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

NBA DFS Today w/ Tyler Wiemann

🏀Tyler’s NBA prop bets can be found on the LineStar YouTube Shorts page!🏀

DFS Main Slate Rundown 📰

A Friday five-game NBA slate will send us into the weekend. The first four games all tip off at 7:30 ET, with the fifth starting shortly after at 8:00 ET, so lineup news will come through quickly once teams start announcing their starters. There will also be a three-game West Coast slate later in the evening for those who are in the market for some later action.

From a matchup perspective, this slate leaves a bit to be desired. Three games feature spreads of at least 13.5 points, and the injury report is packed with questionable and doubtful designations that could significantly reshape rotations. We’ll sort through the chaos and see what value and upside spots emerge. 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 Be sure to stay up-to-date on all injury news leading up to tip-off as the list below may be a bit outdated by the time you’re reading this.}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 will miss the remainder of the season will be excluded from the injury report.}

• Suns: D. Brooks – OUT, M. Williams – OUT, J. Goodwin – Questionable

• Raptors: S. Barnes – Questionable, C. Murray-Boyles – DOUBTFUL

• Cavs: J. Allen – OUT, S. Merrill – Questionable

• Mavs: N. Marshall – Questionable, PJ Washington – DOUBTFUL, D. Gafford – DOUBTFUL, C. Martin – Probable

• Grizzlies: J. Morant – OUT, G. Jackson – Questionable, S. Aldama – OUT, S. Pippen Jr. – OUT, J. Wells – Questionable, W. Clayton Jr. – DOUBTFUL, T. Gibson – Questionable

• Pistons: J. Duren – Questionable, A. Thompson – DOUBTFUL, T. Harris – Questionable, C. LeVert – Probable

• Knicks: K. Towns – DOUBTFUL, J. Hart – DOUBTFUL, J. Sochan – DOUBTFUL

• Pacers: P. Siakam – DOUBTFUL, I. Zubac – Questionable, A. Nembhard – Questionable, A. Nesmith – Questionable, TJ McConnell – Probable, Q. Jackson – Questionable, O. Toppin – Probable

• Pelicans: None

• Rockets: A. Sengun – 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 Jalen Brunson, NYK | DK: $9.1k, FD: $9.1k | at IND

The Knicks are set to be without a pair of starters tonight, with both Karl-Anthony Towns and Josh Hart listed as doubtful due to knee injuries. That should place Brunson in a position to take on a massive offensive workload. While we haven’t seen a true ceiling game from him recently, he’s still been productive, averaging a points–assists double-double over his last five games (21.0 PPG, 10.6 APG) on a 27.4% USG%. With Towns and Hart off the floor this season, Brunson’s usage rate jumps significantly to 35.1%.

The Pacers (+13.5) enter as sizable underdogs, but if they can keep this game competitive, Brunson lands in an excellent matchup. He has averaged 56.0 DKFP in two meetings with Indiana this season (both games were decided by ≤ 3 points), and the Pacers have allowed the second-most FPPG to starting point guards over their last 20 games.

PG Amen Thompson, HOU | DK: $7.8k, FD: $8.5k | vs. NOP

Thompson projects for one of the heaviest workloads on the slate, currently leading all guards with a 37.0-minute projection. The recent production has backed that up as well, with Thompson posting at least 41.25 DKFP in five of his last seven games while continuing to contribute across multiple categories. His ability to contribute across all five stat categories keeps his floor stable, while the strong minutes give him adequate ceiling potential at these salaries.

This matchup also sets up well from an environment standpoint. Houston plays at the second-slowest pace in the league, but they’ll get a strong up-tempo boost against a Pelicans team that ranks fifth in pace over their last 10 games. The game carries a solid 230.5 total with a competitive 6.5-point spread, creating one of the better game environments on the slate. There’s also an added upside if Alperen Sengun is unable to suit up. Sengun is currently listed as questionable, and Thompson sees a notable +3.9% usage bump when he’s off the floor this season.

SG/SF Jordan Clarkson, NYK | DK: $3.8k, FD: $3.6k | at IND

Clarkson has mostly been outside the rotation in recent weeks, but that changed in the Knicks’ last game when he stepped in to absorb some of the minutes left behind by the injured Josh Hart (knee/doubtful). He responded with a big performance, scoring 27 points and finishing with 38.75 DKFP on 10-of-15 shooting across 26 minutes off the bench against Utah. Clarkson has carried a strong 23.3% usage rate with Karl-Anthony Towns and Hart off the floor this season, trailing only the aforementioned Jalen Brunson on the team.

The blowout against Utah certainly helped boost his playing time in that contest, but the Knicks (-13.5) are in a similar position to win with ease tonight, even without a couple of their starters. Clarkson is currently projected for around 25 minutes against an Indiana team that has allowed the fifth-most FPPG to bench players over their last 20 games, giving him a solid path to value at these sub-$4k price tags.

Other Guards to Consider

PG James Harden, CLE at DAL

PG/SG Devin Booker, PHX at TOR

PG/SG Trey Murphy III, NOP at HOU

PG Dejounte Murray, NOP at HOU

PG Immanuel Quickley, TOR vs. PHX (Boost if Barnes is out)

PG Ty Jerome, MEM at DET

SG Landry Shamet, NYK at IND (Assuming he starts again)

PG TJ McConnell, IND vs. NYK

PG/SG Marcus Sasser, DET vs. MEM

Small Forwards/Power Forwards to Consider 🏀

PF/C Evan Mobley, CLE | DK: $8.2k, FD: $8.1k | at DAL

Forward isn’t particularly loaded at the top end on this slate, but Mobley stands out as one of the stronger options available. With Jarrett Allen sidelined, Mobley should spend more time operating at center, which has led to increased opportunity across the board. He has seen the largest usage bump (+5.9%) on the team with Allen off the floor this season, along with increases to both his rebound and assist rates. Mobley’s FPPM has also gone from 1.07 with Allen on the floor to 1.25 with him off. The matchup sets up well against Dallas. The Mavericks rank 29th in DvP versus starting centers over their last 10 games and are expected to be without multiple frontcourt pieces, with both Daniel Gafford and PJ Washington listed as doubtful.

SF/SG Jalen Green, PHX | DK: $6.6k, FD: $6.6k | at TOR

Green has been one of the hotter mid-range options recently and enters this matchup playing his best basketball of the season. Over his last four games, he’s averaged 27.5 PPG while producing 40.25 DKFP per game on an excellent 1.26 FPPM. His role has been stable during that stretch as well, logging at least 30 minutes in each contest while handling nearly a 35.0% usage rate. While the matchup may appear difficult at first glance, recent numbers suggest otherwise. Toronto ranks dead last in DvP versus starting small forwards over their last 10 games, giving Green a favorable spot to continue his strong production at $6,600 on both sites.

SF/SG Kevin Huerter, DET | DK: $3.7k, FD: $3.9k | vs. MEM

Huerter is an inexpensive value option worth considering from Detroit. He hasn’t played a major role since joining the Pistons, but his recent per-minute production has been solid, averaging 0.97 FPPM over his last five games. He’s also coming off his most productive outing as a Piston, posting 28.0 DKFP in 26 minutes last night.

That workload was largely driven by game script. Huerter logged 9.5 minutes in the first half but checked back in with 4:43 remaining in the third quarter and never left the floor as Detroit pulled away for a 131–109 win. The Pistons are once again massive 16.5-point favorites tonight against a woeful Grizzlies team, so a similar blowout scenario could easily push Huerter into mid-20s minutes again. At sub-$4k salaries on both sites, that type of run would give him a strong path to value. It’s also worth noting that the Pistons may be down multiple starters, with Jalen Duren and Tobias Harris listed as questionable while Ausar Thompson (doubtful) is likely out for a fifth straight game. If Harris and/or Duren sit, a slimmer rotation could also funnel additional minutes to Huerter.

Other Forwards to Consider

SF Kevin Durant, HOU vs. NOP (Boost if Sengun is out)

SF RJ Barrett, TOR vs. PHX (Boost if Barnes is out)

PF OG Anunoby, NYK at IND

PF Jabari Smith Jr., HOU vs. NOP (Boost if Sengun is out)

SF/PF Khris Middleton, DAL vs. CLE

PF/C Isaiah Stewart, DET vs. MEM (Boost if Harris and/or Duren are out)

SF/PF Keon Ellis, CLE at DAL

PF Ronald Holland II, DET vs. MEM (Boost if Harris and/or Duren are out)

SF/SG Klay Thompson, DAL vs. CLE

PF/C Obi Toppin, IND vs. NYK

PF Mohamed Diawara, NYK at IND

Centers to Consider 🏀

C Marvin Bagley III, DAL | DK: $4.4k, FD: $4.9k | vs. CLE

It’s an ugly slate for centers, especially if players like Alperen Sengun and Jalen Duren are unable to suit up, so we’ll spotlight a couple of cheaper options at the position. Bagley stands out as one of the better values, particularly with Daniel Gafford listed as doubtful. If Gafford sits, Bagley should slide into the starting lineup and land somewhere in the 24–28-minute range.

Bagley has been productive during his stint with Dallas and continues to provide strong per-minute upside. He’s averaged 1.18 FPPM over his last 20 games and can rack up rebounds and points in a hurry when given the opportunity. The matchup against Cleveland isn’t ideal, but at these sub-$5k price points, Bagley’s efficiency and projected workload give him a strong path to returning value on this slate.

C Mitchell Robinson, NYK | DK: $4k, FD: $4.4k | at IND

Robinson should draw the start tonight with Karl-Anthony Towns listed as doubtful. The Knicks have been cautious with his workload, so he’ll likely remain in the mid-20s minutes range, but that’s often enough for him to deliver strong fantasy output. Robinson has averaged 1.09 FPPM this season and currently projects for 24.5 minutes in this matchup.

His spot starts haven’t always translated to big stat lines this year, but the per-minute production has remained dependable over the course of the season. Robinson also enters tonight coming off a 28.75 DKFP performance across 22 minutes in his last outing, and if he approaches his projected workload, he has a clear path to returning a similar result tonight.

Other Centers to Consider

C Alperen Sengun, HOU vs. NOP

C Jalen Duren, DET vs. MEM (Questionable)

C Jakob Poeltl, TOR vs. PHX

C Thomas Bryant, CLE at DAL

🔥 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!