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

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NBA DFS & Props Shows w/ Tyler Wiemann

DFS Main Slate Rundown 📰

While the second leg of last night’s doubleheader was a rather routine game, we got what could easily end up as a top-10 game of the season as the opener with the Thunder’s double-OT win over the Rockets. The two-game slates with premium matchups are all well and good, but now the real deal begins with a dozen games lined up on the second night of the NBA season!

It was a fairly busy off-season for several teams, and we’ve got plenty of well-known faces playing in new places, so here’s a gentle reminder to be aware of early-season NBA volatility as rotations, minutes allocations, and usage distributions become established. Some teams will roll out a nearly identical lineup/rotation as last season, but many will not. As you’ll also see by the state of the injury report below, there is a hefty amount of star players or impact players who will begin the season on the sidelines. Things are going to be hectic today, so let’s jump right into the chaos. 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 Be sure to stay up-to-date on all injury news leading up to tip-off as the list below may be a bit outdated by the time you’re reading this.}

• Cavs: D. Garland - OUT, M. Strus - OUT, D. Hunter - Questionable

• Knicks: K. Towns - Questionable, J. Hart - OUT, OG Anunoby - Probable, M. Robinson - OUT

• Heat: T. Herro - OUT, K. Ware - Questionable, K. Jakucionis - OUT

• Magic: M. Wagner - OUT

• Nets: H. Highsmith - OUT

• Hornets: G. Williams - OUT, J. Green - OUT

• Raptors: C. Murray-Boyles - OUT, J. Walter - OUT

• Hawks: None

• 76ers: P. George - OUT, J. McCain - OUT, T. Watford - OUT

• Celtics: J. Brown - Questionable, J. Tatum - OUT (could miss most/all of the 25-26 season, so he will not be included in future injury reports)

• Pistons: C. LeVert - Probable, M. Sasser - Doubtful, J. Ivey - OUT

• Bulls: C. White - OUT, Z. Collins - OUT

• Pelicans: D. Murray - OUT, K. Matkovic - Doubtful, K. Looney - OUT

• Grizzlies: T. Jerome - OUT, Z. Edey - OUT, S. Pippen Jr. - OUT, B. Clarke - OUT, V. Williams Jr. - OUT

• Wizards: B. Coulibaly - OUT

• Bucks: G. Antetokounmpo - Questionable

• Clippers: J. Miller - OUT

• Jazz: A. Bailey - Questionable, I. Collier - OUT, G. Niang - OUT

• Spurs: D. Fox - OUT, J. Sochan - OUT, K. Olynyk - OUT, L. Waters III - OUT

• Mavs: K. Irving - OUT, D. Gafford - Doubtful, D. Exum - OUT

• Timberwolves: A. Edwards - Questionable

• Trailblazers: D. Lillard - OUT (will miss the entire season, so he will not be included in future injury reports), S. Henderson - OUT, R. Williams - OUT

• Kings: D. Sabonis - OUT, K. Murray - OUT, I. Jones - OUT

• Suns: J. Green - 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 Cade Cunningham, DET | DK: $9.9k, FD: $10.1k | at CHI

Cunningham is the most expensive guard on this massive slate, but for good reason. He is coming off a 2024-25 season where he notched career highs in just about every statistical category. Cunningham could have his shooting volume tick up further this year with the departure of three-point shooter Malik Beasley and the absences of a couple of backcourt players, Jaden Ivey (knee/out) and Marcus Sasser (hip/doubtful). We can only put so much faith in preseason stats, but Cunningham did sink 58.3% of his three-pointers across three preseason games. He’ll draw an excellent matchup versus a Bulls team that played at the second-fastest pace last season, as well as the second-fastest pace in the preseason. This game is tied for the highest total on the slate (236.5 O/U) with a close 2.5-point spread in favor of the Pistons.

SG Cam Thomas, BKN | DK: $7.6k, FD: $7k | at CHA

The Nets could be a total mess this (again) season, yet Thomas should have all the green lights he can handle. Despite missing a ton of games last season and playing somewhat reduced minutes in a lot of outings, he averaged 24.0 PPG across 25 games with a huge 32.6% usage rate, proving he can fill it up in a hurry. With Brooklyn lacking any real point guard depth, he may even be asked to facilitate a bit more, as he posted 4+ assists in three of four preseason games. If Thomas adds even a small playmaking bump to his already elite scoring chops, he could erupt in a soft matchup against a Hornets defense that ranked 24th in efficiency last season.

PG Tre Jones, CHI | DK: $4k, FD: $5.2k | vs. DET

We may see more value emerge as injury reports become clearer closer to tip-off, but for now, Tre Jones looks like a solid, affordable option to consider. He’s not expected to start, but should see quality minutes off the bench with the absence of Coby White (calf/out). Jones averaged right at a FPPM a season ago, and he was pretty sharp in the preseason, sinking 66.7% of his shots with 4.8 APG, 3.8 RPG, and an impressive 3.0 STL/gm across four games (22.7 Min/gm). If his ability to rack up multiple steals carries over into the regular season, then he could really boost his fantasy value. The Pistons did allow the seventh-most steals to opponents last season.

Small Forwards/Power Forwards to Consider 🏀

PF Zion Williamson, NOP | DK: $8.9k, FD: $9.3k | at MEM

Zion only managed 30 games last season, but when he’s active, the production is elite -- 24.6 points, 7.2 boards, and 5.3 assists in under 29 minutes per game, which resulted in a monster 1.58 FPPM. The usual caveat applies: can he stay healthy? Early signs are promising, though -- he’s slimmed down noticeably this offseason, and Willie Green says there’s no firm minutes cap to start the year. If Zion’s conditioning holds and he’s truly ready for 30+ minutes a night, we could finally see him deliver on that superstar ceiling we’ve been waiting for. In under 20 Min/gm in four preseason starts, Williamson racked up some strong numbers (considering the amount of playing time): 13.5 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 4.5 APG, 2.5 STL/gm, and 0.5 BLK/gm. The Pelicans should also receive a notable pace boost against the Grizzlies, who were the fastest-paced team in the NBA last season.

SF/PF Cooper Flagg, DAL | DK: $7.4k, FD: $6k | vs. SAS

Jumping the gun on the top overall pick from this year’s draft may be a tad aggressive, but Flagg is expected to serve as the Mavs’ starting point guard for the time being while Kyrie Irving (tore his ACL on March 3rd) recovers from a major knee injury. Flagg also looks particularly underpriced on FanDuel at a flat $6,000. The Mavs’ projected starting lineup looks a little odd on paper to start this year, as they’re essentially a bunch of wings and centers -- it’s a lineup sort of like what we saw the Rockets roll out on opening night, but not quite as tall all-around. But, with his role as a primary facilitator, along with the scoring and other peripheral stats he can pour on, Flagg is an intriguing mid-range option in his official NBA debut.

SF/PF PJ Washington, DAL | DK: $3k, FD: $6.1k | vs. SAS

While the aforementioned Cooper Flagg is a bit too cheap on FanDuel, PJ Washington is just blatantly mispriced on DraftKings at the stone minimum $3,000. As touched on, there is no shortage of bigs that will see quality minutes for the Mavs tonight. Washington has a chance to start, but, even if he plays off the bench, he could push for ~30 minutes, especially with Daniel Gafford (ankle/doubtful) unlikely to play the opener. PJ Washington supplied 0.96 FPPM last season, so even if he only plays on the lower end of his minutes projections, he’s likely going to cruise to value (on DraftKings). So, while he will be massive chalk on DK, he’s also one of, if not THE most likely players to crack the optimal lineup once this huge 12-game slate comes to an end.

Centers to Consider 🏀

C Joel Embiid, PHI | DK: $8.7k, FD: $10.6k | at BOS

Embiid has had a tumultuous career, to say the least, and since winning the MVP in the 2022-23 season, he has appeared in only 58 games across the last two seasons. But, when healthy, he is a top-five FPPM scorer in the NBA, and he starts this new campaign without any sort of nagging injury designation. Embiid has averaged 1.49 FPPM over his last 20 starts and, while there is a strong possibility that he doesn’t log huge minutes, his pure upside (especially with Paul George sidelined) makes him an enticing option, particularly at his $8,700 price point on DraftKings.

C Jock Landale, MEM | DK: $4k, FD: $3.9k | vs. NOP

With Zach Edey (shoulder/out) expected to miss the first six-plus weeks of the season, along with several other depth/role players out for the Grizzlies, Jock Landale should step in as the interim starting center for the Grizzlies. That makes him an appealing value target in their opener. He’s projected for mid-20s minutes tonight, which should be enough time for him to put up a worthwhile DFS score, considering he averaged 1.01 FPPM with the Rockets last season. The Grizzlies could provide more DFS upside for Landale, considering their much faster pace (compared to the Rockets), and it’s a soft matchup to begin his Grizzlies tenure, as the Pelicans ranked second-to-last in DEFRTG last season.

🔥 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 or in LineStar chat @Ryan_Humphries. Good luck everyone!

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

_{Terms: Must be 18+ (some states may require 21+) and be present in an eligible state; if you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling, and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER. Using an affiliate offer will help support LineStar who may receive a commission fee from the referral. Other conditions may apply, please see link for full details.}