Written By: Ryan Humphries on Twitter/X & LineStar chat @Ryan_Humphries

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NBA DFS & Props Shows w/ Tyler Wiemann

Tyler’s DFS & Prop vids should be available later this afternoon. Check the LineStar YouTube page (linked above) for the latest videos!

DFS Main Slate Rundown 📰

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving weekend. We’re kicking off both a new week and a new month of NBA action with a six-game DraftKings main slate and a nine-game FanDuel slate, with FD picking up the three late tip-offs that DK leaves off. It’s a solid batch of matchups to open December, with a handful of high totals on the board highlighted by CHI–ORL at 239.5, LAC–MIA at 235.5, PHO–LAL at 234.5, and CLE–IND at 233.5. There are also a few games sitting in that mid-230s range, while MIL–WAS and HOU–UTH sit closer to 232.5. A couple of spreads do hint at potential blowouts, like DEN –11.5 over DAL and DET –9.5 over ATL, but there are enough competitive spots to keep things interesting. Most of the injuries that are worth monitoring today involve lower-usage starters or role players, so the majority of star-level players should be on the court this evening. Still, it’s always worth staying plugged into the latest news and lineups as they drop! Let’s get down to business. 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 Be sure to stay up-to-date on all injury news leading up to tip-off as the list below may be a bit outdated by the time you’re reading this.}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. 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.}

• Bucks: G. Antetokounmpo - Probable, G. Trent Jr. - Questionable

• Wizards: A. Sarr - OUT, C. Kispert - OUT, T. Johnson - OUT

• Hawks: T. Young - OUT, K. Porzingis - Questionable

• Pistons: J. Duren - Probable, D. Robinson - Questionable, C. LeVert - Probable

• Cavs: D. Garland - OUT, J. Allen - OUT, L. Ball - OUT, S. Merrill - OUT, L. Nance Jr. - OUT

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

• Hornets: T. Mann - Questionable, P. Connaughton - OUT

• Nets: C. Thomas - OUT, T. Mann - OUT

• Bulls: C. White - Doubtful, J. Smith - OUT, I. Okoro - OUT, D. Terry - Doubtful, J. Phillips - Questionable

• Magic: P. Banchero - OUT

• Clippers: B. Bogdanovic - OUT, D. Jones Jr. - OUT

• Heat: J. Jaquez Jr. - Questionable, K. Johnson - Questionable

Late Game Injury Report (FanDuel Main Slate Only)

• Rockets: T. Eason - OUT

• Jazz: K. Love - Questionable

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

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

• Suns: J. Green - OUT, R. Dunn - Probable, I. Livers - OUT

• Lakers: L. James - Questionable, D. Ayton - Questionable, M. Smart - 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 James Harden, LAC | DK: $9.8k, FD: $9.8k | at MIA

Harden has turned back the clock this season, putting up 27.7 PPG -- his highest scoring mark since his Houston days in 2019–20. He’s attacking the rim, getting to the line almost at will, and has stacked back-to-back point–assist double-doubles while carrying a massive share of the Clippers’ offense. He owns an elite 31.9% USG% on the season, and that has bumped up to an even stronger 35.5% USG% over the last five games, which is encouraging considering that Kawhi Leonard returned to the lineup four games ago. With the Heat leading the NBA in pace, everyone they play is going to be in a pace-up spot. But the Clippers currently rank 28th in pace, so this is a massive pace-up environment for them, specifically. That extra tempo creates more possessions and fantasy scoring opportunities, which is exactly what you want when paying for a high-usage guard like Harden. He’ll also draw an excellent individual matchup, with Miami ranking 27th in DvP against starting point guards. With a $9,800 tag on both DK and FD, Harden is pricey, but still a bit too cheap for the sort of production and ceiling he has displayed in recent weeks.

PG Jalen Suggs, ORL | DK: $7k, FD: $6.6k | vs. CHI

Suggs has quietly been one of the steadiest guards on the board out of the mid-range salary tier, posting 30+ DKFP in six straight while averaging 34.9 DKFP/gm in that span. He’s been especially strong at home, where his production has taken a noticeable jump this season (+18.4% more FPPG at home), and he’ll once again benefit from Paolo Banchero being out. With Banchero off the floor, Suggs naturally takes on more scoring and playmaking responsibility, and his shot volume becomes more secure. This matchup with Chicago also carries the highest total on the slate at 239.5, and the Magic lead all teams with a 124.0 implied team total. The Magic (13th in pace) play at an above-average tempo already, but the Bulls (2nd in pace) will force them into an even faster pace and more possessions. Finally, Suggs draws a strong matchup as Chicago checks in at 23rd in DvP versus starting point guards. It all adds up to make Suggs a strong mid-range play on this Monday slate.

PG Egor Demin, BKN | DK: $4.4k, FD: $4.5k | vs. CHA

Brooklyn hasn’t had much go right this season, but Demin has been one of the few bright spots in an otherwise rough start. He’s coming off the best game of his rookie campaign on Sunday against the 76ers, where he filled the box score with 23 points, nine boards, five assists, two blocks, and a steal for 48.8 DKFP. With PG Cam Thomas still sidelined and SG Terance Mann (ribs/out) set to miss his first game of the season, there’s plenty of usage and shot volume available in the Nets’ backcourt, and Demin should be able to take advantage of the expanded role. He should be in line for around 30 minutes again tonight, and the matchup is very manageable. Charlotte sits 24th in DEFRTG and is dead last in DvP versus starting point guards. Demin is also another player who has excelled at home, where he has posted +30.7% more FPPG. Even though Brooklyn sits on the lower end of the implied totals tonight at 111.0, Demin’s role and price tag keep him firmly in play as a reliable salary-saver.

Other Guards to Consider

PG Cade Cunningham, DET vs. ATL

PG Josh Giddey, CHI at ORL

SG Donovan Mitchell, CLE at IND

SG Desmond Bane, ORL vs. CHI

SG Nickeil Alexander-Walker, ATL at DET

SG Kyshawn George, WAS vs. MIL

PG Kevin Porter Jr., MIL at WAS

PG/SG Anthony Black, ORL vs. CHI

SG/SF Ayo Dosunmu, CHI at ORL (Assuming he starts)

PG TJ McConnell, IND vs. CLE

PG/SG Tyrese Martin, BKN vs. CHA

SG Kris Dunn, LAC at MIA

PG Craig Porter Jr., CLE at IND

FanDuel Main Slate Only

PG Luka Doncic, LAL vs. PHX (Boost if LeBron is out)

PG/SG Jamal Murray, DEN vs. DAL

PG/SG Reed Sheppard, HOU at UTA

PG Ryan Nembhard, DAL at DEN (Preferred if starting again - Boost if B. Williams is out)

SG/SF Bruce Brown, DEN vs. DAL

Small Forwards/Power Forwards to Consider 🏀

PF Evan Mobley, CLE | DK: $8.5k, FD: $8.9k | at IND

With Jarrett Allen sidelined again, Mobley should operate as the Cavs’ primary center tonight, which actually helps his individual matchup. Indiana has been notably weaker against opposing 5s than 4s, and they rank 25th in PPG allowed in the paint and 22nd in Rebounding% -- both strong indicators for another productive night from Mobley. Darius Garland and a trio of Cavs’ role players (L. Ball, S. Merrill, L. Nance Jr.) have also been ruled out, giving Mobley an extra usage bump on top of the role shift. He has already taken advantage of recent teammate absences. With Allen missing four of the last five, Mobley has averaged a 20.2 PPG, 11.0 RPG double-double with 2.6 stocks (steals + blocks) per game, and his per-minute rate has climbed to 1.35 FPPM in that stretch (up from 1.24 FPPM on the season). He has four double-doubles in his last five games, and the workload plus matchup should keep him firmly in that range again tonight. Sub-$9k price points on both sites, with plenty of 50+ FP potential, make Mobley a great high-end forward target on this slate.

SF Brandon Miller, CHA | DK: $6.4k, FD: $6.6k | at BKN

Miller is good to go tonight after taking a hard fall in his last outing, and he doesn’t carry an injury designation heading into tonight’s matchup. He did return to the game after the fall but never got settled, finishing with only 25 minutes and an ice-cold 1-for-13 shooting line. Prior to that, he had looked sharp coming off his earlier injury absence, averaging 22.0 points and 35.4 DKFP across his previous three contests. He’s sitting at a career-best 29.7% USG% this season after averaging 21.0 PPG last year, so his offensive role remains strong. Charlotte continues to lean heavily on its young core, and Miller remains one of their primary scoring options even when the roster is mostly healthy. The matchup adds another boost -- Brooklyn ranks 29th in DEFRTG and struggles against wings, sitting dead last in DvP against starting small forwards. It’s a great spot for Miller to get back on track and return to his typical workload and production.

SF/SG Jaylon Tyson, CLE | DK: $4.8k, FD: $5.2k | at IND

We’ll go back to the shorthanded Cavs for some potential value with Jaylon Tyson. Presumably, Tyson will be back in the starting lineup tonight. He has posted at least 29.5 DKFP in four of his last five games as a starter, averaging a respectable 1.02 FPPM in that span. Tyson projects for 31.0 minutes this evening, which opens a pathway to 6x (or better) upside. Both teams in this matchup also rank in the top 10 in pace, so expect plenty of possessions and fantasy scoring opportunities in this one.

Other Forwards to Consider

PF Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL at WAS

PF Jalen Johnson, ATL at DET

PF Pascal Siakam, IND vs. CLE

SF Michael Porter Jr., BKN vs. CHA

SF Kawhi Leonard, LAC at MIA

PF Noah Clowney, BKN vs. CHA

PF Tobias Harris, DET vs. ATL

PF/C Jay Huff, IND vs. CLE (Preferred if starting again)

PF Khris Middleton, WAS vs. MIL

PF Justin Champagnie, WAS vs. MIL

FanDuel Main Slate Only

SF/PF Kevin Durant, HOU at UTA

SF/PG/SG Cooper Flagg, DAL at DEN (Boost if Washington and/or Williams are out)

PF Peyton Watson, DEN vs. DAL

Centers to Consider 🏀

C Ivica Zubac, LAC | DK: $8k, FD: $7.7k | at MIA

Zubac is building on last year’s breakout season and continues to be a steady force for the Clippers, averaging 16.4 PPG and 11.5 RPG while shooting an efficient 60.2% from the field. Those numbers have ticked up to 17.8 PPG and 12.0 RPG over his last five -- so Kawhi Leonard’s return to the lineup four games ago seemingly hasn’t had a negative impact on Zubac’s production. He’s logged double-doubles in seven of his last nine games and has been one of the more reliable fantasy producers at the center position. The matchup looks better than it might appear at first glance. Even with Bam Adebayo anchoring the middle as a strong defensive presence, Miami has struggled statistically on the interior -- they’re 23rd in PPG allowed in the paint, 24th in Rebounding%, and check in at 24th in DvP versus starting centers. Zubac had an 18-rebound performance against the Heat a month ago and fell a single point shy of recording a double-double. With the Clippers operating in a massive pace-up spot and Zubac locked into a stable role, this sets up as another strong opportunity for him to rack up efficient production and push for another double-double.

C Marvin Bagley III, WAS | DK: $3.5k, FD: $4k | vs. MIL

Alex Sarr (thigh/out) will be sidelined tonight, so that sets up for another spot start for Marvin Bagley III. In a largely reserve role this season, Bagley has posted a solid 1.09 FPPM. When Sarr missed his first game of the season on Nov. 19th, Bagley stepped in to a 31-minute workload and supplied 13 points, seven boards, three assists, three steals, and a block -- good for 33.2 DKFP. Bagley has also missed a few recent games with a hip issue, so expecting another 30-minute workload may be a stretch. However, even mid-20s minutes should be enough for him to pay off this salary, given his per-minute efficiency. He’s going to be incredibly popular, and the matchup isn’t great (MIL: 7th versus starting centers), so, if you want to roll the dice on fading him in hopes that this “Bagley chalk night” ends up being a bust, I wouldn’t blame you. But given his role and price tags, there’s also a very real chance he ends up in the optimal lineup, so fading him comes with plenty of risk.

Other Centers to Consider

C Jalen Duren, DET vs. ATL

C Bam Adebayo, MIA vs. LAC

C Nic Claxton, BKN vs. CHA

C Wendell Carter Jr. ORL vs. CHI

C Giga Bitadze, ORL vs. CHI

C Tristan Vukcevic, WAS vs. MIL

FanDuel Main Slate Only

C Nikola Jokic, DEN vs. DAL

C Deandre Ayton, LAL vs. PHX (Currently questionable)

C Steven Adams, HOU at UTA

C Jaxson Hayes, LAL vs. PHX (Only if Ayton is 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/X or in LineStar chat @Ryan_Humphries. Good luck everyone!