We have a modest four-game slate Saturday evening, one that features half the teams in action on the second night of back-to-back sets. Fortunately, the injury report is light, although it does feature one of the biggest names in the league.
Slate Overview
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Listed spreads/totals are from FanDuel Sportsbook and current as of Saturday, Nov. 15 @1:00 p.m. ET:
Oklahoma City Thunder (-17.5) at *Charlotte Hornets (O/U: 224.5)
Toronto Raptors (-6.5) at Indiana Pacers (O/U: 233.5)
Denver Nuggets at *Minnesota Timberwolves (-3) (O/U: 234.5)
*Los Angeles Lakers at *Milwaukee Bucks (-1) (O/U: 231.5)
* Denotes team on second night of back-to-back set
Despite the possibility of a bit of fatigue for some teams, we're still looking at three totals of more than 230 points, which is certainly encouraging from a DFS perspective. The Thunder-Hornets game looks like the only likely blowout scenario, with LaMelo Ball's confirmed absence upping those chances significantly.
Injury Situations to Monitor
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Nikola Jokic, DEN (wrist): QUESTIONABLE
If Jokic sits out, it will naturally open up massive usage for the rest of Denver's starting five, particularly Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon. Additionally, Jonas Valanciunas would be set for a spot start.
LaMelo Ball, CHA (rest): OUT
In Ball's absence, Tre Mann and Collin Sexton could see most of the minutes at point guard, while the rest of the first unit will enjoy a notable bump in usage.
Other notable injuries:
LeBron James, LAL (back): OUT
Jalen Williams, OKC (wrist): OUT
Bennedict Mathurin, IND (toe): OUT
Brandon Miller, CHA (shoulder): OUT
Aaron Nesmith, IND (knee): OUT
Christian Braun, DEN (ankle): OUT
Luguentz Dort, OKC (shoulder): QUESTIONABLE
Elite Players
We have four players with five-figure salaries on Saturday's slate – Nikola Jokic ($12,700), Luka Doncic ($12,500), Giannis Antetokounmpo ($12,300) and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ($11,300).
If Jokic is available, he'll be aiming to follow up his season-high 82.4 FD points against the Clippers on Wednesday, his third showing of over 80 FD points already this season.
Doncic provided 56.4 FD points against the Pelicans on Friday night but played 40 minutes while doing so, and he could therefore be at a bit less than full strength Saturday considering it's also the Lakers' third game in four nights.
Giannis also played Friday night and posted a massive 25-point, 18-assist double-double that netted 62.4 FD points across 40 minutes. While that leaves him in somewhat of the same scenario as Doncic in terms of potential fatigue, a significant difference is Antetokounmpo didn't play in Milwaukee's previous game against the Hornets on Wednesday.
SGA has recorded over 51 FD points in five of his last six games, but there is legitimate risk of limited minutes Saturday if OKC jumps out to a big lead as projected.
Expected Chalk
Other likely chalk plays include:
Anthony Edwards, MIN ($9,500)
Edwards has scored 42.3 to 53.2 FD points in his last four games, which should keep him very popular on the small slate at his salary.
Julius Randle, MIN ($9,100)
Randle has posted 54.1 and 47.7 FD points in his last two, pushing his season average to a highly appealing 45.4 FD points that makes him a solid value at his current salary.
Scottie Barnes, TOR ($8,700)
Barnes went off for 68 FD points against the Cavs on Thursday and has delivered at least 40 FD points in five of his last six contests overall, ensuring he'll be highly rostered Saturday.
Austin Reaves, LAL ($8,500)
Reaves is averaging an outstanding 48 FD points per game and has been over 44 in three of his last four contests, teeing him up for a high roster rate Saturday.
Jamal Murray, DEN ($7,600)
Murray should be popular irrespective of Jokic's availability his average of 39.4 FD points per contest, but he'll naturally see his roster rate increase exponentially should the big man be ruled out.
Key Values
Ajay Mitchell, OKC at CHA ($5,900)
Mitchell has been delivering very strong returns on his current salary most of the season, averaging 32.5 FD points following a solid 24.4 FD-point tally Opening Night against the Rockets. Mitchell has averaged a well-rounded 17.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.0 steals across 29.1 minutes per contest in his last 12 games, eclipsing 30 FD points on five occasions during that span, including 40 twice. The second-year guard has drawn five straight starts as well, a stretch where he's shooting an improved 50.0 percent, including 46.7 percent from distance. Even if Luguentz Dort is able to make it back from his multi-game absence Saturday, it might not equate to a demotion for Mitchell considering how well he's fared on the first unit thus far.
Donte DiVincenzo, MIN vs. DEN ($5,800)
DiVincenzo has been providing strong multi-category production in signature fashion so far this season, averaging 28 FD points across 30.3 minutes per game. The veteran wing is delivering 14.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.2 steals per contest, and he's once again making an impact from deep with a 38.9 percent success rate from behind the arc. DiVincenzo has eclipsed 30 FD points on four occasions as well, and Saturday, he's facing a Nuggets squad allowing 47.1 FD points per game to point guards, along with nearly four more assists per game on the road (27.4) than at home (23.7).
Aaron Gordon, DEN at MIN ($5,600)
Gordon is filling his customary complementary role in the Nuggets' attack this season, and if Jokic is sidelined Saturday, the veteran forward will naturally be due for a big bump in opportunity. As it is, Gordon profiles as a solid value at his salary, having eclipsed 30 FD points on three occasions this season, including his memorable 63.6 FD-point tally on Opening Night against the Warriors. While that was quite an outlier, Gordon has been over 25 FD points on seven occasions overall, including in an ongoing five-game stretch where he's shooting 51.6 percent, including 42.3 percent from three-point range. Minnesota has also been more vulnerable to power forwards recently, allowing 47.9 FD points per contest to the position in the last seven games.
ALSO CONSIDER: Kyle Kuzma, MIL vs. LAL ($5,500); Naz Reid, MIN vs. DEN ($5,200)
