Written By: Ryan Humphries on Twitter & LineStar chat @Ryan_Humphries

Pick’Em Prop Offers 2/29/24 💸

Our editors found the top Pick’Em DFS deals so you don’t have to! 

1. Sleeper DFS - Deposit Match up to $100 🔥

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4. Parlay Play - Free $5 Entry no Deposit Required 🆕

Highly recommend you check out Chalkboard if you haven’t above. They are doing some really innovative things in the Pick’Em markets, lot more options than your standard fare. Chalkboard is currently number #10 on the iOS Top Sports charts! It’s how you know they’re doing big things.

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NBA DFS & Props Shows w/ Tyler & Shannon 

The DFS & Prop Shows will be posted later this afternoon! View the latest LineStar YouTube content by clicking the link above!

DFS Main Slate Rundown 📰

Happy Leap Day! Another six-game slate will be lined up on this Thursday evening; there are a couple of additional games in the 10 o’clock ET window but, as has been the new trend this season, both DraftKings and FanDuel have elected to exclude those from their respective main slates. The injury report isn’t too extensive today but be on the lookout for some other players [not listed below] to possibly land “questionable” tags as the day goes on because I am putting today’s newsletter together earlier than usual. This slate isn’t the juiciest from a top-to-bottom match-up perspective, but I do believe we’ll see a few quality games tonight. Let’s crack the code! Best of luck!

Today’s Key Injuries

• Bucks: G. Antetokounmpo - Probable, K. Middleton - OUT, M, Beauchamp - Probable

• Hornets: L. Ball - OUT, M. Williams - OUT

• Jazz: W. Kessler - Questionable

• Magic: P. Banchero - Questionable, J. Isaac - OUT

• Hawks: T. Young - OUT, O. Okongwu - OUT

• Nets: C. Thomas - OUT, B. Simmons - Questionable

• Warriors: A. Wiggins - OUT

• Knicks: J. Brunson - Questionable, J. Randle - OUT, OG Anunoby - OUT

• Thunder: None

• Spurs: None

• Rockets: J. Green - Questionable, T. Eason - OUT

• Suns: B. Beal - Questionable, J. Nurkic - Probable, E. Gordon - Questionable

Main Slate Match-Ups w/ Game Totals & Point Spreads

🆕LineStar NBA Feature Update🆕

As most LineStar Premium subscribers are aware, your subscription includes access to both the mobile app and the desktop LineStar site. Desktop users may notice a new “Team DEF” tool/tab feature that has been added for NBA over the All-Star Break! This tool gives a detailed visual breakdown of team defense and DvP (defense versus position) information with expanded sorting options. This is just another useful tool to help you take a more informed NBA DFS approach! And, if you’re someone who exclusively uses the app, be on the lookout for the “Team DEF” tool coming to LineStar mobile in the near future!

Top DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Plays

Note: NBA position designations are never going to perfectly align between the major DFS sites. For the purposes of these newsletters, positional designations will default to DraftKings.

Point Guards/Shooting Guards to Consider 🏀

PG Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, OKC | DK: $10.7k, FD: $11.4k | @ SAS

I’m not in love with the overall guard selection today but it never feels like a bad idea to gain exposure to the high floor of SGA. He has secured at least 47.5 DKFP/46.1 FDFP in 11 of his last 12 games and he’s rocking a sharp 1.61 FPPM over his previous five starts. The Thunder and Spurs have met twice this season and SGA has recorded at least 56.5 DKFP/59.2 FDFP on both occasions. We know that he is a likely candidate for 30+ points on any given night while providing solid assist/rebound numbers, but he could really help his DFS ceiling by racking up a few steals this evening. The Spurs are one of the more careless teams with the ball and have allowed the 2nd most steals/gm (8.6) this season. SGA snagged seven steals by himself against the Spurs back on Nov. 14th. The Spurs are sizable 11-point underdogs at home tonight but if they keep this game close throughout, SGA could erupt for a monster performance. But, regardless of any potential blowout, he’s extremely unlikely to put up a dud in this spot.

PG Fred VanVleet, HOU | DK: $6.6k, FD: $7.7k | @ PHX (DK Preferred)

VanVleet has been a volatile DFS option all season but volatility swings both ways so he’ll be worthy of some GPP shares tonight, especially on DraftKings where his $6,600 price tag could pay major dividends. He missed five games in early February with an adductor injury but he had time to heal up over the All-Star Break and has started each of the last four games. FVV has only posted one truly solid game in that recent four-game stretch, but that happened to come against this same Phoenix Suns team last Friday, where he came away with 42.75 DKFP/40.5 FDFP. He has logged at least 36 minutes in each of the previous three games so he’s back up to his normal minutes (36.4 minutes/gm this season). And there is a fairly good chance that VanVleet can replicate the success he had against Phoenix a few days ago -- the Suns have allowed a slate-high 1.43 FPPM to opposing point guards across their last 10 games.

PG/SG Malaki Branham, SAS | DK: $3.4k, FD: $4.2k | vs. OKC

There may be some additional guard value that opens up later in the day but, for the moment, Malaki Branham looks like a favorable ‘punt’ play. While he’s not going to start, he has been much more involved in the Spurs’ backcourt rotation lately. Branham has earned at least 21 minutes in four of the Spurs’ last five games and, in those four games, he has averaged 21.8 DKFP/20.5 FDFP. One good thing about playing off of the bench is that Branham’s minutes should not be negated, and likely only helped, in the event of a blowout (SAS: +11). He has played at least 26 minutes in two previous games against the Thunder this season and put up 24.25 DKFP/26.6 FDFP against OKC in their most recent meeting on Jan. 24th. If we can get a similar result out of him tonight, we’ll be more than happy with it at these low-end salaries.

Other Guards to Consider

PG/SG Devin Booker, PHX | DK: $9.2k, FD: $9.3k | vs. HOU

SG/SF Donte DiVincenzo, NYK | DK: $7.5k, FD: $7.2k | vs. GSW (Boost if J. Brunson is out)

PG/SG Devin Vassell, SAS | DK: $7.1k, FD: $7.6k | vs. OKC

PG/SG Bogdan Bogdanovic, ATL | DK: $6.4k, FD: $6.6k | @ BKN

PG Keyonte George, UTA | DK: $5.7k, FD: $5.9k | @ ORL

PG/SG Josh Giddey, OKC | DK: $5.4k, FD: $6.7k | @ SAS (DK Preferred)

PG/SG Dennis Schroder, BKN | DK: $5.2k, FD: $5.2k | vs. ATL

PG/SG Jalen Suggs, ORL | DK: $5k, FD: $5.4k | vs. UTA

PG/SG Miles McBride, NYK | DK: $5k, FD: $5.4k | vs. GSW (Only if Brunson is out + McBride starts)

SG Moses Moody, GSW | DK: $3.8k, FD: $3.9k | @ NYK (Only if he starts again)

SG/SF Gary Payton II, GSW | DK: $3.3k, FD: $3.9k | @ NYK

Small Forwards/Power Forwards to Consider 🏀

PF Kevin Durant, PHX | DK: $9.7k, FD: $9.6k | vs. HOU

While he’s not immune to the occasional dud, KD never feels like a bad play when he’s priced under the $10k threshold. He has shown out with a pair of vintage KD performances in two previous games against the Rockets this season, averaging 68.9 DKFP/64.6 FDFP across both contests. Houston has had issues against starting power forwards for a while now, ranking 28th versus the position L20Games. Durant could get an added usage boost if both Bradley Beal and Eric Gordon are unable to suit up tonight -- with those two guys off the floor this season, Durant’s usage rate has climbed by +3.2 percentage points. The Suns will also be at home tonight where Durant is lighting it up from deep, shooting 45.1% from three-point range. On DraftKings, I’d say there is some strong merit in spending the extra $400 on Wemby, if you’re looking to lock in a high-end power forward, but Durant is one of the more appealing stud plays on FanDuel; it’s not often you see a star player like KD end up at a cheaper salary on FD relative to DK pricing.

SF/PF Josh Hart, NYK | DK: $7.1k, FD: $7.3k | vs. GSW

I’ve yet to spotlight a player in this match-up, however, this could easily end up being the game of the night with Steph Curry & Co. visiting Madison Square Garden in a primetime nationally televised TNT showdown. But we’ll go to the Knicks side of things when searching for a quality forward option out of the mid-range. Josh Hart is one of the ultimate “utility” players in the NBA. He’s never going to command extreme usage, but he is going to fight for rebounds, contribute a handful of assists, provide some steal/block upside, play pesky defense, and log massive minutes. Hart’s usage has not been all that bad lately -- he’s averaging 15.2 PPG on an 18.5% USG% L5Games. And, most importantly, he has played at least 40 minutes (all in regulation) in five of the Knicks’ last six games. Hart’s minutes will remain sky-high until guys like Julius Randle and OG Anunoby can return from injury and, despite getting bumped into the $7k range, he’s bringing some realistic 6x upside to DFS lineups tonight.

SF/PF De’Andre Hunter, ATL | DK: $5.5k, FD: $5.7k | @ BKN

Hunter has settled into a nice groove in his newfound role off of the Hawks’ bench and, over his last five games, he’s posting 20.8 PPG and averaging 32.3 DKFP/31.9 FDFP per game. There is some trickle-down usage available with Trae Young (30.3% USG%) out for multiple weeks following finger surgery and Hunter should continue to provide a much-needed spark with the Hawks’ second unit. Most importantly, he’s not going to break the bank at his sub-$6k price points.

Other Forwards to Consider

PF/C Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL | DK: $11.3k, FD: $11.7k | @ CHA

PF/C Victor Wembanyama, SAS | DK: $10.1k, FD: $11.6k | vs. OKC

PF Jalen Johnson, ATL | DK: $8.1k, FD: $8.5k | @ BKN

SF Franz Wagner, ORL | DK: $7.6k, FD: $7.9k | vs. UTA (Preferred if Banchero is out)

PF Jalen Williams, OKC | DK: $7.2k, FD: $7.8k | @ SAS

SF/SG Mikal Bridges, BKN | DK: $7k, FD: $7.6k | vs. ATL

PF Jabari Smith Jr., HOU | DK: $6.8k, FD: $7.4k | @ PHX

PF Jonathan Kuminga, GSW | DK: $6.1k, FD: $6.5k | @ NYK

PF/C Bobby Portis, MIL | DK: $5.5k, FD: $6.3k | @ CHA

SF/PF Royce O’Neale, PHX | DK: $4.8k, FD: $5.3k | vs. HOU (Preferred if starting again)

PF Taylor Hendricks, UTA | DK: $4.4k, FD: $4.5k | @ ORL

SF/SG Julian Champagnie, SAS | DK: $3.5k, FD: $4.3k | vs. OKC

Centers to Consider 🏀

C Jusuf Nurkic, PHX | DK: $6.6k, FD: $7.2k | vs. HOU

Nurkic (ankle/probable) sat out the match-up against Houston last Friday due to ankle soreness but he returned the following game and posted a monster 18/22/7 stat line (60.0 DKFP/57.9 FDFP) across 37 minutes. Per-minute fantasy production has never been a problem for Nurkic -- he’s averaging 1.32 FPPM L5Games and 1.25 FPPM L20Games -- but he routinely plays low-20s minutes. His minutes, and thus his fantasy scores, have been a bit more dependable at home this season, which bodes well for his outlook tonight. If you could guarantee me that Nurkic plays 30-34 minutes tonight, I’d lock him in across the board. But that’s something that we should count on, and he’s ultimately going to be a volatile, yet enticing, DFS option this evening. This will be a promising match-up against a Rockets team that has ranked 25th versus starting centers L20Games and has allowed 1.37 FPPM to the position over their last five games.

C Wendell Carter Jr., ORL | DK: $5.4k, FD: $5.5k | vs. UTA (Boost if Banchero is out)

From one volatile center to another -- Wendell Carter Jr. has terrific upside for these mid-$5k salaries but, much like Nurkic, we never know if he’s going to play low-20s minutes or 30+ minutes. Regardless, he’ll be worth some consideration tonight and much of it has to do with the match-up. The Jazz have been getting trounced by opposing centers and have allowed a slate-high 1.55 FPPM to the position over their last five games -- 1.46 FPPM L10Games. Things obviously don’t always work out this way but, for the sake of discussion, let’s say Carter plays around 25 minutes tonight and the Jazz continue to allow about 1.50 FPPM to the center position -- that would work out to roughly 37.5 fantasy points. WCJ has had plenty of historical success against Utah and his outlook could strengthen if Paolo Banchero (illness/questionable) sits out tonight. In 165 minutes with Banchero off the floor this season, WCJ has averaged +6.1 more fantasy points per 32 minutes along with a +2.8 percentage point increase to his usage rate.

Other Centers to Consider

C Alperen Sengun, HOU | DK: $8.6k, FD: $8.3k | @ PHX

C Chet Holmgren, OKC | DK: $7.9k, FD: $8.2k | @ SAS

C Brook Lopez, MIL | DK: $5.7k, FD: $6.5k | @ CHA

C Nick Richards, CHA | DK: $5.5k, FD: $6.2k | vs. MIL

C Clint Capela, ATL | DK: $5.3k, FD: $6.3k | @ BKN

PF/C Moritz Wagner, ORL | DK: $4.5k, FD: $4.8k | vs. UTA (Boost if Banchero is out)

PF/C Bol Bol, PHX | DK: $3.9k, FD: $5.6k | vs. HOU (DK GPP Punt Play)

PrizePicks NBA Power Play of the Day ⚡

Here is a two-pick “Power Play” I’m liking for today's NBA action over on PrizePicks! Nothing is ever a guarantee to hit but I put my own money on these bets so I don't just lightly throw these out there without believing they'll cash! If it hits, it will return 3x the wager.

Chris Paul MORE than 12.5 Points + Assists

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander LESS than 2.5 Turnovers

🔥 Props AI 🔥

In LineStar’s ongoing mission to improve, innovate, and help you reel in some cash, we are introducing Props AI for NBA – available for LineStar Premium users! This tool can help you find value and mispriced odds on player props from sportsbooks and, more specifically, for PrizePicks and UnderDog Fantasy!

Speaking of props, put the Props AI tool to use by signing up for PrizePicks (Promo code: LINESTAR) or Underdog (Promo code: LINESTAR). You'll receive a 100% match on first deposits up to $100 PLUS a free month subscription to LineStar Premium. Many people may not realize that you can legally place prop bets in most states using UnderDog (or PrizePicks) – it’s called Pick'Em, and it’s incredibly easy.

That will wrap us up with today’s “Daily Dribble” edition! Once again, you can find me on Twitter or in LineStar chat @Ryan_Humphries. Good luck everyone!