This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
The NBA returns from the All-Star break with a DFS-friendly slate that puts a premium on sharp lineup construction, late-breaking NBA injury reports and accurate player projections. With several high totals, shifting NBA starting lineups and key player injuries, this is an ideal spot to lean on NBA projections, stats and depth charts when building FanDuel and DFS NBA entries. Monitoring NBA news, expected chalk and value pivots is critical for optimizing your NBA lineup optimizer process, while updated fantasy basketball rankings, cheat sheets and projections help uncover sleepers and contrarian tournament plays on a compact main slate.
FanDuel Main Slate NBA Games Today
For the latest spreads and over-unders, visit RotoWire's NBA Odds page. There, you can also find player props, futures, picks articles and sportsbook bonus codes.
Listed spreads/totals are from FanDuel Sportsbook and current as of Wednesday, Feb. 18 at 3:30 p.m. ET:
Atlanta Hawks at Philadelphia 76ers (-4.5) (O/U: 237.5)
Brooklyn Nets at Cleveland Cavaliers (-16) (O/U: 229.5)
Houston Rockets (-3.5) at Charlotte Hornets (O/U: 216.5)
Indiana Pacers (-4.5) at Washington Wizards (O/U: 234.5)
Detroit Pistons at New York Knicks (-4.5) (O/U: 222.5)
Toronto Raptors (-5.5) at Chicago Bulls (O/U: 234.5)
Phoenix Suns at San Antonio Spurs (-7.5) (O/U: 226.5)
The betting landscape is fairly encouraging in the NBA's return to action, as we have just one double-digit favorite and relatively elevated totals across the slate. In terms of optimal DFS environments, we can probably pinpoint the Hawks-76ers and Pacers-Wizards clashes as two spots where we have an ideal combination of a tight spread, robust offensive expectations and questionable defenses.
NBA Injuries Today
For all the latest updates, visit RotoWire's NBA Injury News page and our comprehensive NBA Injury Report.
Joel Embiid, PHI (knee): QUESTIONABLE
If Embiid can't suit up Thursday, Andre Drummond and Adem Bona should handle center duties, while Tyrese Maxey and the rest of the first unit will see bumps in usage.
Michael Porter, BKN (knee): QUESTIONABLE
If Porter can't play, Ziaire Williams and Terance Mann will likely handle the majority of small forward minutes, while the likes of Egor Demin and Nolan Traore will see additional opportunity.
Trae Young, WAS (knee): DOUBTFUL
In Young's likely absence, Bub Carrington should continue to start at point guard.
Alex Sarr, WAS (hamstring): OUT
If Sarr is sidelined, Jamir Watkins could draw a start at center.
Other notable injuries:
Jalen Duren, DET (suspension): OUT
Dillon Brooks, PHO (suspension): OUT
Miles Bridges, CHA (suspension): OUT
Ivica Zubac, IND (ankle): QUESTIONABLE
Josh Giddey, CHI (hamstring): QUESTIONABLE
Evan Mobley, CLE (calf): QUESTIONABLE
Andrew Nembhard, IND (back): QUESTIONABLE
OG Anunoby, NYK (toe): QUESTIONABLE
Grayson Allen, PHO (knee): QUESTIONABLE
Tre Jones, CHI (hamstring): QUESTIONABLE
Nic Claxton, BKN (hip): QUESTIONABLE
Coby White, CHA (calf): QUESTIONABLE
Jalen Smith, CHI (calf): QUESTIONABLE
Noah Clowney, BKN (ankle): QUESTIONABLE
Elite NBA DFS Players
We have five players with five-figure salaries on Thursday's slate – Victor Wembanyama ($11,600), Jalen Johnson ($11,500), Cade Cunningham ($10,900), Tyrese Maxey ($10,100) and Joel Embiid ($10,000).
Wembanyama scored over 50 FD points in three of his last four games before the All-Star break, but it's worth noting he scored just 31.8 FD points in 34 minutes during his one prior meeting with the Suns.
Johnson scored over 60 FD points in four of the last five games before the ASB, including in each of the last three contests.
Cunningham has eclipsed 50 FD points in five of the last seven games before the All-Star break, and in the last 50 minutes of court time against the Knicks (two-game sample), he's scored 81.6 total FD points.
Maxey is averaging 49.7 FD points for the season and has an especially positive matchup against the Hawks.
Embiid posted 59.9 and 49.3 FD points in the last two games he played before the All-Star break, and if he can play through his questionable tag, he should have some spring in his step due to the long layoff.
Expected NBA DFS Chalk
Other likely chalk plays include:
Donovan Mitchell, CLE ($9,900)
Mitchell scored over 52 FD points in three of the last four games before the All-Star break, which helps lock in his popularity at a sub-$10K salary.
Alperen Sengun, HOU ($9,800)
Sengun went over 42 FD points in two of the last three games before the All-Star break and has a positive matchup against a short-handed Hornets frontcourt.
Scottie Barnes, TOR ($9,700)
Barnes scored over 44 FD points in five of the six games before the All-Star break, including 67.8 and 50.9 in the final pair of contests, numbers that should make him very popular Thursday.
James Harden, CLE ($9,200)
Harden has looked comfortable in his first three Cavs games while averaging 40.1 FD points, so he should remain in plenty of lineups Thursday after having had another week to acclimate.
Jalen Brunson, NYK ($9,100)
Brunson had a clunker against the Sixers in his final game before the ASB, but he'd recorded at least 60 FD points in two of the prior four games.
Key NBA DFS Values
CJ McCollum, ATL at PHI ($6,300)
McCollum has proven a seamless fit in his new Hawks digs, coming off the bench for all but one highly productive spot start where he posted 52.1 FD points and providing an excellent offensive punch for Atlanta off the bench. The veteran went into the All-Star break averaging 31.0 FD points over his previous 15 games, a figure that was the byproduct of 19.1 points, 3.5 assists and 3.3 rebounds per contest. McCollum has exceeded 31 FD points on seven occasions during that span, including a pair of 50+ tallies. McCollum has one tally of 27.7 FD points vs. the Sixers already this season, and Philadelphia has allowed the ninth-highest offensive efficiency rating to backcourt players (51.7) on the season.
Jarace Walker, IND at WAS ($5,800)
Walker went into the All-Star break running hot while handling the starting small forward role, averaging 17.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.4 steals while shooting 50.0 percent, including 39.6 percent from behind the arc, over his last 10 games. Walker averaged a solid 12.4 field-goal attempts during that sample as well, and he's averaged 19.8 FD points in 22.5 minutes per contest in two prior games against the Wizards this season while coming off the bench. The 2023 first-round pick eclipsed 31 FD points in three of the last four games before the pause in play, and Washington comes into Thursday having allowed an NBA-high 52.9 FD points per game to small forwards over the last 15 contests.
Paul Reed, DET at NYK ($5,700)
Reed should be set for another spot start Thursday in place of the suspended Jalen Duren, and the former's salary is nowhere near where it should be if going by what Reed was able to do with such an opportunity in his last game before the All-Star break. The veteran compiled 51.5 FD points across 33 minutes on Feb. 11 against the Raptors, producing a full line of 22 points, five rebounds, three assists, four blocks and three steals. Reed also generated 31.2 FD points in 27 minutes off the bench against the Knicks three games ago, and he managed 21.1 over 26 minutes versus New York on Jan. 5 as well. The Knicks have been solid against centers overall, but Reed should once again see a solid amount of playing time and is averaging 49.0 FD points per 36 minutes with both Duren and fellow suspended big Isaiah Stewart off the floor.
ALSO CONSIDER: Nolan Traore, BKN at CLE ($5,900); Jakob Poeltl, TOR at CHI ($5,200)
