This article is part of our DraftKings NBA series.
Just as football slows down, we head into a nice seven-game NBA main slate. Be sure to get lineups in with the slate starting earlier at 6 p.m. EST.
Slate Overview
Milwaukee Bucks (-3) vs. Washington Wizards (o/u 223)
Indiana Pacers vs. Sacramento Kings
Cleveland Cavaliers vs. New York Knicks (-7) (o/u 209.5)
Utah Jazz vs. Orlando Magic
San Antonio Spurs (-4) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (o/u 210.5)
Houston Rockets vs. Golden State Warriors (-13) (o/u 220.5)
Charlotte Hornets vs. Los Angeles Clippers (-5) (o/u 222.5)
With the lines available, the three games to target heavily are the Bucks-Wizards, Rockets-Warriors, and Hornets-Clippers. Zeroing in a bit more, the Bucks-Wizards and Hornets-Clippers contests stand out based on the higher probability of it being close and stars getting their minutes pushed further.
Of the games where lines are currently unavailable, Utah-Orlando projects to be slower-paced. There is one spot to target in Orlando particularly - we'll get there momentarily - but this isn't an overly exciting matchup to focus on. Indiana-Sacramento figures to carry average pace, and both teams are well below-average in defensive rating.
Injury Situations to Monitor
NOTE: Injury reporting is especially fluid in the NBA, where the status of multiple players can change during a day. Therefore, although the following is a foundation for the latest injury report as of the time the article is written, check back throughout the day with RotoWire for the latest news regarding the status of all players on that night's slate.
Brook Lopez, MIL (back)/Status: OUT
Lopez has already been ruled out, which should keep Bobby Portis in line for a strong role. He's at $4,600 and that should be decent value, but not necessarily a must-play option given how the slate develops the rest of the day.
Grayson Allen, MIL (illness)/Status: QUESTIONABLE
Allen has been the starter throughout the season with Donte DiVincenzo sidelined. If he can't go, a lot of minutes figure to open up on the wing with Khris Middleton also likely out. Pat Connaughton would be in line for an increased role as would the likes of Rodney Hood and Jordan Nwora.
Davis Bertans, WAS (ankle)/Status: OUT
Bertans' absence locks in minutes for Kyle Kuzma and Deni Avdija. Avdija is fairly interesting given his $3,500 salary. He holds a miserably 49.4 TS%, but has a 14 percent usage rate and also rebounds the ball well.
Malcolm Brogdon, IND (illness)/Status: QUESTIONABLE
Brogdon has missed four of the team's last five, first with a hamstring injury and now the illness. If he's out again, T.J. McConnell would move into the starting lineup. He's increased to $5,300, but has posted 38.25 and 37.25 DK points in the last two Brogdon has missed.
Jeremy Lamb, IND (Ankle)/Status: QUESTIONABLE
Lamb has been absent for three consecutive contests. His return would considerably cramp the wing positions for the Pacers, with Justin Holiday and Chris Duarte those potentially losing time. It's also possible Lamb sees a diminished role.
Kevin Love and Lauri Markkanen, CLE (COVID-19)/Status: OUT
If both Love and Markkanen remain out, Cedi Osman should have the opportunity to continue for increased minutes and usage. Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen will play regardless of who is healthy, but they should have the opportunity to take on expanded offensive roles.
Cole Anthony, ORL (Ankle)/Status: QUESTIONABLE
Anthony has taken a big step forward in his second season. If he's unable to go, R.J. Hampton would become a strong value play.
Jakob Poeltl, SAS (COVID-19)/Status: OUT
Poeltl will likely miss his third consecutive game. Drew Eubanks hasn't taken advantage of his absence and is up to $4,400. That's a fair number, so there should be value elsewhere on the slate.
Andre Iguodala, GS (Hip)/Status: OUT
Iguodala has occupied about 17 minutes per game of late, and much of his court time could shift to the reasonably-valued Otto Porter.
P.J. Washington, CHA (Elbow)/Status: OUT and Mason Plumlee, CHA (Rib)/Status: PROBABLE
Plumlee should play, as suggested by his probable tag. Even in the absence of P.J. Washington, he's not a particularly inspiring option. If Plumlee is out, the rotation would be more interesting as the Hornets would be without any viable bigs. Jalen McDaniels could be the beneficiary of a small lineup and he's been able to score when given minutes this season.
Elite Players
Paul George, LAC ($10,400)
George is the building block on this slate for me. He's topped 50 DK points in five of eight and 60 on three occasions. The game environment should be strong for offense, and he checks in $1,000 lower than Giannis Antetokounmpo. The one thing to watch in George's profile is his high turnover total with 14 combined over his last two games, though he should have enough volume elsewhere to make up for any lost points.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL ($11,400)
If enough volume opens up throughout the day, it's possible to jam both Giannis and George into cash lineups. There's likely to be the narrative he'll have to take on a bigger offensive load given the team's injury-marred rotation, but that shouldn't carry as much weight with a star who will see exceptional usage regardless of who else is on the floor. It's a small sample but in 146.8 minutes that Giannis has been on the floor with Jrue Holiday but without Brook Lopez and Khris Middleton, he's posted 1.38 DK points per minute. For the season, he's averaged 1.72 DK points.
Bradley Beal, WAS ($9,200)
Aside from the potential offensive environment of this game, it's worth noting Beal's salary has dropped from $10,000 on Nov. 1 to tonight's figure. He's coming off a few down games, but the Bucks haven't been particularly imposing defensively early this year with a 107.5 defensive rating. Beal could see some decreased coverage as a result of his recent slump and provides a nice pivot in GPP contests.
Expected Chalk
Both George and Giannis are likely to be very popular, particularly in cash games. One other premium option is likely to be chalky:
Stephen Curry, GSW ($10,700)
Curry has cooled off considerably in his last three games and has topped 42 DK points just once over his last five. Even so, the Rockets and Warriors are both top-5 in the NBA in pace, so he'll likely project well and get rostered plenty.
Other chalky players are more likely to come in the lower salary tiers and include:
R.J. Hampton – see Value Plays for analysis
Otto Porter- see Value Plays for analysis
Value Plays
Davion Mitchell, SAC ($4,400)
Mitchell has gotten consistent minutes in the mid-20s throughout the season. What has changed of late is his offensive involvement averaging 12.7 attempts from the field across his last three contests. During that span, Mitchell has averaged 1.06 DK points per minute. His salary is on the rise and this could be one of the last slates where he will remain undervalued.
R.J. Hampton, ORL ($3,200)
Hampton will draw a lot of attention if Cole Anthony is sidelined. The downside is that his game is largely centered around scoring, with his only other significant peripheral contribution being rebounds. That could make Hampton more suited for cash games, so don't be afraid to fade him in GPPs if he's approved for significant coverage as expected.
Cedi Osman, CLE ($4,200)
Osman's salary is appropriate, but qualifies as a fine cash game play with Lauri Markkanen and Kevin Love still out. Like Hampton, it's hard to envision Osman offering slate-breaking potential so he's not a must play in GPPs.
Otto Porter, GSW ($3,400)
The Warriors offer a few options with their rotation with Andre Iguodala sidelined. However, Porter has settled into a 17-minute role even with Iguodala playing and should benefit with additional court time. At an extremely low value, there's minimal risk. It could prove to be a fluke based on a small sample, but Porter has displayed upside with his peripheral stats - particularly defensively and on the boards.
Deni Avdija, WAS ($3,500)
Avdija has logged a season-high 26 and 28 minutes in his last two games in the absence of Davis Bertans. That hasn't translated into massive production, though that makes it a good time to buy at the low salary.
Pat Connaughton, MIL ($4,400)
If Grayson Allen is ruled out, Connaughton should take on a lot of minutes and increased workload. He'll also be incredibly chalky.
