This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
We have a second consecutive nine-game slate Saturday, a particularly large ledger for that day of the week. The injury report doesn't have too many new names on it, but there are a handful of big names that don't have the best prospects of suiting up Saturday. However, given there are 18 teams in action, we also have plenty of options to work with if those absences come to pass.
Slate Overview
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Listed spreads/totals are from FanDuel Sportsbook and current as of Saturday, 11/2 @ 11:00 a.m. EDT:
Sacramento Kings (-8.5) at Toronto Raptors (O/U: 234.0)
Memphis Grizzlies (-1) at Philadelphia 76ers (O/U: 223.5)
Cleveland Cavaliers at Milwaukee Bucks (-1.5) (O/U: 230.5)
Golden State Warriors at Houston Rockets (-5) (O/U: 217.0)
Minnesota Timberwolves (-4) at San Antonio Spurs (O/U: 213.5)
Miami Heat (-9.5) at Washington Wizards (O/U: 224.5)
Utah Jazz at Denver Nuggets (-10.5) (O/U: 220.5)
Portland Trail Blazers at Phoenix Suns (-12.5) (O/U: 225.0)
Oklahoma City Thunder (-5.5) at Los Angeles Clippers (O/U: 220.0)
The betting lines mostly bring us positive news Saturday, as spreads portend a largely competitive slate. Additionally, the favorite with the second-biggest projected advantage, the Nuggets, could see some of that double-digit number attached to them pared down a bit if Jamal Murray is confirmed to be out due to concussion protocols.
Projected totals are tilting a bit lower than we'd prefer, but we still have a pair of games over the coveted 230-point mark and a couple of others in the mid-220s.
Injury Situations to Monitor
For all the latest updates, visit RotoWire's NBA Injury News page and our comprehensive NBA Injury Report.
Lauri Markkanen, UTA (back): DOUBTFUL
In Markannen's likely ongoing absence, Kyle Filipowski could draw another turn with the starting five while the rest of the unit sees a bump in usage.
Desmond Bane (oblique): OUT
In Bane's ongoing absence, Jaylen Wells could continue on the first unit while Ja Morant particularly enjoys an increase in opportunity.
Jamal Murray, DEN (eye/concussion): GTD
If Murray sits out, Russell Westbrook and Julian Strawther could handle most of the point guard minutes.
Other notable injuries:
Kawhi Leonard, LAC (knee): OUT
Jordan Clarkson, UTA (heel): OUT
Kelly Olynyk, TOR (back): OUT
Devin Vassell, SAN (foot): OUT
Khris Middleton, MIL (ankle): OUT
Marcus Smart, BOS (ankle): OUT
Luke Kennard, MEM (foot): OUT
Immanuel Quickley, TOR (pelvis): DOUBTFUL
Anfernee Simons, POR (arm): QUESTIONABLE
Bradley Beal, PHO (elbow): QUESTIONABLE
Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL (knee): PROBABLE
Elite Players
We have four players with five-figure salaries on Saturday's slate: Nikola Jokic ($11,800), Giannis Antetokounmpo ($11,500), Victor Wembanyama ($11,200) and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ($11,000).
Jokic posted another 60+ FD-point tally (65.3) on Friday against the T-Wolves and could take the floor Saturday without Jamal Murray, albeit while playing his fourth game in six nights.
Antetokounmpo will continue playing through his knee issue and has posted a season-high 61.2 FD points in his most recent game Thursday night.
Wembanyama is coming off a season-high 73.3 FD-point tally against the Jazz on Thursday night, his second tally over 50 in the young season.
SGA has been over 45 FD points in four of his first five games, and although he'll be on the back end of a back-to-back Saturday, he logged a modest 28 minutes Friday.
Expected Chalk
Other likely chalk plays include:
James Harden, LAC ($9,800)
Harden continues to see usage reminiscent of his Rockets glory days and is coming off a season-high 62.5 FD points in his most recent game.
Tyrese Maxey, PHI ($9,500)
Maxey will continue to take the floor without Joel Embiid on Saturday and has scored over 50 FD points in back-to-back games.
Ja Morant, MEM ($8,900)
Morant will continue operating without Desmond Bane next to him Saturday, and in the first game of his backcourt mate's absence Thursday, he provided a triple-double that netted a season-high 59 FD points.
Devin Booker, PHO ($8,500)
Booker's salary and the fact he went off for a season-best 65 FD points his most recent time on the floor Thursday should keep him very popular.
Key Values
Terry Rozier, MIA at WAS ($6,600)
Rozier mostly blends into the background in DFS circles these days now that he's on a Heat squad where he holds a lesser role than during his Hornets days. However, the veteran is now fully acclimated to Erik Spoelstra's system after arriving mid-season last season, and he's opened the new campaign with a blistering 42.4 percent success rate from three-point range and average of 32.8 FD points per contest overall. The talented wing has scored in double digits in every game thus far and now faces a Wizards team that's allowing the fourth-highest offensive efficiency rating to point guards (33.3), along with 43.2 percent three-point shooting and 10.5 assists per game to the position.
Aaron Gordon, DEN vs. UTA ($6,200)
Gordon could be one of the prime beneficiaries of a potential Jamal Murray absence Saturday, and the big man already checks in averaging 35.8 FD points per game after recording between 35 and 50.2 FD points in his three most recent contests. A chunk of those numbers have been built on his outstanding 52.9 percent three-point shooting in the early going, as well as his career-high 8.2 rebounds per contest. The Jazz are allowing 44.4 FD points per game to power forwards thus far, and last season, Gordon averaged 36 FD points per 36 minutes with Murray off the floor.
Scoot Henderson, POR at PHO ($5,600)
Anfernee Simons is very questionable to play Saturday after exiting Friday's game with an arm injury he sustained in a fall, meaning Henderson could be in for a starting role at his very reasonable salary. The second-year guard has already been playing relatively well in his second-unit spot, averaging 25.6 FD points per contest and eclipsing the 30 FD-point mark twice overall. The opposing Suns have surrendered 43.5 percent three-point shooting to point guards so far, and Henderson has produced a near five-percentage-point improvement in his overall accuracy from the floor compared to last season (43.3 percent, compared to 38.5 percent as a rookie). Henderson has seen minutes in the mid-20s with regularity off the bench, and a bump to the first unit Saturday could allow him to overdeliver on his modest salary.
ALSO CONSIDER: Chris Paul, SAN vs. MIN ($5,800); Jabari Smith, HOU vs. GSW ($5,400); Jaylen Wells, MEM at PHI ($4,700)
