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

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DFS Main Slate Rundown 📰

Friday finally brings us a more substantial main slate after the run of bite-sized schedules earlier this week. DraftKings rolls out a six-gamer, while FanDuel adds a seventh with the late Timberwolves–Warriors matchup. We’ve got a handful of appealing environments to target, including multiple games carrying totals north of 240, and several others that should offer concentrated usage due to injuries. Speaking of which, the injury report is fairly lengthy, even though most of these guys have had 5+ days off! But for the most part, things are manageable – most key players with injury designations are already tagged as out or probable, with only a couple of true swing pieces still listed as questionable. With a deeper slate, stronger value pockets, and more lineup paths than we’ve had in days, tonight should feel much closer to a “normal” NBA DFS slate. Let’s dive in. 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 Be sure to stay up-to-date on all injury news leading up to tip-off as the list below may be a bit outdated by the time you’re reading this.}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.}

• Bulls: C. White - Probable, A. Dosunmu - OUT, T. Jones - Probable, K. Huerter - OUT, J. Smith - Probable, I. Okoro - Probable, Z. Collins - Probable

• Hornets: L. Ball - OUT, C. Sexton - OUT, M. Diabate - Probable, T. Mann - OUT, P. Connaughton - OUT

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

• Pistons: None

• Pacers: A. Nesmith - OUT, Q. Jackson - Questionable, B. Sheppard - OUT

• 76ers: T. Maxey - Questionable, J. Embiid - Probable, K. Oubre Jr. - OUT, T. Watford - OUT

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

• Wizards: A. Sarr - OUT, B. Coulibaly - OUT, K. Middleton - OUT, C. Kispert - OUT, M. Branham - OUT

• Jazz: None

• Grizzlies: J. Morant - Probable, Z. Edey - OUT, J. Konchar - OUT, J. Small - OUT

• Nets: C. Thomas - OUT

• Mavs: D. Gafford - Doubtful, D. Lively II - OUT, D. Russell - Questionable

Late Game Injury Report (FanDuel Main Slate Only)

• Timberwolves: A. Edwards - OUT, M. Conley - OUT

• Warriors: D. Green - OUT, A. Horford - OUT, T. Jackson-Davis - 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 Cade Cunningham, DET | DK: $10.8k, FD: $10.5k | vs. ATL

The 19-5 Pistons sit atop the Eastern Conference, and Cade Cunningham’s consistency has been a major driver of their success. After a somewhat slow start to the season, he has settled into a strong rhythm since November began and has repeatedly flashed the elite DFS ceiling we expect from a five-figure point guard. He’s also been noticeably more productive at home, where he’s averaging +15.5% more FPPG. Across 10 home games, Cunningham has posted a points–assists double-double (27.4 PPG/10.1 APG) with 6.6 RPG and an eye-catching 3.3 STL+BLK/gm. Those defensive stats fall off sharply on the road (1.4 STL+BLK/gm), which only strengthens his appeal in this spot at home. The matchup also lines up well. Atlanta ranks third-worst in FPPG allowed to opposing point guards over the last 20 games, and both teams sit inside the top 12 in pace, setting up a possession-rich environment. Given the busy injury report, which should open up some quality value, we shouldn’t have much trouble paying the premium for Cunningham, who profiles as one of the most logical high-end spends on Friday.

PG Darius Garland, CLE | DK: $6.4k, FD: $6.6k | at WAS

Garland has struggled to find his rhythm early in the season, both due to limited availability and inefficient shooting (35.3% FG%, 32.1% from three). The per-minute production has dipped accordingly (0.97 FPPM), but this is exactly the type of matchup that can jolt his numbers back in the right direction. Washington has been one of the softest defensive matchups in basketball, sporting a league-worst 123.8 DEFRTG, and this results in Cleveland carrying the highest implied team total on the slate at 129.5 points. Garland also logged his best DFS performance of the year the last time he faced this Wizards squad, putting up 39.0 DKFP in just 28 minutes on Nov. 7th – his second game back from injury. At these mid-$6k salaries, Garland offers an attractive blend of affordability, matchup, and bounce-back potential.

PG KJ Simpson, CHA | DK: $4.5k, FD: $5.2k | vs. CHI

Charlotte is extremely thin at point guard tonight with LaMelo Ball, Tre Mann, and Collin Sexton all ruled out, which should lock Simpson into a sizable workload. He’s already played 28+ minutes in his last two games, and his 0.93 FPPM production on the year suggests he can continue to pay off these low salaries while being projected for around 30 minutes this evening. The matchup also works heavily in his favor – Charlotte (24th in pace) gets a major pace-up spot against Chicago (2nd in pace) – and Simpson posted one of his best games of last season against these same Bulls, logging 36.75 DKFP in 32 minutes in a late-season start. Charlotte is also only a 2.5-point home underdog in this one, so the books are expecting this game to stay close and competitive. Simpson is a bit more appealing at his $4,500 tag on DraftKings, but he’s still a viable value on FanDuel as well.

Other Guards to Consider

PG Tyrese Maxey, PHI vs. IND (Currently questionable)

SG Donovan Mitchell, CLE at WAS

PG Keyonte George, UTA at MEM

SG Cooper Flagg, DAL vs. BKN

PG Andrew Nembhard, IND at PHI

SG Kon Knueppel, CHA vs. CHI

SG VJ Edgecombe, PHI vs. IND (Preferred if Maxey is out)

PG Ryan Nembhard, DAL vs. BKN

PG Bub Carrington, WAS vs. CLE (Preferred if starting again)

PG/SG Jared McCain, PHI vs. IND (Preferred if Maxey is out)

PG Brandon Williams, DAL vs. BKN

PG/SG Walter Clayton Jr., UTA at MEM

FanDuel Main Slate Only

PG/SG Donte DiVincenzo, MIN at GSW

Small Forwards/Power Forwards to Consider 🏀

PF Jalen Johnson, ATL | DK: $10.6k, FD: $10.8k | at DET

Jalen Johnson is on an absurd heater right now. Over his last five games, he’s averaged a 30-point triple-double line (30.0 PPG, 13.8 RPG, 10.8 APG) while producing at 1.75 FPPM – per-minute production territory typically only reserved for guys like Nikola Jokic or Victor Wembanyama. He’s kept Atlanta competitive in Trae Young’s extended absence, and with Kristaps Porzingis also sidelined tonight, Johnson’s offensive and playmaking responsibilities remain sky-high. In the minutes with both Young and Porzingis off the floor this season, Johnson leads the Hawks with a 28.0% USG% and 1.51 FPPM, reinforcing that this role is very real. We shouldn’t expect another 70+ DKFP eruption (as he has done in four of the last five), but Johnson’s all-around production gives him one of the most reliable ceilings – and floors – on the slate. He’s also already posted 56.0 DKFP and 57.2 DKFP in two earlier meetings with Detroit, so the matchup should again work in his favor. One of the safest and strongest pay-ups available.

SF Brandon Miller, CHA | DK: $6.7k, FD: $6.5k | vs. CHI

Brandon Miller sets up as a strong mid-range play from a Hornets team missing three of its primary ball-handlers (Ball, Sexton, Mann). Minutes have been inconsistent for him early in his career, but the per-minute production has quietly been solid at 1.06 FPPM this season, and the role expands meaningfully in the context of injuries. With those three guards off the floor, Miller has operated with a massive 35.0% USG%, which is a rarity for anyone priced in the mid-$6k range. He’s projected to settle into around 31-32 minutes this evening, and this matchup brings a clear pace-up environment with Chicago ranking second in pace on the season (as a reminder, Charlotte is 24th in pace). Miller dropped his best DFS score (42.75 DKFP) of the season against this same Bulls team a couple of weeks ago, and he’ll have more 40+ FP upside again tonight.

PF/C Santi Aldama, MEM | DK: $5.6k, FD: $5.9k | vs. UTA

With Zach Edey sidelined, Santi Aldama becomes one of the more intriguing sub-$6k forwards on the slate. He’s been an efficient producer all season at 1.15 FPPM, and even a small bump in workload goes a long way at that rate. The last time Edey essentially missed a game (logging just six minutes on Nov. 24th), Aldama stepped into a 33-minute role and delivered 36.0 DKFP, which is right in the sweet spot of what you’d hope for at these price points. The matchup also sets up well. Utah ranks 4th in pace, 29th in DEFRTG, and 28th in DvP versus PF reserves, and Aldama’s ability to contribute across points, boards, and defensive stats gives him multiple paths to hitting 6x (or better) value.

Other Forwards to Consider

PF/C Evan Mobley, CLE at WAS

SF Michael Porter Jr. BKN at DAL

PF Miles Bridges, CHA vs. CHI

SF/SG Jaylon Tyson, CLE at WAS

PF Paul George, PHI vs. IND (Major boost if Maxey is out)

PF Noah Clowney, BKN at DAL

SF Ace Bailey, UTA at MEM

SF Jaylen Wells, MEM vs. UTA

SF/PF Justin Champagnie, WAS vs. CLE

SF Isaac Okoro, CHI at CHA

PF Tidjane Salaun, CHA vs. CHI

FanDuel Main Slate Only

PF Julius Randle, MIN at GSW

SF/PF Jaden McDaniels, MIN at GSW

PF/C Naz Reid, MIN at GSW

PF/C Trayce Jackson-Davis, GSW vs. MIN

Centers to Consider 🏀

C Joel Embiid, PHI | DK: $7.1k, FD: $7k | vs. IND

The much-maligned Joel Embiid has played only nine games this season, but he’s still been quite effective when active, averaging 1.32 FPPM across 25.1 minutes per game. With five full days of rest since the 76ers last played, he’s projected to push toward 30 minutes tonight, which makes him an appealing option at these $7.1k/$7k price points. The matchup is also a strong one: Indiana allows the 9th-most PPG in the paint, ranks 25th in Rebounding%, and has given up the 10th-most FPPG to centers over their last 20 games. Embiid could also see a meaningful usage bump if Tyrese Maxey (illness) sits. Maxey was downgraded from probable to questionable earlier today – often a bad sign for a player’s chances to suit up. If he’s ruled out, we may very well see Embiid tap into the sort of dominant near-40% usage rate that he would often reach in his prime, which was not too long ago.

C Jock Landale, MEM | DK: $3.7k, FD: $4.2k | vs. UTA

Landale profiles as one of the strongest value plays on the entire slate with Zach Edey ruled out. He should step in as Memphis’s starting center and push for 25-30 minutes, which is more than enough for him to matter at these near-minimum salary tiers. Landale has been a perfectly serviceable per-minute contributor this season (1.01 FPPM) and has shown he can rack up rebounds and putbacks when given an expanded role. The pricing is simply too low for a projected starting center, and the matchup is certainly workable – Utah has ranked 21st in DvP versus starting centers this season. He’ll be chalky tonight, no doubt, but he also has one of the highest chances to end the evening as an optimal play.

Other Centers to Consider

C Onyeka Okongwu, ATL at DET

C Nikola Vucevic, CHI at CHA

C Nic Claxton, BKN at DAL

C Marvin Bagley III, WAS vs. CLE

C Ryan Kalkbrenner, CHA vs. CHI

C Day’Ron Sharpe, BKN at DAL

FanDuel Main Slate Only

C Rudy Gobert, MIN at GSW

C Quinten Post, GSW vs. MIN

🔥 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!