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

NBA DFS Today w/ Tyler Wiemann

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

DFS Main Slate Rundown 📰

For the third straight day, we’re treated to a sizable NBA slate as we kick off the weekend with a nine-game Friday main slate. Like yesterday, there aren’t many massive totals on the board – only one game carries an over/under north of 230 points – but we do have plenty of competitive matchups, with just one game sporting a double-digit spread. Injuries will once again play a major role in shaping this slate, as several star players have already been ruled out. The good news is that there are only a few true impact players carrying questionable tags, which should help keep the load of tracking news manageable as lock approaches. It’s shaping up to be a fun (and hectic) slate, so let’s dive in. 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 Be sure to stay up-to-date on all injury news leading up to tip-off as the list below may be a bit outdated by the time you’re reading this.}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: L. Doncic – Questionable, A. Reaves – Questionable

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

• Kings: D. Sabonis – OUT, R. Westbrook – OUT, K. Murray – OUT

• Celtics: J. Brown – OUT

• Raptors: J. Poeltl – OUT

• Magic: F. Wagner – OUT

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

• Knicks: J. Hart – Probable, M. McBride – DOUBTFUL

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

• Pelicans: None

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

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

• Cavs: E. Mobley – OUT, D. Garland – OUT, C. Porter Jr. – Questionable

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

• Nets: M. Porter Jr. – OUT, N. Clowney – OUT, Z. Williams – OUT

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

• Pistons: C. LeVert – Questionable

• Warriors: J. Kuminga – OUT, G. Santos – Probable

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: $9.9k, FD: $9.8k | at PHX

There will be no shortage of value options on this slate, so paying up for a player like Donovan Mitchell won’t be difficult. Mitchell technically disappointed in his last outing against the Lakers, but a sluggish first quarter and an eventual blowout game script were largely to blame – and he still finished with 25 points and a respectable 42.2 DKFP. Cleveland will once again be without both Evan Mobley and Darius Garland, which clears a wide runway for Mitchell to shoulder the offense. He enters tonight averaging 34.8 PPG and 1.58 FPPM over his last four games, with his usage rate hovering around 40% during that stretch. When these teams met on New Year’s Eve, Mitchell torched Phoenix for a 34/10/7 line and 64.5 DKFP in just 30 minutes, and that came in a game with both Mobley and Garland active. The Suns are also playing on the second leg of a back-to-back, so fatigue could come into play. Overall, Mitchell sets up as one of the strongest high-end guard options on the slate.

PG Payton Pritchard, BOS | DK: $6.7k, FD: $7k | vs. SAC

With Jaylen Brown officially ruled out, Payton Pritchard becomes one of the more appealing mid-range guard options on the slate. The usage and per-minute production jump is significant – Pritchard goes from an 18.5% USG% and 0.88 FPPM with Brown on the floor to a 27.8% USG% and a team-leading 1.19 FPPM when Brown is off. We’ve already seen the increased upside in the three games that Jaylen Brown has missed this season – Pritchard delivered each time, posting 45.5, 59.75, and 42.5 DKFP in those games. The matchup only strengthens the case, as Sacramento ranks 29th in DvP versus starting point guards and has allowed 1.26 FPPM to the position this season. If Pritchard logs his expected workload in the low-to-mid 30s minutes, he offers a strong combination of role security, per-minute efficiency, and ceiling at these price points.

PG Bub Carrington, WAS | DK: $5.6k, FD: $5.2k | vs. LAL

Trae Young has yet to make his Wizards debut, and Washington will also be without Tre Johnson, Khris Middleton, and several other rotation pieces tonight. That should open the door for Bub Carrington to step into a starting role once again, and he’s shown the ability to produce when his minutes and usage climb. Over his last 20 games as a starter, Carrington has averaged 13.4 PPG, 5.8 APG, and 4.2 RPG while producing 30.3 DKFP per game. He’s currently projected for a hefty 36 minutes, which is a significant workload for a primary ball handler at these price points. The matchup also checks out, as the Lakers rank 26th in DvP versus starting point guards and have allowed 1.24 FPPM to the position.

Other Guards to Consider

PG Luka Doncic, LAL at WAS (Currently questionable)

PG Steph Curry, GSW vs. DET

PG Keyonte George, UTA vs. BKN

PG Trey Murphy III, NOP vs. MEM

PG/SG Derrick White, BOS vs. SAC

SG Kyshawn George, WAS vs. LAL

PG Immanuel Quickley, TOR at ORL

SG/SF Grayson Allen, PHX vs. CLE (Preferred if J. Green is out)

SG/SF Josh Hart, NYK vs. POR

PG Cam Spencer, MEM at NOP

PG/SG Brandin Podziemski, GSW vs. DET

PG/SG Dennis Schroder, SAC at BOS

PG/SG Malik Monk, SAC at BOS

PG Egor Demin, BKN at UTA

PG/SG Anfernee Simons, BOS vs. SAC

SG/SF Terance Mann, BKN at UTA

Small Forwards/Power Forwards to Consider 🏀

PF Zion Williamson, NOP | DK: $7.8k, FD: $8.2k | vs. MEM

When Zion Williamson is healthy and seeing real minutes, his fantasy profile becomes extremely hard to ignore – especially at these price points. Over his last 20 games, he’s averaged a strong 1.25 FPPM, and his workload has finally started to trend in the right direction. After being managed for much of the season, Zion has logged at least 33 minutes in three straight games. The matchup only sweetens the deal. Memphis has been a complete sieve against power forwards, allowing the most FPPG to starting PFs over their last 20 games. Zion has already faced the Grizzlies three times this season and has topped 50.75 DKFP in two of those meetings. At just $7.8k on DraftKings and $8.2k on FanDuel, Zion stands out as one of the better point-per-dollar ceiling plays among upper-tier forwards and is firmly in play if you’re looking to spend up at the position without paying true top-end salaries.

PF/C Kyle Filipowski, UTA | DK: $5.8k, FD: $5.8k | vs. BKN

Utah has already ruled out Lauri Markkanen, Jusuf Nurkic, and Kevin Love for tonight’s game, which opens up additional minutes in the frontcourt. Kyle Filipowski should slide into the starting lineup and, while he does come with some volatility, he also brings legitimate 40+ FP upside at a very reasonable $5,800 price tag on both sites. He’s produced at least 39.75 DKFP in five of his last nine games as a starter. Filipowski also drew a start the last time these teams met back on December 4th, finishing with a 15/8/5 stat line across 31 minutes and 37.0 DKFP. Neither one of these teams is particularly good, which has resulted in a narrow 1.5-point spread and increases the likelihood that starters log full minutes.

PF/C Danny Wolf, BKN | DK: $4.5k, FD: $4.8k | at UTA

Wolf is coming off a disappointing box score in his last outing, but the minutes were still encouraging, as he logged over 27 minutes. That playing time is key, especially given that he’s averaged a solid 0.97 FPPM over the past month and has shown the ability to do more when given consistent run. With Michael Porter Jr., Noah Clowney, and Ziaire Williams (all ruled out) off the floor this season, Wolf’s production jumps to 1.12 FPPM, the second-best mark on the team. He draws a favorable matchup against a Jazz team that is dead last in DEFRTG and has a depleted frontcourt tonight. Wolf already found success in this matchup, going for 33.25 DKFP in 28 minutes when these teams met back on December 4th. If his minutes land in the mid-20s again, Wolf has a clear path to returning value.

Other Forwards to Consider

PF Paolo Banchero, ORL vs. TOR

PF LeBron James, LAL at WAS (Boost if Doncic is out)

SF Dillon Brooks, PHX vs. CLE (Boost if J. Green is out)

PF OG Anunoby, NYK vs. POR

SF Toumani Camara, POR at NYK

SF/PF Saddiq Bey, NOP vs. MEM

SF Bilal Coulibaly, WAS vs. LAL

SF Ausar Thompson, DET at GSW

SF/PF Sam Hauser, BOS vs. SAC

SF/PF Justin Champagnie, WAS vs. LAL

SF/SG Herbert Jones, NOP vs. MEM

SF/SG Jake LaRavia, LAL at WAS (Boost if Doncic is out)

PF/C Kyle Anderson, UTA vs. BKN

SF/SG Baylor Scheierman, BOS vs. SAC (Only if starting)

Centers to Consider 🏀

C Jaren Jackson Jr., MEM | DK: $7.5k, FD: $7.7k | at NOP

Jackson’s overall season numbers haven’t quite lived up to expectations, but the context matters, and the recent trend is far more encouraging. With Ja Morant, Zach Edey, and Santi Aldama all sidelined, Jackson has stepped into a true offensive focal point role, posting a team-leading 28.7% USG% and producing 1.27 FPPM with that trio off the floor this season. This is also a matchup Jackson has shown he can exploit, as he’s gone for at least 46.75 DKFP in each of his last two meetings with New Orleans, including a 57.0 DKFP eruption one week ago. The Pelicans also set up as a strong stylistic matchup, ranking bottom 10 in points allowed in the paint and rebounding rate while giving up the second-most blocks per game this season. With Memphis still thin and Jackson’s role clearly elevated, he brings legitimate ceiling appeal at these mid-$7k price tags.

C Mitchell Robinson, NYK | DK: $4.3k, FD: $4.5k | vs. POR

There isn’t a ton of obvious value at center right now, but Robinson stands out as a reasonably priced option with some real upside. He remains an elite rebounder and shot blocker, and when the Knicks give him mid-20s minutes, the fantasy production usually follows. Over his last 20 games off the bench, Robinson has averaged 6.0 PPG, 10.4 RPG, 2.3 STL+BLK per game, and an excellent 1.23 FPPM. We saw that ceiling against Portland about three weeks ago, when he posted a 6/11/2 line with three blocks and three steals in 25 minutes, good for 34.75 DKFP. Replicating that sort of stat line may be difficult, but Robinson is more than capable of piling up the fantasy points in a hurry through rebounds and defensive stats, especially against a Blazers team that has ranked 25th in DvP versus backup centers this season.

Other Centers to Consider

C Alex Sarr, WAS vs. LAL

C Donovan Clingan, POR at NYK

C Jarrett Allen, CLE at PHX

C Nic Claxton, BKN at UTA

C Jock Landale, MEM at NOP

C/PF Al Horford, GSW vs. DET

C Day’Ron Sharpe, BKN at UTA

C/PF Dylan Cardwell, SAC at BOS

🔥 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!