This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
It's bulk entry time, as we've got another massive slate on tap for Wednesday. With the first tip-off at 7:00 p.m. ET, this 11-game offering has a plethora of injury information to watch for as the day progresses.
SLATE OVERVIEW
(Odds and lines are best available US numbers and are subject to change)
Games to Target in BOLD
Games to FADE in ITALIC
CHI @ CLE (+2.0) O/U: 212
GSW @ WAS (+2.5) O/U: 239.5
BKN @ TOR (-2.0) O/U: 228
OKC @ IND (-10.5) O/U: 226
PHO @ PHI (+1.5) O/U: 221.5
UTA @ HOU (+11) O/U: 227.5
ATL @ NYK (-1.5) O/U: 217
MIA @ SAS (-1) O/U: 215.5
DET @ DAL (-11.5) O/U: 222
MEM @ POR (+3) O/U: 226
MIN @ SAC (-4.5) O/U: 237.5
Although Fred VanVleet got our only specific mention, we should definitely pay some attention to the rest of the Toronto players set to return tonight. I may have faded too many of them, so give them an additional look after ingesting all the information in this article.
INJURIES
CHI Zach LaVine (COVID-19 Protocols) - OUT
Garrett Temple ($4,300) will continue to start in place of LaVine, but Coby White should continue to be a worthwhile pivot in this spot as well. White's been an assist magnet of late and should complement that total with a decent amount of shot volume.
GSW Juan Toscano-Anderson (concussion) - OUT
GSW Damion Lee (toe) - QUESTIONABLE
These tags are merely second-unit concerns for the Warriors and don't affect the starters at all.
WAS Rui Hachimura (knee) - OUT
Raul Neto ($3,600) drew the start in Hachimura's place Tuesday and played 28 minutes. He's not an ideal play, however. You're more likely to get better production from Davis Bertans ($4,200) in this spot.
BKN James Harden (hamstring) - OUT
BKN Kevin Durant (thigh) - QUESTIONABLE
Harden is now out indefinitely after an MRI revealed some bad news on Tuesday. We'll discuss a significant pivot in the elite section, but both Joe Harris ($4,600) and Bruce Brown ($5,100) will continue to participate in a committee approach in Harden's place. If Durant can't make it, Jeff Green ($4,700) would be my favorite pivot.
OKC Luguentz Dort (hip) - QUESTIONABLE
OKC Isaiah Roby (toe) - OUT
It's worth it to keep an eye on Dort, as his two-way production has been out of sight in recent weeks. I would favor Kenrich Williams ($4,300) in Dort's absence, while Darius Bazley ($6,000) will carry a heavier load in Roby's absence.
IND Domantas Sabonis (back) - OUT
IND Myles Turner (toe) - OUT
IND Jeremy Lamb (knee) - QUESTIONABLE
IND Goga Bitadze (ankle) - QUESTIONABLE
IND Doug McDermott (ankle) - QUESTIONABLE
The Pacers are snakebit with injuries, and their biggest issue will be in the frontcourt. It would be great if Bitadze ($5,400) suits up, but beyond that, things get dicey. Enter Oshae Brissett ($3,800), who just signed a short-term contract with the Pacers. At 6-foot-7, the Syracuse product may be the biggest body they can get at the moment. It's an interesting spot to punt tonight.
PHI Ben Simmons (knee) - QUESTIONABLE
PHI Tobias Harris (knee) - QUESTIONABLE
The two tags put Philly's starting five completely up in the air. I like Furkan Korkmaz ($4,200) and Seth Curry ($4,500) as the best pivots, depending on how the lineup shakes out.
UTA Donovan Mitchell (ankle) - OUT
One should expect Jordan Clarkson ($6,100) and Joe Ingles ($6,300) to continue steady production in Mitchell's absence.
MIA Jimmy Butler (ankle) - QUESTIONABLE
MIA Bam Adebayo (knee) QUESTIONABLE
MIA Tyler Herro (foot) - QUESTIONABLE
MIA Dewayne Dedmon (Covid-19 Protocols) - QUESTIONABLE
Miami is almost as bad as the Pacers in the injury department. All of these tags are questionable, so it will be difficult to pivot without further information. Monday's lineup featured Kendrick Nunn, Duncan Robinson, Andre Iguodala, Trevor Ariza and Precious Achiuwa. Depending on how the lineup shakes down, I would pivot to these players accordingly. Goran Dragic ($5,600) should also get some consideration, as he played 28 minutes Monday and scored 19 points.
DET Killian Hayes (injury management) - OUT
DET Dennis Smith (knee) - DOUBTFUL
Let the guessing game begin! Detroit's backcourt is always a frustration variable. Cory Joseph ($5,000) is back, so he should start again, but Frank Jackson ($4,900) should be on your radar as well.
DAL Tim Hardaway (illness) - QUESTIONABLE
A Hardaway absence could open up the lanes for Josh Richardson ($4,900), whose output is sometimes directly tied to Hardaway's success or failure.
MEM Jonas Valanciunas (concussion) - OUT
MEM Dillon Brooks (thigh) - QUESTIONABLE
MEM Jaren Jackson (knee) - QUESTIONABLE
Jackson's return could come as soon as today, so I would pause on adding Xavier Tillman ($5,000) until more is known about Jackson's arrival. Desmond Bane ($3,900) and Grayson Allen ($4,700) will pick up the slack if Brooks is out.
LAC Kawhi Leonard (foot) - OUT
LAC Paul George (POSSIBLE REST)
LAC Serge Ibaka (back) - OUT
Obviously, we'd love to play George in Leonard's absence, but this is a Clippers back-to-back, and any number of things could occur. Terance Mann ($4,400) and Marcus Morris ($5,700) are the preferred pivots here.
DEN Austin Rivers (PROBABLE)
DEN Monte Morris (hamstring) - OUT
I mention Rivers because it might impact the pivot, but expect the Nuggets to give Facundo Campazzo ($4,300) all the minutes he can handle as Jamal Murray's replacement.
POR Damian Lillard (hamstring) - QUESTIONABLE
There's no word about Lillard's condition yet, but you're going to want CJ McCollum ($8,100) all over your lineups if he doesn't play. Norman Powell ($6,200) would also be a worthwhile addition in this spot.
SAC Richaun Holmes (hamstring) - QUESTIONABLE
If Holmes sits out again, Hassan Whiteside ($5,400) will continue to see extended time, and Harrison Barnes ($6,000) will enjoy additional rebound opportunities.
ELITE PLAYERS
We have seven players at 10k or above in this massive slate, and almost all of them have favorable matchups. Nikola Jokic ($11,300) is in a smash spot against Portland that merits universal consideration, but fellow centers Karl-Anthony Towns ($10,500) and Joel Embiid ($10,400) are also in this tier. Towns could see a minute reduction in a back-to-back, and Embiid (although matchup-proof) faces a tough Phoenix team. Jokic still has the edge, but Embiid comes in a close second at the position. Russell Westbrook ($10,800) continues to post insane numbers and has become an every-night lock. Expect 50 FP or more if you go this route, and you could say the same for his opponent, Stephen Curry ($10,200). The scratch golfer keeps finding the bottom of the hole when beyond the arc and is coming off two-straight 50-plus FP performances. He scored 49 and 47 points in those games. Those on the hunt for solid cash-game chalk should fill up the PG spots right here. Of course, Luka Doncic ($11,000) can't be ignored either, as he's now put up two consecutive 60-plus FP games and finds a soft spot against Detroit. He also has the advantage of an extra day of rest in Dallas.
Moving down, Julius Randle ($10,000) is in a pace-up spot against the Hawks. He recorded 44 points and nine rebounds when he last played Atlanta, so that's a pretty solid metric to consider in Randle's favor. He could be the lowest-rostered 10k guy we have tonight. De'Aaron Fox ($9,900) will be another guy who you could consider contrarian with so much guard talent available, and he will have the advantage of facing the T-Wolves on a back-to-back. One would think that due to all the absences, Kyrie Irving ($9,400) would be a great play, but I'm not completely sold. He's coming off a rest night and tends to play well afterward, but he's beaten 5x value only 50 percent of the time. This may be a night to pass on his potential.
Also consider: Trae Young, ATL ($9,500) @ NYK
EXPECTED CHALK
Bradley Beal, WAS ($8,500) vs. GS
With one of the highest projected game totals on the slate, Beal makes a lot of sense at this price. He's enjoyed a respectable five-game run where he's averaged 44.1 FP per game. While he's usually a shot-dependent player, he's averaged 3.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.4 steals over this span as well.
Caris LeVert, IND ($8,200) vs. OKC
The Pacers desperately need a multi-category playmaker to pick up the slack amidst their many absences, and LeVert is the most likely candidate. He dipped a bit Monday night against the Spurs, but he enjoyed a great five-game run where he averaged 42.7 FP per game before that. 45 FP would be a great total to see, but he also has shown the ability to run up 50 FP or more.
Rudy Gobert, UTA ($8,000) @ HOU
It'll be easy to overlook Gobert with all of the top-heavy talents at center, but he should be able to provide a good number against the Rockets. He pulled off a 14-and-13 double-double with six blocked shots in his last contest against Houston. They need Gobert to step up with Mitchell sidelined, so there's room for an even higher number in this rematch.
Fred VanVleet, TOR ($7,500) vs. BKN
The band is all back for Toronto, and VanVleet should lead the way as they try to make one last improbable push for a playoff spot. While there is some risk for a minutes limit, he benefits from five days of rest and should be ready to get things going once again. Recency bias could also drive his popularity down enough to make him a marketable tournament option.
Jerami Grant, DET ($7,000) @ DAL
The Pistons are certainly happy to have Grant back in the fold, and his 28.1 percent usage rate has been sorely missed. As the primary offensive catalyst for Detroit, he'll have every opportunity to max out against the Mavericks. He's yet to face Dallas this season, so it isn't easy to measure how well he'll perform, but this salary is at a nice level for his potential production.
Also consider: Mike Conley, UTA ($7,000) @ HOU, Andrew Wiggins, GSW ($7,000) @ WAS, Draymond Green, GSW ($7,400) @ WAS
VALUE PLAYS
As usual, we have a cornucopia of value options in the injury section, but we will highlight a few favorite values here and also provide a supplemental list of alternate plays.
De'Anthony Melton, MEM ($5,000) @ LAC
When adequately used, the Grizzlies have an explosive option in Melton, who gives a lot of upside when he has the opportunity. After suffering through injury, he returned to action Monday with a thunderous 53.6 FP alongside a long-awaited boom game from Ja Morant. Although he probably won't match this total after a season-high 17 shot attempts, beating 5x value is definitely in play.
Daniel Theis, CHI ($4,300) @ CLE
Theis isn't a guy we should expect incredible production from, but he certainly sees enough minutes to be relevant. Over his past five games, he's averaged almost 26 minutes and is delivering a decent shot volume. Getting 25-30 FP from him against Cleveland would definitely help your bottom line.
PJ Dozier, DEN ($3,800) @ POR
Dozier has value-beating stat lines all over his cheat sheet, and he's posting great two-way numbers due to Jamal Murray's absence. He really doesn't have to do much to be relevant at such a low price, and this is a great spot for him against Portland.
Additional value spots -
PF Aleksej Pokusevski, OKC ($4,800) @ IND
SF Keldon Johnson, SA ($4,200) vs. MIA
PG Derrick White, SA ($5,500) vs. MIA
PF Kevin Love, CLE ($5,900) vs. CHI
