This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
We've reached the final day of the first 82-game NBA season since 2018-19, and all 30 teams will take the floor. However, FanDuel's main slate features 11 of the 15 games on the docket. There's actually some seeding left to be finalized in the upper echelon of the Eastern Conference. There will also be plenty of stars resting for other contenders, making it a day where latching on to the right value plays can carry things DFS-wise.
Slate Overview
Toronto Raptors (-5) at New York Knicks (O/U: 217.0 points)
Miami Heat (-9.5) at Orlando Magic (O/U: 218.5 points)
Detroit Pistons at Philadelphia 76ers (-10.5) (O/U: 225.5 points)
Boston Celtics (-5) at Memphis Grizzlies (O/U: 225.0 points)
Chicago Bulls at Minnesota Timberwolves (-7) (O/U: 2290 points)
Oklahoma City Thunder at Los Angeles Clippers (-12) (O/U: 217.5 points)
Sacramento Kings at Phoenix Suns (-14.5) (O/U: 230.5 points)
Golden State Warriors (-5) at New Orleans Pelicans (O/U: 221.0 points)
San Antonio Spurs at Dallas Mavericks (-11.5) (O/U: 223.5 points)
Utah Jazz (-19) at Portland Trail Blazers (O/U: 222.0 points)
Los Angeles Lakers at Denver Nuggets (-10.5) (O/U: 228.5 points)
Three of the aforementioned seeds that are still in flux are the 2, 3 and 4 spots in the East. The Bucks play in the afternoon against the Cavaliers, while the 76ers and Celtics are both in action Sunday night. Consequently, we should be able to count on the main players on those squads playing a fairly normal allotment of minutes.
Elsewhere, with the likely exception of a Warriors team that needs to win to ensure the No. 3 seed in the West, it could be a very erratic night in terms of starters' minutes. It's also even more pertinent than usual to watch injury reports right up to lineup lock, as there could eventually be even more players announced as out than those already listed in the following section.
Injury Situations to Monitor
NOTE: Injury reporting is especially fluid in the NBA, where the status of multiple players can change during the course of a day. Therefore, although the following is a foundation for the latest injury report as of the time the article is written, check back throughout the course of the day with RotoWire for the latest news regarding the status of all players on that night's slate, including those carrying injury designations that aren't listed in this section.
Nikola Jokic, DEN (wrist): QUESTIONABLE
If Jokic is unable to go, DeMarcus Cousins would likely be in for a start at center.
LeBron James, LAL (ankle): OUT
With James out, Stanley Johnson should draw another start.
Anthony Davis, LAL (foot): OUT
If Davis can't play, Dwight Howard should see extra minutes at center.
Fred VanVleet, TOR (knee/rest): PROBABLE
VanVleet is expected to suit up and fill his usual starting point guard role.
Russell Westbrook, LAL (shoulder): OUT
With Westbrook out for what could well be his last game as a Laker, Malik Monk should remain in the starting five.
Zach LaVine, CHI (knee/rest): OUT
With LaVine sideline, Javonte Green could draw the start at small forward.
Karl-Anthony Towns, MIN (rest): OUT
With Towns sitting Sunday, Naz Reid should get the start at center.
Cade Cunningham, DET (hip): QUESTIONABLE
If Cunningham sits the final game of his spectacular rookie season, Frank Jackson could draw the start at shooting guard.
DeMar DeRozan, CHI (rest): OUT
With DeRozan missing out, Patrick Williams should draw the start at power forward.
Nikola Vucevic, CHI (rest): OUT
With Vucevic sitting Tristan Thompson and Tony Bradley should log most of the minutes at center.
Jimmy Butler, MIA (toe/rest): OUT
With Butler out, Caleb Martin is likely to draw a start at small forward.
Klay Thompson, GSW (injury management): GTD
If Thompson can't go, Gary Payton should log plenty of minutes at shooting guard.
Other notable injuries:
Wendell Carter, ORL (wrist): OUT
D'Angelo Russell, MIN (illness): OUT
Domantas Sabonis, SAC (knee): OUT
De'Aaron Fox, SAC (hand): OUT
RJ Barrett, NYK (knee): OUT
Aaron Gordon, DEN (hamstring): QUESTIONABLE
Brandon Ingram, NOP (hamstring): GTD
Zion Williamson, NOP (foot): OUT
Julius Randle, NYK (quadriceps): OUT
Mitchell Robinson, NYK (illness): QUESTIONABLE
Jakob Poeltl, SAN (back): GTD
Keldon Johnson, SAN (knee): GTD
OG Anunoby, TOR (quadriceps): QUESTIONABLE
Marvin Bagley, DET (hip): OUT
Cole Anthony, ORL (toe): OUT
Jerami Grant, DET (calf): OUT
Josh Hart, POR (knee): OUT
Tre Mann, OKC (hamstring): OUT
Trendon Watford, POR (leg): OUT
Elite Players
We have four players with five-figure salaries that have a chance to play on Sunday's slate –Nikola Jokic ($12,200), Joel Embiid ($11,800), Luka Doncic ($11,600) and Pascal Siakam ($10,800).
Even if Jokic plays through his wrist issue, it remains to be seen if he'll log a normal allotment of minutes considering the Nuggets would need a highly improbable loss by the Jazz to the Trail Blazers in order to move up to the No. 5 seed.
With the 76ers' seeding still in flux, Embiid could shoulder a normal workload and will face a Pistons team that he lit up for 61.5 FD points the last time he faced them.
The Mavericks can still get up to No. 3 with a win and Warriors loss, so Doncic could log plenty of minutes versus a Spurs team he's already posted 49.9 and 72.9 FD points against in two of three meetings this season.
Siakam has scored 61.6 to 71 FD points in his last three games, but Toronto is locked into the No. 5 seed and there's no guarantee what his playing time will be.
Expected Chalk
Other likely chalk plays include:
Jayson Tatum, BOS ($9,400)
With the Celtics still finalizing seeding, Tatum should be in for a normal allotment of minutes and is coming off producing at least 40 FD points in five straight games.
Jaylen Brown, BOS ($9,100)
Brown has topped 50 FD points in three straight, which should keep him very popular Sunday.
Paul George, LAC ($8,900)
George has posted 48.8 and 52.6 FD points in his last two games. Even though the Clippers are locked into their No. 9 seed, coach Tyronn Lue may give the star wing a healthy allotment of minutes given he recently returned from his long injury layoff.
Anthony Edwards, MIN ($8,300)
With Towns and Russell sitting and Patrick Beverley potentially out, Edwards should be in plenty of lineups, especially considering he just scored a career-high 49 points against the Spurs in his last outing.
Jaylen Hoard, OKC ($7,700)
Hoard has been the beneficiary of the Thunder's decision to play a full array of second-unit players recently, tallying between 38.5 and 60.7 FD points in four of his last five games.
Key Values
Talen Horton-Tucker, LAL at DEN ($6,700)
As alluded to earlier, James, Davis and Westbrook will all sit out the finale of one of the most disappointing Lakers seasons in recent memory and leave Horton-Tucker in another very high-usage role. The third-year wing has excelled while drawing starts the last two games by posting 58.1 and 38.1 FD points. Horton-Tucker has averaged a well-rounded 13.6 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.4 steals across his 18 starts this season and boasts a 29.9 percent usage rate along with an average of 37 FD points per 36 minutes with the aforementioned trio of stars off the floor.
Zavier Simpson, OKC at LAC ($5,300)
Simpson has been one of the beneficiaries of the Thunder's unorthodox personnel usage over the final week, averaging 29.6 FD in his first three games while logging 43.3 minutes a night. If that type of opportunity continues Sunday, he could once again overdeliver on his salary versus a Clippers squad that may not play its starters for a full game and that's struggled against point guards. Los Angeles has allowed the sixth-highest offensive efficiency to ones (26.8 percent) and just under 48 FD points per game to the position on the campaign.
Patrick Williams, CHI at MIN ($4,600)
The Bulls will sit LaVine, DeRozan and Vucevic on Sunday night, and Williams sports a 32.7 percent usage rate and averages 46.0 FD points per 36 minutes with his three teammates off the floor this season. Williams has scored between 24.2 and 33.4 FD points in four of the last five games, while the Timberwolves will be without Karl-Anthony Towns down low Sunday. Minnesota is also giving up 46 FD points per game to power forwards in the last seven games, and Williams is shooting a blistering 63.6 percent overall and from three-point range in his last five outings.
ALSO CONSIDER: Bones Hyland, DEN vs. LAL ($5,300)
