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 light one on tap tonight, with a five-game Tuesday slate on both DraftKings and FanDuel. Both sites are excluding the very late 11 pm ET Thunder–Warriors matchup, so all of our DFS attention stays focused on the early and mid-evening windows. Only five games, but there’s still plenty to work with, including a few fairly high-total games and a mix of competitive spots and at least one potential blowout with Philly currently sitting as 13.5-point home favorites over Washington.

The injury report is busy enough to matter, especially at the top. Joel Embiid is out, Victor Wembanyama remains sidelined, RJ Barrett and OG Anunoby won’t suit up, and the Wizards, Pelicans, and Spurs all have multiple absences to account for. Philadelphia also has several questionable tags attached to key players, so that will be one of the more important situations to monitor as lock approaches. It’s a smaller slate, which means news will condense value quickly whenever an unexpected starter pops. Stay plugged in, keep an eye on those Q-tags, and let’s get to 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 Be sure to stay up-to-date on all injury news leading up to tip-off as the list below may be a bit outdated by the time you’re reading this.}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. 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.}

• Wizards: A. Sarr - OUT, K. George - Questionable, K. Middleton - OUT, C. Kispert - OUT, T. Johnson - OUT

• 76ers: J. Embiid - OUT, Q. Grimes - Questionable, P. George - Questionable, A. Drummond - Questionable, K. Oubre Jr. - OUT, T. Watford - OUT

• Trailblazers: J. Holiday - OUT, D. Clingan - Questionable

• Raptors: RJ Barrett - OUT

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

• Celtics: None

• Grizzlies: J. Morant - OUT, J. Landale - Questionable

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

• Timberwolves: None

• Pelicans: J. Poole - OUT, H. Jones - OUT, Y. Missi - Questionable, K. Matkovic - 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 Tyrese Maxey, PHI | DK: $9.9k, FD: $10.4k | vs. WAS

Maxey is coming off a monster 66.25 DKFP outing against Atlanta and draws another prime setup tonight against the Wizards. Washington ranks dead last in DEFRTG, 5th in pace, and 29th in DvP versus starting PGs, so this is about as favorable a spot as you’ll get for a high-usage guard. Even with Joel Embiid ruled out and several other players either out or questionable, the Sixers still carry the highest implied team total on the slate at 124.5 points, which speaks to how soft this matchup truly is. Whenever Philly has pushed past 120 points this season, Maxey has generally smashed. Everything lines up for another ceiling-type performance, especially if the Wizards keep things fairly competitive while forcing Maxey to play his usual monster minutes (40.7 minutes/gm). He’s been terrific all year, averaging 54.9 DKFP with a career-best 30.2% USG%, and he checks in with the slate’s top LineStar and consensus projection by a comfortable margin. There’s also additional upside if either Paul George or Quentin Grimes (both questionable) sit, as Maxey would take on an even heavier offensive burden. He’s averaged an outstanding 1.69 FPPM with Embiid, Oubre, George, and Grimes off the floor this season (Drummond and Watford are also questionable, but their statuses shouldn’t affect Maxey’s role much).

PG/SG Miles McBride, NYK | DK: $5.2k, FD: $4.9k | at BOS

With OG Anunoby and Landry Shamet still out, McBride continues to log a heavy workload for the Knicks. Over his last three games, he’s averaged 35.8 minutes -- second-most on the team in that span -- and has turned that opportunity into 28.3 DKFP per game. His per-minute production isn’t anything special, but this level of opportunity is tough to overlook at these price points. The matchup isn’t exactly a pace booster, with Boston sitting dead last in pace, but the spread is the narrowest on the slate at just 1.5 points, and the 231.5 over/under is still solid. At his low-$5k salary on DK and sub-$5k on FD, and with a very real chance at 35-40 minutes again tonight, that kind of volume puts him firmly in range to deliver 6x value or better.

PG/SG Jared McCain, PHI | DK: $4.2k, FD: $4.3k | vs. WAS

Pending further injury news, there isn’t a ton of readily available value at the guard positions on this slate. But Jared McCain is one guy worth considering. After getting a late jump on the season and needing a stint in the G-League to knock some rust off after missing much of last season, the second-year guard has logged at least 25 minutes in four straight games. The minutes uptick could be due to VJ Edgecombe missing three games in that span, but McCain also played 28 minutes in the 76ers’ last game, which Edgecombe was available for. If you recall, McCain was an early ROTY candidate a season ago and, whether it’s as an eventual starter or if he keeps providing a spark off the bench, his role should continue to grow for Philly as the season progresses. He’s averaging a respectable 0.88 FPPM over his last five games, and he could be in line for a usage bump if either George or Grimes is ruled out. The Wizards have also ranked dead last versus reserves/bench players this season. And, while he could pick up some additional run in potential garbage time (PHI -13.5), McCain has also closed games with most of the starters in the fourth quarter in some of these recent games.

Other Guards to Consider

SG Anthony Edwards, MIN at NOP

SG Brandon Ingram, TOR vs. POR

PG/SG Derrick White, BOS vs. NYK

PG Immanuel Quickley, TOR vs. POR

PG/SG Quentin Grimes, PHI vs. WAS (Currently questionable - Boost if George is out)

PG/SG Vince Williams Jr., MEM at SAS

SG/SF Kris Murray, POR at TOR (Boost if starting again)

Small Forwards/Power Forwards to Consider 🏀

SF Jaylen Brown, BOS | DK: $9.3k, FD: $9.2k | vs. NYK

Brown has been on a tear with Jayson Tatum sidelined for the season, stepping into a true No. 1 role for Boston. He’s carrying a massive 35.3% USG% (3rd highest in NBA) this season and has turned that into 45.9 DKFP per game while shooting an efficient 49% from the field. His recent run has been even stronger, clearing 54 DKFP in four straight and consistently flashing the type of ceiling you want when paying up at forward. Tonight’s matchup against the Knicks should bring out the best in him. As previously noted, the spread is just 1.5 points, and with the game expected to stay tight, Brown is set up for another heavy workload in a high-pressure spot at home. Given his recent form, role, and efficiency, he’s one of the top high-end forward options on the slate and carries legitimate 60-plus FP upside, despite the fact that the Knicks have ranked 2nd in DvP versus SFs this season.

SF/PF Saddiq Bey, NOP | DK: $6.6k, FD: $6.9k | vs. MIN

It’s pretty tough to ignore the run that Saddiq Bey has been on. Over his last five starts, he has poured in 19.8 PPG, 10.4 RPG, 3.2 APG, and 2.0 STL+BLK/gm across 34.3 minutes/gm while averaging 1.28 FPPM and 43.8 DKFP/42.5 FDFP per game. I highly doubt he’ll be able to sustain this form long-term, but we’ll ride the hot hand for the time being. The Timberwolves haven’t been particularly strong versus small forwards, and if the Pelicans (+10.5 underdogs) wish to pull off the upset, or at least stay competitive, Bey will need to chip in another impactful performance.

SF/PF Keldon Johnson, SAS | DK: $5.5k, FD: $5.3k | vs. MEM

With Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle still out, Johnson continues to benefit from a larger workload. Even in a bench role, he’s averaged 32.2 DKFP across 26.6 minutes over his last six without those two, producing a strong 1.20 FPPM with a 21.2% usage rate. That per-minute efficiency has helped him stay highly DFS viable even without starter-level minutes. He also returns home after a four-game road swing, which matters since Johnson has consistently posted better numbers in San Antonio over the last couple of seasons. Memphis has struggled to contain opposing forwards, particularly second-unit wings (MEM: 24th versus bench forwards), and Johnson’s role without Wemby and Castle gives him a clear path to 30-plus fantasy points, which would be quality production at these mid-$5k salaries on both DK and FD.

Other Forwards to Consider

PF Deni Avdija, POR at TOR

PF Julius Randle, MIN at NOP

SF/SG Josh Hart, NYK at BOS

SF Mikal Bridges, NYK at BOS

SF Devin Vassell, SAS vs. MEM

SF/SG Julian Champagnie, SAS vs. MEM

SF Toumani Camara, POR at TOR

PF/C Dominick Barlow, PHI vs. WAS

PF Cam Whitmore, WAS at PHI

PF Justin Champagnie, WAS at PHI (Boost if starting)

Centers to Consider 🏀

C Zach Edey, MEM | DK: $7.2k, FD: $7.2k | at SAS

Edey absolutely shredded the Kings on Sunday, exploding for 62.25 DKFP with a dominant double-double (32 points, 17 rebounds, and five blocks). That performance didn’t exactly come out of nowhere either. He’s now posted 44+ DKFP in three of his last five starts and continues to lead Memphis in per-minute efficiency at an impressive 1.40 FPPM on the season and 1.51 FPPM over his last five. With Ja Morant still out and backup center Jock Landale questionable, Edey should be locked into another 30-plus minute role tonight… especially if Landale isn’t available. The matchup also checks a lot of boxes. San Antonio has taken a clear step back defensively without Victor Wembanyama, ranking 21st in DEFRTG since Wemby went down with his calf injury in mid-November, and opposing centers have been able to generate strong scoring and rebounding lines against the Spurs frontcourt. At identical $7,200 salaries on both sites, Edey feels a tad underpriced for the kind of ceiling he has shown recently.

C Marvin Bagley III, WAS | DK: $3.6k, FD: $4.3k | at PHI

If Bagley picks up another start for Alex Sarr, he immediately becomes one of the top salary-savers on the slate. He drew the start last night against Milwaukee and delivered 33.5 DKFP in 29 minutes despite the tough matchup, and that mirrors what he did the last time he filled in for Sarr, when he posted 33.25 DKFP in 31 minutes vs. Minnesota on Nov. 19th. Bagley has quietly been very effective on a per-minute basis this season at 1.20 FPPM, so whenever he lands in that 26 to 30 minute range (he’s projected for 27.0 minutes tonight), the path to 6x (or better) value is right there at these price tags, which have barely moved since yesterday. With Embiid out, the matchup softens considerably, and the Sixers sit 19th in DEFRTG and a subpar 17th in DvP versus starting centers. If Bagley is confirmed as the starter again, he’s the most obvious punt play available on both sites.

Other Centers to Consider

C Donovan Clingan, POR at TOR (Currently questionable)

C Rudy Gobert, MIN at NOP

C Jakob Poeltl, TOR vs. POR

C Neemias Queta, BOS vs. NYK

C Robert Williams, POR at TOR (Boost if Clingan is out)

C Adem Bona, PHI vs. WAS (Preferred if Drummond is out)

C Tristan Vukcevic, WAS at PHI

🔥 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!