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 📰

We’ve got a fun Friday slate lined up with seven games on DraftKings and nine on FanDuel as NBA Cup group play rolls on. The injury report is busy, as always, but nothing out of control for a slate of this size -- still, we’ll want to keep an ear out for all of the info involving the key “questionable” players today. What does stand out are the totals. We’ve got several massive over/unders on the board, including an absurd 250.5 O/U in the MIA/CHI game, giving this slate plenty of shootout potential. With a mix of competitive matchups and a few high-octane spots, it’s a great night to chase some ceilings. Let’s try to crack the code! 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 Be sure to stay up-to-date on all injury news leading up to tip-off as the list below may be a bit outdated by the time you’re reading this.}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.}

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

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

• Nets: C. Thomas - OUT

• Celtics: None

• Wizards: A. Sarr - Questionable, M. Bagley III - Doubtful

• Raptors: C. Murray-Boyles - OUT

• Heat: A. Wiggins - OUT, N. Jovic - OUT

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

• Pelicans: J. Poole - OUT, K. Matkovic - OUT

• Mavs: A. Davis - OUT, D. Russell - Questionable

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

• Suns: J. Green - OUT, G. Allen - OUT

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

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

Late Game Injury Report (FanDuel Main Slate Only)

• Thunder: A. Wiggins - OUT

• Jazz: None

• Trailblazers: J. Holiday - OUT, S. Sharpe - OUT, J. Grant - Probable, R. Williams - Questionable

• Warriors: J. Butler - Probable, J. Kuminga - OUT, D. Green - Probable, B. Hield - 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 🏀

PG Immanuel Quickley, TOR | DK: $6.7k, FD: $6.9k | vs. WAS

Point guard isn’t exactly loaded on this slate, especially at the top, so we’ll lead off with Immanuel Quickley out of the mid-range. He’s been extremely steady lately, cracking 39+ DKFP in five of his last eight. He’s at a solid 1.07 FPPM on the season but has bumped that up to 1.20 FPPM over this recent eight-game stretch. Quickley’s role has been consistent, his minutes are secure, and he’s comfortably outproducing players priced above him. He also gets one of the best possible matchups on the board. Washington ranks 29th in DEFRTG and dead last in DvP versus starting point guards, and Toronto carries the highest implied team total of the night at 127.0. Sure, there’s some blowout risk with a 13.5-point spread, but Quickley should do plenty of damage while he’s out there.

SG Kyshawn George, WAS | DK: $6.1k, FD: $6.4k | at TOR

To no one’s surprise, Washington has been a mess this season, but Kyshawn George has been one of the few bright spots. He’s coming off three straight strong outings and sits at a solid 1.11 FPPM on the year while sinking 45.5% of his three-point attempts. Even with that production, his $6.1k/$6.4k DFS salaries haven’t really caught up to the role he’s currently in. There’s also room for even more upside tonight with Alex Sarr (toe) questionable -- Sarr leads the Wizards with a 26.1% usage rate, and his absence would push extra touches and opportunities George’s way. As noted in the Quickley spotlight above, there is a decent chance the Wizards (+13.5) get blown out in this game. However, George has still logged big minutes in several blowouts this season, so he’s a bit more “protected” from the blowout factor than most players would be.

PG Davion Mitchell, MIA | DK: $5.4k, FD: $5.7k | at CHI

This Bulls/Heat matchup is the clear top game environment on the slate, with both teams ranking top-three in pace (MIA: 1st, CHI: 3rd) and a massive 250.5 total paired with a tight 2.5-point spread. It’s the kind of setup where you want exposure, and Mitchell is one of Miami’s main beneficiaries with Tyler Herro still out and Andrew Wiggins joining him on the sidelines. Mitchell has been at a respectable, but unremarkable, 0.90 FPPM on the year. However, that has increased to a strong 1.05 FPPM when Wiggins is off the floor. He’s coming off a quieter game, but that was largely due to playing only 24 minutes in a comfortable win over the Warriors. Before that, Mitchell had been quite steady and should slide right back into the low-30s in playing time tonight. Over the Bulls’ last ten games, they have ranked 30th versus starting point guards, allowing 1.35 FPPM and 49.5 FPPG to the position.

Other Guards to Consider

PG Josh Giddey, CHI vs. MIA

PG/SG Donovan Mitchell, CLE vs. IND (Boost if Garland remains out)

SG Anthony Edwards, MIN at PHX

PG Derrick White, BOS vs. BKN

SG Coby White, CHI vs. MIA (Currently questionable)

SG Norman Powell, MIA at CHI

SG Trey Murphy III, NOP at DAL

PG/SG Payton Pritchard, BOS vs. BKN

SG Bennedict Mathurin, IND at CLE

SG/SF Jordan Goodwin, PHX vs. MIN

PG/SG Dru Smith, MIA at CHI

PG Jamal Shead, TOR vs. WAS

FanDuel Main Slate Only

PG Steph Curry, GSW vs. POR

Small Forwards/Power Forwards to Consider 🏀

PF Julius Randle, MIN | DK: $8.6k, FD: $9k | at PHX

Randle’s second season in Minnesota has been a much different story from the first. His numbers are up across the board, but the scoring jump is the headline -- he’s up to 25.0 PPG after averaging just 18.7 last year. That leap has translated directly into some monster fantasy production. He’s coming off a 55.0 DKFP outing and has topped 49 DKFP in four of his last five. He’s posted an outstanding 1.41 FPPM on the season and has truly underperformed in only two of Minnesota’s 15 games. His DFS salaries, especially on DraftKings, still haven’t caught up to his consistently elite production.

PF/C Derik Queen, NOP | DK: $5.5k, FD: $6k | at DAL

The Pelicans made a bold move trading an unprotected first to land Queen in this year’s draft, and while we’ll see how that decision looks a year or two from now, he’s already flashing the kind of upside that made them pull the trigger. He heads into tonight on the heels of a huge outing against Denver, where he dropped 53.75 DKFP on a 30/9/4 stat line with two steals and two blocks, and he’s been strong on a per-minute basis all season at 1.15 FPPM. Queen draws a great matchup versus the Mavs, who have allowed the 5th-most PPG in the paint (54.6) and are 23rd in Rebounding%. Dallas has also allowed the 7th-most blocks per game (5.2) and 5th-most steals per game (9.9) -- Queen has been very adept at racking up “stocks” and is averaging 3.3 STL+BLK/gm in his three starts. Queen is projected for 30.0 minutes again tonight, and at just $5.5k/$6k, that’s more than enough runway for him to pay off these price tags.

PF Simone Fontecchio, MIA | DK: $3.5k, FD: $3.9k | at CHI

If you need to dip into the bargain bin range at power forward, Fontecchio looks like a strong target at his sub-$4k price points on both sites. He’s been giving the Heat steady production off the bench, producing right around 1.00 FPPM on the year. With Andrew Wiggins and Nikola Jovic both out tonight, Fontecchio should see a notable bump in his minutes (23.5 projected minutes). It also wouldn’t be a total surprise if he draws a spot start in case Miami wishes to keep Jaime Jaquez Jr. in his sixth man role. Overall, rolling with Fontecchio is just a sensible and affordable way to gain exposure to this extremely enticing game environment between the Heat and Bulls, which, as mentioned, owns a whopping 250.5 over/under, a close 2.5-point spread, and features two of the top three teams in pace.

Other Forwards to Consider

SF Jaylen Brown, BOS vs. BKN

SF Michael Porter Jr., BKN at BOS

SF/SG Jaime Jaquez Jr., MIA at CHI (Boost if starting)

SF Cooper Flagg, DAL vs. NOP

PF/C Naz Reid, MIN at PHX (Slight boost if McDaniels is out again)

SF/PF Peyton Watson, DEN at HOU

SF/PF Ryan Dunn, PHX vs. MIN

SF Pelle Larsson, MIA at CHI

SF/PF Cam Whitmore, WAS at TOR

SF/SG Jaylon Tyson, CLE vs. IND (Currently questionable)

FanDuel Main Slate Only

SF/PF Deni Avdija, POR at GSW

SF/PF Jimmy Butler, GSW vs. POR

PF/C Chet Holmgren, OKC at UTA

PF/SF Jerami Grant, POR at GSW

PF/C Draymond Green, GSW vs. POR

Centers to Consider 🏀

C Bam Adebayo, MIA | DK: $8k, FD: $8.2k | at CHI

Bam returned on Wednesday and immediately looked like himself, posting 40.25 DKFP in under 29 minutes after a two-week absence. With the Heat winning comfortably, his playing time stayed in check, but he should be in line for a bit more run in his second game back, currently projected for low-30s minutes. This is also a great individual matchup for him. Nikola Vucevic isn’t necessarily a defensive stopper, and Chicago has been one of the more generous teams to opposing centers this season, ranking 29th in DvP while allowing the second-most PPG in the paint (55.3). And, as you might assume, more exposure to this MIA/CHI game probably isn’t a bad idea.

C Jakob Poeltl, TOR | DK: $5.6k, FD: $6.3k | vs. WAS

Poeltl is very easy to like at these price points. After spending much of the early season stuck in the mid-20s minutes limbo and missing a few games with injuries, he’s now played 32+ minutes in back-to-back games. When Poeltl gets real minutes, he usually delivers, and he’s up to 1.15 FPPM over his last five. The matchup doesn’t hurt, either. Washington has struggled against opposing centers all season, ranking dead last in DvP, bottom-five in PPG allowed in the paint and Rebounding%, and they’re allowing the second-most blocks/gm (6.1) and most steals/gm (11.5). Point blank, this is one of the softest frontcourts Poeltl will see. In three games against the Wizards last season, Poeltl averaged 39.2 DKFP/gm, and, if the minutes are there again tonight, he should push for another 40 FP night.

Other Centers to Consider

C Nikola Jokic, DEN at HOU

C Alex Sarr, WAS at TOR (Currently questionable)

C Jalen Smith, CHI vs. MIA

C Day’Ron Sharpe, BKN at BOS

C Luka Garza, BOS vs. BKN

C Sandro Mamukelashvili, TOR vs. WAS

C Tristan Vukcevic, WAS at TOR (Major boost if Sarr is out)

FanDuel Main Slate Only

C Donovan Clingan, POR at GSW

C Al Horford, GSW vs. 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!