This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
We're set for a five-game Sunday main slate with a 6 p.m. ET lock time, and although we do have several big names on the injury report, there's still plenty of elite options to consider and other viable mid-salary and value plays made all the more appealing due to some of the potential and confirmed absences.
Slate Overview
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Listed spreads/totals are from FanDuel Sportsbook and current as of Sunday, Dec. 7 @11:00 a.m. EST:
Portland Trail Blazers at Memphis Grizzlies (-1) (O/U: 232.5)
Denver Nuggets (-10.5) at Charlotte Hornets (O/U: 233.5)
*Golden State Warriors (-1) at Chicago Bulls (O/U: 227.5)
Los Angeles Lakers (-3.5) at Philadelphia 76ers (O/U: 233.5)
Oklahoma City Thunder (-9.5) at Utah Jazz (O/U: 236.5)
(* Denotes team on second game of back-to-back set)
There's a bit of everything on the betting front Sunday, considering we have the rarity of two one-point spreads and another narrow line of 3.5 offset by two much more expansive projected advantages. The latter even holds true for a Thunder team that will be without reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander due to an elbow injury.
Projected totals are mostly encouraging, considering four-fifths of the slate boasts a figure north of 232 points.
Injury Situations to Monitor
For all the latest updates, visit RotoWire's NBA Injury News page and our comprehensive NBA Injury Report.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder (elbow): OUT
SGA's first absence of the season will naturally open up no shortage of usage for the remainder of the first unit, and it should afford Ajay Mitchell a spot start at point guard.
LaMelo Ball, Hornets (ankle): OUT
In Ball's absence and that of other guards such as Tre Mann and Collin Sexton, Sion James should get a spot start at the point, while Kon Knueppel, Brandon Miller and Miles Bridges should see their usage skyrocket.
LeBron James, Lakers (foot/back): QUESTIONABLE
If LeBron can't suit up, Jake LaRavia could get a spot start at power forward, while Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves would be particularly strong candidates for even more usage than usual.
Jimmy Butler, Warriors (knee): GTD
If Butler can't suit up Sunday, Jonathan Kuminga will likely draw another start at power forward.
Lauri Markkanen, Jazz (illness): QUESTIONABLE
If Markkanen can't suit up, Kyle Filipowksi and Kyle Anderson could handle the majority of power-forward minutes for Utah, while the remainder of the first unit will see a big collective boost in usage.
Other notable injuries:
Stephen Curry, GSW (quadriceps): OUT
Jrue Holiday, POR (calf): OUT
Isaiah Hartenstein, OKC (calf): OUT
Draymond Green, GSW (foot): OUT
Ja Morant, Grizzlies (calf): DOUBTFUL
Paul George, 76ers (knee): QUESTIONABLE
Donovan Clingan, POR (lower leg): QUESTIONABLE
Ayo Dosunmu, CHI (thumb): QUESTIONABLE
Coby White, CHI (calf): PROBABLE
Joel Embiid, PHI (knee): PROBABLE
Elite Players
We have three players with five-figure salaries that have a chance to play on Sunday's slate – Nikola Jokic ($12,800), Luka Doncic ($12,400) and Tyrese Maxey ($10,500).
Jokic went off for 66.8 FD points in 35 minutes against the Hawks on Friday and also has a 79.5 tally in within his last three games. The Nuggets are large favorites over the Hornets, however, so the possibility of at least slightly abbreviated minutes is there.
Doncic could be taking the floor without LeBron James and checks in with some extra rest after having missed the last two games due to personal reasons. He'll also draw a favorable matchup against a 76ers team that's been involved in plenty of high-scoring games this season.
Maxey will be set for significant usage as usual in the showdown with Doncic and comes into the game having scored at least 47.6 FD points in four of his last five contests.
Visit RotoWire's NBA Daily Starting Lineups and NBA News for up-to-the-minute information!
Expected Chalk
Other likely chalk plays include:
Josh Giddey, CHI ($9,800)
Giddey is always a strong candidate to stuff the stat sheet and will be facing a short-handed Warriors backcourt, which should make him very popular on the modestly sized slate.
Deni Avdija, POR ($9,500)
Avdija has flashed a ceiling well north of 50 FD points on multiple occasions this season, including in four of the last five games.
Austin Reaves, LAL ($9,400)
Reaves could be set for extra usage if LeBron James sits out and comes in off having scored 60 and 47.6 FD points in his last two games.
Jamal Murray, DEN ($8,800)
Murray has put up 67.2 and 52 FD points in his last two games, performances that should ensure he's highly rostered at his salary Sunday.
Jalen Williams, OKC ($7,900)
Williams has been solid in his first four games with scores of 34.1 to 41.1 FD points, and Sunday, he should be a very popular option considering the Thunder will be down three of his fellow first-unit members in SGA, Luguentz Dort and Isaiah Hartenstein.
Key Values
Kon Knueppel, CHA vs. DEN ($6,700)
Knueppel's teammate Brandon Miller is also very much worthy of consideration at $100 less than Knueppel and is listed in our "Also Consider" section below. The appeal of both players stems first and foremost from the absence of LaMelo Ball, who sports a massive 32.5 percent usage rate and therefore opens up plenty of opportunity when he's not available. Knueppel sports a 24.0 percent usage rate and averages 33.1 FD points per 36 minutes with Ball off the floor this season, and he also checks in averaging 31.9 FD points over his last 10 games on the strength of 19.6 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists per contest. Knueppel has also shot an impressive 42.7 percent from behind the arc in that span, while Denver is allowing very elevated 46.7 percent three-point shooting in the last three games.
Robert Williams, POR at MEM ($5,600)
Williams has been impressive over his last six games while enjoying a rare run of good health, averaging 29.9 FD points across 20.5 minutes per contest in his last six games. The veteran big man's fantasy production has benefitted tremendously from the 3.3 blocks per contest he's averaging in that span, numbers he's supplementing with 7.8 points and 8.2 rebounds. Starting center Donovan Clingan is questionable for Sunday's game due to a leg injury, and while Williams' minutes will always be somewhat capped even in a spot start, his salary and a matchup against a Grizzlies team allowing 51.2 FD points to centers in the last 15 games and 51.8 points in the paint per home game makes him worth considering.
Ajay Mitchell, OKC at UTA ($5,500)
As previously mentioned, the Thunder will be very short-handed Sunday on the first unit, with the biggest absence naturally being that of Gilgeous-Alexander. Mitchell is projected to step into the first unit in the reigning MVP's absence, and the former comes in having averaged 16.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 2.0 steals across 30.5 minutes per contest in his six starts thus far. Those numbers have led to an average of 33.3 FD points in that span, and Mitchell has also shot 51.4 percent, including 50.0 percent from distance, in the sample. The Jazz have surrendered 52.4 FD points per game to point guards in the last 15 contests and are ranked No. 25 in offensive efficiency rating allowed to the position on the season (30.2), which brightens Mitchell's outlook even further.
ALSO CONSIDER: Brandon Miller, CHA vs. DEN ($6,600); Ryan Kalkbrenner, CHA vs. DEN ($5,200); Kyle Filipowski, UTA vs. OKC ($4,800); Sion James, CHA vs. DEN ($3,800)
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