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’re kicking off the week with a busy Monday slate -- seven games on DraftKings and ten on FanDuel, with FD scooping up all three of the late West Coast matchups that DK leaves off. It’s an interesting mix of game environments, too. We’ve got several big totals on the board (CHI–NOP at 244.5, DAL–MIA at 241.5, MIN–SAC at 237.5, UTA–GSW at 238.5), along with a few tighter contests like CLE–TOR (-1.5) and MIL–POR (-1.5). But there are also some clear potential blowout spots scattered in, like IND +10.5 at DET and BKN +13.5 at NYK. The injury report is, once again, loaded, so staying on top of news as it drops will be critical. A lot of these spreads and totals could shift depending on who’s actually available. Let’s get into it! 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 Be sure to stay up-to-date on all injury news leading up to tip-off as the list below may be a bit outdated by the time you’re reading this.}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.}

• Cavs: D. Garland - OUT, D Hunter - OUT, J. Allen - OUT, S. Merrill - OUT, D. Wade - Questionable, C. Porter Jr. - OUT

• Raptors: RJ Barrett - OUT

• Pistons: C. LeVert - Probable, J. Ivey - Probable

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

• Knicks: OG Anunoby - OUT, L. Shamet - OUT, M. Robinson - OUT

• Nets: C. Thomas - OUT, N. Claxton - Probable

• Mavs: A. Davis - Doubtful, B. Williams - Questionable, D. Lively II - OUT

• Heat: T. Herro - Probable (season debut), N. Powell - OUT, A. Wiggins - OUT, N. Jovic - OUT

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

• Grizzlies: J. Morant - OUT, J. Jackson Jr. - Questionable

• Trailblazers: J. Holiday - OUT, S. Sharpe - OUT

• Bucks: G. Antetokounmpo - OUT, K. Porter Jr. - OUT

• Bulls: N. Vucevic - Questionable, K. Huerter - Questionable, I. Okoro - OUT, P. Williams - Questionable, D. Terry - OUT

• Pelicans: J. Poole - OUT, H. Jones - OUT, J. Hawkins - OUT, K. Matkovic - OUT

Late Game Injury Report (FanDuel Main Slate Only)

• Rockets: K. Durant - OUT, T. Eason - OUT, S. Adams - Questionable

• Suns: J. Green - OUT, G. Allen - OUT, M. Williams - OUT, R. Dunn - OUT

• Jazz: K. Love - OUT

• Warriors: J. Kuminga - OUT, D. Green - Questionable, A. Horford - OUT

• Timberwolves: T. Shannon Jr. - Questionable

• Kings: D. Sabonis - 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/SG Donovan Mitchell, CLE | DK: $9.6k, FD: $9.4k | at TOR

Mitchell remains white hot from a scoring perspective, coming in with a career-high 30.8 PPG while knocking down four threes per game and shooting over 50% from the field. He’s dropped 30+ in five of his last six, and the scoring hasn’t been the only thing trending up. He’s been much more active on the glass lately, averaging 8.5 rebounds over his past two and even posting a 15-board game earlier this month, while also racking up over five assists per game. Toronto has guarded the perimeter well this season, but Mitchell isn’t just a catch-and-shoot guy -- he can score from all three levels, and the added peripheral production gives him a sturdy floor to go with his upside. The Cavs are on the second leg of a back-to-back, and they’re sitting a handful of key starters and role players (D. Garland, D. Hunter, J. Allen, S. Merrill, C. Porter Jr. are all out), so expect Spida Mitchell to carry a heavy workload -- more so than usual.

SG Trey Murphy III, NOP | DK: $7.2k, FD: $7.6k | vs. CHI

Murphy has been one of the few steady pieces for New Orleans during this long losing streak, and his fantasy production has stayed strong despite all the chaos surrounding him. He’s topped 35 DKFP in 10 of his last 11 games, averaging just over 40 DKFP/gm in that stretch, and his role remains secure with the Pelicans missing a couple of primary players (Jordan Poole and Herbert Jones are both out). He offers a ceiling in the same neighborhood as some of the pricier shooting guards on the slate, but at a noticeably cheaper tag. The Pelicans (22nd in pace) have been a slower-paced team, but this is a significant pace-up spot versus Chicago (2nd in pace), and this matchup features a slate-high 244.5 over/under, as well as a fairly close spread (NOP +5.5). So we can expect another steady performance from Murphy, with a decent chance of seeing him pop for a ceiling game.

PG Jamal Shead, TOR | DK: $3.6k, FD: $3.9k | vs. CLE

Toronto has caught fire lately, winning seven straight, and Shead has been one of the more useful pieces off the bench during that run. He’s still under $4k on both DK and FD, which is very affordable for someone who has been steadily involved and has averaged just over an FPPM on the season. Over his last two games, he’s piled up 18 points and 19 assists with three stocks (steals + blocks), good for 55.4 DKFP combined. And, with RJ Barrett (knee/out) missing his first game of the season, Shead could be tasked with a few additional minutes today. Cleveland is always a tougher defensive draw, but the Cavs will not be at full strength today, and Shead doesn’t need much to get the job done. He fits well in stars-and-scrubs builds and gives you a cheap way to round out lineups without sacrificing upside.

Other Guards to Consider

PG Cade Cunningham, DET at IND

PG Josh Giddey, CHI at NOP

PG Ryan Rollins, MIL vs. POR

SG Mikal Bridges, NYK at BKN

PG Immanuel Quickley, TOR vs. CLE

SG Bennedict Mathurin, IND vs. DET

PG/SF Vince Williams Jr., MEM vs. DEN

PG Jeremiah Fears, NOP vs. CHI

PG/SG Caleb Love, POR at MIL

SG/SF Lonzo Ball, CLE at TOR

SG/SF Jaylon Tyson, CLE at TOR

SG/SF Kris Murray, POR at MIL

PG/SG Tyrese Proctor, CLE at TOR

FanDuel Main Slate Only

PG Steph Curry, GSW vs. UTA

PG/SG Keyonte George, UTA at GSW

PG/SG Reed Sheppard, HOU at PHX

SG Jordan Goodwin, PHX vs. HOU (Boost if starting again)

Small Forwards/Power Forwards to Consider 🏀

PF Deni Avdija, POR | DK: $9.3k, FD: $9.7k | at MIL

Avdija is coming off a dud in a blowout loss to the mighty Thunder, but OKC has been doing that to a lot of teams this season. It’s a prime spot for a bounce-back, as Avdija scores, rebounds, and facilitates, giving him several paths to a big night. His usage and ball handling should remain high with Jrue Holiday and Shaedon Sharpe both out once again. We just saw the sort of ceiling he can provide three games ago when he ripped off a 32/11/11 triple-double for 72.8 DKFP. His overall role has stayed strong, and Portland continues to lean heavily on him for offense. He draws a plus matchup, with the Bucks ranking 23rd versus starting power forwards L10Games, and Giannis being out just makes the matchup easier. This game may not have a crazy-high total like some other matchups, but it still owns a solid 230.5 over/under and, more notably, the closest spread on the slate (POR +1.5).

SF Cooper Flagg, DAL | DK: $7.4k, FD: $6.9k | at MIA

Flagg has been more volatile than some of the other mid-range forwards lately, but he’s still operating as a top option for Dallas with Anthony Davis (calf/doubtful) not yet ready to make his return to the lineup. The rookie’s ceiling has been on display over the last couple of weeks, with four 42+ DKFP performances within his last seven starts, and he gets a strong pace-up spot against a Miami team playing at the fastest pace in the NBA. This matchup should create plenty of extra possessions, and Flagg has thrived in games like this where the tempo is up and the ball is in his hands more often.

SF/PF Peyton Watson, DEN | DK: $5.3k, FD: $4.9k | at MEM

With Aaron Gordon and Christian Braun still out, Denver continues to lean on Watson for extended run as an interim starter. In his last five starts, he’s averaged 14.6 points, seven boards, and 29.7 DKFP while shooting an efficient 59.1% from the field. The minutes are steady… like, very steady, as he has played 34 minutes in each of the last five games, and the production has followed. He also brings real upside for his salary. Just three games ago, he torched the Pelicans for 32 points and 12 rebounds, hitting 13-of-19 from the field and 5-of-9 from deep on his way to 55.5 DKFP. If a few things break his way, that ceiling is absolutely in play again. Watson’s dual-forward eligibility also makes him a more valuable and versatile asset on DraftKings -- DK has really cracked down hard on the number of players they’ve given dual eligibility to this season.

Other Forwards to Consider

PF Karl-Anthony Towns, NYK at BKN

PF Scottie Barnes, TOR vs. CLE

PF Evan Mobley, CLE at TOR

PF PJ Washington, DAL at MIA

SF/SG Jaime Jaquez Jr., MIA vs. DAL

PF Tobias Harris, DET at IND

SF/PF Nae’Qwan Tomlin, CLE at TOR (Only if starting)

FanDuel Main Slate Only

SF/PF Jimmy Butler, GSW vs. UTA

PF/SF Jabari Smith Jr. HOU at PHX

PF/SF Keegan Murray, SAC vs. MIN

PF/C Oso Ighodaro, PHX vs. HOU

Centers to Consider 🏀

C Jalen Duren, DET | DK: $7.9k, FD: $8.1k | at IND

Duren has taken a clear step forward as part of Detroit’s young core, nearly doubling his scoring output from last year to 20.5 PPG this season, while still dominating the glass at 11.5 RPG. He’s recorded eight double-doubles in his last 12 games and continues to look more polished as the season wears on. He’s set up well for another strong outing tonight. Indiana ranks 29th in PPG allowed in the paint (55.5) and sits 20th in rebounding percentage, which sets Duren up with another likely double-double performance. He had a huge 31/15/3 stat line against this Pacers team a week ago and, while Cade Cunningham and Tobias Harris were out for that game, he can still tap into a similar ceiling tonight, especially if the Pacers (+10.5) keep things competitive.

C Derik Queen, NOP | DK: $5.8k, FD: $6.8k | vs. CHI

Queen continues to be one of the best salary-saving options on the board. He’s on a great three-game run, averaging 23.3 points, 8.3 boards, six assists, and 47.1 DKFP during that stretch. Queen is a guy who has also shown that he can rack up multiple steals/blocks in a hurry. He should be in the 30-32 minute range again tonight, and the setup is strong. As previously noted, this is the highest-total game of the slate at 244.5 points, and Chicago has struggled badly to defend the paint (55.3 PPG, 3rd highest) -- an area where Queen has done most of his damage. The combination of role, matchup, and price makes him extremely hard to ignore, especially on DraftKings, where he remains underpriced at $5,800.

Other Centers to Consider

C Nikola Jokic, DEN at MEM

C Nikola Vucevic, CHI at NOP (Currently questionable)

C Bam Adebayo, MIA vs. DAL

C Kel’el Ware, MIA vs. DAL

C Jakob Poeltl, TOR vs. CLE

C Jalen Smith, CHI at NOP (Major boost if Vucevic is out + Smith starts)

FanDuel Main Slate Only

C Alperen Sengun, HOU at PHX

PF/C Naz Reid, MIN at SAC

🔥 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!