This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
Wednesday's massive ten-game slate kicks off at 7:00 p.m. ET. We will begin with the latest Vegas odds and totals.
SLATE OVERVIEW
CHA (-9.5) vs. DET O/U: 226.5
WAS (-6.5) vs. HOU O/U: 224.5
PHI (-7.5) @ ORL O/U: 210.5
BOS (-8) vs. SAS O/U: 220.5
GSW (-5.5) @ DAL O/U: 211.5
BKN (-6.5) @ IND O/U: 218.5
MIL (-7.5) vs. TOR O/U: 225.5
MIN (-7.5) vs. OKC O/U: 213.5
UTA I-5.5) @ DEN O//U: 221.5
SAC (-1) vs. ATL O/U: 229.5
POR (-1) vs. MIA O/U: 216.5
BACK-TO-BACK GAMES: Kings, Spurs, Raptors, Pacers
There are several wait-and-see spots this evening, allowing for some late-swap potential. The start times are tightly wound together, so moves have to be made quickly. You can definitely get away from these spots and leave your lineup alone, but you run the risk of getting bit by the COVID protocols. Since something occurs in that department on a nightly basis, it would be wise to check your builds multiple times.
INJURIES
DET Jerami Grant (thumb) -OUT
DET Kelly Olynyk (knee) - OUT
DET Cory Joseph (COVID-19 Protocols) - OUT
DET Frank Jackson (COVID-19 Protocols) - OUT
DET Isaiah Stewart (conditioning) - OUT
Although some players have returned, the interior will still need some help. Luka Garza ($4,900) may draw the start, while Trey Lyles ($4,800) will also show increased usage.
CHA P.J. Washington (conditioning) - OUT
Washington's absence is still great news for Mason Plumlee ($5,600) and Gordon Hayward ($7,000).
HOU Alperen Sengun (ankle) - OUT
HOU Armoni Brooks (COVID-19 Protocols) - OUT
There are minimal changes here, but Kenyon Martin ($4,900) should appear in the second unit to spell Wood.
WAS Spencer Dinwiddie (COVID-19 Protocols) - OUT
WAS Montrezl Harrell (COVID-19 Protocols) - OUT
WAS Tremont Waters (COVID-19 Protocols) - OUT
WAS Rui Hachimura(COVID-19 Protocols) - OUT
WAS Aaron Holiday (COVID-19 Protocols) - OUT
We'll mention one major add once we get to the elite section, but Deni Avdija ($5,200), Corey Kispert ($3,700) and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope ($4,800) will be viable pivots in this scenario.
PHI Tyrese Maxey (COVID-19 Protocols) - OUT
PHI Shake Milton (back) -OUT
PHI Matisse Thybulle (COVID-19 Protocols) - OUT
Seth Curry ($6,400) figures to be a major piece of the offense with both Maxey and Milton out. Furkan Korkmaz ($6,000) should also see more time.
ORL Cole Anthony (ankle) - QUESTIONABLE
ORL Jalen Suggs (thumb) - OUT
ORL Robin Lopez (COVID-19 Protocols) - OUT
ORL Moritz Wagner (illness) - QUESTIONABLE
The injury situation has cleared up a bit for Orlando. Tim Frazier ($3,900) should start again if Anthony's ankle keeps him out.
SAS Dejounte Murray (conditioning) - OUT
SAS Lonnie Walker (COVID-19 Protocols) - OUT
SAS Doug McDermott (COVID-19 Protocols) - OUT
Derrick White ($8,000) is still the top option with Murray out, but a healthy dose of Devin Vassell ($4,900) should also be expected.
BOS Robert Williams (toe) - DOUBTFUL
Al Horford ($6,800) is the obvious add, but Enes Freedom ($4,700) should also have some involvement.
DAL Kristaps Porzingis (COVID-19 Protocols) - OUT
DAL Trey Burke (conditioning) - QUESTIONABLE
Choosing a worthy pivot for Porzingis is always challenging, but Dorian Finney-Smith ($6,000) is usually the primary beneficiary.
BKN LaMarcus Aldridge (foot) - QUESTIONABLE
BKN Joe Harris (ankle) - OUT
Nicolas Claxton ($5,700) is no longer on the injury report and should carry a heavy load if Aldridge can't play.
IND Caris LeVert (COVID-19 Protocols) - OUT
IND Malcolm Brogdon (COVID-19 Protocols) - OUT
IND Chris Duarte (COVID-19 Protocols) - OUT
IND Torrey Craig (groin) - QUESTIONABLE
IND Jeremy Lamb (conditioning) - OUT
The Pacers have been hit with several COVID tags, and although there are still some pieces remaining in the starting five, Justin Holiday ($4,900), Oshae Brissett ($4,600) and Duane Washington ($4,100) are in line to see more time in this spot.
TOR Svi Mykhailiuk (COVID-19 Protocols) - OUT
TOR Yuta Watanabe (COVID-19 Protocols) - OUT
Not much changes for Toronto with these injury tags.
MIL Jordan Nwora (COVID-19 Protocols) - QUESTIONABLE
MIL Pat Connaughton (COVID-19 Protocols) - OUT
MIL Grayson Allen (COVID-19 Protocols) - OUT
The Bucks will endure some second-unit absences, leaving George Hill ($3,700) as a primary pivot for more time in the rotation.
OKC Luguentz Dort (knee) - OUT
Aaron Wiggins ($5,300) and Kenrich Williams ($4,500) will see more time in Dort's absence.
MIN Karl-Anthony Towns (conditioning) - QUESTIONABLE
MIN D'Angelo Russell (conditioning) - QUESTIONABLE
There's a chance that Towns and Russell could play tonight, so Minnesota will have to stay on the back burner until we know more. The eventual starting lineup could reveal some value.
UTA Donovan Mitchell (back) - PROBABLE
URA Rudy Gobert (shoulder) - QUESTIONABLE
UTA Jordan Clarkson (back) - PROBABLE
URA Bogdan Bogdanovic (finger) - QUESTIONABLE
UTA Joe Ingles (COVID-19 Protocols) - OUT
UTA Royce O'Neale (patellar) - QUESTIONABLE
UTA Hassan Whiteside (concussion) - QUESTIONABLE
At first glance, Utah's roster looks like a mess, but there are a couple of probable tags and some questionable players that should be active. Ingles is definitely out, and O'Neale and Bogdanovic are the most likely questionable players to miss. With that in mind, I like Rudy Gay ($3,900) as the best pivot for the Jazz.
DEN Monte Morris (COVID-19 Protocols) - OUT
DEN Austin Rivers (thumb) - QUESTIONABLE
DEN Jeff Green (COVID-19 Protocols) - OUT
Facundo Campazzo ($6,700) and Bones Hyland ($4,600) will platoon at the point with Morris sidelined.
ATL Trae Young (back) - QUESTIONABLE
ATL John Collins (COVID-19 Protocols) - OUT
ATL Cam Reddish (ankle) - QUESTIONABLE
ATL Bojan Bogdanovic (COVID-19 Protocols) - OUT
ATL Gorgui Dieng (COVID-19 Protocols) - OUT
Absences still abound for the Hawks, but some of the questionable tags could clear. Delon Wright ($6,100) and Kevin Huerter ($5,200) will see more time if most of these tags hold.
SAC Richaun Holmes (COVID-19 Protocols) - OUT
SAC Chimezie Metu (COVID-19 Protocols) - OUT
With the center position compromised, Marvin Bagley ($4,600) should start again, as will Damian Jones ($4,400), barring any late changes.
MIA Jimmy Butler (ankle) - OUT
MIA Bam Adebayo (thumb) - OUT
MIA Gabe Vincent (COVID-19 Protocols) - OUT
MIA Duncan Robinson (COVID-19 Protocols) - OUT
MIA Dewayne Dedmon (knee) - OUT
MIA KZ Okpala (wrist) - OUT
MIA Marcus Garrett (COVID-19 Protocols) - OUT
The Heat are also hurting. Tyler Herro ($6,500) and Kyle Lowry ($7,400) will have to be the engineers of this offense, and we should get a good dose of Caleb Martin ($5,300), Max Strus ($5,600) and Omer Yurtseven ($6,700) as well.
POR Damian Lillard (abdomen) - OUT
POR CJ McCollum (chest) - OUT
POR Larry Nance (COVID-19 Protocols) - OUT
Norman Powell ($7,000), Anfernee Simons ($5,500) and Dennis Smith ($4,000) will all platoon the backcourt, and Nassir Little ($5,500) should get an extended run in the second unit with Nance out.
ELITE PLAYERS
Nikola Jokic ($11,400) holds the most interest for me at the top of the slate in a spot where Utah could be without Rudy Gobert. I'm also keeping my exposure low on Giannis and the duo of Harden and Durant because some elites find themselves in much better spots. Luka Doncic ($10,000) and Domantas Sabonis ($10,000) are good examples of those exploitable spots, as Doncic will be without teammate Kristaps Porzingis, and Sabonis will be playing without his standout backcourt tonight. Bradley Beal ($9,600) is also heavily in play with a decimated starting lineup.
Some wait-and-see spots with consideration are Trae Young ($10,500) and Donovan Mitchell ($8,600), although both are game-time calls.
Also consider: Joel Embiid, PHI ($10,800) @ ORL, LaMelo Ball, CHA ($8,700) vs. DET
EXPECTED CHALK AND CORE TARGETS
Kevin Porter, HOU ($6,700) @ WAS
Thanks to an extended absence, we get Porter for cheap as he returns to action. Although the morale is pretty shaky after both Porter and Christian Wood were suspended for conduct detrimental to the team, we should see Porter back in form after Monday's absence. Porter's best game since his return was an excellent 22-point effort against the Lakers.
Cade Cunningham, DET ($7,500) @ CHA
Watching Cunningham and Ball square off should make for good television, and Cunningham should excel as he gets his sea legs back after a four-game absence. He put up a nice line in his return but coughed up the ball five times, curbing his final numbers. With plenty of absences for Detroit, I expect Cunningham and Hamidou Diallo ($7,500) to be the sparkplugs of this offense against the Hornets.
Josh Giddey, OKC ($6,800) @ MIN
Dort's absence is only good news for Giddey, as he'll be placed in a more favorable spot for shot volume. Giddey returned from a three-game absence and put up a stellar triple-double against Dallas, and we should see continued excellence from the rookie against the Timberwolves.
Also consider: Kyle Kuzma, WAS ($7,800) vs. HOU
VALUE PLAYS
While the injury section is chock-full of value plays, my top players from there are Duane Washington, Nassir Little, Trey Lyles and Caleb Martin.
Gary Trent, TOR ($5,100) @ MIL
Trent gets a special mention thanks to some excellent totals following a brief absence. If Trent can match his scoring potential with a good assist number, he would be in for a great night against the Bucks. Since his return, he has shown excellence in both categories, so it's simply a matter of putting it together to beat value. Scottie Barnes ($6,300) is another Raptor I like, as his absence lowered his salary to a spot that provides inexpensive upside.
Bobby Portis, MIL ($5,700)vs. TOR
Portis is coming off a nice double-double against Detroit, and he's been pretty consistent since leaving health and safety protocols. With some uncertainty surrounding frontcourt pieces tonight, Portis should be set up for a favorable total against the Raptors.
Keldon Johnson, SAS ($5,500) @ BOS
Johnson's salary dropped $700 after a mediocre game against Toronto, and these are the sort of salary decreases you should always look out for. With a slew of productive players on the sidelines for the Spurs, Johnson's salary is entirely too cheap, and the upside here is immense as multiple players will attempt to account for Dejounte Murray's absence.
Keifer Sykes, IND ($3,700) vs. BKN
We already mentioned Washington as a great pivot, but with LeVert and Brogdon out, Sykes is another great guy to target at one of the lowest salaries on the slate. He led the team with 22 points Tuesday night, so it's evident that the Pacers trust him as the off-the-ball guard.
