This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
We're teed up for our second big Friday night slate of the season, with nine games on tap. Despite the fact we're less than two weeks into the new campaign, we're already seeing the injury report populate pretty heavily with some notable names. That naturally could pose somewhat of a challenge in terms of our player pool, although it can also open up some value options with salaries that are mismatched with respect to what their temporary enhanced role might be.
Slate Overview
For the latest spreads and over-unders, visit RotoWire's NBA Odds page. There, you can also find player props, futures, picks articles and sportsbook bonus codes.
Listed spreads/totals are from FanDuel Sportsbook and current as of Friday, 11/1 @11:30 a.m. ET:
Orlando Magic at Cleveland Cavaliers (-7) (O/U: 217.5)
New York Knicks (-6.5) at Detroit Pistons (O/U: 217.5)
Boston Celtics (-10.5) at Charlotte Hornets (O/U: 232.5)
Sacramento Kings (-6.5) at Atlanta Hawks (O/U: 237.5)
Los Angeles Lakers (-9.5) at Toronto Raptors (O/U: 231.5)
Chicago Bulls at Brooklyn Nets (-1.5) (O/U: 226.5)
Indiana Pacers (-4.5) at New Orleans Pelicans (O/U: 232.5)
Denver Nuggets at Minnesota Timberwolves (-4) (O/U: 219.5)
Oklahoma City Thunder (-11.5) at Portland Trail Blazers (O/U: 221.0)
It's a positive betting landscape overall for us as DFS players on Friday. We do have a trio of elevated spreads, but that still leaves us with six games projected to be relatively-to-very competitive. And naturally, even games with big projected advantages for the favorites can end up playing out very differently.
Meanwhile, we have four games with projected totals of over 230 points, which is always a welcome sight for DFS purposes. There are also some defensive battles expected, but with this many games on the slate, we have the luxury of staying away from those games if we're so inclined.
Injury Situations to Monitor
For all the latest updates, visit RotoWire's NBA Injury News page and our comprehensive NBA Injury Report.
Paolo Banchero, ORL (oblique): OUT
With Banchero now set for a multi-week absence, Anthony Black could move into the starting five while Franz Wagner shifts over to power forward and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope handles small forward duties. The usage rate for the entire starting five should also rise considerably.
Karl-Anthony Towns, NYK (wrist): QUESTIONABLE
If Towns can't suit up Friday, Jericho Sims is likely to be a primary beneficiary by starting at center.
CJ McCollum, NOP (thigh): OUT
In McCollum's absence, Jose Alvarado could go at point guard while the likes of Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson would see their usage jump.
Zach LaVine, CHI (shoulder): QUESTIONABLE
If LaVine can't play Friday, Dalen Terry may draw a start at small forward while the rest of the starting five would be in line for a bump in usage.
Other notable injuries:
Dyson Daniels, NOP (hip): OUT
De'Andre Hunter, ATL (knee): OUT
Kelly Olynyk, TOR (back): OUT
Bogdan Bogdanovic, ATL (hamstring): OUT
Immanuel Quickley, TOR (pelvis): DOUBTFUL
Patrick Williams, CHI (shoulder): QUESTIONABLE
Myles Turner, IND (ankle): QUESTIONABLE
Brandon Miller, CHA (glute): QUESTIONABLE
Andrew Nembhard, IND (knee): QUESTIONABLE
Anthony Davis, LAL (hip): PROBABLE
D'Angelo Russell, LAL (back): PROBABLE
Aaron Gordon, DEN (knee): PROBABLE
Elite Players
We have five players with five-figure salaries on Friday's slate – Nikola Jokic ($11,700), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ($11,300), Anthony Davis ($11,000), Jayson Tatum ($10,200) and Trae Young ($10,000).
Jokic has been virtually unstoppable over his first four games despite some of the Nuggets' struggles, and he's coming off having scored 76.6 FD points against the Nets on Tuesday. He'll have the extra advantage of two full days of rest coming into Friday.
SGA contributed a modest-by-his-standards 32.3 FD points his last time out against the Spurs, but that came over a span of just 27 minutes. He'd scored 61.4 and 78.7 in two of his first three games of the season.
Davis scored "only" 42.6 FD points against the Cavaliers his last time out on Wednesday, but that was over 31 minutes. He's still averaging 58.3 FD points per contest for the season.
Tatum posted his second 60+ FD-point tally in the overtime loss to the Pacers on Wednesday, but it's worth noting he and the Celtics will be on what is already their sixth game in the first 11 nights of the season Friday.
Young recorded 65.3 FD points across 40 minutes versus the Wizards in his most recent game and has at least 57 FD points in three of his first five contests.
Expected Chalk
Other likely chalk plays include:
Domantas Sabonis, SAC ($9,600)
Sabonis has demonstrated his usually reliable floor early this season, scoring over 40 FD points in three of four games.
Chet Holmgren, OKC ($9,300)
Holmgren played only 27 minutes against the Spurs on Wednesday but still recorded 35 FD points, and he'd posted 47.2 or higher in his three prior games to start the season.
LaMelo Ball, CHA ($9,200)
Ball had scored 42 or more FD points in each of his first three games of the season before a dip to 31.6 (over 32 minutes) in his most recent game, but he should remain very popular in a high-profile matchup against the Celtics.
Brandon Ingram, NOP ($7,800)
Ingram is averaging 37.3 FD points per contest thus far and will take the floor without CJ McCollum on Friday, a scenario in which he generated a 31.0 percent usage rate and averaged 43 FD points per 36 minutes last season.
Franz Wagner, ORL ($7,400)
Wagner should be very popular at his salary with Paolo Banchero out, as the former averaged 40.8 FD points per 36 minutes with his teammate off the floor last season.
Key Values
Nick Richards, CHA vs. BOS ($6,300)
Richards has been outstanding to open the new campaign, with the big recording three consecutive double-doubles and coming off a spectacular 60.8 FD-point showing against the Raptors on Wednesday. Richards has mostly been able to avoid serious foul trouble in the process, and he's recorded multiple blocks in three of the first four contests as well. The defending champion Celtics could well be a fatigued bunch again Friday as they play their sixth game in 11 nights and come off a grueling OT loss to the Pacers on Wednesday. Boston is already allowing the ninth-highest offensive efficiency rating to centers (35.0) in the new season, as well as 49.9 FD points per contest and 2.8 blocks per game to the position, along with the fourth-most points in the paint per game (54.0).
Anthony Black, ORL at CLE ($4,600)
Black could be in for a start at shooting guard Friday as the Magic begins to adjust to life without Banchero for the next several weeks. The 2023 first-round pick has already been making meaningful contributions from the second unit, averaging 22.9 FD points per contest across 25.6 minutes per game in the early going. Black is shooting a blistering 44.4 percent from three-point range as well, and he's contributed three steals and four blocks over his last two games alone. The Cavaliers have allowed 47.1 percent shooting to two-guards thus far this season as well, and Black could well over-deliver on this salary if he sees a starter's workload.
Jose Alvarado, NOP vs. IND ($4,400)
Alvarado is another player poised to benefit from a prominent absence, as he's likely to draw a second straight start at point guard with McCollum out for the Pelicans. Alvarado showed well in his opportunity with the first unit Wednesday, recording 36 FD points across 35 minutes against the Warriors while checking off every box on the stat sheet and draining half of his eight three-point attempts. The opposing Pacers are surrendering 47.2 FD points per game to point guards in the early going this season, and Alvarado is averaging 30.3 FD points per 36 minutes when not sharing the floor with McCollum this season.
ALSO CONSIDER: Tre Mann, CHA vs. BOS ($5,800); Christian Braun, DEN at MIN ($5,400); Payton Pritchard, BOS at CHA ($4,900)
