This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
After a very busy and action-packed Friday, we're set for a compact five-game main slate on Saturday night. There is one particularly intriguing matchup in that of Kings-Rockets, while the Bucks-Mavericks clash also has potential to serve as a strong source of DFS production.
Slate Overview
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Listed spreads/totals are from FanDuel Sportsbook and current as of Saturday, 3/1 @ 12:30 a.m. EST:
Brooklyn Nets at Detroit Pistons (-10) (O/U: 218.0)
Sacramento Kings at Houston Rockets (-5) (O/U: 227.5)
San Antonio Spurs at Memphis Grizzlies (-10) (O/U: 242.5)
Milwaukee Bucks (-2.5) at Dallas Mavericks (O/U: 227.5)
Golden State Warriors (-8) at Philadelphia 76ers (O/U: 225.5)
Point spreads don't portend a particularly competitive night, as indicated by the pair of double-digit favorites and the Warriors' eight-point projected advantage over the Embiid-less 76ers as of early Saturday. However, each of those three games could be much more competitive than expected, considering the talent on both the underdog Spurs and Sixers, and the fact the Pistons are playing their third game in four nights.
Projected totals are relatively encouraging since four of them are north of 225 points, but the Spurs-Grizzlies slate-high figure could make it the best game to target overall.
Injury Situations to Monitor
For all the latest updates, visit RotoWire's NBA Injury News page and our comprehensive NBA Injury Report.
Joel Embiid, PHI (knee): OUT
With Embiid now officially out for the season, Guerschon Yabusele and Andre Drummond are set to handle the majority of minutes at center, while Tyrese Maxey and Paul George will enjoy outsized roles.
Jimmy Butler, GSW (back): QUESTIONABLE
If Butler is out Saturday, Gary Payton could draw a spot start at small forward.
Other notable injuries:
Anthony Davis, DAL (thigh): OUT
Jonathan Kuminga, GSW (ankle): OUT
Bobby Portis, MIL (suspension): OUT
P.J. Washington, DAL (ankle): QUESTIONABLE
D'Angelo Russell, BKN (ankle): GTD
Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL (calf): PROBABLE
Damian Lillard, MIL (hamstring): PROBABLE
Elite Players
We have two players with a five-figure salary that have a chance to play on Saturday's slate: Giannis Antetokounmpo ($11,400) and Cade Cunningham ($10,600).
Antetokounmpo racked up 62.3 FD points against the Nuggets on Thursday, and he tallied 55.7 and 53 FD points in the two games prior. He'll also draw a very favorable matchup against the shorthanded Mavericks frontcourt.
Cunningham has been below his lofty standards in the last two games, posting just 38.3 and 26.1 FD points in those contests after scoring over 40 in 11 consecutive contests. He'll also be on his third game in four nights Saturday, although he'll face a Nets team that's ranked in the bottom half of the league in offensive efficiency rating allowed to point guards.
Expected Chalk
Other likely chalk plays include:
Tyrese Maxey, PHI ($9,800)
Maxey will enjoy plenty of extra usage moving forward now that Embiid is out for the season and comes in having just scored 47.3 FD points against the Knicks on Wednesday.
Kyrie Irving, DAL ($9,400)
Irving continues to shoulder the biggest offensive responsibility on the Mavericks following the trade of Luka Doncic and has scored 60.4 and 53.3 FD points in his last two games, factors that should ensure he's highly rostered Saturday.
De'Aaron Fox, SAN ($9,200)
Fox has an appealing matchup and game environment against the Grizzlies, which should help place him in plenty of lineups despite his dud against the Rockets last time out.
Stephen Curry, GSW ($8,900)
Curry's 67.3 FD-point tally against the Magic his last time out and favorable matchup against the 76ers should help him remain very popular on the small slate.
Paul George, PHI ($7,500)
Like Maxey, George is another candidate for elevated usage in Embiid's absence the rest of the way and scored 47.1 FD points against the Knicks on Wednesday, a reminder of the upside he's capable of offering at his salary.
Key Values
Kyle Kuzma, MIL at DAL ($6,500)
Kuzma has seen some fluctuation in his production since joining the Bucks, but he's already scored over 33 FD points in four of his first eight games with Milwaukee, including eclipsing 39 FD points twice. The veteran forward has averaged a solid 13.1 field-goal attempts during that span as well, and he's facing a Mavs team that's allowed a robust 46.3 FD points per game to small forwards over the last seven contests. Dallas has also allowed the sixth-most rebounds per home game (54.0), while Kuzma is averaging 7.5 boards per game since his trade from the Wizards.
Malik Beasley, DET vs. BKN ($5,400)
Beasley continued to produce at a bargain salary Friday, posting 31.3 FD points against the Nuggets on Friday following a 41 FD-point effort versus the Celtics on Wednesday. The veteran was already averaging 27.7 FD points in 11 February games going into Friday, shooting 51.1 percent, including 49.1 percent from three-point range during that span. Beasley now faces a Nets squad that's he's collected 26.7 and 37.9 FD points against in two prior meeting this season, and that's allowed the ninth-highest three-point shooting percentage (36.6) on the campaign. Given he's already delivered over 5x return on his current salary in 27 games this season, Beasley once again makes for a viable cost-savings option for tournaments.
Guerschon Yabusele, PHI vs. GSW ($5,300)
As already noted, Yabusele is slated to take over starting center duties for the time being in the wake of Joel Embiid's season-ending knee injury. Yabusele missed Philadelphia's most recent game against the Knicks with an eye injury, but he's off the injury report Saturday for a matchup versus a Warriors team that's yielded 55.7 FD points per game to centers in the last 15 contests. Yabusele has averaged 24.4 FD points per game in his 28 starts thus far this season, and he's exceeded 26 FD points on 30 occasions overall. With the extra opportunity afforded by Embiid's absence and his very reasonable salary, Yabusele is a value option at either power forward or center.
ALSO CONSIDER: Tari Eason, HOU vs. SAC ($5,800)
