We’re winding down to the finish line! There are about 20 games left for each team, and it feels like the season just started. Time flies when you’re having fun, and that’s definitely been the case with these articles. We’ve had our fair share of hits and misses, but I’ve enjoyed every second of it!

This is going to be a weird slate. It looks like we could have a ton of blowouts ahead of us, and we have to hope it doesn’t affect our player’s minutes too much. That drove me crazy with Seth Curry on Monday, and it’s something that’s impossible to predict. With that said, we have eight games and a ton to discuss, so let’s kick things off with the schedule and odds!

View the best player prop bets for tonight’s slate with our NBA Prop Bet Cheat Sheet

• CHA at CLE (CLE -3.5) O/U: 219.5
• IND at ORL (ORL -2) O/U: 232
• NYK at PHI (PHI -10.5) O/U: 223
• SAC at NOP (NOP -5) O/U: 235
• UTA at HOU (UTA -13) O/U: 232
• MIA at MIL (MIL -5) O/U: 227
• OKC at DEN (DEN -13.5) O/U: 225.5
• POR at PHX (PHX -13) O/U: 227.5

Check out our consensus game odds as well as the odds from each sportsbook at BettingPros

Injury Report

• Gordon Hayward (ankle) OUT
• Darius Garland (back) OUT
• Caris LeVert (foot) OUT
• Collin Sexton (knee) OUT
• Myles Turner (foot) OUT
• Kemba Walker (rest) OUT
• Derrick Rose (ankle) OUT
• Zion Williamson (foot) OUT
• Kevin Porter Jr (knee) Questionable
• Eric Gordon (B2B) Questionable
• Kyle Lowry (personal) Questionable
• Brook Lopez (back) OUT
• Luguentz Dort (shoulder) OUT
• Josh Giddey (hip) OUT
• Jamal Murray (knee) OUT
• Michael Porter Jr (back) OUT
• Damian Lillard (abductor) OUT
• Jusuf Nurkic (foot) OUT
• Justise Winslow (Achilles) Questionable
• Chris Paul (hand) OUT

Core Plays

James Harden (SG/SF – PHI): $11,200 DraftKings, $10,400 FanDuel
James has been the best player in fantasy in the past, and he’s starting to look like that guy with his new team. In his first two games with the Sixers, Harden is averaging 28 points, 9.0 rebounds, 14 assists, and 2.5 steals per game. That absurd form has led to a 69-point average in that span, making him tough to fade against a 19th-ranked Knicks defense. He’s actually got a triple-double average in his two meetings with NY this season!

Rudy Gobert (C – UTA): $7,800 DraftKings, $7,800 FanDuel
Houston is the best matchup in fantasy. They actually surrender the most fantasy points to opposing centers, ranked dead-last in defensive efficiency. They also play at the fastest pace, catering beautifully to a rebounding monster like Gobert. In their three matchups this season, Rudy has registered a 38-point average despite playing fewer than 30 minutes a night.

Deandre Ayton (C – PHX): $6,800 DraftKings, $6,800 FanDuel
With CP3 out of the lineup, Ayton should be asked to do more for this offense. He’s actually been struggling recently, but a 34-point average from a $7K player is all you can ask for, especially with the increase in usage. The best part of this matchup, though, with Portland ranked 26th in points allowed and 28th in defensive efficiency.

Cash Game Considerations

Nikola Jokic (C – DEN): $12,400 DraftKings, $11,000 FanDuel
The Joker is the best play on every slate. He’s leading the NBA with 60.1 DraftKings points per game, scoring at least 40 fantasy points in all but one game this season. That makes him the best cash game option out there, particularly against an Oklahoma City team that might have the worst frontcourt in the NBA. He had 22 points, 18 rebounds, and six assists against them just a month ago.

Devin Booker (SG – PHX): $9,700 DraftKings, $9,600 FanDuel
Booker has been an animal without Paul. He was already averaging nearly 25 shots a game before the injury, and he’s added primary ball-handling to his duties since the injury. That’s led to Book’s best stretch of his career, scoring at least 43 DK points in seven of his last eight games. We certainly don’t anticipate a 28th-ranked Portland defense to slow him down, either.

Donovan Mitchell (PG/SG – UTA): $8,800 DraftKings, $8,800 FanDuel
We just talked about Rudy, and we love matching him up with Mitchell. The Rockets are a ravishing matchup for anyone, ranked dead-last in both defensive efficiency and points allowed. That’s scary with their league-leading pace, likely leading to a masterclass for DM. Despite playing just 27 minutes a night in their two matchups, Mitchell has maintained a 41-point average against them.

GPP Targets

Mo Bamba (C – ORL): $4,900 DraftKings, $4,600 FanDuel
Whenever Mo gets the minutes, this dude is a beast. We’re talking about a guy who’s averaging 27 DK points per game across 26 minutes a night. We love that since he played 30 minutes on Monday, hopefully, a sign of things to come. The matchup with Indiana might be the best part of this, though, with the Pacers ranked 22nd in points allowed and 27th in defensive efficiency.

Tyler Herro (SG – MIA): $6,500 DraftKings, $6,200 FanDuel
Herro should be looking at a massive role with Kyle Lowry expected to miss another game. He’s already got a 28 percent usage rate for the season, but that number gets above 30 when Lowry is off the floor. That alone makes the $6K price tag laughable, especially with Herro generating a 34-point average for the season. He’s crushed Milwaukee this season, too, scoring at least 38 DraftKings points in two of their three meetings.

Jalen Smith (PF/C – IND): $5,300 DraftKings, $5,400 FanDuel
Smith was on his way to a gem on Monday before an ejection, tallying 24 DK points across 24 minutes of play. That gives him at least 25 DraftKings points in five of his last six games, and it looks like he’s going to be a key piece for the Pacers offense. The cherry on top is getting to face the Magic, with Orlando owning a 26th OPRK against opposing big men this season.

Value Plays

Cameron Johnson (SG/SF – PHX): $5,300 DraftKings, $5,400 FanDuel
Cam is the final piece to our Phoenix stack, and he’s easily the best value of the bunch. He’s been inserted into the starting lineup for CP3, scoring at least 23 DK points in four straight fixtures. His average is north of 30 fantasy points in that span, and that’s simply sensational from a player barely cracking $5K. Not to mention, Portland surrenders the second-most fantasy points to opposing forwards.

Gabe Vincent (PG – MIA): $4,200 DraftKings, $4,000 FanDuel
Gabe has been a gem for the Heat all season, and he always plays well when filling in for Lowry. He’s scored at least 21 DK points in 18 of his 20 starts this season, providing a 28-point average across those 18 outings. That’s brilliant from a $4K player, and he makes a great pairing with some of the expensive studs on this slate.

Dennis Schroder (PG – HOU): $5,800 DraftKings, $5,700 FanDuel
If Porter is out once again, we’re going right back to the well with Schroder. He averaged 36 DK points per game in the three previous outings before a dud on Tuesday, but he’s quite simply the primary ball-handler when KPJ is out of the lineup. This guy has proven to be a $7,000 player in this role in the past, and we’re willing to roll the dice as long as he remains below $6K.

Advantageous Pricing

• Nikola Jokic (C – DEN): $12,400 DraftKings, $11,000 FanDuel
• Oshae Brissett (SF/PF – IND): $6,100 DraftKings, $7,100 FanDuel
• Tyrese Maxey (PG – PHI): $6,600 DraftKings, $7,800 FanDuel
• Christian Wood (C – HOU): $8,000 DraftKings, $7,000 FanDuel
• Bam Adebayo C – MIA): $8,700 DraftKings, $9,900 FanDuel
• Tre Mann (PG/SG – OKC): $5,600 DraftKings, $7,200 FanDuel
• Isaiah Roby (PF/C – OKC): $4,400 DraftKings, $5,700 FanDuel
• Aleksej Pokusevski (SF/PF – OKC): $4,100 DraftKings, $5,200 FanDuel
• Anfernee Simons (PG/SG – POR): $8,200 DraftKings, $6,700 FanDuel
• Josh Hart (SG/SF – POR): $7,600 DraftKings, $6,000 FanDuel

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