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 📰

Wednesday sets up with one of the larger slates we’ve had in a while with nine games on the ticket! We should have plenty of entertaining and competitive games tonight as there are numerous high totals, no games with double-digit spreads, and six matchups with spreads under four points. There are quite a few names on the injury report today, as you’d expect with 18 teams in play, but there are only a handful of impact players with “questionable” designations, which shouldn’t lead to too many headaches. Overall, this looks like an awesome slate of games so 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 Be sure to stay up-to-date on all injury news leading up to tip-off as the list below may be a bit outdated by the time you’re reading this.}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.}

• Lakers: A. Reaves – OUT

• Cavs: E. Mobley – OUT, D. Garland – OUT, D. Hunter – Probable, S. Merrill – Probable

• Bulls: T. Jones – OUT, Z. Collins – OUT

• Pacers: J. Walker – Questionable

• Hawks: K. Porzingis – OUT, Z. Risacher – OUT

• Celtics: N. Queta – OUT

• Knicks: J. Brunson - Questionable, J. Hart – Questionable, M. McBride – OUT, M. Robinson – OUT

• Raptors: C. Murray-Boyles – Questionable, J. Poeltl – OUT

• Magic: F. Wagner – OUT

• Heat: T. Herro – OUT, N. Powell – Probable, K. Ware – Questionable, D. Mitchell – DOUBTFUL

• Hornets: KJ Simpson – OUT, M. Plumlee – OUT

• Grizzlies: J. Morant – OUT, Z. Edey – OUT

• Timberwolves: None

• Mavs: A. Davis – OUT, C. Flagg – Questionable, K. Thompson – Questionable

• Warriors: S. Curry – Probable, J. Kuminga – OUT, G. Payton II – Probable

• Jazz: J. Nurkic – Questionable, K. Love – OUT, C. Williams – Questionable

• Spurs: J. Sochan – Questionable

• Rockets: S. Adams – OUT (underwent season-ending surgery, so he’ll be excluded from future injury reports)

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 🏀

SG Donovan Mitchell, CLE | DK: $9.7k, FD: $9.9k | vs. LAL

Cleveland appears to be finding its stride, winning six of its last seven games with the lone loss coming against OKC, and Donovan Mitchell has been at the center of that surge. He’s already been the Cavs’ primary offensive engine this season at 29.5 PPG on a 32.6% USG%, but his role should expand even further with Darius Garland and Evan Mobley both sidelined tonight. In nearly a 300-minute sample without those two on the floor this season, Mitchell has posted a massive 41.0% USG% while seeing his scoring jump to 52.3 points per 100 possessions, a sizeable +13.7 increase compared to his baseline with Garland and Mobley on the floor. He has logged usage rates north of 42% in back-to-back games and responded with 36 and 45 real points while producing 58.5 and 59.25 DKFP. Compared to those last two games, which were both against the Magic, the matchup improves considerably tonight against a Lakers defense ranked 25th in DEFRTG. Cleveland carries the second-highest implied team total (119.5 points) on the slate, so Mitchell will profile as a high-end spend with both floor and slate-breaking upside.

SG Kon Knueppel, CHA | DK: $6.2k, FD: $6.9k | at MEM

Knueppel has exceeded even the most optimistic expectations for his rookie season, already playing with the confidence and composure of a seasoned veteran. He’s been a deadly perimeter threat, drilling over 42% of his threes on 7.8 attempts per game, an impressive blend of volume and efficiency for a 20-year-old. Over his last 20 games, Knueppel has averaged a steady 1.15 FPPM and he showcased that per-minute upside in his most recent game, turning in 34.0 DKFP in just 20 minutes of action (the limited minutes stemmed from a total blowout over the 76ers). The matchup also works in his favor, as the Hornets (26th in pace) receive the second-highest pace boost against the Grizzlies (9th in pace). The Grizzlies have also struggled mightily against opposing shooting guards, ranking 28th in DvP over their last 20 games. There are a lot of mouths to feed in this Hornets lineup, which is essentially at full strength nowadays, but Knueppel has been a steady and reliable performer and sets up well out of the mid-range on this evening’s slate.

PG/SG Brandon Williams, DAL | DK: $4.9k, FD: $5.6k | vs. MIN

Without the services of Kyrie Irving this season, Dallas has rotated through several ball-handling options, but Williams has recently carved out a steady role and made the most of it. Over his last six games, he’s averaged a strong 1.09 FPPM while shooting nearly 60% from the field and has put up 29+ DKFP in four of those outings. Williams is currently projected for mid-20s minutes but could push closer to 30 minutes if Cooper Flagg (ankle/questionable) is unable to suit up. Assuming he continues to anchor the second unit, the matchup also works in his favor, as Minnesota has struggled against reserve point guards recently, ranking 26th in DvP versus bench PGs over their last 10 games. The combination of efficiency, per-minute production, and role stability makes Williams a strong value consideration on both sites.

Other Guards to Consider

PG Luka Doncic, LAL at CLE

SG Anthony Edwards, MIN at DAL

PG Steph Curry, GSW at UTA

PG Keyonte George, UTA vs. GSW

PG Amen Thompson, HOU vs. SAS

PG Josh Giddey, CHI at IND

PG LaMelo Ball, CHA at MEM

PG Immanuel Quickley, TOR vs. NYK

PG/SG Anthony Black, ORL at MIA

SG Stephon Castle, SAS at HOU

PG/SG Cam Spencer, MEM vs. CHA

PG/SG Brandin Podziemski, GSW at UTA

SG Max Christie, DAL vs. MIN (Boost if Flagg and/or Thompson are out)

PG/SG Reed Sheppard, HOU vs. SAS

PG Dru Smith, MIA vs. ORL

SG/SF Landry Shamet, NYK at TOR (Boost if Brunson and/or Hart are out)

PG Tyler Kolek, NYK at TOR (Only if Brunson is out)

Small Forwards/Power Forwards to Consider 🏀

SF Jaylen Brown, BOS | DK: $9.9k, FD: $10.1k | vs. ATL

Brown has been outstanding for Boston, firmly establishing himself as the focal point of the offense while Jayson Tatum has been out with an Achilles injury all season. Over his last six games, Brown has averaged 30.5 PPG, 8.8 RPG, and 5.0 APG while also contributing over two combined steals and blocks per game. That well-rounded production has translated to 54.4 DKFP/gm and a stout 1.47 FPPM. The matchup sets up perfectly for another ceiling game, as Atlanta plays at the second-fastest pace in the league, giving Boston (30th in pace) the largest pace-up boost on the slate. When these teams met earlier this month, Brown torched the Hawks for 41 points and 56.0 DKFP in just 30 minutes during a 132-106 blowout win. The Hawks have also ranked 29th in DvP versus starting small forwards L20Games. With the Celtics implied for 118.5 points (4th-highest on the slate) today, Brown remains one of the safest and most explosive spend-up options available, especially if the Hawks (+5.5) can make this a more competitive matchup compared to the last one.

SF Brandon Miller, CHA | DK: $7.3k, FD: $7.7k | at MEM

Miller profiles as another steady and reliable piece in this Hornets offense, and his recent production continues to support that role. Over his last 15 games, he’s averaged 22.8 PPG, 38.7 DKFP/gm, and a strong 1.26 FPPM while logging just over 30 minutes per night. We just saw the upside on display in his most recent outing, where he erupted for 49.5 DKFP in only 27 minutes, underscoring how quickly he can pile up fantasy points when things are clicking. The matchup also works in his favor, as Memphis plays at a top-10 pace and has struggled to contain opposing small forwards, allowing the second-most FPPG to the position over their last 20 games. If Miller pushes closer to the mid-30s in minutes tonight, he has a very real path to another ceiling-type performance.

PF Nae’Qwan Tomlin, CLE | DK: $4.1k, FD: $3.8k | vs. LAL

Tomlin has been routinely cracking 20+ minutes in recent weeks, even with Evan Mobley active. Now, with both Mobley and Darius Garland sidelined, his role off the bench should be further solidified tonight. On the season, Tomlin has posted a modest 0.86 FPPM and 15.4% USG%, but those numbers jump noticeably to 1.08 FPPM and a 20.7% USG% when Mobley and Garland are off the floor. Until more value opens up via injury news or starting lineups, Tomlin shapes up as a viable salary-saving option.

Other Forwards to Consider

PF Paolo Banchero, ORL at MIA

PF LeBron James, LAL at CLE

SF/SG Kevin Durant, HOU vs. SAS

PF/C Pascal Siakam, IND vs. CHI

SF/SG Naji Marshall, DAL vs. MIN (Boost if Flagg and/or Thompson are out)

SF/SG Jaylon Tyson, CLE vs. LAL

PF Matas Buzelis, CHI at IND

SF/PF Tari Eason, HOU vs. SAS

PF/C Naz Reid, MIN at DAL

SF/PF Sam Hauser, BOS vs. ATL

SF/PF Jarace Walker, IND vs. CHI (Currently questionable)

SF/SG Jake LaRavia, LAL at CLE

SF/PF Dean Wade, CLE vs. LAL

Centers to Consider 🏀

C Nikola Vucevic, CHI | DK: $7.7k, FD: $7.4k | at IND

Vucevic continues to fly a bit under the radar, despite putting together a strong and consistent stretch of play over the last month. Spanning his last 12 games, he’s averaged 18.8 PPG, 9.6 RPG, 5.1 APG, and 42.8 DKFP/gm while producing 1.30 FPPM in just under 33 minutes per night. He’s cleared 40 DKFP in nine of those 12 games, yet his salary has largely remained stuck in the mid-$7k range on both sites – very reasonable price points for a guy putting up this level of production. The matchup is favorable, as Indiana has allowed 1.38 FPPM to starting centers over their last five games, and Vucevic’s ability to contribute across every category gives him a very stable fantasy floor – especially in a game that possesses both a high total (235.5 O/U) and close spread (CHI -2.5).

C/PF Al Horford, GSW | DK: $4.3k, FD: $4.2k | at UTA

We haven’t hit on any Warriors yet, but Golden State is tough to ignore tonight given that they lead the slate with a massive 125.0 implied team total in an elite matchup against Utah. The Jazz sit dead last in defensive rating, rank 3rd in pace, and have allowed an absurd 1.62 FPPM to starting centers over their last five games. Horford isn’t projected for huge minutes, but he is expected to start and log around 24 minutes tonight, which is plenty given how productive he’s been on a per-minute basis. Over his last 11 games, Horford has averaged a sharp 1.18 FPPM, allowing him to consistently return value without needing much usage or big minutes. At just $4.3k (DK)/$4.2k (FD), he stands out as one of the cleaner salary-saving options on the slate and is a cheap way to gain exposure to this Warriors lineup.

Other Centers to Consider

C Victor Wembanyama, SAS at HOU

C/PF Alperen Sengun, HOU vs. SAS

C Bam Adebayo, MIA vs. ORL (Preferred if Ware is out)

C Jusuf Nurkic, UTA vs. GSW (Currently questionable)

C Rudy Gobert, MIN at DAL

C Jarrett Allen, CLE vs. LAL

C Sandro Mamukelashvili, TOR vs. NYK (Preferred if Murray-Boyles is out)

C Jock Landale, MEM vs. CHA

C Luka Garza, BOS vs. ATL

C Amari Williams, BOS vs. ATL

🔥 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!