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 📰

With March Madness kicking off today, NBA may be on the backburner for some, but we’ve still got a six-game main slate to dig into this evening! The matchups are reasonably solid overall, with a few games that should stay competitive and provide strong DFS environments. As usual, injuries are going to play a significant role, with several high-impact players carrying questionable tags.

The key news to monitor will revolve around Donovan Mitchell, Kawhi Leonard, and the Lakers’ Big Three (Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves), all of whom are currently questionable. Their statuses will have a significant impact on roster construction, so be sure to stay on top of updates leading up to lock. 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 Be sure to stay up-to-date on all injury news leading up to tip-off as the list below may be a bit outdated by the time you’re reading this.}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 will miss the remainder of the season will be excluded from the injury report.}

• Pistons: C. Cunningham – OUT, I. Stewart – OUT

• Wizards: T. Young – OUT, K. George – OUT, B. Coulibaly – OUT, L. Black – OUT

• Magic: F. Wagner – OUT, A. Black – OUT, W. Carter Jr. – OUT, J. Isaac – OUT

• Hornets: T. Salaun – OUT

• Cavs: D. Mitchell – Questionable, J. Allen – OUT, C. Porter Jr. – OUT, T. Proctor – OUT

• Bulls: A. Simons – OUT, J. Smith – Questionable, C. Sexton – Probable, J. Ivey – OUT, I. Okoro – OUT

• Suns: D. Brooks – OUT, G. Allen – Questionable, M. Williams – OUT, R. O’Neale – OUT, H. Highsmith – Questionable

• Spurs: None

• Lakers: L. Doncic – Questionable, A. Reaves – Questionable, L. James – Questionable, M. Kleber – OUT

• Heat: J. Jaquez Jr. – OUT, A. Wiggins – OUT

• Clippers: K. Leonard – Questionable, D. Garland – OUT, B. Mathurin – OUT

• Pelicans: D. Murray – 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/SG Devin Booker, PHX | DK: $8.9k, FD: $8.9k | at SAS

Booker stands out as one of the stronger pay-up guard options on this slate, and his $8,900 salary on both sites feels a bit light relative to his current role. He has taken on a massive offensive workload recently, posting a slate-high 41.0% usage rate across his last five games while averaging 48.9 DKFP/gm. That level of volume gives him both a strong floor and legitimate ceiling, even in a tougher matchup on paper. While Phoenix enters as a 9.5-point underdog, this game still carries competitive context with both teams battling for postseason positioning. The Spurs are nearly locked into a top-two seed, but the Suns currently reside as the seventh seed (first team in the play-in tournament) and 2.5 games back from a guaranteed playoff spot. Booker got injured in the previous meeting, but in the two games he’s played full minutes against San Antonio this season, he’s cleared 47 DKFP in both, and the Suns won both of those contests. Phoenix is also receiving the largest pace-up boost on the slate.

PG Daniss Jenkins, DET | DK: $5k, FD: $6.3k | at WAS

With Cade Cunningham sidelined for the near future with a mild collapsed lung (scary!), Jenkins steps into a much larger role as one of Detroit’s primary ball handlers and stands out as a worthy target today. He has already shown the ability to produce in this role, posting 34.5 DKFP in just 21 minutes against this same Wizards team on Tuesday, and has flashed 40+ FP upside as a starter earlier this season. Jenkins ranks second on the team, behind only star center Jalen Duren, with a 23.4% USG% with Cunningham off the floor this season. He has also posted a team-high 28.5% Assist% in those same splits. While his salaries have risen, especially on FanDuel, the expanded opportunity keeps him firmly in play. The matchup couldn’t be much better, as Washington ranks 29th in DEFRTG and dead last in DvP versus starting PGs, giving Jenkins a clear path to strong production if he approaches 30 minutes. Blowout risk does exist with Detroit favored by 13.5 points, but even in limited run, Jenkins has proven capable of returning value in this spot.

PG/SG Jordan Miller, LAC | DK: $4.8k, FD: $5.3k | at NOP

Note: SF-only eligibility on FanDuel

With Darius Garland and Bennedict Mathurin both ruled out and Kawhi Leonard still questionable, Miller is in a strong position to take on an expanded role tonight. He has already been a steady contributor off the bench, averaging 0.98 FPPM and 25.2 DKFP over his last five games while playing 25.7 minutes/gm, and he’s trending toward a workload near 30 minutes in this spot. Miller has also been closing games recently, logging the entire fourth quarter in three of the Clippers’ last five, which adds to his late-game upside in competitive environments. This matchup sets up well, with the Clippers listed as just 2.5-point underdogs in the tightest spread on the slate, and New Orleans ranking 25th in DvP versus opposing bench units. Even if he remains in a reserve role, Miller offers a strong combination of minutes and per-minute production at a reasonable salary.

Other Guards to Consider

PG Luka Doncic, LAL at MIA (Questionable – Boost if LeBron and/or Reaves sit)

PG James Harden, CLE at CHI (Boost if Mitchell sits)

PG LaMelo Ball, CHA vs. ORL

PG/SG Trey Murphy III, NOP vs. LAC

PG/SG Austin Reaves, LAL at MIA (Questionable – Preferred if Luka and/or LeBron sit)

PG/SG Tre Jones, CHI vs. CLE

SG/SF Max Strus, CLE at CHI (Preferred if Mitchell is out)

PG/SG Kris Dunn, LAC at NOP (Boost if Kawhi is out)

PG/SG Bub Carrington, WAS vs. DET

PG/SG Coby White, CHA vs. ORL

PG/SG Jeremiah Fears, NOP vs. LAC

PG/SG Rob Dillingham, CHI vs. CLE

SG Jaden Hardy, WAS vs. DET

SG/SF Caris LeVert, DET at WAS

Small Forwards/Power Forwards to Consider 🏀

PF/C Evan Mobley, CLE | DK: $8.7k, FD: $9.1k | at CHI

Mobley continues to benefit from Jarrett Allen’s absence and is firmly back to handling a full workload. Over his last five starts, he’s produced an excellent 1.45 FPPM while averaging 21.4 points and 10.8 rebounds with strong defensive stats (2.6 STL+BLK per game). His efficiency has taken a noticeable step forward in this split, increasing from 1.07 FPPM alongside Allen to 1.27 FPPM without him this season. The matchup against Chicago adds to the appeal, as the Bulls have struggled against frontcourt players, ranking near the bottom of the league in fantasy production allowed to both power forwards and centers. There’s also additional upside if Donovan Mitchell (eye/questionable) sits, as Mobley has averaged 1.48 FPPM with a team-leading 33.4% usage rate with both Allen and Mitchell off the floor.

SF/PF Will Riley, WAS | DK: $5.3k, FD: $5.7k | vs. DET

Riley continues to see heavy run for a perpetually rebuilding Wizards team, and with Bilal Coulibaly ruled out, along with Trae Young, Kyshawn George, and Leaky Black, he’s in line to handle another sizable workload. Washington may be difficult to trust on a nightly basis, but giving extended minutes to a first-round rookie down the stretch of a lost season is a trend that even tanking teams can get behind. Riley has averaged 35.6 minutes per game over his last five starts, logging 37+ minutes in three of those contests. While this matchup looks tough on paper, Riley has been productive in both previous meetings against Detroit, averaging 20.5 points per game and 35.4 DKFP. At these sub-$6k salaries, the combination of minutes and opportunity keep him firmly in play as a mid-range option.

PF/C Rasheer Fleming, PHX | DK: $3.4k, FD: $3.8k | at SAS

Royce O’Neale has been an iron man for the Suns but will miss his first game of the season tonight due to a knee injury, opening the door for rookie Rasheer Fleming to potentially make his first professional start. While his role has been limited for much of the year, Fleming has seen an uptick in recent games, averaging 17.7 minutes over the Suns’ last 10 while producing 0.85 FPPM. He has been especially effective as a floor spacer, knocking down an impressive 57.1% of his three-point attempts during that stretch. That skill set could be particularly valuable in this matchup against Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs. If Fleming draws the start and pushes into the 24–28-minute range, he stands out as a strong near-minimum value option on both sites.

Other Forwards to Consider

SF Kawhi Leonard, LAC at NOP (Questionable)

PF Paolo Banchero, ORL at CHA

PF LeBron James, LAL at MIA (Questionable – Boost if Luka and/or Reaves sit)

SF/PF Matas Buzelis, CHI vs. CLE

SF/SG Jalen Green, PHX at SAS

SF/SG Norman Powell, MIA vs. LAL

SF/PF Saddiq Bey, NOP vs. LAC

PF Miles Bridges, CHA vs. ORL

PF/C John Collins, LAC at NOP (Boost if Kawhi is out)

SF/PF Derrick Jones Jr., LAC at NOP (Preferred if Kawhi is out)

PF Justin Champagnie, WAS vs. DET (Preferred if starting again)

PF/C Karlo Matkovic, NOP vs. LAC

PF Ronald Holland II, DET at WAS

PF Simone Fontecchio, MIA vs. LAL

Centers to Consider 🏀

C Jalen Duren, DET | DK: $8.8k, FD: $8.4k | at WAS

Duren takes on a significantly larger offensive role with Cade Cunningham sidelined and he should be the centerpiece of the Pistons’ offense tonight. His production jumps from a 24.5% usage rate and 1.29 FPPM with Cunningham on the floor to a team-leading 29.4% usage and 1.55 FPPM without him. The matchup only enhances the outlook, as Washington ranks dead last in DvP versus centers and has allowed the most FPPG to the position over its last 20 games. Duren posted a dominant 36-point, 12-rebound performance (57 DKFP) against this same Wizards team on Tuesday while playing 31 minutes. If this game stays competitive enough to push him into 30+ minute territory again, Duren brings a ceiling comparable to that of Victor Wembanyama, but at a significantly lower price tag and with a much better matchup.

C Goga Bitadze, ORL | DK: $3.6k, FD: $3.7k | at CHA

Wendell Carter Jr. was a late addition to today’s injury report and will now miss tonight’s game with a rib contusion, opening the door for another spot start for Bitadze. While he’s unlikely to handle a massive workload, he should soak up a solid portion of the center minutes and projects for the mid-20s. Bitadze has been productive in this split, averaging 1.12 FPPM with Carter off the floor this season and 1.20 FPPM across his last five games as a starter. The matchup isn’t ideal, as Charlotte ranks third in DvP versus centers, but Bitadze’s per-minute profile helps offset that concern. If he reaches his expected minutes, Bitadze should have a clear path to returning value at these near-minimum salaries.

Other Centers to Consider

C Victor Wembanyama, SAS vs. PHX

C/PF Bam Adebayo, MIA vs. LAL

C Deandre Ayton, LAL at MIA

C Oso Ighodaro, PHX at SAS

C/PF Guerschon Yabusele, CHI vs. CLE (Preferred if J. Smith is out + Yabusele starts)

C Yves Missi, NOP vs. LAC (Boost if starting)

C Isaiah Jackson, LAC at NOP (Boost if Kawhi is out)

C Nick Richards, CHI vs. CLE (Only if J. Smith 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!