This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
As usual, the major sites will exclude the early game from their main slate Saturday, leaving a three-game offering that tips off at 7:00 p.m. ET.
SLATE OVERVIEW
DAL (-1.5) @ CHA O/U: 225.5
CLE (-7.5) vs. DET O/U: 215.5
WAS (-1.5) vs. LAL O/U 230.5
Spending up shouldn't pose much of a problem with this player pool, as there is plenty of budget value at the low end of the list. We've done our best to present them in our endorsements.
INJURIES
DET Cade Cunningham (illness) - QUESTIONABLE
DET Killian Hayes (head) - QUESTIONABLE
Saddiq Bey ($5,600) had a huge game without Cunningham on the court, and he is in play regardless of Cunningham's status for Saturday. Saben Lee ($3,500) appears to be the bargain-basement player who benefits the most in this scenario.
LAL Carmelo Anthony (illness) - QUESTIONABLE
LAL Talen Horton-Tucker (ankle) - QUESTIONABLE
If these tags hold, Austin Reaves ($4,000) and Stanley Johnson ($3,500) will be in line for an increased role.
VALUE PLAYS
Both of our 10k-plus players are targeted for Saturday, as Luka Doncic ($10,900) and LeBron James ($10,700) should receive universal attention. James will be back in the lineup after posting 61 FP against the Raptors, and Doncic has had an exemplary week of production. Although both players are in back-to-back games, their production is unlikely to take much of a dip.
Several Cleveland players are in the mix for endorsements, and Darius Garland ($8,500) leads the group. Evan Mobley ($7,900) will continue to excel in Jarret Allen's (finger) absence and is in a smash spot against Detroit.
The top producers for the Hornets are all in play against Dallas, and while I wouldn't recommend a full stack, you could do a lot worse than a one-two combo of LaMelo Ball ($8,300) Terry Rozier ($7,900) or Miles Bridges ($7,800).
EXPECTED CHALK AND VALUE PLAYS
Kyle Kuzma, WAS ($7,000) vs. LAL
We should definitely buy into the revenge narrative for Kuzma and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope ($5,600). Both were supremely pumped to play their former team recently, and Kuzma came through with 35 FP. Pope was a disappointment in the matchup, but he'll be motivated or rectify that this time around.
Russell Westbrook, LAL ($6,900) @ WAS
Westbrook was the epitome of clutch against the Raptors on Friday night. He almost single-handedly brought the Lakers back from the brink, so rumors of his demise appear to be greatly exaggerated. Recently, he seems fueled by all the bad press, and his upside relative to his salary is undeniable at this point.
Caris LeVert, CLE ($6,000) vs. DET
Unless he's on a severe minute restriction, expect LeVert to be a key piece of the offense against the Pistons. He logged 29 minutes Friday night, but since this is a back-to-back, he is at risk of sitting for great and conditioning purposes. If not, his salary is too good to pass up.
Jalen Brunson, DAL ($5,200) @ CHA
Brunson's deadly accuracy is his greatest strength, displaying 51 percent from the floor over the past four games. Despite impressive play from Reggie Bullock, Brunson's minutes and production have remained constant, and he only needs to post 27 FP to beat value at this salary. He's beaten that number in five of his last 10 games.
Corey Kispert, WAS ($3,600) vs. LAL
Although much of Washington's lineup is back to full health, Kispert is still seeing plenty of minutes, averaging almost 30 minutes per game over the past four games. His salary is so low, he doesn't have to do much to be relevant, and he is posting fantasy numbers in the 25-30 FP range consistently.
Also consider: Jerami Grant, DET ($5,900) @ CLE, Cody Martin, CHA ($3,800)
