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

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DFS Main Slate Rundown 📰

We’ve got an appealing eight-game Friday NBA slate to send us into the weekend! There are plenty of great match-ups on the board, both from a pure basketball entertainment perspective and a DFS perspective. Six of the eight match-ups currently possess a spread of six points or fewer and we have several high-scoring affairs to look forward to as well. Let’s get it! Best of luck!

Today’s Key Injuries:

76ers: J. McDaniels - OUT

Hornets: M. Williams - Questionable

Wizards: None

Cavaliers: J. Allen - OUT

Warriors: S. Curry - Questionable, D. Green - OUT, A. Wiggins - OUT, K. Looney - Probable, A. Iguodala - OUT, T. Jerome - Questionable

Hawks: J. Johnson - OUT

Timberwolves: K. Towns - OUT, R. Gobert - Questionable, N. Reid - Questionable, J. Nowell - OUT, A. Rivers - Questionable

Bulls: A. Caruso - Questionable, Jav. Green - Doubtful

Pelicans: Z. Williamson - OUT, J. Alvarado - OUT

Rockets: None

Grizzlies: J. Morant - OUT, S. Adams - OUT

Spurs: D. Graham - OUT, K. Bates-Diop - Questionable, C. Bassey - OUT, D. McDermott - Doubtful, R. Langford - OUT

Celtics: J. Tatum - Probable, R. Williams - OUT, P. Pritchard - OUT

Trailblazers: D. Lillard - Probable, J. Grant - Questionable

Mavericks: L. Doncic - OUT, K. Irving - Questionable, T. Hardaway Jr. - Probable

Lakers: A. Davis - Probable, L. James - OUT, M. Bamba - OUT

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 Trae Young, ATL | DK: $9.5k, FD: $9.9k | vs. GSW | Cash & GPP

A sub-$10k Trae Young will continue to stand out as a high-end guard play yet again. Going back across his last 14 starts, he has secured at least 49.5 DKFP on 10 occasions, and, over his last five, he’s averaging 31.4 PPG on 20.4 FGA/Gm to go along with 9.2 APG. This match-up with the fast-paced Warriors (1st in pace) offense boasts an absurdly high 248.0 over/under so, it’s safe to say that we’ll want some exposure to some key players in this one. The last time these two teams clashed, the game went into overtime and combined for 284 points with Young dropping a 62.75 DKFP score.

💫PG Tyus Jones, MEM | DK: $6.7k, FD: $6.7k | @ SAS | Cash & GPP

While Ja Morant continues to serve a suspension due to some off-the-court antics, Tyus Jones will look to start his seventh consecutive game as the Grizzlies’ primary point guard. Jones is coming off of a couple of dud performances but, in his defense, he was playing against two of the slowest-paced teams in the NBA (MIA: 28th in pace, DAL: 29th in pace). The match-up meter will flip over to facing one of the softest opponents he could ask for today as the Grizzlies take on a Spurs team that ranks 5th in pace and dead last in defensive efficiency. Also, thanks to the recent pair of down games, Jones’ DFS salaries have dropped to a very palatable $6,700 price point on both DraftKings and FanDuel. We know that Tyus Jones possesses plenty of upside as a starter and he posted a 42.75 DKFP score when he started against the Spurs a couple of months back. A similar score is well within reason tonight.

💫SG/SF Bogdan Bogdanovic, ATL | DK: $4k, FD: $5.8k | vs. GSW | DK Preferred

We’ll need some further injury news to drop later in the day if we’re to have some more clear-cut value plays at the guard position. For now, Bogdan Bogdanovic stands out as a solid value target on DraftKings where he checks in with a flat $4,000 price tag. He posted a dud against the Timberwolves on Monday while shooting 1-for-8 from the field and he sat out the game before that with a back injury. But, typically, he’s going to play mid-20s minutes off of the Hawks’ bench and he’s averaging 0.92 FPPM over his last 20 games (as a reserve). For $4,000, Bogdanovic is rarely going to burn you in any lineups and, if his shot gets really hot, he has some realistic 10x potential despite not handling massive minutes. We already discussed it with Trae Young’s spotlight above, but this game carries some major DFS appeal with its massive 248 total and the spread is narrow as well (ATL -4).

Other Guards to Consider:

💫PG Damian Lillard, POR | DK: $10.3k, FD: $10.5k | vs. BOS | Cash & GPP

SG/SF Zach LaVine, CHI | DK: $8.8k, FD: $8.5k | vs. MIN | GPP Preferred

SG Bradley Beal, WAS | DK: $8.2k, FD: $9k | @ CLE | DK Preferred

PG CJ McCollum, POR | DK: $7.7k, FD: $8.4k | @ HOU | Cash & GPP

PG/SG Jaden Hardy, DAL | DK: $7.3k, FD: $6.4k | @ LAL | FD Preferred (If Irving is out)

💫SG/SF Klay Thompson, GSW | DK: $7.1k, FD: $7.5k | @ ATL | GPP Preferred (Cash play if Curry is out)

💫SG/SF Donte DiVincenzo, GSW | DK: $5.5k, FD: $5.7k | @ ATL | GPP Preferred (If Curry is out)

PG Marcus Smart, BOS | DK: $5.2k, FD: $5.6k | @ POR | GPP Preferred 

PG/SG Coby White, CHI | DK: $3.7k, FD: $4.7k | vs. MIN | DK Preferred

Small Forwards/Power Forwards to Consider 🏀

💫SF/SG Jaylen Brown, BOS | DK: $8.9k, FD: $9.2k | @ POR | Cash & GPP 

Brown struggled against Portland last Wednesday when he put up just 20.25 DKFP in 25 minutes. However, in his other most recent games, he’s been sensational, posting DKFP scores of 54.0, 57.25, 44.75, 63.75, 50.0, and 55.25. Despite this recent late-season surge, Brown’s DFS prices have barely elevated and he even saw a $200 price drop on DraftKings following his 54.0 DKFP performance against the T-Wolves on Wednesday. Brown stands out as a strong DFS play today regardless, but the status of Jayson Tatum (hip/questionable) will be worth monitoring. Brown has seen a significant +4.05% usage boost with Tatum off the floor this season. This is a 10 pm ET tip-off, so we may not have the Tatum news until after the first games get underway. However, based on the current spread that has Boston as 4-point favorites combined with the fact that the Celtics are on the first leg of a back-to-back, my educated guess would lean toward Tatum sitting out tonight’s game.

Update: Scratch that assessment. Tatum said his hip is still sore but that he intends to play tonight. Jaylen Brown remains a worthy DFS option regardless.

SF/PF Kyle Anderson, MIN | DK: $6.9k, FD: $7.5k | @ CHI | GPP Preferred

Anderson is perhaps a candidate for regression but, given how he’s stuffing the stat sheet lately, he’s going to remain a prime GPP target out of the upper mid-range today. He has played at least 36 minutes in four of his last five games and, in those games, he has posted DKFP scores of 38.75, 56.5, 43.25, and 47.25. He’s not going to light it up on the scoreboard, maybe 12-15 points tonight, but his real value has been coming in the peripheral categories. He posted a 14/10/12 triple-double with two blocks against the Hawks on Monday and over his last five games he is averaging 8.4 APG, 7.2 RPG, and 2.4 STL+BLK/Gm to go along with a 1.17 FPPM average. If Anderson logs another 35+ minutes tonight, he may very well pay off these elevated DFS salaries once again.

💫PF/C Jonathan Kuminga, GSW | DK: $4.4k, FD: $5.4k | @ ATL | Cash & GPP

No Draymond Green (suspension) tonight means Jonathan Kuminga should slide back into the starting rotation. When given solid minutes, Kuminga is capable of providing some strong DFS scores and he has averaged 25.25 DKFP when Draymond has been out of the lineup this season. That makes him one of the standout values of the day on DraftKings, and still highly playable on FanDuel. His ceiling is well beyond the 30 DKFP range and he draws a beneficial match-up against a Hawks team that has ranked 26th versus starting power forwards over their last 20 games.

Other Forwards to Consider:

SF/SG Anthony Edwards, MIN | DK: $9.2k, FD: $9.7k | @ CHI | GPP Preferred

SF Brandon Ingram, NOP | DK: $8.1k, FD: $8.2k | @ HOU | Cash & GPP

💫PF/C Evan Mobley, CLE | DK: $7.6k, FD: $8k | vs. WAS | GPP Preferred

SF Josh Green, DAL | DK: $6.5k, FD: $6.2k | @ LAL | GPP Preferred

💫PF/C Jeremy Sochan, SAS | DK: $5.6k, FD: $6.3k | vs. MEM | Cash & GPP

SF/PF KJ Martin, HOU | DK: $5.3k, FD: $5.6k | vs. NOP | GPP Preferred

PF/C John Collins, ATL | DK: $4.6k, FD: $5k | vs. GSW | GPP Preferred

SF/SG Jae’Sean Tate, HOU | DK: $4.2k, FD: $4.9k | vs. NOP | DK Preferred

Centers to Consider 🏀

💫C Joel Embiid, PHI | DK: $11.4k, FD: $12k | @ CHA | Cash & GPP

Embiid is in the midst of a late-season push to take over as the NBA MVP favorite and, as of today, he currently holds the best odds (-110) to win that award. Whether or not that is motivating his play as of late can be debated, but he’s putting up huge DFS scores on a nightly basis either way. He’s coming off of a 70.5 DKFP night against the Cavaliers on Wednesday and he has racked up at least 56.0 DKFP in 11 of his last 14 starts. The match-up with the Hornets is an excellent one (CHA: 26th vs. Cs L20Gms) and Embiid smashed with 76.0 DKFP when he played Charlotte earlier in the season. The only concern would stem from the potential blowout as the 76ers (-10.5) stand out as the heaviest favorites on this slate. However, if this game does trend toward a blowout, Embiid would be directly responsible and he has had no problem hitting value in under 30 minutes played throughout this season.

💫C Xavier Tillman, MEM | DK: $5.2k, FD: $5.4k | @ SAS | Cash & GPP

Tillman had a forgettable performance against the Heat on Wednesday but he’ll find himself in a much better spot tonight against the Spurs, who have ranked dead last versus centers in their last 20 games. Tillman’s role has grown into being a daily starter due to injuries to Steven Adams and Brandon Clarke injuries. As a starter, he has averaged a respectable 1.01 FPPM over his last five games and if he can push for 30 minutes tonight, he’ll have a great opportunity to return some useful value on his modest $5.2k/$5.4k DFS salaries.

Other Centers to Consider:

C Nikola Vucevic, CHI | DK: $8k, FD: $8.8k | vs. MIN | GPP Preferred

💫PF/C Jaren Jackson Jr., MEM | DK: $7.3k, FD: $8.5k | @ SAS | DK Preferred

C Rudy Gobert, MIN | DK: $7k, FD: $7.7k | @ CHI | DK Preferred (Note: Gobert is current questionable)

💫C Zach Collins, SAS | DK: $6.5k, FD: $7k | vs. MEM | Cash & GPP

C Nick Richards, CHA | DK: $5.6k, $5.7k | vs. PHI | GPP Preferred

PF/C Naz Reid, MIN | DK: $4.1k, FD: $5.9k | @ CHI | DK Preferred (If Gobert is out/Reid starts)

PF/C Larry Nance Jr., NOP | DK: $3.5k, FD: $5.1k | @ HOU | DK Preferred

NBA Player Props 📊

Player Prop or Bet | Odds | Unit Bet Size

Trae Young OVER 27.5 Points | -120 (DraftKings) | 2.0 Units

Kyle Anderson OVER 12.5 Rebounds + Assists | -110 (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.

Joel Embiid MORE than 29.5 Fantasy Score (First Half)

Kyle Anderson MORE than 5.0 Assists

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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!