Written By: Ryan Humphries on Twitter/X & 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.}

NBA DFS & Props Shows w/ Tyler Wiemann

DFS Main Slate Rundown 📰

Our first Friday NBA slate of the season arrives! As we saw on many occasions last season, the DraftKings and FanDuel main slates will not align today. FanDuel will feature an 11-game main slate, with the inclusion of the four late West Coast games that tip off in the 10 o’clock ET window. DraftKings will exclude those four games from their main slate, reducing their slate total to seven games. For the purposes of this newsletter, I will focus on spotlighting players solely from the seven overlapping games, while simply listing favorable “FanDuel main slate only” players for the late window matchups. It’s not ideal, but it’s the most efficient way I can think of when trying to cover a slate for both of the major DFS sites that have differing main slate game selections! Anyhow, let’s get into the action! 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 Be sure to stay up-to-date on all injury news leading up to tip-off as the list below may be a bit outdated by the time you’re reading this.}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: There are many players who are out for various amounts of time to begin the season. 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.}

• Hawks: Z. Risacher - Questionable

• Magic: None

• Celtics: L. Garza - OUT

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

• Cavs: D. Hunter - Questionable (would be season debut)

• Nets: D. Powell - OUT

• Pistons: C. LeVert - Probable, M. Sasser - Doubtful (would be season debut if he gets upgraded)

• Rockets: J. Tate - Questionable (would be season debut)

• Heat: None

• Grizzlies: J. Morant - Questionable, K. Caldwell-Pope - Questionable

• Spurs: None

• Pelicans: Y. Missi - Questionable, K. Matkovic - Questionable (would be season debut)

• Wizards: None

• Mavs: None

Late Game Injury Report (FanDuel Main Slate Only)

• Timberwolves: None

• Lakers: J. Hayes - Questionable

• Jazz: None

• Kings: D. Sabonis - Questionable (would be season debut), N. Clifford - OUT

• Warriors: A. Horford - Questionable, M. Moody - Questionable (would be season debut)

• Trailblazers: None

• Suns: None

• Clippers: None

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/SG Donovan Mitchell, CLE | DK: $9.1k, FD: $9k | at BKN

There is only so much we can take from a one-game sample size, and it’s important not to overreact. That said, no one should be surprised that Spida Mitchell operated as the clear focal point for the Cavs, as they’ll begin the season without Darius Garland, who is recovering from a toe injury. In the 111-119 season-opening loss to the Knicks on Wednesday, Mitchell put up 31 points on 25 shots, leading the team with a 37.0% USG%, and he was also 2nd on the team with a 27.8% AST%. The matchup gets better for Cleveland tonight, as they’ll take on a Nets team that played at the 9th-fastest pace in their opener versus the Hornets while giving up 136 points. A blowout is a concern here as the Nets are looking like they’ll be pretty awful again this season -- the 11.5-point spread is the largest on the slate. But if the Nets can keep things fairly close and force the Cavs starters to play most of the fourth quarter, Mitchell brings ample upside to the table.

PG/SG Stephon Castle, SAS | DK: $6.8k, FD: $7.3k | at NOP

Few teams, if any, looked more impressive on both sides of the ball in their season opener than the San Antonio Spurs. Their 125-92 win over the Mavs resulted in the Spurs ranking 3rd in OFFRTG and 1st in DEFRTG. Despite Wemby dropping 40 points and leading the team in usage (39.2%), Stephon Castle still came away with a strong 22/7/6 stat line, with two steals, in under 30 minutes of court time (starters sat with about five minutes left in the 4Q due to the blowout). That resulted in 41.75 DKFP/40.40 FDFP, and Castle was 2nd on the team, behind Wemby, with a 33.9% USG%. The Pelicans look like they’re going to be a great matchup to attack this season. They have the scoring talent to stay competitive in most games, they play fast, and they appear as if they’ll be a bottom-10 defense once again. Following a stellar 2024-25 rookie campaign, which won him the NBA’s Rookie of the Year honors, Castle sets up for immense success in year two. And, if he continues to play like he did on Wednesday night, he won’t be at these current price points for very long.

SG/SF Nickeil Alexander-Walker, ATL | DK: $4k, FD: $4.4k | at ORL

Despite an awful shooting night on Wednesday, when Alexander-Walker went 2-of-15 from the field, he still managed to avoid a DFS dud, finishing with 25.0 DKFP/25.8 FDFP in 28 minutes played off the Hawks bench. NAW did see a few additional minutes late in the fourth quarter, but he still played significant minutes off the bench in the first half when the game was still competitive (though some Dyson Daniels foul trouble did help boost his minutes a bit). He has a history of being a volatile DFS option, but, despite the poor efficiency, the minutes and usage were an encouraging sign from game one, so he’ll be on the radar as a value option this evening.

Other Guards to Consider

PG Cade Cunningham, DET | DK: $10k, FD: $10.2k | at HOU

PG Ja Morant, MEM | DK: $8.9k, FD: $8.6k | vs. MIA (Currently questionable)

SG Norman Powell, MIA | DK: $7.5k, FD: $6.6k | at MEM

SG Desmond Bane, ORL | DK: $6.9k, FD: $7.2k | vs. ATL

PG/SG Payton Pritchard, BOS | DK: $6.6k, FD: $6.3k | at NYK

PG/SG Davion Mitchell, MIA | DK: $6k, FD: $5.3k | at MEM

PG/SG Tre Johnson, WAS | DK: $4.9k, FD: $5k | at DAL

SG Cedric Coward, MEM | DK: $3.7k, FD: $4.1k | vs. MIA

PG Tyus Jones, ORL | DK: $3.5k, FD: $4.2k | vs. ATL

FanDuel Main Slate Only

PG Luka Doncic, LAL | FD: $11.9k | vs. MIN

SG/SF Austin Reaves, LAL | FD: $8.1k | vs. MIN

PG/SG Malik Monk, SAC | FD: $6.1k | vs. UTA

PG Jrue Holiday, POR | FD: $5.6k | vs. GSW

PG/SG Dennis Schroder, SAC | FD: $5.4k | vs. UTA

SG/SF Grayson Allen, PHX | FD: $5k | at LAC

Small Forwards/Power Forwards to Consider 🏀

PF Paolo Banchero, ORL | DK: $8.5k, FD: $8.9k | vs. ATL

Banchero enters year four and still feels like one of the more underrated stars in the league despite consistent high-end production. His season-opening performance was pretty routine by his standards -- 24 points on a 27.0% USG% (2nd on the team just behind Desmond Bane at 30.5% USG%) and 11 rebounds (led the team) across 35 minutes. In the right environment, we know Banchero has 60+ FP upside in the tank, and this matchup with the Hawks looks like an ideal spot to target given its slate-high 236.5 over/under and close spread (ORL -4.5). The Hawks struggled defensively in the frontcourt last season, and Banchero went for at least 31 points in 3/4 games against them in 2024-25. That trend may continue this season as Atlanta allowed 1.52 FPPM to power forwards in their opener on Wednesday.

SF/PG Cooper Flagg, DAL | DK: $7.1k, FD: $6.5k | vs. WAS

Flagg’s NBA debut was a bit of a flop, but he still salvaged a double-double in a blowout loss, and he won’t have to face off against Wembanyama and what looks to be an elite Spurs defense again tonight. A matchup with the Wizards sets the table for much more success for Flagg and the Mavs this evening. Washington was 28th in DEFRTG last season and allowed 133 points to the Bucks on Wednesday. While he didn’t pick up any assists in his debut, Flagg is serving as the Mavs' starting point guard at the moment, but he also has SF eligibility on DraftKings and SF/PF eligibility on FanDuel. The Mavs are among the slate leaders with a 119.0 implied team total in this game, and we’ll anticipate Flagg bouncing back in this much more advantageous matchup.

SF/PF Saddiq Bey, NOP | DK: $4.1k, FD: $4.6k | vs. SAS

Bey missed the entire 2024-25 season as he rehabbed from a torn ACL, but he’s back in action and will serve as a vital role player for the Pelicans this season. He was the first player off the Pelicans bench on Wednesday, and he would go on to log 30 minutes while closing out the game with the starters (he played the final eight minutes) in what was a close, competitive game against the Grizzlies. Bey averaged just under an FPPM in his Pelicans debut and, if he’s going to play 25-30 minutes/gm most nights, then he looks like a solid bargain at his current price points.

Other Forwards to Consider

PF/C Anthony Davis, DAL | DK: $9.8k, FD: $11k | vs. WAS

PF Zion Williamson, NOP | DK: $9.3k, FD: $9.6k | vs. SAS

PF/C Evan Mobley, CLE | DK: $8.4k, FD: $8.3k | at BKN

SF Franz Wagner, ORL | DK: $7.6k, FD: $7.7k | vs. ATL

SF/PF OG Anunoby, NYK | DK: $6.4k, FD: $6.8k | vs. BOS (Boost if Towns and/or Hart sit)

SF/PF Andrew Wiggins, MIA | DK: $5.8k, FD: $6.4k | at MEM

SF/PF PJ Washington, DAL | DK: $5k, FD: $6k | vs. WAS

SF/SG Naji Marshall, DAL | DK: $3.7k, FD: $4.3k | vs. WAS

PF/C Larry Nance Jr., CLE | DK: $3.6k, FD: $4k | at BKN

FanDuel Main Slate Only

SF/SG Anthony Edwards, MIN | FD: $9.6k | at LAL

SF/PF DeMar DeRozan, SAC | FD: $8k | vs. UTA

PF Julius Randle, MIN | FD: $7.1k | at LAL

PF/C Draymond Green, GSW | $6.1k | at POR

SF/PF Jaden McDaniels, MIN | FD: $5.7k | at LAL

PF/C Kyle Filipowski, UTA | FD: $5.3k | at SAC

SF/PF Ryan Dunn, PHX | FD: $4,900 | at LAC

Centers to Consider 🏀

C Victor Wembanyama, SAS | DK: $11.3k, FD: $12k | at NOP

Wembanyama set the bar high in the Spurs’ opener, pouring in 40 points, 15 rebounds, three blocks, an assist, and a steal -- good for 70.25 DKFP/71.50 FDFP. He did all of that in just under 30 minutes on the court, which equated to an absurd 2.37 FPPM average. It’s a tough act to follow, and he’s going to come at a steep price point, but if tonight’s game stays competitive as the line suggests (SAS -4.5), then Wemby may have another 70+ FP performance in his bag, and he doesn’t necessarily need another 40-point night to accomplish that. He is truly a one-of-one talent that makes me question how he and I are of the same species.

C Steven Adams, HOU | DK: $4.3k, FD: $4.7k | vs. DET

The Rockets are expected to continue rolling out their current jumbo starting lineup, which features four players who stand at 6’11”. Steven Adams is going to be an appealing value center for as long as he remains a consistent starter and his DFS prices stay low. He played 36 minutes in the Rockets' season opener, although that game did go into double overtime. That said, Adams still logged just over 30 minutes in regulation. He didn’t have an overly impressive performance -- 4 points, 13 rebounds, and 3 assists, which resulted in 23.25 DKFP/21.10 FDFP and 0.64 FPPM. But he is typically going to be closer to, or above, an FPPM-type of player while contributing primarily as a rebounder and shot blocker. I have him projected for 27 minutes tonight, so, at his current mid-$4k price points, he’ll stay on the value radar for this evening.

Other Centers to Consider

C/PF Alperen Sengun, HOU | DK: $9.4k, FD: $9.5k | vs. DET

C Jarrett Allen, CLE | DK: $6k, FD: $6.9k | at BKN

C Wendell Carter Jr. ORL | DK: $5.4k, FD: $5.1k | vs. ATL

C Isaiah Stewart, DET | DK: $4.9k, FD: $4.6k | at HOU

C Nikola Jovic, MIA | DK: $4.6k, FD: $4.3k | at MEM

C Jock Landale, MEM | DK: $4.2k, FD: $4.3k | vs. MIA

C Goga Bitadze, ORL | DK: $3.8k, FD: $4.5k | vs. ATL

FanDuel Main Slate Only

C Ivica Zubac, LAC | FD: $7.3k | vs. PHX

C Donovan Clingan, POR | FD: $6k | vs. GSW

C Drew Eubanks, SAC | FD: $4.2k | vs. UTA (Only If Sabonis remains 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 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.}