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

Note: No NBA DFS video today!

DFS Main Slate Rundown 📰

We’ve got an eight-game NBA Cup slate lined up for this Wednesday, and it’s a pretty intriguing midweek card. There are several strong scoring environments on the board, with NYK at CHA and SAS at POR both carrying totals north of 240 points, plus MEM at NOR at 235.5 and MIL at MIA at 237.5. The injury report isn’t complete chaos today, but there are still some big names carrying tags. Most teams have one or two key players listed as either out or questionable, so keeping an eye on news and starting lineups as they roll in will still be vital. Unlike a lot of previous slates, both DraftKings and FanDuel will feature 100% of the same matchups on their respective main slates, which is always a plus if you’re someone who plays on both sites. Let’s dig in and get set for this midweek NBA Cup slate. Best of luck! And I hope that everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving tomorrow! 🦃

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 Be sure to stay up-to-date on all injury news leading up to tip-off as the list below may be a bit outdated by the time you’re reading this.}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. Injured players who have been out for an extended period of time and/or are not expected to play for a month-plus will also be excluded.}

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

• Hornets: P. Connaughton - OUT

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

• Heat: N. Powell - Probable, A. Wiggins - Questionable, J. Jaquez Jr. - Questionable, N. Jovic - Questionable, D. Smith - Questionable

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

• Raptors: RJ Barrett - OUT

• Timberwolves: None

• Thunder: S. Gilgeous-Alexander - Questionable, A. Wiggins - OUT

• Grizzlies: J. Morant - OUT, Z. Edey - Questionable

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

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

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

• Spurs: V. Wembanyama - OUT, S. Castle - OUT, D. Harper - Questionable, J. McLaughlin - OUT

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

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

• Kings: D. Sabonis - OUT, D. Schroder - Questionable

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 Amen Thompson, HOU | DK: $8.2k, FD: $8.2k | at GSW

Houston will be thin on the wings and frontcourt today -- Kevin Durant is the most notable injury absence (although KD is not technically injured, as he’s out for personal reasons). Tari Eason and Steven Adams will also be sidelined tonight. That will result in Amen Thompson taking on an expanded role for a Rockets team that has been among the most well-rounded in the NBA, ranking 1st in OFFRTG and 5th in DEFRTG. Thompson is coming off a 49.25 DKFP performance and has seen a noticeable bump in facilitating whenever Durant has been off the floor. For the year, he’s sitting at 1.06 FPPM, and he has averaged just under 40 minutes/gm over his last four. While the 224.5 over/under in this matchup doesn’t stand out, as it is the lowest total on the slate, this game is expected to stay close given its 2.5-point spread in favor of the home team Warriors. More notably, this is an outstanding individual matchup for Thompson. The Warriors rank 27th versus starting PGs this season, and are allowing a lofty 1.31 FPPM to the position. So, if Thompson does handle around 40 minutes in a presumably competitive game environment, this is a strong spot for him to pop for 50+ FP, based on the DvP data.

PG/SG Reed Sheppard, HOU | DK: $5.6k, FD: $5.5k | at GSW

Sticking with the Houston backcourt, Sheppard is another player who should take on more responsibility with KD, Tari Eason, and Steven Adams all out. While they play completely different positions, Sheppard moved into the starting lineup with Durant out in the Rockets’ previous game against the Suns, and he’ll be expected to maintain that starting role this evening. Sheppard’s first start of the season didn’t return astounding results, but it was an off-shooting night -- he went 2-for-9 in that game, but has posted a strong 49.0% FG% and an elite 47.1% 3P% on the season. The Rockets also won that game in blowout fashion, with a 22-point margin of victory, so that is another explanation for Sheppard’s off-night, as he played only 27 minutes. Expect a bounce back for him tonight, as he projects for 31.0 minutes and has averaged 1.17 FPPM with a team-leading +4.9% USG% increase with Durant off the floor this season. One added bonus is that Sheppard carries dual guard eligibility, which makes lineup construction easier on both sites. In a game with a tight spread and a friendly DvP matchup (GSW: 21st vs. Starting SGs) against the Warriors, he profiles as a useful mid-range option with some upside attached.

PG T.J. McConnell, IND | DK: $3.6k, FD: $4.6k | at TOR

McConnell has eased back into the rotation over the past couple of weeks and is starting to look like his usual self. Though he doesn’t typically start or log big minutes, he’s always been one of the better per-minute guards in the league, and that has continued this season, averaging 1.22 FPPM through his first seven appearances. The minutes are climbing as well -- after being held in check early, he reached 22.4 minutes in his most recent game, which is plenty for him to make an impact at this salary. At $3,600 on DraftKings, he doesn’t need much to return value, and he has a long track record of producing whenever he gets into the low-20s in playing time. The matchup isn’t the softest, but the Raptors do rank 19th versus reserve point guards, so it’s not an awful matchup either. With Indiana playing at one of the fastest paces in the league, there should be enough possessions for McConnell to put up a useful fantasy line. He’s not quite as appealing at his $4,600 FanDuel tag, but he is a very sensible salary-saver on DK.

Other Guards to Consider

SG Anthony Edwards, MIN at OKC

PG De’Aaron Fox, SAS at POR

PG Jalen Brunson, NYK at CHA

SG Brandon Ingram, TOR vs. IND

SG Mikal Bridges, NYK at CHA

SG Trey Murphy III, NOP vs. MEM

SG Kon Knueppel, CHA vs. NYK

PG Immanuel Quickley, TOR vs. IND

PG/SG Collin Gillespie, PHX at SAC

PG/SF Vince Williams Jr., MEM at NOP

PG/SG Ajay Mitchell, OKC vs. MIN (Major boost if SGA is out)

SG/SF Jordan Goodwin, PHX at SAC (Assuming he continues to start)

PG/SG Malik Monk, SAC vs. PHX (Preferred if Schroder is out)

PG Jamal Shead, TOR vs. IND

PG/SG Aaron Holiday, HOU at GSW

SG/SF Gary Payton II, GSW vs. HOU (Only if starting again)

Small Forwards/Power Forwards to Consider 🏀

PF Karl-Anthony Towns, NYK | DK: $9.7k, FD: $9.6k | at CHA

The Knicks lead the slate with a 123.5 implied team total, and with only a 6.5-point spread, this sets up as a strong spot to look at KAT in a game that also carries a slate-high 241.5 over/under. His range of outcomes is always a bit wider than some other high-priced forwards, but his usage gets a bump with OG Anunoby out, and he’s up to 1.49 FPPM over his last five. Charlotte ranks 26th against starting power forwards, and when games stay competitive and high-scoring, Towns has legitimate 60+ FP upside. With NBA Cup motivation and payout incentives in play, the odds of a ceiling performance get a slight boost.

SF DeMar DeRozan, SAC | DK: $6.9k, FD: $6.7k | vs. PHX

If you’re willing to roll the dice on a mid-range forward, DeMar DeRozan is somewhat intriguing now that his DFS salaries are becoming a bit more palatable. Given his very poor floor that he has shown this season, DeRozan has largely been a player to avoid for DFS purposes. However, he has been picking it up in recent games, scoring at least 33.8 DKFP in four of his last five games. The one game that he didn’t hit that mark was when the Kings got obliterated by a score of 137-96 against Memphis, and DDR played only 15 minutes. Interestingly enough, DeRozan’s best game of the season, by far, came in the very first game of the season… against the Suns! He dropped a 29/6/9 line, with two steals and a block, while recording 56.0 DKFP. He hasn’t come close to matching that production in any game since, but perhaps this is a matchup that he fancies. The Suns do check in at 24th in DvP against starting small forwards, and the Kings need him to keep stepping up with Domantas Sabonis out for a fifth straight game and PG Dennis Schroder questionable with a hip injury. Outside of Russell Westbrook, the Kings have generally been a team to stay away from, but there are enough positives to keep DeRozan on the radar now that he is under $7k on both DK and FD.

PF/C Jay Huff, IND | DK: $3.7k, FD: $4.1k | at TOR

Huff is only power forward eligible on DraftKings, but he is an appealing option if you need a cheap PF (or center) with some real “point-per-dollar” upside. Huff has averaged a respectable 1.04 FPPM on the season, but he has bumped that up to 1.22 FPPM over his last three games. In that span, he has averaged 23.7 minutes/gm, and he’ll project for 20.0 minutes this evening. Huff’s recent surge has been largely due to racking up multiple blocks, and he has recorded nine blocks in this recent three-game stretch. Blocks (and steals, for that matter) can be tough to predict, but the Raptors have allowed the fourth-most opponent blocks per game (5.7), so it’s a good spot for Huff to continue the block party. We’ll have to trust that the Pacers will continue to give Huff solid minutes off the bench, but, as long as that happens, he’ll have some real appeal as a value option.

Other Forwards to Consider

PF Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL at MIA (Currently questionable)

PF Deni Avdija, POR vs. SAS

PF Jimmy Butler, GSW vs. HOU

PF Zion Williamson, NOP vs. MEM

PF Chet Holmgren, OKC vs. MIN (Boost if SGA is out)

SF/PF Jerami Grant, POR vs. SAS

SF/PF Jabari Smith Jr., HOU at GSW

SF/PF Saddiq Bey, NOP vs. MEM

SF/SG Julian Champagnie, SAS at POR

SF/PF Simone Fontecchio, MIA vs. MIL (Preferred if some combo of Wiggins/Jaquez/Jovic are out)

SF/SG Josh Okogie, HOU at GSW

SF/PF Keshad Johnson, MIA vs. MIL (Only if Wiggins/Jaquez/Jovic are all out)

Centers to Consider 🏀

C Donovan Clingan, POR | DK: $5.9k, FD: $6.5k | vs. SAS

Center feels like a position where you can pretty easily get away with saving some salary today, and Donovan Clingan sets up well out of the mid-range. His minutes typically land in the mid-to-upper 20s, but he’s been efficient enough to make that work, averaging a stout 1.22 FPPM on the season. It will bode well for Clingan if guard Shaedon Sharpe (calf/questionable) misses a fifth straight game. With Sharpe and Jrue Holiday (calf/out) off the floor this season, Clingan has bumped his per-minute production to an outstanding 1.47 FPPM. Outside of a blowout loss to the mighty Thunder, who have blown out plenty of teams this season, Clingan has scored at least 36.0 DKFP in each of his previous five starts, with a ceiling performance of 57.2 DKFP in that span. When they’re fully healthy, the Spurs are not typically a team we’ll want to target with opposing bigs, but with Victor Wembanyama (calf/out) on the shelf, it becomes a much more forgiving matchup.

C Clint Capela, HOU | DK: $3k, FD: $3.6k | at GSW

If you really want to save some coin at center while loading up on stars at other positions, Clint Capela is going to be a viable punt play. Steven Adams will be out for just the second game this season, and the typically towering Rockets lineup will also be without another pair of tall contributors with Kevin Durant and Tari Eason sidelined, as we’ve touched on already in this newsletter. That opens the door for Capela to soak up some backup big man duties and, at a 1.03 FPPM average on the season, he doesn’t need a ton of minutes to return value at these price points… especially at the stone minimum $3,000 on DK. In the one game that Steven Adams has missed this season (Nov. 5th at MEM), Capela posted a 6/10/2 stat line and 21.5 DKFP in just 16 minutes. He’ll project for a modest 18.0 minutes this evening, but even that would be enough time for Capela to return 6x (or better) value.

Other Centers to Consider

PF/C Alperen Sengun, HOU at GSW

C Kel’el Ware, MIA vs. MIL

C Derik Queen, NOP vs. MEM

C Mark Williams, PHX at SAC

C Jakob Poeltl, TOR vs. IND

C Jock Landale, MEM at NOP (Only if Z. Edey is out + Landale starts)

C Moussa Diabate, CHA vs. NYK

C Sandro Mamukelashvili, TOR vs. IND

C Ryan Kalkbrenner, CHA vs. NYK

🔥 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!