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 📰

We head into the weekend with a five-game Friday main slate on DraftKings and a six-game slate on FanDuel, which includes the Raptors/Nuggets nightcap. There are a couple of potential blowout spots to be mindful of (NYK/BKN, BOS/MEM), but the rest of the slate features competitive matchups, with four games carrying spreads under eight points. The injury report also isn’t too hectic – the only three notable Q-tags we’ll need to monitor today belong to Karl-Anthony Towns, Jalen Duren, and Naz Reid. 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 Be sure to stay up-to-date on all injury news leading up to tip-off as the list below may be a bit outdated by the time you’re reading this.}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.}

• Knicks: K. Towns – Questionable, J. Hart – OUT

• Nets: M. Porter Jr. – OUT, N. Clowney – OUT, T. Mann – OUT

• Warriors: S. Curry – OUT, M. Moody – OUT, A. Horford – OUT, Q. Post – OUT, LJ Cryer – Probable

• Pistons: C. Cunningham – OUT, J. Duren – Questionable, M. Sasser – OUT, I. Stewart – OUT, K. Huerter – Questionable

• Hawks: J. Kuminga – OUT

• Rockets: None

• Celtics: N. Vucevic – OUT

• Grizzlies: J. Morant – OUT, G. Jackson – DOUBTFUL, J. Mashack – OUT, T. Gibson – DOUBTFUL

• Trailblazers: S. Sharpe – OUT, V. Krejci – Questionable

• Timberwolves: A. Edwards – OUT, N. Reid – Questionable

Late Game Injury Report (FanDuel Main Slate Only)

• Raptors: C. Murray-Boyles – DOUBTFUL

• Nuggets: P. Watson – 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 Amen Thompson, HOU | DK: $8.1k, FD: $8.6k | vs. ATL

There aren’t many spend-up guards to choose from on this slate, which makes Thompson a logical target at the top end. His workload has been massive, logging 40+ minutes in three straight games while posting a double-double in each. Over that stretch, he’s averaging 22.7 points, 11.7 rebounds, 1.19 FPPM, and 48.9 DKFP per game. The per-minute production is solid, albeit unspectacular, but it’s the elite minutes volume that really stands out here. This matchup with Atlanta should remain competitive with a slim 3.5-point spread, and the Hawks rank 24th in DvP versus starting point guards, further boosting Thompson’s outlook.

SG/SF Ayo Dosunmu, MIN | DK: $6.2k, FD: $5.7k | vs. POR

Anthony Edwards’ absence has pushed Dosunmu into a starting role, and he’s capitalized on the increased workload. He’s coming off an impressive showing against Utah, posting a 23-9-6 line with three steals for 50.25 DKFP in just 27 minutes, with the blowout limiting his ceiling. In a more competitive game versus Phoenix earlier in the week, he logged 34 minutes, which is a more realistic expectation tonight in what projects to be one of the tighter games on the slate (MIN -1.5, 231.5 total). The matchup is also favorable enough, with Portland allowing the 11th-most FPPG to starting shooting guards over its last 20 games. With secure minutes and an expanded role, Dosunmu remains a strong mid-range option.

SG/SF Gary Payton II, GSW | DK: $4.7k, FD: $5.8k | at DET

With Steph Curry still sidelined, along with multiple other rotation pieces, Payton should continue to play a key role off the bench. He’s been extremely productive in limited minutes, averaging 1.44 FPPM and 32.5 DKFP per game over his last five while logging just 22.6 minutes per contest. The minutes aren’t massive, but his ability to contribute across the board allows him to rack up fantasy points quickly. Golden State currently holds the final play-in spot in the West and has dropped six of its last seven, making this a strong bounce-back opportunity against a Pistons team without Cade Cunningham. Payton makes more sense at a sub-$5k price point on DraftKings, but given his current form, he still has a chance to return value on his $5,800 FanDuel salary as well.

Other Guards to Consider

PG Jalen Brunson, NYK at BKN (Boost if Towns is out)

SG/SF Jaylen Brown, BOS at MEM

PG Derrick White, BOS at MEM

PG/SG Nickeil Alexander-Walker, ATL at HOU

PG/SG Payton Pritchard, BOS at MEM

PG Daniss Jenkins, DET vs. GSW

SG Cedric Coward, MEM vs. BOS

PG/SG Bones Hyland, MIN vs. POR

SF/SG Caris LeVert, DET vs. GSW

SG Landry Shamet, NYK at BKN (Assuming he starts)

FanDuel Main Slate Only

PG/SG Immanuel Quickley, TOR at DEN

SG/SF Christian Braun, DEN vs. TOR

Small Forwards/Power Forwards to Consider 🏀

PF Jayson Tatum, BOS | DK: $8.5k, FD: $8.3k | at MEM

Tatum continues to ramp up after returning from an Achilles tear, logging 31+ minutes in three straight games. The production has been somewhat volatile, but we’ve already seen a 54.0 DKFP ceiling in that span, highlighting the upside as his workload stabilizes. There is clear blowout risk in this game (BOS -15.5), but if he pushes toward 30 minutes again, he has a strong chance to pay off these mid-$8k salaries. The matchup is highly favorable, with Memphis ranking dead last in DvP versus power forwards while also providing Boston with the largest pace boost on the slate. With the Celtics carrying a slate-high 123.5 implied total and Tatum still priced well below his typical ~$10k range from previous seasons, there’s clear upside if the minutes hold.

PF/C Kristaps Porzingis, GSW | DK: $6.2k, FD: $6.9k | at DET

There is some inherent risk here given the limited workload, but Porzingis has been highly productive since getting healthier and joining the Warriors’ rotation. Over his last five games, he’s averaged an elite 1.53 FPPM, translating to 34.5 DKFP/gm in just 22.6 minutes/gm. The production has come despite modest shooting efficiency (40.9% FG), which speaks to his ability to contribute across the stat sheet. With Al Horford and Quinten Post sidelined, Golden State should lean more on Porzingis’ size in the frontcourt. While he’s still likely capped in the mid-20s minutes, the per-minute upside makes him appealing, especially if Detroit is without Jalen Duren, which would further improve the matchup.

PF Chaney Johnson, BKN | DK: $4.3k, FD: $4.7k | vs. NYK

We’ve officially reached that point in the season where undrafted rookies are seeing real run on bottom-feeder teams, and Johnson has quickly carved out a role in Brooklyn’s rotation. Over his last three games, he’s averaged 11.7 points and 8.7 rebounds while producing 1.12 FPPM and 28.3 DKFP per game across 25.3 minutes. With Michael Porter Jr. and Noah Clowney sidelined, there are available frontcourt minutes for him to continue filling. Blowout risk is present (BKN +17.5), but that could actually work in his favor, as he’s logged extended fourth-quarter run in similar game scripts, including each of the Nets’ last two losses by 19+ points. With Johnson still relatively unproven at the NBA level, he is going to carry some risk, but if his utilization stays steady, he’s a sensible option out of the $4k price range.

Other Forwards to Consider

PF Jalen Johnson, ATL at HOU

SF/PF Deni Avdija, POR at MIN

PF Julius Randle, MIN vs. POR

PF OG Anunoby, NYK at BKN (Boost if Towns is out)

SF/SG Dyson Daniels, ATL at HOU

SF Jaden McDaniels, MIN vs. POR

PF/C Draymond Green, GSW at DET

SG/SF Jordan Clarkson, NYK at BKN

PF/C Josh Minott, BKN vs. NYK

FanDuel Main Slate Only

SF/PF Brandon Ingram, TOR at DEN

SF/SG RJ Barrett, TOR at DEN

SF/PF Cameron Johnson, DEN vs. TOR

Centers to Consider 🏀

C Donovan Clingan, POR | DK: $7.7k, FD: $7.8k | at MIN

As Portland has gotten healthier, Clingan’s minutes have dipped slightly, but his per-minute production remains elite. Over his last five games, he’s averaged 27.7 minutes while producing an outstanding 1.68 FPPM and 46.5 DKFP per game. The matchup is difficult on paper against Rudy Gobert and a Timberwolves team that ranks 7th in DvP versus centers, but Clingan has already proven he can overcome it, posting 50 DKFP in their previous meeting. While Clingan isn’t locked into a high minutes workload, the efficiency and upside keep him firmly in play at these sub-$8k salaries.

C Mitchell Robinson, NYK | DK: $4.3k, FD: $4.8k | at BKN

The status of Karl-Anthony Towns, who is questionable due to personal reasons, is one of the key pieces of news to monitor, as Robinson would likely step into the starting lineup if he’s out. That said, Robinson is viable regardless of Towns’ availability given his recent production. Over his last four games, he’s averaged an impressive 1.41 FPPM while dominating the glass (13.3 RPG) and contributing strong defensive stats (2.75 STL+BLK per game). Even in a limited role around 20 minutes, he has the ability to rack up fantasy points quickly. The matchup also works in his favor, with Brooklyn allowing the second-most FPPG to bench players over its last 20 games. Any additional minutes (as a starter if Towns is out) would only strengthen his outlook.

Other Centers to Consider

C Jalen Duren, DET vs. GSW (Questionable)

C Rudy Gobert, MIN vs. POR

C Neemias Queta, BOS at MEM

C Paul Reed, DET vs. GSW (Only if Duren is out)

C Luka Garza, BOS at MEM

FanDuel Main Slate Only

C Nikola Jokic, DEN vs. TOR

C Jakob Poeltl, TOR at DEN

🔥 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!