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 📰

We’ve got a loaded Wednesday night ahead, with seven games on the DraftKings main slate and nine over on FanDuel thanks to the addition of the two late-night matchups (NYK–DAL and CHI–POR). Nearly every team has an impact player listed as out or questionable, so tonight is one of those slates where staying locked into the injury news and starting lineup stream is absolutely mandatory -- the board is going to shift throughout the afternoon and into the evening.

What really makes this one stand out, though, are the totals. Every single game is carrying an over/under north of 230 points, which is borderline unheard of for a slate of this size. Between the pace-up spots, shaky defenses, and star absences opening usage all over the place, we’re looking at a wild night of NBA DFS and prop betting. Let’s try to hone in on some favorable targets for this high-scoring slate. 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 Be sure to stay up-to-date on all injury news leading up to tip-off as the list below may be a bit outdated by the time you’re reading this.}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.}

• Rockets: J. Smith Jr. - Questionable, T. Eason - OUT

• Cavs: D. Garland - OUT, S. Merrill - Questionable, J. Tyson - OUT

• Hornets: B. Miller - OUT, T. Mann - Doubtful, L. McNeeley - OUT

• Pacers: A. Nesmith - OUT, Q. Jackson - OUT, O. Toppin - OUT

• Raptors: C. Murray-Boyles - Doubtful, O. Agbaji - Probable

• 76ers: J. Embiid - Doubtful, P. George - OUT, K. Oubre Jr. - OUT, A. Bona - OUT

• Warriors: S. Curry - OUT, J. Butler - Questionable, J. Kuminga - OUT, D. Green - Questionable, A. Horford - OUT, B. Hield - Questionable

• Heat: B. Adebayo - Questionable, N. Jovic - Doubtful

• Wizards: A. Sarr - Questionable

• Timberwolves: J. McDaniels - OUT, T. Shannon Jr. - OUT

• Nuggets: A. Gordon - Questionable, C. Braun - OUT, J. Strawther - OUT

• Pelicans: Z. Williamson - Questionable, J. Poole - OUT, S. Bey - Questionable, K. Matkovic - OUT

• Kings: D. Sabonis - OUT

• Thunder: A. Wiggins - OUT

Late Game Injury Report (FanDuel Main Slate Only)

• Knicks: J. Brunson - Questionable, OG Anunoby - OUT

• Mavs: A. Davis - OUT, C. Flagg - Questionable, D. Gafford - Probable, D. Lively II - Probable, C. Martin - Questionable

• Bulls: T. Jones - Questionable, J. Smith - Probable

• Trailblazers: S. Sharpe - Doubtful, J. Holiday - OUT, J. Grant - Questionable, R. Williams - 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 Tyrese Maxey, PHI | DK: $10k, FD: $10k | vs. TOR

As if Maxey’s workload hasn’t been extreme enough already, he’s set to shoulder an even larger chunk of the offensive responsibilities this evening. He’s already playing the most minutes of any player in the NBA (40.4 min/gm), and he’s rocking a monster 33.5% USG% over his last five games. Joel Embiid (knee/doubtful) looks like he’ll miss a fifth straight game.  Additionally, after debuting on Monday, Paul George (knee/out) will be sitting out the first leg of the back-to-back, and the team’s third-leading scorer, Kelly Oubre Jr. (knee/out), will miss a second straight game. Maxey may hoist up 30+ shots tonight, as he has done a couple of times already this season, and this game is pinned with a narrow spread with the 76ers (+1.5) being slight home underdogs. The matchup isn’t perfect as the Raptors have been middle-of-the-road in DEFRTG and DvP versus PGs. But Maxey has already had a strong performance against the Raptors this season (31/4/7 with 2 BLK/1 STL on Nov. 8th), and he’s been one of the best floor plays this season. Given the 76ers’ current injury situation, this could be one of those nights where Maxey pops for 60+ FP.

SG Bennedict Mathurin, IND | DK: $6k, FD: $7k | vs. CHA

Mathurin made his return to the lineup in the last game and wasted no time getting involved, dropping 25 points and 33.3 DKFP in just 25 minutes. The 1-13 Pacers desperately need shooters right now, and Mathurin’s workload should only increase as he gets a little more distance from the toe injury that held him out for 11 games. It’s only a three-game sample size, but he’s been strong on a per-minute basis this season (1.23 FPPM), and he’s taken on an excellent 30.3% USG%, which is fairly unheard of for a player out of this price range. LineStar projects him for 29.0 minutes tonight in a fantastic matchup with Charlotte -- a defense that is 24th in DEFRTG and has struggled to contain wings and scorers all year.

SG Will Richard, GSW | DK: $4.5k, FD: $4k | at MIA

Richard, a 2025 second-round pick out of Florida, had a breakout game back on Nov. 5th against the Kings when he dropped 30 points with seven rebounds, three assists, and a steal (47.2 DKFP) across 34 minutes. However, despite entering the starting lineup for the last four games, he has yet to come close to replicating that success. He hasn’t played more than 22 minutes since the breakout game, but that may change tonight depending on how the Warriors’ injury situation shakes out. Golden State has already ruled out Steph Curry, Jonathan Kuminga, and Al Horford. The Curry absence alone should boost Richard’s outlook, and his big game versus the Kings was one of the three games that Curry has missed this season. On top of those three players being ruled out, Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green, and Buddy Hield are all listed as questionable. Out of those three, Butler’s status will probably have the biggest impact on Richard. Butler also missed that game against the Kings on Nov. 5th, so if he’s ultimately ruled out, we would feel much better about Richard’s minutes and upside. For now, we’ll view Will Richard as a tournament play, but he could end up being one of the more appealing values on the slate once we receive more Warriors injury news.

Other Guards to Consider

PG/SG Donovan Mitchell, CLE vs. HOU

SG Anthony Edwards, MIN vs. WAS

PG Jamal Murray, DEN at NOP

PG Russell Westbrook, SAC at OKC

SG Norman Powell, MIA vs. GSW (Preferred if Adebayo remains out)

SG Brandon Ingram, TOR at PHI

PG Immanuel Quickley, TOR at PHI

SG Kon Knueppel, CHA at IND

PG/SG Quintin Grimes, PHI vs. TOR

PG Davion Mitchell, MIA vs. GSW

PG Donte DiVincenzo, MIN vs. WAS

PG/SG Reed Sheppard, HOU at CLE

SG Isaiah Joe, OKC vs. SAC

PG/SG Pat Spencer, GSW at MIA

FanDuel Main Slate Only

PG/SG Josh Giddey, CHI at POR

SG/SF Mikal Bridges, NYK at DAL (Preferred if Brunson remains out)

PG/SG Coby White, CHI at POR

SG Caleb Love, POR vs. CHI

Small Forwards/Power Forwards to Consider 🏀

PF Julius Randle, MIN | DK: $8.2k, FD: $8.8k | vs. WAS

Randle is coming off a rare down game in which his minutes were limited due to a 24-point blowout win over the Mavs. There will be more blowout potential in this game versus the woeful Wizards (+16.5 underdogs). But, if Washington keeps this game fairly competitive, it’s clearly a smash spot for all of the key T-Wolves players. Randle has scored below 42.8 DKFP just twice in 14 games this season, and with Jaden McDaniels (wrist/out) set to miss his first game of the season, Randle should be able to pick up some extra usage and peripheral stats. Randle has put up an outstanding 1.39 FPPM this season and projects for 33.0 minutes tonight. The Wizards also provide a perfect matchup -- they’re 29th in DEFRTG, 3rd in pace, and rank 28th versus starting power forwards. Pending a blowout, Randle looks like he could cruise to 50+ FP tonight.

PF/C Naz Reid, MIN | DK: $5.3k, FD: $5.5k | vs. WAS

We’ll stick in the Timberwolves front court and look to Naz Reid for some value. He’s been highly effective lately, averaging 39.3 DKFP/gm and 1.49 FPPM over his last three games -- he has landed in the optimal lineup in all of those games. The absence of Jaden McDaniels provides some added stability to Reid’s minutes off the bench and, as noted in the Randle spotlight above, this is an absolute cakewalk of a matchup, particularly for the Minnesota bigs. The Wizards are allowing the 4th-most PPG in the paint (54.9) and are 29th in Rebounding%. Over half of Reid’s shot attempts come from behind the arc, but he should be able to bully the Wizards down low as well, especially if Alex Sarr (toe/questionable) sits for Washington tonight.

SF/PF Peyton Watson, DEN | DK: $4.6k, FD: $4.6k | at NOP

Christian Braun (ankle/out) will be sidelined for at least six weeks and has been out for the Nuggets’ last two games. That has elevated Peyton Watson to a starting role, and he has played 34 minutes in back-to-back games. Watson hasn’t done a ton with the increased workload, but he has proven to be a solid starter in the past, and it’s a good spot for him to pop for 30+ FP, especially if Aaron Gordon (hamstring/questionable) is eventually ruled out. The Pelicans have ranked 23rd versus starting small forwards over the last 5 games, and they’ve been the third-worst defensive team in the NBA this season.

Other Forwards to Consider

PF Scottie Barnes, TOR at PHI

SF Kevin Durant, HOU at CLE

PF Jimmy Butler, GSW at MIA (Currently questionable)

PF Chet Holmgren, OKC vs. SAC

PF Aaron Gordon, DEN at NOP (Currently questionable)

SF Moses Moodey, GSW at MIA (Boost if Butler is out)

SF Cameron Johnson, DEN at NOP (Preferred if Gordon is out)

PF/C Dominick Barlow, PHI vs. TOR

SF Pelle Larsson, MIA vs. GSW

SF/SG Jaylen Clark, MIN vs. WAS (Assuming he starts for McDaniels)

SF/SF Gary Payton II, GSW at MIA (Preferred if some combo of Butler/Hield/Green sits)

SF/PF Simone Fontecchio, MIA vs. GSW (Boost if N. Jovic is out)

FanDuel Main Slate Only

PF/C Karl-Anthony Towns, NYK at DAL (Boost if Brunson remains out)

PF/SF Deni Avdija, POR vs. CHI

SF/PF Toumani Camara, POR vs. CHI

Centers to Consider 🏀

C Nikola Jokic, DEN | DK: $13k, FD: $12.8k | at NOP

You can rarely go wrong spending the premium on Jokic, and he’s poised for yet another monster game. He has been particularly effective lately, averaging an astronomical 2.21 FPPM over his last five games, with 37.0 PPG, 14.2 RPG, 10.2 APG, and 2.2 STL+BLK/gm. The Pelicans rank 29th versus centers this season and are in the bottom 10 in PPG allowed in the paint and rebounding rate. They’re also allowing the most opponent blocks per game (6.6) in the NBA. $13k/$12.8k is a steep price to pay, but there is simply no player with a comparable floor or ceiling to Jokic. If the Pelicans (+13.5) keep this one competitive, Jokic should have another big triple-double in the tank.

C Moussa Diabate, CHA | DK: $4.4k, FD: $5.7k | at IND

While the case for spending up on Jokic is always strong, there are also plenty of value options to choose from at the center position today. Moussa Diabate stands out as a better bargain on DraftKings today, as he has generally been outperforming this $4,400 price tag that DK is giving him. The Hornets tend to split the center minutes pretty evenly between starter Ryan Kalkbrenner and Diabate, but it’s also not uncommon for the two bigs to be on the floor at the same time for a few minutes each game. Regardless, Diabate hasn’t needed huge minutes to return value, thanks to his elite 1.15 FPPM average on the season, which he has increased to 1.27 FPPM L5Games. The Pacers also rank 29th versus backup centers this season, and they have yet to find a consistent solution at the five position following the departure of Myles Turner in free agency. The Pacers allow the most PPG in the paint (56.0) and are a subpar rebounding team. Diabate projects for 22.0 minutes tonight, which would be enough time for him to push for another 30+ DKFP performance in this matchup.

Other Centers to Consider

C Alex Sarr, WAS at MIN (Currently questionable)

C Kel’el Ware, MIA vs. GSW (Only if Adebayo remains out)

C Andre Drummond, PHI vs. TOR

C Rudy Gobert, MIN vs. WAS

C Jakob Poeltl, TOR at PHI

C Ryan Kalkbrenner, CHA at IND

C Drew Eubanks, SAC at OKC

C Isaiah Jackson, IND vs. CHA

C Sandro Mamukelashvili, TOR at PHI

C Jonas Valanciunas, DEN at NOP

C Marvin Bagley III, WAS at MIN (Preferred if Sarr is out)

FanDuel Main Slate Only

C Donovan Clingan, POR vs. CHI

C Jalen Smith, CHI at POR

🔥 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!