This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
Per usual, FanDuel hacks off the early Sunday games and places the majority of their contests in a smaller main slate, which leaves us five games to choose from for DFS consideration.
SLATE OVERVIEW
NOP (-7.5) vs. UTS O/U: 230.5
CLE (-3.5) vs. WAS O/U: 217.5
MIN (-7) @ OKC O/U: 225.5
GSW (-9( vs. SAC O/U: 231
LAC (-2) vs. PHO O/U: 219
Our faded teams were intriguing, as we didn't manage to get any Pelicans or Warriors involved. Fading the Wizards makes a bit more sense, but I would encourage you to consider targets from Golden State and New Orleans at your discretion. Not mentioning them doesn't mean there's value to be found in those teams.
INJURIES
CLE Darius Garland (eye) - OUT
The Cavs elected to go with Isaac Okoro ($3,600), but the backcourt switch to Donovan Mitchell and Caris LeVert is where we should see the biggest boost.
PHO Cameron Johnson (hip) - QUESTIONABLE
Even if Johnson plays, he may be limited. I like Damion Lee ($3,900) as a candidate to pick up the slack.
ELITE PLAYERS
Due to the size of the slate, we'll extend the elite category down to $8000. Stephen Curry ($10,700) tops by a sizeable margin, but I think it's too much when we can find comparable guard production for much less. I would go with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ($9,600), Donovan Mitchell ($8,500) and Devin Booker ($8,300) at this level before going with Curry, and I especially like where Booker is placed out of that group.
Other spots I like in the top group are Karl-Anthony Towns ($9000) against the Thunder and Paul George ($9,000) in what should be a very watchable game at Crypto.com Arena.
EXPECTED CHALK AND OTHER TARGETS
Anthony Edwards, MIN ($7,500) @ OKC
Edwards began the season with a home matchup against the Thunder, and it wasn't his best effort. He bounced back with a stellar 30-point game against Utah, and I suspect he'll have the necessary tools to exact a little revenge for that initial tepid result. Edwards' line in the opener really wasn't that bad as he propped up his total with eight rebounds and seven assists.
Deandre Ayton ($7,000) vs. Ivica Zubac ($7,000), PHO@ LAC
These centers hold identical salaries, and I think they can be interchangeable if you're using multiple lineups. Overall, I think Ayton is the more solid play, but Zubac looked really good in the opener and offers plenty of upside. I expect Zubac to win the rebounding battle and Ayton to end up as the better scoring source.
Josh Giddey, OKC ($6,800) vs. MIN
Giddey has begun the campaign with two double-doubles and put up a 14/11/4 line against Minnesota in the opener. It's great to have a matchup history so early in the season, and we have a pretty good idea how Giddey will be implemented.
Also consider: Lauri Markkanen, UTA ($7,300) @ NOP
VALUE PLAYS
Keegan Murray, SAC ($5,200) @ GSW
Murray made a solid impact right out of the gate in his first pro game by logging 19 points, five rebounds and two blocked shots over 33 minutes. He'll face a much tougher opponent for his second outing, but it appears the Kings are ready to commit to him. There is a little bit of back-to-back concern due to his recent injury, so be sure to confirm his participation first.
Luguentz Dort, OKC ($5,100) vs. MIN
Dort quietly racked up solid totals in his first two games. Against the T-Wolves, he recorded 10 points, six rebounds, two assists and a steal for a fantasy total of 22 FDFP. With just a few more points, he'll match 5x value relative to his salary and represent a great value add.
Also consider: Walker Kessler, UTA ($3,900) @ NOP
