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

NBA DFS Today w/ Tyler Wiemann

🏀Tyler’s NBA (and other sports) prop bets can be found on the LineStar YouTube Shorts page!🏀

DFS Main Slate Rundown 📰

An active trade deadline comes to a close this afternoon, and with the dust still settling, we’re tasked with navigating a six-game Thursday main slate. On the surface, the matchups aren’t especially appealing – four games carry spreads of at least 8.5 points, and only one contest checks in with an over/under north of 230.5. The trade activity adds another layer of complexity, as several teams across the league (not necessarily on this slate) are effectively starting from scratch when it comes to how minutes, usage, and rotations will shake out with the new additions and departures. The next couple of weeks will be extra tricky for NBA DFS, but we’re up for the challenge. Best of luck!

Latest NBA Trade Reports

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 Be sure to stay up-to-date on all injury news leading up to tip-off as the list below may be a bit outdated by the time you’re reading this.}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.}

Reminder: Keep an eye out for the availability of recently traded players!

• Nets: C. Thomas – OUT, O. Agbaji – OUT

• Magic: F. Wagner – OUT

• Wizards: A. Davis – OUT, T. Young – OUT, T. Johnson – OUT, J. Hardy – OUT, D. Russell – OUT

• Pistons: C. Cunningham – Questionable, T. Harris – Questionable

• Jazz: K. George – OUT, J. Jackson Jr. – OUT, V. Williams Jr. – OUT, K. Love – Questionable, J. Konchar – OUT

• Hawks: O. Okongwu – Questionable, K. Porzingis – OUT (traded), L. Kennard – OUT (traded), D. Reath – OUT

• Bulls: J. Giddey – OUT, A. Dosunmu – OUT (traded), T. Jones – OUT, A. Simons – Questionable, C. Sexton – Questionable, J. Ivey – Probable, Z. Collins – OUT, D. Terry – OUT (traded), J. Phillips – OUT (traded), D. Saric – OUT

• Raptors: RJ Barrett – OUT, J. Poeltl – OUT

• Hornets: C. White – Questionable, M. Conley – Questionable, T. Jones – OUT (traded), T. Salaun – Questionable

• Rockets: T. Eason – Questionable, J. Tate – OUT

• Spurs: L. Kornet – OUT, D. Harper – Questionable, K. Olynyk – Questionable, L. Waters III – OUT, J. Sochan – OUT

• Mavs: PJ Washington – OUT, B. Williams – Questionable, D. Gafford – Questionable, K. Middleton – Questionable, M. Bagley III – Questionable, AJ Johnson – Questionable, M. Branham – OUT (traded)

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/SF Cooper Flagg, DAL | DK: $8.7k, FD: $9.5k | vs. SAS

After trading away Anthony Davis, the Mavs are clearly prioritizing building around Flagg going forward, and his recent play has backed that thought process up in a big way. Over his last three games, the 19-year-old has averaged 63.4 DKFP per game while producing at an elite 1.67 FPPM, fueled by massive minutes and a usage profile that continues to expand. He’s coming off three straight ceiling performances, including a 70 DKFP outburst against Charlotte and back-to-back 60-point DKFP efforts versus Houston and Boston, showing just how high his upside can climb. The matchup also works in his favor, as San Antonio has allowed the most FPPG to starting PGs over their last 20 games, and Flagg carries the flexibility to handle significant on-ball duties in this spot. His previous matchup with the Spurs was a dud, but that came in his NBA debut, and it’s clear he’s operating at a completely different level now. While the floor isn’t quite as bankable as some veteran spend-ups, Flagg’s combination of role, minutes, and raw upside makes him a very real slate-breaking candidate.

PG Isaiah Collier, UTA | DK: $6.9k, FD: $7.4k | at ATL

Collier steps back into a featured role with Keyonte George sidelined for a third straight game, and the outlook remains very appealing even with his DFS salaries on the rise. He’s averaged a solid 1.18 FPPM over his last five games as a starter and is coming off a massive performance Tuesday, where he dished out 22 assists while piling up 62.75 DKFP against Indiana. It’s worth noting, Collier played all 48 minutes of that contest on a night where Utah ran with just a seven-man rotation. That level of production is unlikely to repeat, but the usage, facilitating, and minutes outlook remain strong with Utah continuing to lean on him as a primary creator. This game also stands out as the best DFS environment on the slate, carrying a slate-high 244.5 total with both teams ranking top three in pace. Even with his salary climbing, Collier still profiles as a strong guard option given the role security, tempo, and all-around production he brings to the table.

PG Yuki Kawamura, CHI | DK: $3.6k, FD: $3.8k | at TOR

Chicago’s backcourt is in complete flux following a wave of deadline moves, and Kawamura is one of the few guards with a clearly defined role right now. With Josh Giddey and Tre Jones both out and Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu traded away, the Bulls are thin on proven ball-handlers, which has already pushed Kawamura into meaningful minutes. He’s played 27 and 26 minutes in his last two games, averaging 24.1 DKFP while contributing across the board as a scorer, rebounder, and facilitator. The roles for newly acquired guards like Anfernee Simons, Jaden Ivey, and Collin Sexton remain unclear, and it’s possible not all of them are fully integrated or even active tonight. Until that backcourt rotation settles, Kawamura stands out as a strong salary-saving option who could be asked to handle a sizable workload at a near-minimum price.

Other Guards to Consider

PG Cade Cunningham, DET vs. WAS (Currently questionable)

SG Brandon Ingram, TOR vs. CHI

PG LaMelo Ball, CHA at HOU

SG Kyshawn George, WAS at DET

PG/SG Dyson Daniels, ATL vs. UTA

PG Immanuel Quickley, TOR vs. CHI

SG/SF Nickeil Alexander-Walker, ATL vs. UTA

SG Stephon Castle, SAS at DAL (Boost if Harper is out)

PG/SG CJ McCollum, ATL vs. UTA

PG Jalen Suggs, ORL vs. BKN

PG/SG Anfernee Simons, CHI at TOR (Pending availability – Boost if starting)

PG Daniss Jenkins, DET vs. WAS (Preferred if Cunningham is out)

PG/SG Jaden Ivey, CHI at TOR (Boost if starting)

Small Forwards/Power Forwards to Consider 🏀

PF Jalen Johnson, ATL | DK: $10.5k, FD: $11k | vs. UTA

Atlanta’s offense continues to run directly through Johnson, and Thursday sets up as one of the most appealing spots he could hope for. Johnson leads the entire player pool in both LineStar and consensus projections and carries one of the safest workloads among all high-end options. Johnson has been stuffing the stat sheet all season and is coming off his second straight triple-double, finishing Tuesday’s game with 29 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists, and 64.2 DKFP. He’s now averaging 52.6 DKFP on the year and has cleared 58 DKFP in five of his last seven games. This matchup carries plenty of upside as well, as Atlanta leads the slate by a wide margin with a 127.0 implied team total. Johnson already showed his ceiling against Utah earlier this season with a monster 92.0 DKFP performance, which included a 31/18/14 line with SEVEN steals. That performance will be virtually impossible to replicate, but if the Jazz (+9.5) can keep this game reasonably competitive, Johnson once again profiles as a premier spend-up with realistic 60–70 DKFP upside.

PF Matas Buzelis, CHI | DK: $6.7k, FD: $7.3k | at TOR

After a very active trade deadline and some ongoing injury issues, Chicago is extremely thin offensively right now, which puts Matas Buzelis in line for a much larger role than we typically see out of him. He’s coming off a strong showing Tuesday against Milwaukee, scoring 22 points and finishing with 38 DKFP, and the Bulls simply don’t have many alternatives to lean on in this spot. While Buzelis isn’t usually a high-volume shot creator, the current roster situation opens the door for a meaningful spike in responsibility, with a realistic path to pushing toward a 30% USG% tonight. The matchup against Toronto is not ideal, as the Raptors rank sixth in DEFRTG, and some volatility comes with the territory. Still, Buzelis helps offset that with solid peripheral production, averaging 6.0 RPG and 2.4 STL+BLK per game over his last five, which keeps him viable even if the scoring fluctuates.

SF Corey Kispert, ATL | DK: $3.9k, FD: $4.0k | vs. UTA

Kispert should continue to see a meaningful role for Atlanta following the deadline shakeup, especially with SF/SG Luke Kennard (traded to LAL) being moved out of the rotation earlier today. Even after shifting to the second unit over the last two games, Kispert has remained productive, scoring double figures in four straight contests and posting 26.5 and 25.0 DKFP in two of those outings. His ability to contribute efficiently without needing high usage makes him a good fit alongside Atlanta’s primary pieces, and the minutes outlook looks stable in the 26–28 range tonight. This matchup against Utah also works in his favor, as Utah struggles to defend the perimeter and this game has some blowout risk that could keep Kispert involved deep into the second half. At his price points, he profiles as a solid value option who doesn’t need much to pay off.

Other Forwards to Consider

PF Paolo Banchero, ORL vs. BKN

PF Scottie Barnes, TOR vs. CHI

SF Michael Porter Jr., BKN at ORL

PF Lauri Markkanen, UTA at ATL

SF Ausar Thompson, DET vs. WAS (Boost if Cunningham and/or Harris are out)

SF/PF Keldon Johnson, SAS at DAL

SF Isaac Okoro, CHI at TOR

PF/C Isaiah Stewart, DET vs. WAS (Boost if Harris is out)

PF Caleb Martin, DAL vs. SAS

PF/C Patrick Williams, CHI at TOR

SF Zaccharie Risacher, ATL vs. UTA

Centers to Consider 🏀

C Victor Wembanyama, SAS | DK: $10k, FD: $11.6k | at DAL

Wembanyama brings slate-breaking upside whenever he’s healthy and hovering around the 30-minute mark, and Thursday’s matchup sets up well for another strong showing. The per-minute ceiling remains elite, as he’s averaging 1.71 FPPM over his last 20 starts. This spot carries more upside than it might appear on the surface, with San Antonio picking up a notable pace boost against Dallas, as the Spurs rank 17th in pace while the Mavericks sit fifth. Wembanyama already showed his ceiling in this matchup earlier in the season, torching Dallas for 70.25 DKFP in the opening game of the 2025–26 campaign. If this game stays competitive and his minutes climb into the low 30s, another dominant fantasy performance is very much in play.

C Lachlan Olbrich, CHI | DK: $3.1k, FD: $3.8k | at TOR

Olbrich is a pure punt option at center for a Chicago team that remains thin up front. With Nikola Vucevic now in Boston and Zach Collins still sidelined, Olbrich should be in line for a 15–20-minute role, with the potential for a few extra minutes if this game gets out of hand. He showed off some rapid per-minute potential a few days ago, producing 20 DKFP in just 11 minutes against Miami on Sunday. Olbrich has averaged a solid 1.12 FPPM over his last five games, and while the ceiling is modest, he offers a low-cost way to open salary elsewhere in builds.

Other Centers to Consider

C Jalen Duren, DET vs. WAS

C Onyeka Okongwu, ATL vs. UTA (Currently questionable)

C Jusuf Nurkic, UTA at ATL

C Jalen Smith, CHI at TOR

C Day’Ron Sharpe, BKN at ORL

C Moussa Diabate, CHA at HOU

C Daniel Gafford, DAL vs. SAS (Currently questionable)

C Moussa Cisse, DAL vs. SAS (Only if Gafford is out)

C Tristan Vukcevic, WAS at DET

🔥 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!