We have a monster 13-game DFS NBA slate on tap and the Hornets and Bulls still have a few players in the league’s COVID protocol including LaMelo Ball and DeMar DeRozan. Kevin Durant is resting tonight along with LaMarcus Aldridge for the Nets. The Heat will once again be without Jimmy Butler and the Blazers backcourt of Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum are also on the shelf. Despite the Nets and the Rockets suffering from injuries, the sports-book over/under for this game is still 227.5. The over/under for Orlando/Sacramento is currently at 222.5. Here’s tonight’s DFS NBA Starting Five.

PG: James Harden: Harden will be one of the most sought out DFS plays for this giant slate of NBA action because Kevin Durant is sitting tonight and it’s a revenge game for him. The Rockets are a bottom-four team in the league at defending point guards and it’s a pace-up spot for Brooklyn. With Durant, Joe Harris and LaMarcus Aldridge off the floor Harden’s usage jumps nearly 12 percent to 39 percent. He’s logged back-to-back double-doubles and he’s grabbed nine or more boards in three of his last five games. He’s even picked off 1.4 balls per game. Harden should take between 17-20 shots in tonight’s game and there’s no reason why we should expect anything less. He’ll have to generate the overwhelming majority of the Nets offense tonight and he’s worth paying up for. He’s dished 11 or more dimes in 5 of his last 7 outings. 

SG: Tyler Herro: With Jimmy Butler out for this one and Bam Adebayo already on the shelf, let’s take a look at Herro as the Bucks don’t play the strongest backcourt defense. Herro had already been taking the most shots per game on Miami between 18-19 per battle. He’s shot nearly 40 percent from downtown and has been scoring over 21 points per game. Unlike Eric Gordon who was also in consideration for this spot today, Herro produces consistently in more than one category and he’s grabbed 5.5 boards per game and he’s contributed 4 or more assists in 3 of his last 4 games. As an added bonus, he’s produced swipes in two of his last three contests. He’s looking at a 31.5 percent usage rate heading into tonight and the pace works heavily in the Heat’s favor. The Bucks rank 26th in the league at defending shooting guards.

SF: Cody Martin: Teams dealing with COVID issues present great value for slates of this size and Martin has been getting time to run the point and it’s clear through his assist-production as of late. Besides Ball, Terry Rozier, Jalen McDaniels, Ish Smith, and Mason Plumlee are all out. Martin has posted four or more dimes in four of his last five games. He’s taken at least 11 shots in his last two games playing over 30 minutes in both and scoring 14-plus points in the process during this stretch. Martin has also pulled down six rebounds in back-to-back games and he’s grabbing 1.3 steals per outing. He can play multiple positions and that should continue to keep him on the floor longer. The 76ers are 19th in the league at defending mid-courts and from the playing time he’s received over the last couple of games, he’s a safe-floor 5K player on FanDuel and DraftKings. 

PF: Evan Mobley: The Bulls are missing DeMar DeRozan tonight and that will open up the lane a ton for Mobley. The Bulls are already a bottom-five team in the league at defending power forwards and the Cavs big skyline lineup should have no problem picking apart Chicago. He’s produced two double-doubles in his last four games and he regularly takes double-digit shots. He blocks 1.8 shots per outing and he’s grabbed steals in 4 of his last 5 games. Mobley has quite the shooting range as he can step back and help stretch the floor even more, though with Lauri Markkanen there, he should be playing in the paint for the majority of this contest. Tonight presents a pace boost for Cleveland and Mobley is scoring 14 points per game and has scored no fewer than 12 points all but one game since returning from injury. There continues to be plenty of room for all of the Cavs frontcourt to produce with no Collin Sexton out there. 

C: Joel Embiid: Two days ago Embiid completely destroyed the Hornets. They just don’t have the size to bang around with Embiid and with Mason Plumlee sidelined, it makes it even easier for Embiid to dominate with less size to contend with. He scored 43 points and added 15 boards. Embiid has exceeded his scoring average of 23.9 points per game in 4 of his last 6 outings. He’s grabbed no fewer than 12 rebounds in any game during that stretch and he’s even dished 5 or more dimes in 3 of his last 4 contests. It’s a mega pace-up spot for the Sixers tonight and Embiid has even produced five multi-block games in his last six and grabbed steals in five of those games. He’s taken 20 or more shots in 3 of his last 5 outings. Charlotte ranks 28th in the league at defending centers. Embiid continues to get heavy minutes and after seeing the destruction he provided two days ago, the Hornets don’t have the personnel to adjust and limit him making him worth the hefty price.