This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
The NBA made up for their paltry two-game offering Tuesday with one of the biggest slates of the season. This massive 13-game slate kicks off at 7:00 p.m. ET.
SLATE OVERVIEW
WAS (-1.5) vs. BKN O/U: 231.5
PHI (-11.5) vs. ORL O/U: 211.5
BOS (-4.5) vs. CHA O./U: 220.5
ATL (-2.5) vs. MIN O/U: 233
MIA (-8.5) vs. POR O/U: 215.5
CLE (-1.5) @ CHI O/U: 216
MIL (-6) vs. MEM O/U: 225.5
DAL (-4) vs. TOR O/U: 206.5
SAS (-6.5) vs. OKC O/U: 219.5
UTA (-12) vs. HOU O/U: 232
DEN (-7.5) vs. LAC O/U: 212.5
SAC (-5.5) vs. DET O/U: 220.5
LAL (-4.5) vs. IND O/U: 225
As you'll see, we will attack this slate a bit differently by fading a lot of mid-tier options. Utah, Indiana, Atlanta, Brooklyn, Portland and Milwaukee are teams where we are finding our best DFS options tonight. Even if I don't mention every starter on these teams, you should consider performers from these teams. It's nearly impossible to name every effective option!
BKN Kevin Durant (knee) - OUT
BKN Nicolas Claxton (hamstring) - OUT
BKN DeAndre' Bembry (back) - QUESTIONABLE
It appears that the long-term pivot for Durant over the next several weeks will be Kessler Edwards ($4,500). Once Bembry is fully healthy, we're likely to see more of him as well. LaMarcus Aldridge ($4,400) should also warrant consideration.
ORL Wendell Carter (hamstring) - QUESTIONABLE
If Carter is out again, Chuma Okeke ($5,000) will draw the start at the four.
CHA Kelly Oubre (COVID-19 Protools) - QUESTIONABLE
If Oubre is our again, support in the rotation will come from Cody Martin ($4,200) and. P.J. Washington ($4,800).
BOS Marcus Smart (COVID-19 Protools) - QUESTIONABLE
If Smart doesn't suit up, we will continue to see more from Dennis Schroder ($5,700).
ATL Clint Capela (ankle) - OUT
ATL Bogdan Bogdanovic (knee) - OUT
The Hawks represent one of your best sources for budget value tonight. I am fine with Kevin Huerter ($5,400), Onyeka Okongwu ($4,900) and De'Andre Hunter ($5,000), all of which hold tremendous upside relative to their salaries.
POR Damian Lillard (abdomen) - OUT
POR Norman Powell (personal) - QUESTIONABLE
POR Larry Nance (knee) - OUT
Nassir Little ($5,500) and Robert Covington ($6,100) will be the best Powell pivots.
MIA Kyle Lowry (personal) - OUT
Gabe Vincent ($5,000) will be the top pivot for Lowry, but we should see a dose of Max Strus ($5,000) as well.
CHI Zach LaVine (knee) - OUT
CHI Lonzo Ball (knee) - OUT
Ayo Dosunmu ($4,200) won the battle of supremacy over the depleted backcourt against Coby White ($5,700) with 48 FP, but both guards are outperforming their salaries and hold value in Wednesday's slate.
MEM Desmond Bane (COVID-19 Protools) - OUT
MEM Dillon Brooks (ankle) - OUT
MEM Kyle Anderson (COVID-19 Protools) - OUT
De'Anthony Melton ($4,100) isn't performing as well as one would expect in this spot, and while he could be a tournament flier, the more reliable floor probably lies with Tyus Jones ($4,700).
MIL Jrue Holiday (ankle) - QUESTIONABLE
There are several mouths to feed in competition for Holiday's minutes, but if he misses as suspected, Pat Connaughton ($4,000) is the likely frontrunner for the most production.
UTA Donovan Mitchell (concussion) -OUT
UTA Hassan Whiteside (COVID-19 Protools)
With Mitchell potentially missing multiple games, it's go time for Jordan Clarkson ($5,600) and Joe Ingles ($3,700).
SAC Tyrese Haliburton (COVID-19 Protools) - OUT
I like Buddy Hield ($5,800) here, but you can't count out potential intrusion from Terence Davis ($4,400), who crushed his salary value with 40 FP against Rockets in his last game.
IND Malcolm Brogdon (Achilles) - QUESTIONABLE
IND Myles Turner (foot) - OUT
Turner's extended absence will move Domantas Sabonis to the five for the kong term, so the pivot will likely occur at power forward. Although Torrey Craig drew the first start, I doubt that is sustainable, and I would expect Justin holiday and Oshae Brissett to be better pivots. Duane Washington will continue to draw a start for as long as Brogdon is out.
ELITE PLAYERS
Giannis Antetokounmpo ($11,300) ranks as one of my favorite spend-up options in what should be a very competitive game against the Grizzlies, who are looking like playoff contenders with every passing game. I expect a full load from Giannis in what should be a hotly-contested affair. Kevin Durant's (knee) absence is going to give James Harden ($10,600) and Kyrie Irving ($8,900) enhanced value moving forward, and we'll see Irving in the lineup on the road.
Picking the correct elites often depends on where we can find value at other positions, and that's one reason why we aren't looking at many guards at the top, although I would rank Trae Young ($9,600) as the best bang for your buck among the elite backcourt options. Instead, spending up is more worthwhile at forward and center, with guys like LeBron James ($11,000), DeMar DeRozan ($8,500) and Rudy Gobert ($8,800) showing up in spots where they are lacking additional scoring partners. I especially like Gobert at this incredibly low salary.
Looking at the vast array of expensive players can be overwhelming as you can identify great performances from several of them, but it's essential to be aware of where the value is and choose wisely when splurging. Since FanDuel offers two slots for every position but center, it's advisable to find your value first and then use the second slot for more expensive options, especially on a slate this size.
Also consider: Karl-Anthony Towns, MIN ($9,500) @ ATL, Jimmy Butler, MIA ($9,100) vs. POR, Domantas Sabonis, IND ($9,500) @ LAL
EXPECTED CHALK AND CORE TARGETS
I am a proponent of a stars-and-scrubs approach tonight, meaning that I'm not as fond of players in the middle tier. This section is usually littered with players in the 7-8k range, but that's not the direction I am going. Instead, I am endorsing more players in the 6k range and lower to maximize our ability to field three elites with values at $8,500 and higher.
Cade Cunningham, DET ($6,000)@ SAC
Cunningham had one of the worst games of the season in Tuesday's loss, so I expect his popularity to be at an all-time low in this massive slate. Not only do I think he'll bounce back, but he'll also find himself in a great spot due to the absence of Tyrese Haliburton and should have no problem getting around Buddy Hield and Terence Davis. The Kings continue to be one of the worst defenses in the league and are usually good to exploit in DFS, especially when you have an upside guy like Cunningham at a low salary.
Mike Conley, UTA ($5,700) vs. HOU
Although we gave ringing endorsements for Clarkson and Ingles, Conley should emerge as an excellent option against a weak defense. Conley's usage stays fairly consistent with Mitchell off the floor, but he is a prime candidate to absorb a lot of his output, especially as a ball distributor. A high assist total with dished to Gobert should be the highlight of his stat line, but he'll be set for an extremely high number if his shooting stroke gets hot. Speaking of hot shooting, there's also an opportunity for Bojan Bogdanovic ($5,400) to absorb some of Mitchell's production if his three-point stroke delivers.
Brandon Clarke, MEM ($5,000) @ LAL
We've already seen excellent production from Clarke since his return to action, but I believe we've only seen a glimpse of what he could accomplish. With the injury situation tonight, he could make a more significant impact with Bane and Anderson out and Brooks still sidelined. Although he's more of an interior player, he can stretch the floor when necessary and can make shots from just about anywhere. He's entirely too cheap right now and is one of my favorite players to roster tonight.
Also consider: Tyler Herro, MIA ($7,300) vs. POR, Keldon Johnson, SAS ($5,300) vs. OKC, Bobby Portis, MIL ($6,300 ) vs. MEM
VALUE PLAYS
For the most profound values, I would like you to almost exclusively cull from the injury section, beginning with guys like Huerter and Hunter in Atlanta. Kessler Edwards is also a favorite pick from the injury section, with Ayo Dosunmu, Chuma Okeke and Nassir Little not too far behind.
In conclusion, I think a lineup with three elites and a host of values is the best way to go tonight, and you may be able to stretch to four by utilizing excellent calls like Rudy Gobert and DeMar DeRozan before reaching for 10k-plus options.
