A five-game Valentine’s Day NBA slate takes center stage tonight. Time will tell if we will love or hate this one but, for now, let’s try our best to lock in on some top DFS plays and props!

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

Straight Locks🔒 | NBA Props w/ Shannon & Tyler!

DFS Main Slate Rundown 📰

Fear not my fellow bachelors and bachelorettes, there’s no need to be sad if you’re flying solo this Valentine’s Day. Why get down in the dumps when we can tilt over our DFS lineups and prop bets instead? And for any of you in committed relationships, just make sure your S.O. doesn’t catch you peeking at your phone during your romantic dinner tonight. That might be a quick way to “late swap” yourself out of further plans this evening. Okay, I’ll stop forcing in cringey DFS/love life parallels. But one way or another, I think we’ve all got our eyes on some sort of prize tonight. We’ll have five NBA games to dive into so let’s get cooking! B.O.L.!

Today’s Key Injuries:

Magic: C. Anthony - OUT, J. Isaac - OUT, T. Ross - OUT, RJ Hampton - OUT

Raptors: OG Anunoby - OUT, G. Trent Jr. - Questionable, P. Achiuwa - Questionable

Celtics: J. Tatum - OUT, J. Brown - OUT, M. Smart - OUT, R. Williams - Questionable, M. Brogdon - Probable, A. Horford - Questionable, G. Williams - Probable

Bucks: G. Antetokounmpo - Probable, B. Portis - OUT, P. Connaughton - Probable

Kings: M. Monk - OUT

Suns: K. Durant - OUT, C. Payne - OUT, L. Shamet - OUT

Warriors: S. Curry - OUT, A. Wiggins - OUT, J. Green - Questionable, G. Payton II - OUT

Clippers: None

Wizards: K. Kuzma - Probable, W. Barton - OUT

Trailblazers: J. Grant - OUT, J. Nurkic - OUT, J. Winslow - Doubtful

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

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.

💫 = Favorite Play

Point Guards/Shooting Guards to Consider 🏀

💫PG Damian Lillard, POR | DK: $11.1k, FD: $10.4k | vs. WAS | Cash & GPP

There are only two real superstar players that also happen to be healthy on this slate -- Dame and Giannis. Lillard will command DFS consideration by default and there is still plenty of appealing “trade fallout” and injury impact value out there that makes him quite easy to fit into lineups. Both teams head into this game on the second leg of a back-to-back but Lillard has actually stood out as someone who puts up bigger numbers on the latter halves of B2Bs. He was on pace to nuke the slate last night after dropping 30 real points, which included eight threes, in the first half against the Lakers but he cooled off a bit and “only” ended with a 40-point game and 59.5 DKFP. It should be noted that Lillard sat during the final seven minutes of last night’s game due to the blowout factor. The Trailblazers will be without a couple of key contributors tonight as well. Jusuf Nurkic and Jerami Grant will not suit up tonight (both guys sat out last night as well) and the impact of Josh Hart (traded to NYK) being gone should be considered as well. When those three guys have been off the court this season, Lillard has averaged +11.35 FP per 48 minutes. This game boasts a slate-high 235.5 O/U and a close spread (POR -3) so it’s a great environment for Lillard to go ballistic once again.

💫PG/SG Derrick White, BOS | DK: $7.1k, FD: $7.2k | @ MIL | Cash & GPP

One of the clear headlines of this slate centers around the Celtics and their injury report. Boston’s two highest-usage players, Jayson Tatum (illness) and Jaylen Brown (face) will not take the court tonight. Marcus Smart (ankle) will also miss his 11th game in a row and starting big men Robert Williams and Al Horford are listed as questionable. So that leaves plenty of usage and minutes to go around. With those three players that have already been ruled out (Tatum, Brown, and Smart) off the court this season, Derrick White has handled a major +9.19% usage bump while averaging +19.83 FP per 48 minutes. We’re not used to paying these sorts of $7k+ salaries for White but he enters tonight’s game having posted DKFP totals of 43.75, 64.75, 36.0, and 42.75 in his last four games, so the sizable salary bumps are deserved. Boston will check in as +9 road underdogs but if they keep this game close, Derrick White will be largely responsible.

💫SG/SF Mattisse Thybulle, POR | DK: $3k, FD: $3.7k | vs. WAS | Cash & GPP

Thybulle was a recent trade acquisition, coming over to Portland from Philadelphia ahead of last week’s deadline. With Josh Hart shipped to the Knicks and Jerami Grant sidelined with a concussion, he made his Trailblazers debut in the starting lineup last night and he definitely paid off his minimal DFS salaries. Thybulle, who is more known for his defense, played 26 minutes and put up 14 points (four three-pointers), six rebounds, two assists, three blocks, and a steal. It would be a shock if he didn’t start again tonight and given his minimum/near-minimum DFS salaries, he’ll be worth a punt play tonight.

Other Guards to Consider:

PG Fred VanVleet, TOR | DK: $9.2k, FD: $8.8k | vs. ORL | GPP Preferred (Boost if G. Trent Jr. sits)

PG/SG Jordan Poole, GSW | DK: $8.3k, FD: $8.4k | @ LAC | GPP Preferred

SG Bradley Beal, WAS | DK: $8k, FD: $8.6k | @ POR | GPP Preferred

PG/SG Malcolm Brogdon, BOS | DK: $5.7k, FD: $5.6k | @ MIL | GPP Preferred

💫PG Markelle Fultz, ORL | DK: $5.6k, FD: $6.4k | @ TOR | DK Preferred

SG/SF Terrance Davis, SAC | DK: $4.5k, FD: $5k | @ PHX | GPP Preferred

💫PG/SG Shaedon Sharpe, POR | DK: $3.7k, FD: $4.5k | vs. WAS | DK Preferred

💫PG Payton Pritchard, BOS | DK: $3.4k, FD: $3.9k | @ MIL | GPP Preferred (Cash play if he starts)

Small Forwards/Power Forwards to Consider 🏀

💫PF/C Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL | DK: $12.7k, FD: $12k | vs. BOS | Cash & GPP

It’s not a revolutionary approach but the formula usually goes: small slate + weak forward player pool = just spend up for Giannis. He may not necessarily hit 6x value but sometimes you simply take the huge raw fantasy point floor that he can almost always provide. Giannis has posted at least 62.5 DKFP in six of his last eight games and he has taken on an astronomical 42.7% usage rate across the Bucks’ current 10-game win streak. He has also been a bit more potent at home where he has averaged +3.7 FPPG. The only glaring issue here is the potential blowout factor with Milwaukee sitting at 9-point home favorites. Even in the event of a blowout, you’re still almost guaranteed 50+ FP out of Giannis.

SF/SG Donte DiVincenzo, GSW | DK: $5.1k, FD: $5.4k | @ LAC | Cash & GPP

It doesn’t appear as if the Warriors will sit Klay Thompson on the second leg of the back-to-back as they have typically done this season. But with Steph Curry’s continued absence and Andrew Wiggins being ruled out, there should plenty of room for DiVincenzo to snag 25-30 minutes off of the bench. He has played at least 25 minutes in each of the Warriors’ previous four games and he has responded with three games of at least 27.75 DKFP. It’s not an exciting play, but DiVincenzo makes sense from a DFS floor perspective given his current salaries.

💫SF/SG Sam Hauser, BOS | DK: $4.6k, FD: $4.8k | @ MIL | Cash & GPP

We’ll go back to the shorthanded Celtics lineup and hone in on Sam Hauser as a sub-$5k value play. Hauser should get the start tonight at small forward and he also carries SG eligibility on both sites. Hauser has made his way into the starting lineup in three of the last four games and he has averaged 24.9 FPPG in those three starts while playing at least 31 minutes. He’s connecting on 57.6% of his three-pointers over his last five games and, even in the event of a blowout, Hauser’s minutes may likely be protected since he’s more of a reserve bench player, to begin with.

Other Forwards to Consider:

SF/SG Paul George, LAC | DK: $9.3k, FD: $8.3k | vs. GSW | FD Preferred

SF Khris Middleton, MIL | DK: $5.4k, FD: $6k | vs. BOS | GPP Preferred

PF/C Al Horford, BOS | DK: $5k, FD: $5.3k | @ MIL | GPP Preferred (Note: Horford is currently questionable)

SF/SG Josh Okogie, PHX | DK: $4.6k, FD: $5.1k | vs. SAC | GPP Preferred

💫SF/PF Grant Williams, BOS | DK: $4.4k, FD: $5k | @ MIL | Cash & GPP

Centers to Consider 🏀

💫C Deandre Ayton, PHX | DK: $8.1k, FD: $8.6k | vs. SAC | Cash & GPP

The center position is not overly strong today but Deandre Ayton stands out as a worthy guy to pay up for out of the $8k range. Devin Booker’s return does hurt his upside but Ayton has posted two very respectable performances of 45.75 DKFP and 56.75 DKFP in the two games that Booker has played recently. Sacramento also allows the third-most points in the paint per game (54.9) and this match-up represents a major pace-up spot for the Suns (PHX: 22nd in pace, SAC: 10th in pace).

💫C Kevon Looney, GSW | DK: $4.1k, FD: $5.2k | @ LAC | DK Preferred

His price tag on FanDuel makes him riskier, but Looney will be worth some consideration at $4,100 on DraftKings as a spend-down center option. He has averaged 1.02 FPPM this season and does see a slight usage/fantasy point boost when Steph Curry and Andrew Wiggins (both out) are off the floor. He is also coming off of one of his biggest games in a while last night where he posted a 13/13 double-double with four assists in 31 minutes (36.75 DKFP). It’s no guarantee, but if he logs mid-20s minutes, he’ll be a great bet to return 6x value on DraftKings tonight.

Other Centers to Consider:

PF/C Pascal Siakam, TOR | DK: $9.7k, FD: $9.8k | vs. ORL | GPP Preferred

C Domantas Sabonis, SAC | DK: $9.6k, FD: $9.5k | @ PHX | GPP Preferred

C Brook Lopez, MIL | DK: $6.4k, FD: $6.9k | vs. BOS | GPP Preferred

💫C Robert Williams, BOS | DK: $6k, FD: $6.2k | @ MIL | Cash & GPP (Note: Williams is currently questionable)

C Jakob Poeltl, TOR | DK: $5.4k, FD: $6.7k | vs. ORL | DK Preferred (Monitor TOR injury news)

NBA Player Props 📊

Player Prop or Bet | Odds | Unit Bet Size

De’Aaron Fox OVER 1.5 Steals + Blocks | -109 (Caesars) | 2.0 Units

Brook Lopez OVER 1.5 Blocks | -140 (DraftKings) | 2.0 Units

PrizePicks Power Play ⚡

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.

Gary Harris MORE than 11.5 P/R/A

De'Aaron Fox MORE than 1.5 BLKS + STLS

🆕 Props Edge+ 🆕

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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!