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 📰

A healthy Tuesday slate is on the docket with six games on the DraftKings main slate and seven on FanDuel (with the addition of the late LAC/UTA game). There are some sizable spreads across the board today, so don’t be surprised if we end up with several blowouts by the end of the night. This may be a slate where you want to consolidate your rostership onto a few select games in hopes that they stay competitive and/or high-scoring. This may be a tricky slate to dissect, but we’ll see if we can connect the dots and find the path to success! 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 Be sure to stay up-to-date on all injury news leading up to tip-off as the list below may be a bit outdated by the time you’re reading this.}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.}

• Trailblazers: D. Avdija – Questionable, K. Murray – OUT, R. Williams – Questionable, D. Reath – OUT

• Wizards: T. Young – OUT, K. Middleton – Questionable, M. Bagley III – OUT, T. Vukcevic – OUT

• Kings: Z. LaVine – OUT, K. Murray – OUT, M. Monk – OUT

• Knicks: None

• Bucks: G. Antetokounmpo – OUT, K. Porter Jr. – OUT

• 76ers: J. Embiid – Questionable, P. George – Probable, Q. Grimes – Questionable

• Pelicans: None

• Thunder: Jal. Williams – OUT, I. Hartenstein – OUT, A. Mitchell – OUT, C. Wallace – Questionable, A. Caruso – OUT

• Pistons: C. LeVert – OUT

• Nuggets: N. Jokic – OUT, J. Murray – Probable, P. Watson – Probable, A. Gordon – OUT, J. Valanciunas – Probable, C. Johnson – OUT, C. Braun – OUT

• Nets: N. Clowney – OUT, N. Traore – Probable, T. Martin – OUT

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

Late Game Injury Report (FanDuel Main Slate Only)

• Clippers: K. Leonard – Questionable, D. Jones Jr. – OUT, B. Bogdanovic – OUT

• Jazz: K. George – OUT, J. Nurkic – OUT

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: $11k, FD: $11.3k | vs. NOP

Oklahoma City will again operate with a thin rotation, as Jalen Williams, Isaiah Hartenstein, Ajay Mitchell, and Alex Caruso are all ruled out, while Cason Wallace remains questionable. In a 229-minute sample with those four off the floor this season, SGA has carried a massive 34.5% USG% while averaging 53.3 points per 100 possessions and an elite 1.64 FPPM on a scorching 66% shooting from the field. The first two meetings between these teams both resulted in Thunder blowouts, and OKC checks in as a heavy 14.5-point favorite once again. However, the shortened rotation for OKC could help New Orleans stay more competitive, which would only increase SGA’s chances of pushing into full-minute territory. The matchup is also favorable, with the Pelicans ranking 28th in DvP versus starting point guards over their last 10 games and sitting 27th in overall defensive rating. With OKC leading the slate at a 124.0 implied team total, SGA remains firmly in play for another potential ceiling-level performance.

PG Ryan Rollins, MIL | DK: $7.1k, FD: $7.7k | at PHI

The Bucks will be playing without two key players tonight – Giannis Antetokounmpo, who will miss 1-2 months with a calf injury, and Kevin Porter Jr., who is out for a third consecutive game with an oblique injury. That should thrust Ryan Rollins into a featured role for the time being until either one of those players returns. The difference in Rollins’ splits has been massive with Giannis and KPJ on/off the floor. With both players on the court, Rollins has posted just a 16.0% USG%, 16.7% Assist%, and 0.85 FPPM. With both players off, those numbers jump drastically to a 30.2% USG% (leads team), 37.4% Assist%, and 1.28 FPPM (leads team). The Bucks are double-digit underdogs tonight, but if they manage to keep things competitive, Rollins will be a major reason for that. He has also had two strong performances against the 76ers this season, averaging 53.5 DKFP/gm across both meetings.

PG/SG Tre Johnson, WAS | DK: $4.9k, FD: $5.3k | vs. POR

Tre Johnson has been in a nice groove for the last three weeks. While there have been a couple of duds mixed in, he has returned quality value more often than not across his last nine starts. In that stretch, Johnson has averaged 15.9 PPG and 26.4 DKFP/gm while shooting a solid 37.9% from three-point range and logging 30.2 minutes/gm. Despite playing in some difficult matchups, Johnson has secured at least 29.8 DKFP in five of his last nine games and is coming off arguably his best game of the season on Saturday against the Hornets, when he dropped 26 points and 37.0 DKFP across 37 minutes. Portland heads into Washington on the second leg of a back-to-back, and they’ve ranked 26th in DvP versus starting guards over their last 10 games. At his current price points, Johnson sets up as an enticing value option who also owns dual PG/SG eligibility on both sites.

Other Guards to Consider

PG Cade Cunningham, DET at DEN

PG Tyrese Maxey, PHI vs. MIL (Boost if Embiid is out)

PG/SF Deni Avdija, POR at WAS (Currently questionable)

SG Shaedon Sharpe, POR at WAS (Preferred if Avdija is out)

SG Kyshawn George, WAS vs. POR

SG/SF Grayson Allen, PHX vs. BKN

PG Jrue Holiday, POR at WAS (Preferred if Avdija is out)

SG Luguentz Dort, OKC vs. NOP

SG Isaiah Joe, OKC vs. NOP (Preferred if C. Wallace is out)

PG/SG Cole Anthony, MIL at PHI

FanDuel Main Slate Only

PG/SG James Harden, LAC at UTA (Boost if Kawhi is out)

PG Isaiah Collier, UTA vs. LAC

Small Forwards/Power Forwards to Consider 🏀

SF Dillon Brooks, PHX | DK: $6.5k, FD: $6.2k | vs. BKN

The forward options feel a bit thin on this slate, particularly at the top, so we’ll start this section off with a mid-range play. Dillon Brooks has been a boom-or-bust player lately, but it’s hard to ignore his role with both Devin Booker and Jalen Green off the floor. With those two guys sidelined (255-minute sample size), Brooks has led the team with a hefty 30.9% USG%, which is a steep jump from the 22.0% USG% that he has when both Booker and Green have been on the floor. Brooks went for 27 points and 39.25 DKFP against the Nets about a week ago, and he could have a similar performance again this evening if his shots are falling. The Nets have given up the 4th-most FPPG to starting small forwards across their last 20 games.

PF/C Bobby Portis, MIL | DK: $6k, FD: $6k | at PHI

Portis is currently expected to start, but his role and minutes should be more solidified with Giannis back on the sidelines. Compared to previous seasons, Portis hasn’t been quite as effective this season when Giannis has been out, but he still brings some real upside whenever he receives around 30 minutes (29.0 projected minutes tonight). Portis is averaging a strong 1.20 FPPM across his last 20 games off the bench so, if he gets that expected minutes bump, he is a strong candidate to return 6x (or better) value at his flat $6,000 salary on both sites.

SF/PF Nique Clifford, SAC | DK: $3.3k, FD: $3.8k | at NYK

The Kings will be down a few guys this evening – Zach LaVine, Keegan Murray, and Malik Monk have all been ruled out. Murray has been sidelined for a while, but the other two are more recent injuries. With LaVine out in the last game, Nique Clifford stepped into the starting lineup and played 33 minutes. His final stat line (15/3/1 – 23.2 DKFP) wasn’t overly impressive, but it’s difficult to complain about a guy who is nearly at the stone minimum in DFS pricing and should start while playing around 28-32 minutes. When LaVine missed a nine-game stretch between mid-December and early January, Clifford had six games where he scored between 20.5 DKFP and 24.75 DKFP while playing off the bench. Monk’s absence should condense the Kings’ rotation a bit further as well. Clifford is likely going to serve as the Kings’ starting shooting guard, which sets him up with a quality individual matchup – the Knicks have allowed the 3rd-most FPPG to starting SGs L20Games.

Other Forwards to Consider

PF Chet Holmgren, OKC vs. NOP

PF Zion Williamson, NOP at OKC

SF/PF Peyton Watson, DEN vs. DET

SF/SG Toumani Camara, POR at WAS (Boost if Avdija is out)

SF/SG Josh Hart, NYK vs. SAC

SF/SG Kelly Oubre Jr., PHI vs. MIL (Boost if Embiid and/or Grimes are out)

SF/PF Kyle Kuzma, MIL at PHI

SF/PF Aaron Wiggins, OKC vs. NOP

PF/C Kenrich Williams, OKC vs. NOP

SF/SG Terance Mann, BKN at PHX

FanDuel Main Slate Only

SF/SG Brice Sensabaugh, UTA vs. LAC

SF Jordan Miller, LAC at UTA (Preferred if Kawhi is out)

Centers to Consider 🏀

C Joel Embiid, PHI | DK: $9.2k, FD: $10.1k | vs. MIL

If Embiid (knee/questionable) is able to suit up tonight, he’s going to be a clear center option to target. He erupted for 62.2 DKFP and 72.2 DKFP in his last two games and was looking much more like his former MVP self. He is up to 1.50 FPPM across his last five starts and, at least when he’s active, the 76ers haven’t been limiting his minutes any longer. This matchup also sets up much better now that the Bucks won’t have Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf/out) available to protect the paint.

C Jaylin Williams, OKC | DK: $4.3k, FD: $4.2k | vs. NOP

Williams hasn’t been particularly impressive the last few times he’s gotten a chance to start (as he should again tonight). But that has also allowed his DFS price to stay low and he’s still worthy of a gamble based on the sort of upside we’ve seen out of him in the past when he’s received starts and/or increased minutes. He’s been at his best at home this season, where he’s averaging 1.08 FPPM, and he projects for around 24.0 minutes this evening. Williams is expected to serve as OKC’s starting power forward, which sets him up well versus a Pelicans defense that has allowed the 5th-most FPPG to that position across their last 20 games.

Other Centers to Consider

PF/C Domantas Sabonis, SAC at NYK

C Alex Sarr, WAS vs. POR

C Donovan Clingan, POR at WAS

C Myles Turner, MIL at PHI

C Mitchell Robinson, NYK vs. SAC

C Dylan Cardwell, SAC at NYK

C Robert Williams, POR at WAS (Currently questionable)

FanDuel Main Slate Only

C Ivica Zubac, LAC at UTA

🔥 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!