This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
We're primed for what could be termed a modest slate by Friday standards, as there are just seven games on the ledger. However, the matchups indicate there could be some high-scoring affairs, as the likes of the Pacers, Hornets, Hawks, Bucks, Thunder and Pelicans will all be taking the floor.
Slate Overview
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There's plenty of good news where both point spreads and projected totals are concerned Friday night. We have no game carrying a spread higher than 7.5 on FanDuel Sportsbook as of Thursday night, including a pair of games with lines of just two points.
Projected totals are even more encouraging and portend a very high-scoring night with plenty of standout individual performances if they're reasonably accurate. As of Thursday night, there are five games with totals of 234 points or higher, including a pair of 240-plus-point figures attached to the Suns-Pacers and Hawks-Mavericks clashes.
Injury Situations to Monitor
For all the latest updates, visit RotoWire's NBA Injury News page and our comprehensive NBA Injury Report.
Tyrese Haliburton, IND (hamstring): OUT
With Haliburton out, Andrew Nembhard and T.J. McConnell should split up the majority of minutes at point guard, while the rest of the starting five should enjoy elevated usage.
Trae Young, ATL (concussion): QUESTIONABLE
If Young remains out, Dejounte Murray should continue handling primary ball-handling responsibilitie, while Bogdan Bogdanovic could draw another start.
Kyrie Irving, DAL (thumb): QUESTIONABLE
If Irving sits out, Grant Williams could remain in the starting five while Luka Doncic and Tim Hardaway take on more scoring responsibilities.
Other notable injuries:
Darius Garland, CLE (jaw): OUT
Evan Mobley, CLE (knee): OUT
Immanuel Quickley, TOR (thigh): OUT
Jakob Poeltl, TOR (ankle): OUT
Ivica Zubac, LAC (calf): OUT
Gordon Hayward, CHA (calf): OUT
Mark Williams, CHA (back): OUT
Clint Capela, ATL (calf): QUESTIONABLE
Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL (back): PROBABLE
Elite Players
We have five players with five-figure salaries that have a chance to play on Friday's slate – Luka Doncic ($12,300), Giannis Antetokounmpo ($12,200), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ($11,000), Donovan Mitchell ($10,100) and Trae Young ($10,000).
Doncic has scored 61.1 to 77.1 FD points in three straight games since returning from a back injury, and he draws a highly favorable matchup against a fast-paced Hawks team that could still be down Trae Young (concussion).
Antetokounmpo is fully expected to play through his back issue and is running very hot, scoring over 75 FD points in each of his last two games and no fewer than 59 in four straight.
SGA has scored 67.2 and 59.2 FD points in his last two games against the Trail Blazers and Spurs, but his matchup is a bit tougher Friday versus the Pelicans.
Mitchell scored 57.1 FD points against the Magic two games ago, and he should log heavy minutes in what is likely going to be a wire-to-wire matchup against the Bucks.
Young's condition will have to be monitored given he's still dealing with a concussion, but if he does play, he'll draw a favorable matchup against a Mavericks team that's struggled to defend point guards all season.
Expected Chalk
Other likely chalk plays include:
LaMelo Ball, CHA ($9,900)
Ball had a downturn against the Pistons in his most recent contest, but he has a ceiling north of 50 FD points and therefore offers plenty of upside at his salary.
Alperen Sengun, HOU ($9,800)
Sengun has been over 50 FD points in three straight games and hasn't scored less than 42.8 in six straight overall, which should keep him very popular at his salary.
Kevin Durant, PHO ($9,800)
Durant dipped to 42.5 FD points versus the Mavericks on Wednesday, but the 60.8 and 70.2 FD points he'd put up in the previous two games and his name value should keep him very popular at sub-$10k salary Friday.
Devin Booker, PHO ($9,700)
Booker has a pair of 60+ FD-point tallies in the last four games and 49.2 in another contest in that sample, which should equate to a very high roster rate Friday.
Dejounte Murray, ATL ($9,200)
Murray has scored at least 40.5 FD points in five straight games and could be taking the floor without Trae Young again Friday, factors that should lead to Murray being in plenty of lineups Friday.
Key Values
Saddiq Bey, ATL vs. DAL ($5,700)
Bey has bounced back from an 0-for-12 showing against the Cavs three games ago to post 24.4 and 33.9 FD points in his subsequent pair of contests. The absence of Trae Young has certainly helped Bey's cause to an extent, but the veteran has been providing solid production the majority of the season irrespective of who he's shared the floor with. Bey should continue to see plenty of minutes at small forward Friday with De'Andre Hunter (knee) still sidelined, and the Mavericks are surrendering 43 FD points per game to the position over the last seven games. Bey has already delivered over 5x his current salary on 14 occasions this season, and with the Mavs-Hawks game sporting a narrow 1.5-point spread and 243.5-point projected total as of early Friday, his outlook is bright overall.
John Konchar, MEM vs. ORL ($5,600)
Konchar has been thriving while helping fill the void of multiple key injuries on the Grizzlies, scoring 30+ FD points in each of the last two contests and shooting 57.9 percent over his four starts overall while seeing his minutes rise from 27 to 31 minutes over that stretch. The fifth-year pro should be back at point guard again Friday, and he draws a favorable matchup versus a Magic team that's allowed 52.8 FD points per game to ones over the last seven games, a notable bump from their season-long metrics.
Thaddeus Young, TOR vs. LAC ($4,800)
Young is best suited for tournaments given his fluctuating minutes, but he makes for an intriguing option at his salary against a Clippers team that's still missing Ivica Zubac (calf) down low. The Raptors afforded Jontay Porter the start in place of Jakob Poeltl (ankle) against the Grizzlies on Monday, but he actually played only six minutes while Young logged 26 and recording 34.2 FD points. Young now has had three full days of rest since that performance and will be facing a Clippers squad that's given up over 50 FD points per game to centers in the last seven games, with Zubac out for the last four of those.
ALSO CONSIDER: Georges Niang, CLE at MIL ($4,700)
