This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
We head off to the All-Star break with a three-game slate Thursday night, one that features a solid array of big names despite there being just six teams in action. The injury report isn't too onerous either, which helps afford us a viable player pool for cash games and tournaments.
Slate Overview
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Oddsmakers are projecting a competitive slate, as the largest favorite of the night, the Bucks, have a relatively modest seven-point projected advantage. The other two games have lines of 3.5 and 1.5 points as of early Thursday, and all three contests have projected totals of 224 points or higher.
Injury Situations to Monitor
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Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL (knee): PROBABLE
As of early Thursday, Antetokounmpo is fully expected to play through his probable designation and fill his usual high-volume role.
DeMar DeRozan, CHI (thigh): GTD
If DeRozan misses a second straight game Thursday, Alex Caruso is likely to remain in the starting five while Zach LaVine should see a big bump in usage again.
Rudy Gobert, MIN (groin): QUESTIONABLE
If Gobert sits out, Naz Reid should draw the start at center.
Other notable injuries:
Karl-Anthony Towns, MIN (calf): OUT
Kevin Durant, PHO (knee): OUT
Norman Powell, LAC (injury management): OUT
Bobby Portis, MIL (knee): OUT
Kyle Anderson, MIN (back): QUESTIONABLE
Elite Players
We have two players with five-figure salaries on Thursday's slate – Giannis Antetokounmpo ($12,500) and Kawhi Leonard ($10,200).
Antetokounmpo is amid a prolific tear where he's averaged 38.0 points, 13.5 rebounds and 6.0 assists across the last 10 games, a stretch where he's averaged 62.9 FD points.
Leonard bounced back to score 52.4 FD points against the Warriors on Tuesday after getting the previous game off for rest, his third time exceeding 50 FD points in the last six games.
Expected Chalk
Other likely chalk plays include:
Devin Booker, PHO ($9,500)
Booker looked back to his old self Tuesday against the Kings with 46 FD points across 29 minutes, which should help keep him very popular on Thursday's small slate.
Anthony Edwards, MIN ($9,400)
Edwards has been under 36.5 FD points just thrice in the last 14 games, a stretch during which he's averaging 45.4 FD points and shooting 48.8 percent, including 39.4 percent from distance.
Kristaps Porzingis, WAS ($9,100)
Porzingis has scored 44.4 to 54.8 FD points in three of the past four games, including a tally of 48.9 on Tuesday in Kyle Kuzma's return to action.
Deandre Ayton, PHO ($9,000)
Ayton went off for 62.2 FD points over 36 minutes against the Kings on Tuesday, his fifth double-double in the last six games.
Zach LaVine, CHI ($8,200)
The combination of LaVine's 59.7 FD-point effort against the Pacers on Wednesday and the possible second straight absence of DeMar DeRozan should keep the talented shooting guard's rostering rate very high.
Key Values
Josh Okogie, PHO vs. LAC ($5,600)
Okogie has scored 28.7 to 46.3 FD points in his last three games, a stretch during which he's shooting a blistering 55.0 percent, including 60.0 percent from three-point range. Okogie has drawn starts in the last two games as well, with Kevin Durant (knee) still not ready to debut, and that will remain the case Thursday. The Clippers are also a vulnerable team to power forwards, allowing the fourth-highest offensive efficiency rating to power forwards (28.3), along with 49.9 percent shooting and Western Conference-high 51.3 FD points per game to the position in the last 15 contests.
Jaden McDaniels, MIN vs. WAS ($5,600)
McDaniels produced 34.8 FD points against the Mavericks on Monday, the third time in the last seven contests he's eclipsed 30 FD points. The talented forward has another matchup that could facilitate a strong return Thursday, as the Wizards are allowing the eighth-highest offensive efficiency rating to small forwards (23.3), along with 41 FD points per contest to the position. McDaniels is also sporting career highs in points (11.4), assists (2.1) and steals (1.0), and he's shooting a stellar 41.7 percent from behind the arc across 30 home games.
Terance Mann, LAC at PHO ($5,100)
Mann kept his starting point guard spot despite Bones Hyland's team debut Tuesday against the Warriors, with the former going off for 31 FD points across 27 minutes. It marked the extension of what is now a positive four-game stretch for the fourth-year guard, one in which he's averaging 27.9 FD points on the strength of 14.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists while shooting 60.0 percent, including 50.0 percent from three-point range. Mann also notably put together his second-highest FD-point tally of the season against the Suns (43.2 FD points) back on Dec. 15, and the Suns have allowed just under 48 FD points per contest to ones in the last 15 games.
ALSO CONSIDER: Joe Ingles, MIL at CHI ($4,000)
