The NBA's schedule volleys back down to a modest slate Thursday night as is customary, as we have just four games on tap. There's still a viable player pool to work with and just one team on the second night of a back-to-back, as well as three contests that offer the always appealing combination of narrow spreads and robust totals.
Try our FanDuel NBA Lineup Optimizer to discover more expert recommendations, customize the player pool, set exposure percentage and mass-enter DFS lineups.
Slate Overview
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 Thursday, Oct. 30 @ 10:30 a.m. EDT:
*Orlando Magic (-2.5) at Charlotte Hornets (O/U: 239.5)
Washington Wizards at Oklahoma City Thunder (-15.5) (O/U: 230.5)
Golden State Warriors (-2.5) at Milwaukee Bucks (O/U: 231.5)
Miami Heat at San Antonio Spurs (-5.5) (O/U: 228.5)
*- Denotes second game of back-to-back set
The Magic-Hornets clash looks like it could be the game of the night for DFS purposes, although the Warriors-Bucks showdown should garner plenty of attention due to the presence of each team's superstar. Meanwhile, the Heat and Spurs meet in a battle of two of the hottest teams in either conference, and Victor Wembanyama has already proven to be a must-have on DFS rosters in each of his four games thus far.
Injury Situations to Monitor
For all the latest updates, visit RotoWire's NBA Injury News page and our comprehensive NBA Injury Report.
Jalen Williams, OKC (wrist): OUT
In Williams' ongoing absence, Alex Caruso and Aaron Wiggins should be primary beneficiaries.
Chet Holmgren, OKC (back): OUT
In Holmgren's absence, Aaron Wiggins is likely to draw a start at power forward, while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's already robust usage should climb even further.
Norman Powell, MIA (groin): DOUBTFUL
In Powell's likely absence, Dru Smith and Jaime Jaquez could absorb the majority of his minutes at shooting guard.
Brandon Miller, CHA (shoulder): OUT
In Miller's ongoing absence, Kon Knueppel should remain in the starting five, while LaMelo Ball will see his already elevated usage remain even higher than usual.
Other notable injuries:
Tyler Herro, MIA (foot/ankle): OUT
De'Aaron Fox, SAN (hamstring): OUT
Kevin Porter, MIL (ankle): OUT
Jeremy Sochan, SAN (wrist): OUT
Nikola Jovic, MIA (hip): QUESTIONABLE
Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL (knee): PROBABLE
Elite Players
We have three players with five-figure salaries on Thursday's slate: Victor Wembanyama ($12,600), Giannis Antetokounmpo ($12,200) and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ($11,400).
Wembanyama has been an elite all-around fantasy asset to open the season, exceeding 71 FD points in three of his first four games. He'll deal with a fellow seven-footer in Kel'el Ware on Thursday, but Wemby has proven matchup-proof thus far.
Antetokounmpo has been just a level below his fellow star big man, recording 59.3 to 80.3 FD points in his first four games while recording three double-doubles in that sample. He should boast extremely high usage again Thursday in what could be a wire-to-wire battle with the Warriors.
SGA bounced back from his lowest FD-point tally of the season – a still-impressive 38.8 against the Mavericks on Monday – to post 58.8 against the Kings the following day, his third total of more than 57 FD points in five contests.
Expected Chalk
Other likely chalk plays include:
LaMelo Ball, CHA ($9,500)
Ball has scored over 40 FD points in three of four games and will be an integral part of the game with the highest projected total of the slate, which should keep him very highly rostered.
Paolo Banchero, ORL ($8,700)
Banchero has scored 42.7 to 54.9 FD points in four of the first five games and will be a central figure on the other side of the Magic-Hornets tilt.
Stephen Curry, GSW ($8,400)
Curry has slowed some after a very productive first three games, but the marquee matchup against the Bucks and his reasonable salary relative to upside should make him a popular option.
Bam Adebayo, MIA ($8,000)
Adebayo remains a high-usage option for the Heat in the ongoing absence of Tyler Herro, and with Norman Powell expected out as well Thursday, the big man should be highly rostered.
Alex Sarr, WAS ($7,600)
Sarr has clearly taken the next step in his development, scoring 40.3 to 58.7 FD points in his last three games, production that should make him a very popular mid-salary play.
Key Values
Jonathan Kuminga, GSW at MIL ($6,000)
Kuminga has quickly validated the Warriors' commitment to him, opening the season shooting a career-best 53.7 percent, including a career-high 43.8 percent from three-point range. The versatile wing is locked into the starting small forward role, and he exceeded 32 FD points in three of his first four games before an outlier of a 17.5 FD-point tally against the Clippers on Tuesday. Kuminga should have a good chance of reverting back to his usual standards Thursday, as the Bucks are allowing 47.7 FD points per contest to power forwards in the early going, along with 36.6 percent three-point shooting at home.
Jaime Jaquez, MIA at SAN ($5,700)
Jaquez has opened his third season seemingly intent on putting an inconsistent second campaign firmly behind him, as the 2023 first-round pick is averaging a career-high 18.8 points (on 68.9 percent shooting), 6.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.3 steals over 28 minutes per contest. He's already exceeded 40 FD points twice in four games, and he's scored no fewer than 25.7 in any thus far. The ongoing absence of Tyler Herro and the expected one for Norman Powell on Thursday also boosts Jaquez's outlook, as he carries a 25.1 percent usage rate and averages 50.9 FD points per 36 minutes with his two teammates off the floor.
Kon Knueppel, CHA vs. ORL ($4,800)
Knueppel is another young wing set to benefit from a key absence on his squad Thursday, as Brandon Miller's continuing absence because of a shoulder injury should afford the rookie fourth overall pick another start. Knueppel has proven a quick study at the NBA level, posting 31.2 and 30.6 FD points in his last two games, both starts, while draining 52.3 percent of his shots, including 53.3 percent from behind the arc, in his first four games overall. Knueppel has multiple threes in each contest and boasts a blistering 69.9 percent true shooting percentage, while the opposing Magic have uncharacteristically surrendered 48.6 percent shooting overall, and a 40.2 percent success rate from deep in the last three games. Orlando also sports a No. 25 ranking in offensive efficiency rating allowed to small forwards (28.8), furthering Knueppel's case at a salary he's already proven very capable of overdelivering on.
ALSO CONSIDER: Andrew Wiggins, MIA at SAN ($6,400); Ryan Rollins, MIL vs. GSW ($5,900); Wendell Carter, ORL at CHA ($5,300)
