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

🏀Tyler’s NBA (and other sports) prop bets can be found on the LineStar YouTube Shorts page!🏀

DFS Main Slate Rundown 📰

Thursday brings us a five-game NBA main slate. As has been the case lately, both DraftKings and FanDuel are excluding the West Coast games from the main slate, but we still have a handful of solid matchups to dig into. No game carries a spread larger than 7.5 points, so competitiveness shouldn’t be a major concern tonight… hopefully.

The injury report does feature a few notable names, though most of those players have already been ruled out or are listed as probable, leaving just four players with true “questionable” tags to monitor. Let’s jump into it. Best of luck!

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

Today’s Key Injuries 🚑

^{Note: NBA injury reports can be fickle and often update throughout the day. Be sure to stay up-to-date on all injury news leading up to tip-off as the list below may be a bit outdated by the time you’re reading this.}

^{Additional Note: Players who have yet to play this season will be excluded from the injury report, unless they have either a probable, questionable, or doubtful injury designation, with some amount of chance to make their season debut. Injured players who have been out for an extended period of time and/or are not expected to play for a month-plus will also be excluded.}

• Suns: D. Booker – OUT, J. Green – OUT, J. Bouyea – OUT

• Pistons: J. Duren – Probable, P. Reed – OUT, I. Stewart – Probable, T. Harris – Probable

• Thunder: I. Hartenstein – OUT, L. Dort – Questionable

• Rockets: T. Eason – OUT, D. Finney-Smith – OUT

• Celtics: J. Minott – OUT

• Heat: J. Jaquez Jr. – OUT, D. Mitchell – OUT

• Bucks: G. Antetokounmpo – Probable, K. Kuzma – Questionable

• Spurs: D. Vassell – OUT

• Jazz: L. Markkanen – OUT

• Mavs: A. Davis – OUT, C. Flagg – DOUBTFUL, PJ Washington – Questionable, M. Christie – DOUBTFUL, D. Gafford – Questionable

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: $10.5k, FD: $10.9k | at HOU

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander sits atop the spend-up options on this slate in what should be one of the most competitive games of the night. These teams opened the season with a 125–124 overtime thriller, and SGA was dominant in that matchup, posting 35 points, five rebounds, five assists, two steals, two blocks, and a massive 36.9% USG%. With both teams mostly healthy again, there’s a strong chance we see a similar game environment. SGA has been rolling, topping 50 DKFP in three straight games and averaging 51.5 DKFP on the season. The Rockets are a tough defensive matchup, but SGA’s role, usage, and minutes give him one of the safest floors and highest ceilings on the slate. If you’re paying up at guard, SGA is the clear building block. Value also shouldn’t be too difficult to come by today, so getting exposure to the sort of raw DFS floor that SGA can provide is a sensible approach on a smaller slate.

PG/SG Brandon Williams, DAL | DK: $4.8k, FD: $5.5k | vs. UTA

The DAL/UTA matchup is shaping up as the premier value environment on the slate, carrying the highest total (237.5) on the board and a close 3.5-point spread. For Dallas, Brandon Williams is in an excellent position to capitalize. Anthony Davis remains out, while Cooper Flagg and Max Christie are both listed as doubtful, with PJ Washington also questionable. In the on/off data this season, Williams has led the Mavericks with a 27.7% USG% and 1.12 FPPM when Davis, Flagg, and Christie are off the floor – those figures bump up to a 29.6% USG% and 1.32 FPPM with Washington also off the court. Williams has already shown what that elevated role can look like, scoring 20 points in 25 minutes and finishing with 33.8 DKFP in Dallas’ last outing. Even if he continues to come off the bench, Williams should be a primary offensive piece tonight, logging quality minutes in a fast-paced matchup against a Jazz team that has been one of the most favorable matchups for point guards all season.

PG/SG Jordan Goodwin, PHX | DK: $4.4k, FD: $4.3k | at DET

With Devin Booker officially ruled out, Jordan Goodwin slides into a strong value role for Phoenix. He’s averaged just over 1.00 FPPM with Booker off the floor this season and should be in line for roughly 25–30 minutes off the bench. Even if this game tilts toward a blowout, Goodwin’s role is relatively protected since he anchors the second unit. At these sub-$4.5k price points, Goodwin profiles as a solid point-per-dollar option with a clear path to value if the minutes land where expected.

Other Guards to Consider

PG Amen Thompson, HOU vs. OKC

PG Keyonte George, UTA at DAL

PG Payton Pritchard, BOS at MIA

PG/SG Tyler Herro, MIA vs. BOS

SG/SF Norman Powell, MIA vs. BOS

PG/SG Collin Gillespie, PHX at DET

SG/SF Grayson Allen, PHX at DET (Boost if starting)

SG Jaden Hardy, DAL vs. UTA

SG/SF Alex Caruso, OKC at HOU (Preferred if Dort is out)

PG/SG Walter Clayton Jr., UTA at DAL

PG Dru Smith, MIA vs. BOS

Small Forwards/Power Forwards to Consider 🏀

PF/C Alperen Sengun, HOU | DK: $9.2k, FD: $9.6k | vs. OKC

Alperen Sengun stands out as one of the top spend-up options today, especially given his dual PF/C eligibility on both sites in a player pool that’s light on true power forward studs. Despite missing a few games with an ankle issue, Sengun hasn’t been limited since returning to the lineup, logging 35 and 36 minutes in his last two games. He’s coming off a strong all-around performance against Chicago, where he posted a 23/7/11 stat line, and he remains the offensive centerpiece for Houston in competitive matchups. Sengun already torched OKC for a monster fantasy outing (71.25 DKFP) to begin this season, and while that level of production is hard to replicate, his role, minutes security, and price relative to the top-tier studs make him a very enticing building block tonight.

SF/SG Naji Marshall, DAL | DK: $6.3k, FD: $6.8k | vs. UTA

Marshall’s role should remain elevated with Dallas continuing to operate with a thin rotation, making him a steady mid-range option to consider. He’s scored 22+ points in back-to-back games and took on a massive 38-minute workload last night. The back-to-back factor is worth noting, but both teams in this matchup played yesterday, so the fatigue angle is fairly neutral. Marshall has averaged a solid 0.98 FPPM with Davis, Flagg, and Christie off the floor this season, and that rate jumps significantly to 1.36 FPPM if PJ Washington (ankle/questionable) also sits. The matchup further boosts his appeal, as Utah has allowed the sixth-most FPPG to starting small forwards over their last 20 games.

SF/PF Ryan Dunn, PHX | DK: $3.1k, FD: $3.8k | at DET

If you need a total punt, Ryan Dunn sits just above the minimum salary on both sites and could see some additional minutes off the bench with Devin Booker ruled out. He’s averaged a serviceable 0.85 FPPM on the season and projects for 22.0 minutes this evening. That doesn’t profile as someone who is going to pop off and break the slate, but if he lands somewhere in the mid-20s fantasy point range, as he did a couple of games ago (23.5 DKFP vs. WAS in 19 minutes) then he could easily end up being an optimal play given his dirt-cheap price points.

Other Forwards to Consider

PF Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL at SAS

SF Jaylen Brown, BOS at MIA

SF/SG Kevin Durant, HOU vs. OKC

PF Chet Holmgren, OKC at HOU

SF/PF Dillon Brooks, PHX at DET

SF/PF PJ Washington, DAL vs. UTA (Currently questionable)

PF/C Kyle Filipowski, UTA at DAL

SF/PF Royce O’Neale, PHX at DET

SF/PF Klay Thompson, DAL vs. UTA

SF/SG Pelle Larsson, MIA vs. BOS (Preferred if starting)

SF/PF Sam Hauser, BOS at MIA

Centers to Consider 🏀

C Jusuf Nurkic, UTA | DK: $7.4k, FD: $7k | at DAL

Jusuf Nurkic was a surprise DNP on Wednesday due to a coach’s decision. He wasn’t on the injury report and there hasn’t been much clarity on why he didn’t play, so all we can really do is speculate. If he returns to the starting lineup tonight, he immediately becomes a strong option against a Mavericks team that is thin up front. Nurkic has topped 47 DKFP in four straight starts, while averaging an elite 1.48 FPPM over his last five starts. Dallas has also ranked 26th in DvP versus starting centers over their last 20 games. Assuming he actually plays, this is an excellent spot -- just make sure you have a pivot plan ready in case the Jazz throw another curveball.

C Jaylin Williams, OKC | DK: $4k, FD: $4.1k | at HOU

I don’t love the value at center today but if Jaylin Williams can build off his last performance, where he posted an 11/10/5 stat line and 37.5 DKFP in just 23 minutes off the bench, then he could be a cheap play that works out. Williams missed about a month due to a heel injury but has been back in the mix for OKC’s last two games. With Isaiah Hartenstein still out, there are backup center minutes available for Williams, and he should play around 18-22 minutes tonight. Williams has averaged an excellent 1.19 FPPM over his last five games, so it’s not too difficult to see how he can return value off his current salaries.

Other Centers to Consider

C Victor Wembanyama, SAS vs. MIL

C Jalen Duren, DET vs. PHX

C Bam Adebayo, MIA vs. BOS

C Mark Williams, PHX at DET

C Neemias Queta, BOS at MIA

C Oso Ighodaro, PHX at DET

C Dwight Powell, DAL vs. UTA (Only if Gafford is out)

🔥 Props AI 🔥

In LineStar’s ongoing mission to improve, innovate, and help you reel in some cash, we have rolled out 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, UnderDog Fantasy, and other prop apps/sites!

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