This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
Friday's two-game slate sees the Knicks and Warriors trying to continue their climb out of early-series deficits to force Game 7s. There is one significant injury for Golden State that could result in an absence, but otherwise there should be a close-to-full player pool.
Slate Overview
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As of early Friday, the Knicks and Warriors are listed as 5.5- and 2.5-point road underdogs, respectively. Meanwhile, projected totals are fairly disparate, with the New York-Miami clash showing a 208.5-point figure and Golden State-Los Angeles battle checking in at 221 points on FanDuel Sportsbook.
Injury Situations to Monitor
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Anthony Davis, LAL (foot): PROBABLE
Davis should play through is foot injury as usual, and the Lakers no longer listing the head injury he suffered near the end of Game 5 on their injury report.
Jimmy Butler, MIA (ankle): PROBABLE
Butler is expected to play through his ankle issue, as has been the case the last three games.
Andrew Wiggins, GSW (ribs): QUESTIONABLE
If Wiggins can't go, Jordan Poole could enter the starting five while Donte DiVincenzo could see more run off the bench.
Other notable injuries:
LeBron James, LAL (foot): PROBABLE
Caleb Martin, MIA (back): PROBABLE
Elite Players
We have three players with five-figure salaries on Friday's slate – Anthony Davis ($11,200), Jimmy Butler ($10,800) and Stephen Curry ($10,400).
Assuming Davis plays through his foot issue as expected, the big man will look to replicate the 63.1 and 50 FD points he scored at home during Games 3 and 4.
Butler has scored 58.2 and 57.9 FD points in the last two games, making even his elevated salary worth considering.
Curry was back down to 43.6 FD points on Wednesday, but he produced 71 FD points in his most recent appearance at Crypto.com Arena in Game 4.
Expected Chalk
Other likely chalk plays include:
LeBron James, LAL ($9,900)
James is sporting a four-figure salary, but he still carries the upside of a five-figure player and has three tallies of over 50 FD points this postseason.
Jalen Brunson, NYK ($9,500)
Brunson has stepped up his production in the last two games, leading to totals of 55.3 and 58.3 FD points that should help keep him extremely popular Friday.
Bam Adebayo, MIA ($8,000)
Adebayo has managed no fewer than 33.4 FD points in four straight, which should keep him very popular at a position of scarcity on a small slate.
Key Values
RJ Barrett, NYK at MIA ($6,700)
Barrett has been playing his natural small forward spot the last two games with stellar results, as he's averaged 34.8 FD points on the strength of 25.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists per contest, as well as 51.5 percent, including 46.2 from three-point range. The Heat are also allowing an NBA-high 26.4 offensive efficiency rating to small forwards since the start of the regular season while yielding a league-high 48.3 percent shooting to the position.
Austin Reaves, LAL vs. GSW ($5,900)
Reaves has naturally been overshadowed by his star teammates, but the gritty guard has averaged 31.6 FD points over the last two outings while shooting 50.0 percent from three-point range. The Warriors are giving up the sixth-highest offensive efficiency rating to shooting guards since the start of the regular season (24.8), and Reaves' ability to contribute in multiple categories makes him a good bet to deliver a solid return on a very reasonable salary.
Gary Payton, GSW at LAL ($4,700)
Payton's inclusion in the starting five over the last two games has been a success, as he's averaged 14.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists while shooting 78.6 percent, including 50.0 from three-point range. He could be due for an even bigger offensive role in Game 6 if Andrew Wiggins (ribs) sits, which would up his chances of overdelivering on his salary in another must-win scenario for Golden State.
ALSO CONSIDER: Max Strus, MIA vs. NYK ($5,300); Jordan Poole, GSW at LAL ($4,900)
