury Situations to Monitor
NOTE: Injury reporting is especially fluid in the NBA, where the status of multiple players can change during the course of a day. Therefore, although the following serves as a foundation for the latest injury report as of the time the article is written, check back throughout the course of the day with RotoWire for the latest news regarding the status of all players on that night's slate, including those carrying injury designations that aren't listed in this section.
Dejounte Murray, SAN (illness): OUT
In Murray's ongoing absence, Tre Jones should get another start at point guard.
Ja Morant, MEM (knee): QUESTIONABLE
If Morant is able to return Saturday, Tyus Jones will return to the bench.
Stephen Curry, GSW (foot): OUT
Jordan Poole will draw another start at point guard in Curry's ongoing absence.
De'Aaron Fox, SAC (hand): OUT
In Fox's continuing absence, Davion Mitchell will continue starting at point guard.
Brandon Ingram, NOP (hamstring): QUESTIONABLE
If Ingram returns to action Saturday, Devonte' Graham would likely return to a bench role.
Klay Thompson, GSW (rest): OUT
In Thompson's absence, Gary Payton is likely to draw a start at shooting guard.
Other notable injuries:
Domantas Sabonis, SAC (knee): OUT
Zion Williamson, NOP (foot): OUT
Keldon Johnson, SAN (knee): OUT
Jakob Poeltl, SAN (back): OUT
Devin Vassell, SAN (heel): OUT
Elite Players
There are no healthy players with five-figure salaries that will suit up on Saturday's slate. Of those players with salaries in the high five figures that are healthy, Paul George ($9,300), CJ McCollum ($8,200) and Jordan Poole ($8,000) are three that are capable offering elite production.
George has been impressive in his first four games back in action, averaging 44.8 DK points while shooting 48.4 percent from behind the arc. He's also averaged 42.8 DK points in two games against Sacramento this season.
McCollum has averaged 51.0 DK points in three games against the Grizzlies this season while shooting 49.3 percent. McCollum has also scored at least 43 DK points in three of the last four games, but his usage could take a bit of a hit if Brandon Ingram returns from his hamstring injury.
Poole should be in an even better spot than usual with Klay Thompson sitting out Saturday, and he comes in having scored 43.5 to 64.3 DK points in three of his past four games. He's also averaged 38.2 DK points in three games against the Spurs this season while shooting 48.1 percent.
Expected Chalk
Other likely chalk plays include:
Jonas Valanciunas, NOP ($7,900)
Quality centers are always popular on small slates, but there's at least some concern with the fact he's only played 22 minutes apiece in the last two games while working through an ankle injury.
Davion Mitchell, SAC ($7,000)
Mitchell has scored 38.3 DK points or more in six of his last eight games and has shot 47.1 percent, including 50.0 percent from three-point range, against the Clippers in two previous games.
Key Values
Tre Jones, SAN vs. GSW ($5,400)
Jones will get another run as the starting point guard Saturday and comes in averaging 13.8 points, 8.5 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 1.3 steals across his last four games while running with the first unit. Jones has put up 30.8 to 40.3 DK points in those games, excellent returns on his current salaries. Jones will face a short-handed Warriors backcourt Saturday as well, and Golden State is allowing 51.9 DK points per game to point guards in the last seven.
Norman Powell, LAC vs. SAC ($5,300)
Powell returned from an extended absence due to a foot injury on Wednesday against the Suns, scoring 32.0 DK points while going 6-for-10 from the field. Without any appreciable signs of rust, Powell becomes an intriguing play at his salary Saturday against a Kings team that's allowed the most DK points per game to shooting guards in the last 15 (49.7). Sacramento is also yielding Western Conference-high 37.1 percent three-point shooting this season, while Powell has shot 46.2 percent from behind the arc in two prior games against the Kings.
Ivica Zubac, LAC vs. SAC ($5,000)
Zubac has averaged 27.8 DK points in three games against the Kings this season, and Sacramento has been a sieve against big men all season. The Kings are allowing the second-highest offensive efficiency to centers (35.4 percent), along with the third-most DK points per game to the position (58.4). Sacramento is also giving up the fifth-highest offensive efficiency (60.6 percent) and an NBA-high 53.2 points in the paint on the road, while Zubac is scoring 77.3 percent of his points in that part of the floor this season.
ALSO CONSIDER: Damian Jones, SAC at LAC ($5,900); Gary Payton, GSW at SAN ($3,700)
