This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.

We have a Friday schedule that is much closer to what normally happens on a Thursday, with only three fixtures and a compact player pool that is not significantly affected by injuries.

Slate overview

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The spreads/totals listed are from FanDuel Sportsbook and are current as of Friday, December 20th at 11:00 a.m. EST:

Charlotte Hornets at Philadelphia 76ers (-11) (O/U: 215.5)

Milwaukee Bucks at Cleveland Cavaliers (-9) (O/U: 220.5)

Oklahoma City Thunder (-1) at Miami Heat (O/U: 217.0)

We have two big favorites this evening and as DFS players we’re essentially turning our attention to the Thunder-Heat showdown, which could certainly live up to expectations. The Bucks-Cavaliers line is heavily impacted by Damian Lillard’s confirmed absence, as well as the lower projected total for this game.

Injury situations to monitor

The latest updates can be found at RotoWire NBA injury news site and our comprehensive NBA injury report.

Damian LillardMIL (Wade): OUT

In Lillard’s absence, Giannis Antetokounmpo should see an increase in his already tremendous usage rate and have more ball-handling options, while AJ Green will likely start at point guard.

Joel EmbiidPHI (Face): QUESTIONABLE

If Embiid is sidelined again, Andre Drummond will likely play center again, while Tyrese Maxey and Paul George would be used even more than usual.

Other notable injuries:

Brandon MillerCHA (Ankle): QUESTIONABLE

Max StrusCLE (ankle): QUESTIONABLE

Chris MiddletonMIL (illness): PROBABLY

Giannis AntetokounmpoMIL (knee): PROBABLY

Elite player

We have four players with five-figure salaries on Friday’s roster – Giannis Antetokounmpo ($12,200), Shai Gilgeous Alexander ($11,100), Joel Embiid ($10,400) And LaMelo Ball ($10,200).

Antetokounmpo is already very attractive given his salary cap, but he’ll be in an even better position come Friday with Lillard out, a scenario in which the big man boasts a 36.2 percent usage rate.

Like the rest of his teammates, SGA had a hitless game in the NBA Cup Finals, but bounced back with 62.8 FD points against the Magic on Thursday, his third straight game over 60.

Embiid is probably on the wrong side of things and it’s questionable whether he’ll play on Friday, but if he does start he has a ceiling of over 50 FD points if he’s on the court for a normal number of minutes.

Ball will be in an even better position than usual with Brandon Miller out for the second straight game. The former scored 69.3 FD points on Thursday without his backcourt mate, based on a double-double with 34 points and 13 assists.

Expected chalk

Other likely chalk games include:

Tyrese MaxeyPHI ($9,100)

Maxey went off with 61.5 FD points against the same Hornets on Monday without Embiid, and the same circumstances could apply again on Friday.

Paul GeorgePHI ($8,800)

George also benefited from Embiid’s absence on Monday with a season-high 33 points and 56 FD points, which should help keep him very popular at his salary.

Jimmy ButlerMIA ($8,200)

Butler scored 87.8 FD points in 44 minutes against the Pistons in Monday’s OT win with a triple-double of 35 points, 19 rebounds and 10 assists, and that alone should make him extremely popular on such a small roster.

Key values

Kelly OubrePHI vs CHA ($6,300)

Although Maxey and George, as previously mentioned, would be considered the biggest beneficiaries in the event of Embiid’s absence again, Oubre is also a candidate to exceed his salary and could do so regardless of the big man’s availability. The veteran winger has scored double-digit points in every contest of his current 10-game starting streak and is averaging 13.3 points (on 52.0 percent shooting), 7.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.7 steals over 34.4 Minutes scored per game. Those numbers resulted in an average of 31.1 FD points per game over that period, with Oubre topping 31 FD points a total of seven times in the sample. He managed just 40.8 FD points in Monday’s game against the Hornets and could well be capable of a successful encore on Friday.

Brook LopezMIL at CLE ($5,300)

If Lillard is out of action on Friday, there should be an increase in opportunities for Lopez, as the big man tends to come into play more offensively when a key first-unit member is out. Lopez bounced back from a series of mediocre offensive performances with 26.1 FD points against the Hawks last Saturday and is averaging 40.8 FD points per 36 minutes when Lillard is not on the court this season. The Cavs represent a tough matchup for centers on paper, but Lopez posted a remarkable 37.2 FD points over 36 minutes in a Nov. 4 meeting with Cleveland in which Antetokounmpo was not in the lineup.

Cody MartinCHA at PHI ($5,100)

Martin may have to play without Brandon Miller for the second straight game on Friday, and the former is already averaging 30.8 FD points per 36 minutes when not sharing the court with his teammate this season. Martin is currently achieving career highs in points (8.7), rebounds (4.7) and three-pointers made (1.2) while increasing his overall shooting percentage to 44.5 percent after averaging just Had shot 38.2 percent from the field. He’s shown some value for his salary this season, scoring 24.7 FD points or more 12 times already, and if he’s given an expanded role on Friday, he could certainly provide a strong return on investment.

ALSO NOTE: Nick RichardsCHA at PHI ($5,600)

The authors of this article may participate in daily fantasy contests, including but not limited to games on which they have provided recommendations or advice in this article. When playing these games with their personal accounts, it is possible that they may use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations given above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Juan Carlos Blanco participates in daily fantasy contests with the following accounts: DraftKings: jcblanco22, FanDuel: jc_blanco22, DraftPot: jc_blanco22, FantasyDraft: jc_blanco22, OwnThePlay: jcblanco22.