This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
FanDuel's nine-game slate begins at 4:00 p.m. EDT, and there's a lot of action to choose from, including a fun possible playoff preview as the marquee matchup of the evening.
SLATE OVERVIEW
CHA (-5.5) vs. NOP O/U: 234.5
CLE (-6) vs. LAL O/U: 223.5
DET (-7) vs. POR O/U: 223.5
BKN (-1.5) vs. UTA O/U: 229.5
PHI (-1) vs. MIA O/U: 216.5
CHI (-3.5) vs. TOR O/U: 225.5
WAS (-4.5) @ HOU O/U: 234.5
BOS (-13.5) @ OKC O/U: 216
DAL (-3.5) vs. MIN O/U: 230
Although the Heat-Sixers game has one of the lower projected totals, it's hard to avoid. The Wizards, Jazz, Mavericks, Raptors and Hornets also look like great production spots. Charlotte did not get mentioned much in this column as their starters finished below my endorsements, but all of their starters are in play.
INJURIES
NOP Brandon Ingram (hamstring) - QUESTIONABLE
NOP Devonte' Graham (hip) - QUESTIONABLE
Both of these players missed Sunday's game, and it seems unlikely that will change. Although Naji Marshall ($5,300) and Herbert Jones ($5,200) will continue to fill in at various spots in the starting five, their value on the slate is minimal relative to their current production. We may hit on some other New Orleans targets later in the article.
LAL LeBron James (knee) - QUESTIONABLE
Since the Lakers are coming off a day of rest, it appears likely that James will take the floor for his eighth consecutive game.
POR Jusuf Nurkic (foot) - OUT
POR Anfernee Simons (quad) - QUESTIONABLE
POR Justise Winslow (Achilles) - OUT
Keep riding with Josh Hart ($7,900) in this scenario. Although Brandon Williams ($6,900) has seen his salary skyrocket, he's still viable as a backcourt pivot. Trendon Watford ($6,200) had a great 38-FP performance in his last game, but Drew Eubanks ($5,600) still possesses a reliable floor in the paint.
DET Jerami Grant (knee) - OUT
DET Cory Joseph (rest) - QUESTIONABLE
DET Kelly Olynyk (ankle) - QUESTIONABLE
Marvin Bagley ($5,600) is a solid call for Grant, and Killian Hayes ($4,300) should have a larger role if Joseph's tag holds.
UTA Bojan Bogdanovic (calf) - QUESTIONABLE
Rudy Gay ($4,300) has enjoyed some standout lines during Bojan's absence. He's a decent budget pivot if Bogdanovic remains sidelined.
BKN Kyrie Irving (vaccination status) - OUT
Goran Dragic ($5,400) remains the guy to target for Brooklyn home games.
MIA Jimmy Butler (ankle) - QUESTIONABLE
MIA Victor Oladipo (back) - OUT
Mia Gabe Vincent (toe) - OUT
If Butler sits, Caleb Martin ($4,200) is a good budget call, but Martin is dealing with a knee issue of his own. If he's out, Max Strus ($4,000) would be the pivot. We'll also mention a starter or two later in the article.
TOR Fred VanVleet (knee) - PROBABLE
TOR Malachi Flynn (finger) - OUT
TOR OG Anunoby (hip) - OUT
VanVleeet rested in the Raptors' last game, so he should be back in action. Nick Nurse's rotation is a nightly crapshoot, so focus on tonight's starters and go no further.
OKC Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (ankle) - OUT
OKC Josh Giddey (hip) - OUT
Tre Mann ($5,700) will once again fill in for SGA if he is out. Aleksej Pokusevski ($6,000) has recently been the most reliable budget call for the Thunder.
MIN Karl-Anthony Towns (arm) - QUESTIONABLE
MIN Jaden McDaniels (ankle) - OUT
Despite an injury tag, Naz Reid ($5,000) is expected to play, and he is the best fill-in for Towns if he misses Monday's game.
ELITE PLAYERS
The options are plentiful at the top, and the potential Conference finals preview of MIA/PHI seems like a worthwhile place to begin. Joel Embiid ($11,200) and Bam Adebayo ($8,700) will face off in what should be a barnburner, providing plenty of fantasy production in the paint. Both players are appropriately priced, which limits their value somewhat, but both should produce. LeBron James ($10,900) is actually a better call in this range, as I expect a big day from him against his hometown team after a day of rest.
Although standouts like Kevin Durant ($10,800) and James Harden ($10,300) are perfectly fine, I prefer giving Luka Doncic ($10,600) more run than the previous two, especially if Karl-Anthony Towns sits for Minnesota. The high projected total for the DAL/MIN game is also appealing, leading to more exposure for Doncic.
Also consider: Darius Garland, CLE ($8,800), Jayson Tatum, BOS ($9,200) @ OKC
EXPECTED CHALK AND CORE TARGETS
Donovan Mitchell, UTA ($8,200) @ BKN
Although Mike Conley should return from a rest day, it's still a plum spot for Mitchell against the Irving-less Nets. The projected total for this game makes targets on both teams stand out, but you have to like Mitchell after his recent run. He returned from a one-game absence with a 54 FP total against the Knicks, and he's hit totals of 43 FP or higher in four consecutive games.
DeMar DeRozan, CHI ($8,200) vs. TOR
I can understand a slight salary drop for DeRozan based on his recent numbers, but this seems like too sharp a decrease. Factor in his favorable history against the Raptors this season, and this is difficult play to turn away from. You won't find DeRozan at this salary very often.
Evan Mobley, CLE ($7,900) vs. LAL
Although the LeBron homecoming will steal the headlines Monday, Mobley should be in position to take advantage of a porous Laker defense as he continues to absorb the lion's share of production without Jarrett Allen. Mobley has double-doubled in two straight games, and he usually supplies a decent number of assists and blocks as well.
Jaylen Brown , BOS ($7,200) @ OKC
There's blowout risk in this game, but Brown and Jayson Tatum should be able to put together at least three solid quarters, and I trust Brown to log more court time than Tatum in a lopsided affair. He logged 35 minutes in a recent blowout of Golden State, so his metrics for games like this are somewhat reliable.
Also consider: Kristaps Porzingis, WAS ($7,800) @ HOU, Saddiq Bey, DET ($7,000) vs. POR
VALUE PLAYS
Kyle Lowry, MIA ($5,700) @ PHI
It makes sense for Lowry to show up for a big game like this, but I am adding a note of caution. For starters, I chose to ignore a lot of the raw data to make this call, and it's only Lowry's reasonable salary that justifies an add if you are only looking at the numbers. However, Butler's potential absence and a plum matchup against a weak defender like Harden skews Lowry into +EV territory.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, WAS ($6,000) @ HOU
At this salary, KCP only needs 30 FP to reach value, and he's eclipsed that threshold in four of his last six games. The emergence of Corey Kispert ($4,100) complicates matters for Caldwell-Pope somewhat, but I think there is room for both players to produce, especially against Houston.
Tobias Harris, PHI ($5,500) vs. MIA
Harden's presence has severely compromised Harris' value, and there's no reason to think that will change anytime soon. Still, it will be all hands on deck in this hotly contested matchup, and with Harris' salary at historic lows, it seems foolish to not consider him in this range. He has shown signs of life recently, and if Butler sits, there's a soft underbelly he can exploit.
Kris Dunn, POR ($4,900) @ DET
I was a little disappointed to see the huge salary bump here, but as a fan of Dunn from years past, I have to include him. Amid the numerous absences for Portland, he has emerged out of nowhere and put up excellent numbers with the second unit. I'd pause on Dunn upon a Anfernee Simons return, as Brandon Williams would likely see a slight demotion. Otherwise, I think Dunn has a decent night against the Pistons.
Also consider: Lauri Markkanen, CLE ($5,900) vs. LAL, Jalen Brunson, DAL ($5,400) vs. MIN
