This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
The NBA's busy holiday week continues Friday night with a solid eight-game slate. The injury report isn't overly heavy, but there are multiple big names already confirmed out and a few others sporting questionable tags. We're still working with a big player pool, however, and plenty of opportunity for differentiation in tournaments.
Slate Overview
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Listed spreads/totals are from FanDuel Sportsbook and current as of Friday, 12/27 @11:30 a.m. EST:
New York Knicks (-7) at Orlando Magic (O/U: 213.5)
Indiana Pacers at Boston Celtics (-12.5) (O/U: 231.5)
San Antonio Spurs (-7) at Brooklyn Nets (O/U: 213.0)
Memphis Grizzlies (-8.5) at New Orleans Pelicans (O/U: 237.0)
Minnesota Timberwolves at Houston Rockets (-1) (O/U: 212.0)
Dallas Mavericks at Phoenix Suns (-1) (O/U: 224.0)
Cleveland Cavaliers (-2.5) at Denver Nuggets (O/U: 235.5)
Golden State Warriors at Los Angeles Clippers (-4.5) (O/U: 212.5)
The night is a bit of a study in extremes from a betting perspective. In terms of spreads, we have a nice cluster of very small projected advantages for half the favorites, while the other quartet of contests sport lines of seven points or more.
Projected totals tell a similar story, considering we have an atypical four games at 213.5 points or less but the remaining games at 224.0 or higher, including a trio of 230-point-plus figures. The best combination of narrow spread and high total is clearly the Cavaliers-Nuggets clash, making it one to especially keep in mind for DFS purposes.
Injury Situations to Monitor
For all the latest updates, visit RotoWire's NBA Injury News page and our comprehensive NBA Injury Report.
Luka Doncic, DAL (calf): OUT
In Doncic's absence, Kyrie Irving should be the biggest beneficiary in terms of usage rate increase, while Spencer Dinwiddie, Quentin Grimes and Jaden Hardy could all potentially rotate in at point guard.
Stephen Curry, GSW (knee): OUT
In Curry's absence for knee injury management, Brandin Podziemski could draw a spot start at point guard, while Dennis Schroder and Andrew Wiggins could particularly benefit from increase in opportunity.
Devin Booker, PHO (groin): OUT
In Booker's fourth consecutive absence, either Royce O'Neale or Ryan Dunn should be part of the first unit while Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal are in line to benefit the most in terms of increased usage.
Kristaps Porzingis, BOS (ankle): QUESTIONABLE
If Porzingis sits out, Al Horford is likely to draw a start at center with Luke Kornet also seeing increased minutes.
Other notable injuries:
Paolo Banchero, ORL (oblique): OUT
Zion Williamson, NOP (hamstring): OUT
Brandon Ingram, NOP (ankle): OUT
Kawhi Leonard, LAC (knee): OUT
Cam Thomas, BKN (hamstring): OUT
Dillon Brooks, HOU (ankle): OUT
Tari Eason, HOU (lower leg): OUT
Marcus Smart, MEM (finger): OUT
Grayson Allen, PHO (concussion): OUT
Jrue Holiday, BOS (shoulder): QUESTIONABLE
Dereck Lively, DAL (hip): QUESTIONABLE
Khris Middleton, MIL (ankle): PROBABLE
Jamal Murray, DEN (ankle): PROBABLE
Elite Players
We have three players with five-figure salaries available to play on Friday's slate – Nikola Jokic ($12,200), Victor Wembanyama ($11,900) and Jayson Tatum ($10,400).
Jokic is going to be an integral part of a game with a close spread and high total and comes in with an average of 63.3 FD points per contest, giving him the highest ceiling on the slate.
Wemby isn't too far behind Jokic in terms of upside, and he's actually been the more productive of the two of late with scores of 61.8 to 80.6 FD points in his last four games, a stretch that includes a pair of 42-point showings and eight- and 10-block efforts.
Tatum could be taking the floor without Porzingis and comes into the night having posted 59 FD points over 41 minutes against the 76ers on Christmas Day, a performance preceded by 54- and 72-FD-point tallies in back-to-back games against the Bulls.
Expected Chalk
Other likely chalk plays include:
Kevin Durant, PHO ($9,800)
Durant sports nearly a 39.0 percent usage rate with Devin Booker off the floor this season and has scored 52.8 to 56 FD points in three of his past four games, all numbers that should make him very popular.
Karl-Anthony Towns, NYK ($9,600)
Towns has hit 60 FD points in three of his last seven games alone, which should keep him very highly rostered at his salary.
Kyrie Irving, DAL ($9,400)
Kyrie is the Mavericks' usage leader by far with Doncic off the floor and scored 49 FD points against the T-Wolves on Christmas Day with his teammate missing a significant portion of the game.
Anthony Edwards, MIN ($9,100)
Edwards put up 48.1 FD points over 39 minutes against the Mavericks on Christmas and carries a ceiling befitting a higher salary, which should help keep him in plenty of lineups Friday.
Donovan Mitchell, CLE ($9,000)
Mitchell will be in a highly appealing game environment and has scored over 40 FD points in three of his last four games.
Key Values
Bradley Beal, PHO vs. DAL ($6,900)
Beal should be in position to continue thriving in Devin Booker's absence Friday, and he'll come into the night averaging 36.7 FD points per 36 minutes with his teammate off the floor this season. In Booker's current three-game absence, Beal has stepped up to provide 37.7 FD points per contest on the strength of 25.3 points (on 53.4 percent shooting, including 55.0 percent from distance), 3.7 assists, 2.7 rebounds and 1.7 steals per contest. The Mavericks will be down Luka in the backcourt Friday as well – lessening the defensive stress on Beal – and Dallas is allowing 43.3 FD points per contest to two-guards over the last seven games, as well as 39.4 percent three-point shooting on the road overall this season.
Chris Paul, SAN at BKN ($6,200)
Paul continues to rather quietly enjoy a productive age-39 season, and he'll enter Friday with an extended run of strong performances. Paul is averaging 31.3 FD points over his last 20 games, putting up a well-rounded 9.5 points, 8.4 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 1.6 steals across 29.1 minutes per contest. That stretch includes three tallies of 39 FD points or higher, a glimpse at the significant upside Paul offers at his salary. The Nets also rank No. 21 in offensive efficiency rating allowed to point guards (26.9) and have surrendered 49.8 FD points per game to ones in the last 15 contests. Furthermore, Brooklyn ranks in the bottom 10 in assists per game allowed (26.9), furthering Paul's case.
Dennis Schroder, GSW at LAC ($5,700)
Schroder is still in the midst of getting acclimated to his new Warriors digs, but he's shown some improvement over the last couple of games and will now take the floor without Stephen Curry on Friday. Schroder provided 22.9 FD points on Christmas Day against the Lakers with an 11-point, five-assist performance that also included a couple of rebounds and a steal. The veteran guard hasn't been able to consistently find the net over his first four games – the main reason for his lack of production – but a Clippers team that's been more vulnerable to two-guards of late (43.7 FD points per game allowed in the last seven contests, compared to 39.8 for the season) and the increased usage he should enjoy make Schroder an intriguing tournament value option.
ALSO CONSIDER: Andrew Wiggins, GSW at LAC ($6,300); Jusuf Nurkic, PHO vs. DAL ($6,000); Quentin Grimes, DAL at PHO ($5,300)
