This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
Wednesday's 11-game slate kicks off at 7:00 p.m. ET. Let's get right to the action, beginning with the Vegas numbers.
SLATE OVERVIEW
CLE (-10.5) vs. HOU O/U: 221
ATL (-7.5) @ ORL O/U: 224
PHI (-5.5) vs. MIA O/U: 208.5
DAL (-2) vs, LAL O/U: 216.5
MIL (-1) vs. INS O/U: 217.5
NOP (-1.5) @ OKC O/U: 210.5
SAS (-3) vs. CHA O/U: 228.5
DEN (-4.5) vs. MIN O/U: 217
SAC (-1) vs. WAS O/U: 225.5
UTA (-9.5) vs. LAC O/U: 215.5
POR (-0.5) vs. MEM O/U: 219.5
INJURIES
HOU Christian Wood (knee) - QUESTIONABLE
HOU Kevin Porter (thigh) - OUT
HOU Eric Gordon (groin) - OUT
HOU Jalen Green (hamstring) - OUT
The removal of Gordon opens up more value for Garrison Mathews ($4,700), although Armoni Brooks ($4,800) and Josh Christopher ($4,000) will also see more time.
MIA Jimmy Butler (back) - OUT
MIA Bam Adebayo (thumb) -OUT
MIA Tyler Herro (quad) - OUT
MIA Caleb Martin (COVID-19 Protocols) - OUT
An absence from Herro would result in a markedly different setup from the Heat. Additional pressure will be placed on Kyle Lowry ($7,000) to make things happen, while Gabe Vincent ($4,700) would be the most productive pivot if Herro misses.
PHI Joel Embiid (ribs) - QUESTIONABLE
PHI Seth Curry (shoulder) - QUESTIONABLE
We have to wait and see on both of these players. If Embiid misses his second straight, Andre Drummond ($6,100) will make his customary start, while Furkan Korkmaz ($4,500), Shake Milton ($5,000) and Tyrese Maxey ($6,300) are all decent pivots in the event of a Curry absence.
LAL Anthony Davis (knee) - QUESTIONABLE
LAL Dwight Howard (COVID-19 Protocols) - OUT
LAL Talen Horton-Tucker (COVID-19 Protocols) - OUT
LAL Malik Monk (COVID-19 Protocols) -OUT
Brace for more late absences with so many players in the COVID-19 portal. DeAndre Jordan ($4,000) will start for Davis if he misses again, and Carmelo Anthony ($4,700) should be the best pivot for the other absences.
DAL Luka Doncic (ankle) - OUT
We'll touch on my favorite pivot later in the article, but Kristaps Porzingis ($8,700) should get a look after he stepped up in their last contest.
MIL Giannis Antetokounmpo (COVID-19 Protocols) - OUT
MIL Khris Middleton (knee) - QUESTIONABLE
This is a terrible double-whammy for the Bucks, although there is a chance that Middleton could play tonight. He will certainly be in play if he takes the floor. No matter the outcome, Pat Connaughton ($6,000) will see an increased role, and Bobby Portis ($7,700) will probably slide to Giannins' position, leaving room for more output from Sandro Mamukelashvili ($3,500), who should be considered as a punt play only.
OKC Luguentz Dort (knee) - OUT
Rather than dig too deep here, I will endorse Josh Giddey ($5,800) as a starter who will absorb a lot of Dort's output tonight.
CHA LaMelo Ball (conditioning) - OUT
The different tag means that a return is imminent, but it probably won't happen until Friday. Terry Rozier ($7,800) is my favorite pivot here, with Cody Martin ($5,100 and Kelly Oubre ($7,500) as additional safe options.
MIN D'Angelo Russell (ankle) - QUESTIONABLE
Although Russell played in the last game, he may have overworked his ankle and could miss Wednesday's game. If he sits, the starting five will slide over, giving Taurean Prince ($3,700) more time.
WAS Kyle Kuzma (COVID-18 Protocols) - QUESTIONABLE
Deni Avdija ($4,000) will likely start again for Kuzma, although you can also expect a boost from Kentavious Caldwell-Pope ($4,900) in this spot as well.
SAC Richaun Holmes (eye) - DOUBTFUL
As I thought he might, Marvin Bagley ($4,600) finally emerged as the best pivot here. I will continue to consider him in Holmes' absence.
LAC Paul George (elbow) QUESTIONABLE
LAC Serge Ibaka (personal) - OUT
Figuring out the George-less Clippers continues to be tough. Since this is a late game, it's a spot to late-swap, but I would put most of my exposure on Marcus Morris ($5,900).
POR CJ McCollum (lung) - OUT
Norman Powell ($5,700) remains a great play in this spot, and we could see a bit more of Anfernee Simons ($5,800) when you consider Damian Lillard's 47 minutes on the floor in his return on Tuesday.
ELITE PLAYERS
With the injuries up top, there just isn't much to offer in the elite section tonight. Dejounte Murray ($9,300) is probably my favorite spend-up in this range, and I would give some consideration to LeBron James ($11,200), especially if Anthony Davis ($10,000) doesn't play. If Davis suits up and plays, I would fade James and take Davis at the slightly lower salary. We already mentioned Damian Lillard ($8,700) and his huge usage last night, but it's hard to ignore him at this salary when CJ McCollum is inactive.
Additionally, you can never really go wrong with Nikola Jokic ($11,500), even though he is a bit cost-prohibitive as usual.
EXPECTED CHALK AND CORE TARGETS
Jrue Holiday, MIN ($8,000) vs. IND
It's hard to go wrong with Holiday tonight with Giannis out, and he'd be an even better chalk play if Middleton ended up on the sidelines. Holiday sees a 10 percent usage bump when Giannis is out and an even more significant 13.4 percent when you add Middleton to the mix. I also like Malcolm Brogdon's ($7,500) fortunes at point guard on the other end of this matchup.
Anthony Edwards, MIN ($7,200) @ DEN
Edwards' salary is dipping to a place where it's hard to ignore, despite a bit of regression from the former Georgia dynamo. His shot continues to evade him occasionally, but paying 7.2K for his upside appears to be a +EV call on paper. He didn't have a great game against Denver in their last tangle on the court, but we have a shot at a better number tonight, especially if Russell sits.
Myles Turner, IND ($6,500) @ MIL
Turner has an excellent opportunity to capitalize on Giannis Antetokounmpo's absence, snd his size advantage will come in handy as the team may be forced into more of a small-ball approach. It's also good news if they go for lack of experience with their corps of young centers, so it appears to be a win-win for Turner, who has averaged 12.5 points and 7.8 rebounds over his last four games.
Jaren Jackson, MEM ($6,400) @ POR
I will continue to call Jackson's number until given cause to do otherwise, especially at this salary, where he only needs a little over 30 FP to match 5x value. He has notched recent FP totals of 36, 35 and 41 over the past three games, and his impressive run should continue against Portland.
Also consider: Wendell Carter, ORL ($7,000) vs. ATL
VALUE PLAYS
Jalen Brunson, DAL ($6,200) vs LAL
Kristaps Porzingis stole a bit of the value thunder in Luka Doncic's absence, but I still think Brunson is one of the best plays on the slate today. We didn't see the shot volume we expected in the last game as he only took seven shots against the Hornets, but we should see an increase, especially if Porzingis is bottled up inside. Even if Davis sits, Deandre Jordan is no defensive slouch, and if he can contain Porzingis. Brunson's shot volume should climb.
Caris LeVert, IND ($6,000) @ MIL
I especially like LeVert in the event of a Middleton absence. Still, even if Middleton plays, we shouldn't ignore a dynamic player like LeVert at this salary against the short-handed Bucks. Recent tepid production justifies LeVert's salary dip, but he's done enough to beat 5x value in five straight games if you factor in his current cost.
Jusuf Nurkic, POR ($5,900) vs. MEM
I'll repeat my sentiment from earlier in the week -- Nurkic offers the Trail Blazers the best chance to win, and I still think that's the case despite Lillard's return. You'll also have a hard time finding a better value at center when you consider his rebounding numbers coming out of Nurkic over the past couple of weeks. He's averaged 17.2 points and 8.4 rebounds over his past six games.
Spencer Dinwiddie, WAS ($5,100) @ SAC
The veteran guard could end up overlooked on this slate, so you should take advantage of potentially-low rostership and take a stab in this spot. His past couple of games haven't been great, but he faces a very weak defense that struggled to defend the three, a category where Dinwiddie has struggled in certain games. While that should also be news for Bradley Beal ($8,200), we can take a chance on a potential bounce-back player at a budget salary.
Also consider: Keldon Johnson, SAS ($5,300) vs. CHA. Kevin Huerter, ATL ($4,700) @ ORL,
