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

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

DFS Main Slate Rundown 📰

It’s a pretty quiet day in the NBA with just four games on tap this evening. The eight teams on this slate are all pretty healthy, by late-season NBA standards, so finding some quality DFS value will be a big hurdle. Friendly reminder to continue exercising some added caution on the late-season NBA slates! Best of luck tonight! I hope everyone also enjoys the Sweet 16 action that tips off later today… and MLB is officially a week away!

Today’s Key Injuries:

Knicks: M. Robinson - Questionable

Magic: J. Suggs - OUT

Cavaliers: None

Nets: B. Simmons - OUT

Hornets: M. Williams - OUT

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

Thunder: None

Clippers: P. George - OUT, N. Powell - 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 Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, OKC | DK: $9.6k, FD: $10.6k | @ LAC | Cash & GPP

There is a severe lack of studs on tonight’s four-game slate so SGA is going to stand out as a DFS target almost by default. This is a re-match from two nights ago against the Clippers, in which the Thunder eked out a 101-100 victory. It wasn’t SGA’s best performance on Tuesday -- he still dropped 31 points, but his peripheral stats weren’t fantastic with seven rebounds, four assists, and zero steals/blocks. SGA is one of the premiere “steals + blocks” leaders in the NBA, averaging 2.7 STL+BLK/Gm (ranks 9th), so he’s usually going to account for those premium DFS stats. It’s also worth mentioning that the Clippers continue to rank dead last versus opposing point guards (L20Gms) and SGA does have a 63.25 DKFP performance this season. This game also owns a slate-high 232 over/under with a fairly narrow spread (LAC -4).

💫PG/SG Cole Anthony, ORL | DK: $5.6k, FD: $6.2k | vs. NYK | Cash & GPP

There aren’t many injury impacts on this slate whatsoever but one guy that has seemingly benefited from a teammate being on the mend is Cole Anthony. The Magic will be without backup guard Jalen Suggs (concussion/out) for the fourth consecutive game. Over the last three games without Suggs, Cole Anthony has seen a slight uptick in production in his role off of the bench. He has posted DKFP totals of 32.75, 33.25, and 33.0 in his last three games while averaging 29.0 Min/Gm and 1.14 FPPM. He should continue to play high-20s/low-30s minutes against the Knicks this evening. On these smaller slates where a lack of value can be an issue, 5x to 5.5x value can be a perfectly fine target range since DFS scores will likely be lower in general. Cole Anthony has a great chance to hit that value range on both sites this evening.

PG Dennis Smith Jr., CHA | DK: $5.1k, FD: $6k | @ NOP | Cash & GPP

You know it’s a bit of a shabby slate when we’re spotlighting multiple bench guards. But we must play the hand we’re dealt! Dennis Smith Jr. has been a decent source of value off of the Hornets’ bench lately. In three of his last four games, he has played at least 32 minutes, put up double-digit shot attempts, dished out at least seven assists, and recorded multiple steals. All of those things haven’t necessarily happened in the same game, but if he can piece it all together tonight, he’s going to stand out as a strong value play on this slate. The Hornets (+9) are the largest underdogs on the day, so there is a moderate chance that DSJ could handle a bit more late-game run if things trend toward a blowout.

Other Guards to Consider:

PG/SG Donovan Mitchell, CLE | DK: $8.4k, FD: $9.7k | @ BKN | DK Preferred

💫PG CJ McCollum, NOP | DK: $8.1k, FD: $8.7k | vs. CHA | GPP Preferred

💫PG Jalen Brunson, NYK | DK: $7.8k, FD: $9k | @ ORL | DK Preferred

PG Markelle Fultz, ORL | DK: $7k, FD: $7.6k | vs. NYK | GPP Preferred

💫SG/SF Eric Gordon, LAC | DK: $5.3k, FD: $5.8k | vs. OKC | Cash & GPP (If he starts for P. George)

SG Caris LeVert, CLE | DK: $5.2k, FD: $6.9k | @ BKN | DK Preferred

PG Ricky Rubio, CLE | DK: $3.6k, FD: $4.5k | @ BKN | DK Preferred

Small Forwards/Power Forwards to Consider 🏀

💫SF/PF Kawhi Leonard, LAC | DK: $9.9k, FD: $10k | vs. OKC | Cash & GPP

The biggest injury impact on this slate, by far, is centered around Paul George who sustained a right knee sprain late in Tuesday night’s game. He will be re-evaluated in 2-3 weeks so, in the meantime, other Clippers players will have to pick up the slack that includes a 29.5% usage rate that George leaves behind. Kawhi Leonard is now the unquestioned top option on the Clippers' offense. When George and Normal Powell (out for the ninth straight game) have been off the court, Leonard has seen a significant +8.0% usage boost to go along with a +11.02 FP (per 48 min.) average. He’s likely going to be one of, if not *the*, highest-owned player on this slate but he’ll be tough to get away from on this four-gamer that lacks overall star power.

💫SF RJ Barrett, NYK | DK: $6k, FD: $6.4k | @ ORL | Cash & GPP

RJ Barrett is far from one of my favorite players to roster in DFS but he’s going to stand out among the mid-range forwards today. He has posted at least 33.75 DKFP in six of the Knicks’ previous nine games and he’s coming off a 26-point (41.0 DKFP) performance against a tough Miami defense last night. Barrett is no stranger to complete dud performances but the match-up with Orlando’s mediocre defense is not a scary one and lately, he has proven that he is much more likely to return value on these $6k/$6.4k DFS salaries than not.

SF/PF Naji Marshall, NOP | DK: $3.5k, FD: $4.9k | vs. CHA | DK Preferred

We’re really strapped for value at the forward positions on this slate but, on DraftKings, Naji Marshall may be worth a look at $3,500. I know it’s not saying much, but Marshall has put up at least 13.0 DKFP in 13 consecutive games so, as a pure punt play, he’s not likely to completely burn you in lineups. He has averaged a respectable 0.91 FPPM over his last five games and there is a chance he could handle a few additional minutes in a potential blowout game script tonight (NOP -9).

Other Forwards to Consider:

PF Julius Randle, NYK | DK: $9.1k, FD: $10.3k | @ ORL | DK Preferred

SF/SG Kelly Oubre Jr., CHA | DK: $7.5k, FD: $7.8k | @ NOP | GPP Preferred

💫PF Jalen Williams, OKC | DK: $6.7k, FD: $7.5k | @ LAC | Cash & GPP

SF Franz Wagner, ORL | DK: $6.6k, FD: $7k | vs. NYK | GPP Preferred

SF Luguentz Dort, OKC | DK: $5.4k, FD: $5.9k | @ LAC | GPP Preferred

Centers to Consider 🏀

💫C Jonas Valanciunas, NOP | DK: $7.1k, FD: $8k | vs. CHA | Cash & GPP

Recommending JVal as a cash-viable play is a bit unsettling but, in his defense, he has been playing extremely well lately, he draws a plus match-up, and there’s really no reason to rule him out of DFS consideration on a slate like this one. Over his last three games, Valanciunas is averaging 47.7 FPPG, 1.51 FPPM, 20.7 PPG, 14.7 RPG, and 2.0 BLK/Gm. He has benefited from some cake match-ups -- two games against the Rockets and one against the Spurs but, again, this is a soft match-up against the Hornets who rank 26th (L20Gms) versus opposing centers. In his second game of the season, Valanciunas put up a mammoth stat line, posting 30 points, 17 rebounds, and he came away with a 62.75 DKFP score.

💫C Isaiah Hartenstein, NYK | DK: $3.7k, FD: $4.6k | @ ORL | Cash & GPP (If M. Robinson is out)

Mitchell Robinson was a midday addition to the injury report and is listed as questionable tonight with a knee contusion. The Knicks being on the second leg of a back-to-back probably doesn’t help his availability either. If Robinson is out, Hartenstein steps in as a viable value center. And, on DraftKings, he may not be the worst punt play even if Robinson does suit up. Before last night’s game, Hartenstein had averaged 23.35 Min/Gm and 22.2 FPPG over his other recent four games. Similar results would be nice value given his $3,700 DraftKings salary but Robinson will probably need to sit out if he’s to draw any strong consideration on FanDuel.

Other Centers to Consider:

💫C Jarrett Allen, CLE | DK: $6.3k, FD: $7.7k | @ BKN | DK Preferred

💫C Nick Richards, CHA | DK: $5k, FD: $5.7k | @ NOP | Cash & GPP

C Jaylin Williams, OKC | DK: $3.5k, FD: $5.3k | @ LAC | DK Preferred

NBA Player Props 📊

Player Prop or Bet | Odds | Unit Bet Size

No standard prop plays today.

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.

CJ McCollum MORE than 10.5 REBS + ASTS

Jalen Williams MORE than 9.5 REBS + ASTS

🆕 Props AI 🆕

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Speaking of props, put the Props AI tool to use by signing up for PrizePicks (Promo code: BETFULLY) or Underdog (Promo code: LINESTAR). You'll receive a 100% match on first deposits up to $100 PLUS a free two-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!