This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
We're set for a big slate for a Thursday, as there are eight games on tap overall. The injury report is surprisingly light for a ledger of that size as well, which makes the night all the more appealing from a DFS perspective. There are a number of teams on the back end of back-to-back sets, however, so some fatigue could be at play for a couple of high-salaried players in particular.
Slate Overview
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Listed spreads/totals are from FanDuel Sportsbook and current as of Thursday, 1/23 @11:30 a.m. ET:
Portland Trail Blazers at Orlando Magic (-8.5) (O/U: 212.0)
Toronto Raptors at Atlanta Hawks (-4) (O/U: 234.5)
Miami Heat at Milwaukee Bucks (-7) (O/U: 226.0)
Dallas Mavericks at Oklahoma City Thunder (-13.5) (O/U: 222.0)
Sacramento Kings at Denver Nuggets (-8.5) (O/U: 241.5)
Boston Celtics (-5) at Los Angeles Lakers (O/U: 219.0)
Chicago Bulls at Golden State Warriors (-1.5) (O/U: 228.5)
Washington Wizards at Los Angeles Clippers (-14) (O/U: 225.5)
In what's become a fairly consistent pattern recently, we have multiple double-digit favorites on Thursday's slate, including a Thunder team that's on the second leg of a back-to-back set. The same holds true for a Clippers squad that engaged in a marathon overtime battle with the Celtics on Wednesday night. The remainder of the ledger is projected to be mostly competitive if spreads are reasonably accurate.
Projected totals are encouraging overall as well, considering the presence of a number north of 240 points and five games overall with figures above 225 points. The best combination of a narrow spread and elevated offensive expectations is the battle between two defensively questionable teams in the Raptors and Hawks.
Injury Situations to Monitor
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James Harden, LAC (groin): QUESTIONABLE
If Harden misses a second straight game, Kevin Porter will likely be in for another start at point guard.
Jimmy Butler, MIA (suspension): OUT
In Butler's absence Thursday, Jaime Jaquez may draw the start at small forward.
Franz Wagner, ORL (oblique): QUESTIONABLE
If Wagner returns Thursday, Tristan da Silva could return to a bench role unless Wagner is eased back in off the bench.
Other notable injuries:
Luka Doncic, DAL (calf): OUT
Kawhi Leonard, LAC (knee): OUT
Ivica Zubac, LAC (eye): OUT
Isaiah Hartenstein, OKC (calf): OUT
Jalen Suggs, ORL (back): OUT
Isaiah Hartenstein, OKC (calf): OUT
Coby White, CHI (neck): DOUBTFUL
Norman Powell, LAC (back): QUESTIONABLE
Deandre Ayton, POR (knee): QUESTIONABLE
Anfernee Simons, POR (back): QUESTIONABLE
Cole Anthony, ORL (illness): QUESTIONABLE
Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL (knee): PROBABLE
Trae Young, ATL (Achilles): PROBABLE
Anthony Davis, LAL (calf): PROBABLE
LeBron James, LAL (foot): PROBABLE
Tyler Herro, MIA (groin): PROBABLE
Khris Middleton, MIL (ankles): PROBABLE
Elite Players
We have six players with five-figure salaries on Thursday's slate – Nikola Jokic ($12,800), Giannis Antetokounmpo ($12,100), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ($11,700), Anthony Davis ($11,500), Domantas Sabonis ($10,600) and Jayson Tatum ($10,400).
Jokic has scored 67.8 and 70.6 FD points in his last two games and has four consecutive triple-doubles overall, making him worth every bit of increasingly elevated salary.
Assuming the Heat-Bucks game remains on as scheduled, Giannis will look to extend a highly productive stretch that's seen him exceed 55 FD points in three of the last four games.
SGA is coming off a career-best 54-point showing against the Jazz on Wednesday where he scored 83.1 FD points, and although he logged 37 minutes, he'd had the previous two days off.
Davis just put up 69.7 FD points in his most recent game against the Wizards on Monday and could be facing a depleted Celtics frontcourt.
Sabonis delivered his third straight game with more than 47 FD points on Wednesday against the Warriors, with the only concern for Thursday being he did log an elevated 38 minutes.
Tatum will also be on the back end of a back-to-back set Thursday and eclipsed 45 FD points for the fourth straight game Wednesday but was forced to play 42 minutes in a harder-than-expected win over the Clippers.
Expected Chalk
Other likely chalk plays include:
LeBron James, LAL ($9,800)
James has scored over 53 FD points in three straight and has one of the safest floors on the slate, which should keep him very popular Thursday.
Trae Young, ATL ($9,700)
Young will be in what should be a highly favorable game environment for DFS production and has exceeded 42 FD points in four of his last six games, which should keep him highly rostered despite a modest performance over 40 minutes Wednesday.
Scottie Barnes, TOR ($9,300)
Barnes has scored over 42 FD points in seven straight games, an excellent floor at his salary that should ensure he's highly rostered.
De'Aaron Fox, SAC ($9,200)
Fox had scored over 40 FD points in four straight games before dipping to 30.5 against the Warriors on Wednesday, but he should retain a high roster rate.
Kyrie Irving, DAL ($8,900)
Kyrie will continue taking the floor sans Luka Doncic and has scored 47.3 and 51.3 FD points in his last pair of contests.
Key Values
Onyeka Okongwu, ATL vs. TOR ($6,400)
Okongwu has scored 29.5 FD points or more in five straight games and no fewer than 25 in seven consecutive contests overall. The fifth-year pro has operated as the starter in the last pair of contests as well, and he'll be heavily involved in what should be a highly competitive, high-scoring contest Thursday against a Raptors team that's allowed the fifth-highest offensive efficiency rating to centers (35.9) and the third-most FD points per game to the position (58.9). Okongwu already generated 28.8 FD points in only 18 minutes off the bench in his one prior meeting with Toronto as well, furthering his case.
Kel'el Ware, MIA at MIL ($6,100)
Ware was a hit in his first career start Tuesday against the Trail Blazers, posting 44 FD points on the strength of a 20-point, 15-rebound double-double across 39 minutes. That followed a 10-game stretch where Ware earned the promotion to the first unit by averaging 26.7 FD points across a modest 20.9 minutes per contest. The talented floor-spacing rookie will remain in play Thursday against the Bucks despite having to do battle with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Brook Lopez down low, as Milwaukee has allowed a generous 46.4 FD points per contest to power forwards over the last seven games and just under 36.0 percent three-point shooting at home overall.
Anthony Black, ORL vs. POR ($5,500)
Jalen Suggs will remain out and Cole Anthony is questionable for Thursday's game with the illness that cost him Tuesday's contest against the Raptors, with the veteran guard notably absent from Thursday morning's shootaround. That could well portend another spot start for Black, who tallied 31.4 FD points in that capacity against the Raptors on Tuesday. Black had also averaged 26 FD points in the five games prior while coming off the bench, and while his matchup Thursday isn't quite as enticing as two days ago, the Trail Blazers check in ranked No. 22 and No. 28 against point guards and shooting guards, respectively, and Portland has also surrendered 37.7 percent three-point shooting overall on the season.
ALSO CONSIDER: Payton Pritchard, BOS at LAL ($5,800); Cason Wallace, OKC vs. DAL ($5,300)
