Six games is a small NBA DFS slate, so on DraftKings and FanDuel the field will pile onto the same handful of value plays. Dallas at Indiana has the biggest total and the best team total on the board. The injury story is Charlotte, where Kon Knueppel and Coby White are both out and the cheap Hornets become chalk.
All Games
| Game | Tip (ET) | Spread | Moneyline | Total | Away Total | Home Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ATL at CHA | 7:00 PM | ATL -2.5 | ATL -142 / CHA +120 | 226.5 | ATL 114.5 | CHA 112.0 |
| DAL at IND | 7:00 PM | IND -7.5 | DAL +215 / IND -265 | 240.5 | DAL 116.5 | IND 124.0 |
| MIN at ORL | 7:00 PM | ORL -1.5 | MIN -108 / ORL -112 | 233.5 | MIN 116.0 | ORL 117.5 |
| NY at BOS | 7:00 PM | BOS -2.5 | NY +114 / BOS -135 | 221.5 | NY 109.5 | BOS 112.0 |
| TOR at WSH | 7:00 PM | TOR -8.5 | TOR -340 / WSH +270 | 237.5 | TOR 123.0 | WSH 114.5 |
| DET at MIA | 8:00 PM | DET -1.5 | DET -125 / MIA +105 | 235.5 | DET 118.5 | MIA 117.0 |
Green is the best scoring spot on the slate, yellow is the middle and red is the weakest. A green spread means a close game.
Indiana at 124 points is the number that jumps off the board, and Detroit at Miami is the biggest total among the close games.
Injury Report
| Impact | Player | Status | Role in doubt | Who benefits (with to without) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | Kon Knueppel (CHA G) | Out, hamstring | 31.5 MIN, 22.4% USG, 18.3/5.3/3.3 | Sion James (G, $4,000): 22.3 MIN, 11.1% USG; Liam McNeeley (G, $3,000): 11.4 MIN, 14.6% USG |
| 7 | Santi Aldama (DAL F) | Out, knee | 27.8 MIN, 20.1% USG, 14.0/6.7/2.9 | Cooper Flagg (F, $8,900): 33.5 MIN, 27.1% USG; P.J. Washington (F, $5,100): 30.9 MIN, 20.2% USG |
| 7 | Anthony Black (ORL G) | Out, ankle | 29.6 MIN, 21.7% USG, 14.2/3.8/3.5 | Tristan da Silva (F, $4,600): MIN 22.4 to 28.9, USG 15.8% to 17.3%; Jevon Carter (G, $3,000): MIN 15.2 to 21.6, USG 15.7% to 16.3%; Jamal Cain (F, $3,100): MIN 11.5 to 18.2, USG 16.0% to 16.0% |
| 7 | Donte DiVincenzo (MIN G) | Out, Achilles | 30.2 MIN, 17.0% USG, 12.1/4.1/3.8 | Terrence Shannon Jr. (G, $3,200): MIN 12.3 to 24.0, USG 17.8% to 23.5% |
| 6 | Coby White (CHA G) | Out, calf | 19.5 MIN, 31.8% USG, 15.3/2.9/2.9 | Sion James (G, $4,000): MIN 18.2 to 23.5, USG 11.7% to 14.5%; Ryan Kalkbrenner (C, $3,900): MIN 17.9 to 16.0, USG 10.7% to 13.2% |
| 6 | T.J. McConnell (IND G) | Out, hamstring | 17.2 MIN, 23.8% USG, 9.4/2.2/5.1 | Jalen Slawson (F, $3,000): MIN 21.2 to 25.6, USG 11.8% to 15.2%; Quenton Jackson (G, $3,700): MIN 16.4 to 21.5, USG 18.9% to 23.5%; Obi Toppin (F, $4,500): MIN 15.0 to 19.1, USG 22.7% to 28.2% |
Questionable: check before lock
- Aaron Nesmith (IND) is questionable with a hamstring injury. If he plays, he is a $4,900 starter with real foul trouble risk and I'm not chasing him. If he sits, Kobe Brown and Jalen Slawson pick up the wing minutes, and Kobe Brown's minutes went from 21.5 to 27.7 in past games without him.
- Taurean Prince (DET) is listed probable for a personal matter. If he sits, Duncan Robinson and Ronald Holland II soak up the bench forward minutes. It doesn't move my Pistons calls.
Full report, updated all day: NBA injury report for DFS
Games to Target
DAL at IND: 240.5 total, IND -7.5
Team totals: DAL 116.5, IND 124.0. Pace: DAL 11th, IND 8th, mostly last season, a neutral game.
Injury report: Santi Aldama (Out, knee), T.J. McConnell (Out, hamstring), Aaron Nesmith (questionable, hamstring).
Expected starters: DAL: Kyrie Irving, Max Christie, Cooper Flagg, P.J. Washington, Daniel Gafford. IND: Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, Pascal Siakam, Ivica Zubac.
The angle: The best total on the slate with the best team total, so this is the cash game, and the field knows it.
- Tyrese Haliburton went for 23 points and 12 assists in 34 minutes in the opener against New Orleans. McConnell is out again, so the backup point guard minutes shrink and more of the offense stays in his hands. The field will find him at $8,000. I love him here.
- Andrew Nembhard had 18 points and nine assists in 34 minutes in that same game. With McConnell out he is the second ball handler, and $5,700 is too cheap for that role on a 124-point team total. He'll be one of the most popular plays on the slate. He's a cash lock for me.
- Pascal Siakam put up 30 and eight on 23 shots in 35 minutes in the opener. Man, that volume. Dallas gave up a lot of points in its first game. I like him a good bit at $7,400.
- Cooper Flagg scored 32 in 33 minutes against Houston and got to the line 13 times. Aldama is out, so the frontcourt usage funnels through him. The worry is the spread: Dallas is a 7.5-point road dog and a blowout would cut his fourth quarter. He's my favorite GPP play in this game.
- Naji Marshall is the cheap guy everyone will have at $4,500. He played 29 minutes off the bench in the opener with 16 points and six assists, and with Aldama out there are more forward minutes to go around. In my NBA rotations and minutes tracker, he is one of the few cheap players with a real minutes floor on this slate. Eat the chalk in cash.
- Kyrie Irving only played 24 minutes in the opener, 15 points on nine shots. He should play about 31 or 32 tonight at $6,700. He's fine, but Flagg is where I want my Dallas exposure.
Matchups to target: Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Pascal Siakam, Cooper Flagg, Naji Marshall
Matchups to avoid: Kyrie Irving
DET at MIA: 235.5 total, DET -1.5
Team totals: DET 118.5, MIA 117.0. Pace: DET 18th, MIA 1st, mostly last season, an up-in-pace game.
Injury report: Taurean Prince (probable, personal).
Expected starters: DET: Cade Cunningham, Duncan Robinson, Ausar Thompson, John Collins, Jalen Duren. MIA: Davion Mitchell, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bam Adebayo.
The angle: A close game with the fastest projected pace on the main slate and the least combined ownership of any game, so this is my GPP game.
- Cade Cunningham had 22 points and eight assists in 35 minutes against Boston on opening night. Miami ranks first in our NBA pace stats, and a fast, close game is the best spot for a usage monster. Most of the field will spend up on Tatum instead. I love him in GPPs at $9,700.
- Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 35 in only 30 minutes against Minnesota, with 14 free throw attempts. He is the most expensive player on the slate at $10,200, and that price keeps him low-owned. The minutes are the worry, since he should play only about 29 or 30. In a GPP he's the pivot I like most.
- Jalen Duren had 22 and nine in 28 minutes in the opener. Foul trouble is the risk here, since he picks them up at a high rate. He's a good GPP center at $7,100.
- Ausar Thompson filled up the box score in the opener with 11 points, 11 rebounds and five assists in 33 minutes. At $5,600 that line gives you a high floor without much ownership. I like this spot a good bit.
- Bam Adebayo went for 15, seven and four with three steals in 31 minutes, and he was a minus 28 in that game. At $8,200 he needs more than that. I'd pass outside of mass multi-entry.
- Six points and five rebounds in 25 minutes is all John Collins gave you against Boston. He is cheap at $4,800, but nothing about that role changes tonight. I'd pass.
Matchups to target: Cade Cunningham, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jalen Duren, Ausar Thompson
Matchups to avoid: Bam Adebayo, John Collins
ATL at CHA: 226.5 total, ATL -2.5
Team totals: ATL 114.5, CHA 112.0. Pace: ATL 3rd, CHA 24th, mostly last season, a neutral game.
Injury report: Kon Knueppel (Out, hamstring), Coby White (Out, calf), Grant Williams (Out, hamstring).
Expected starters: ATL: CJ McCollum, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Dyson Daniels, Jalen Johnson, Onyeka Okongwu. CHA: Dennis Schroder, Sion James, Brandon Miller, Naz Reid, Moussa Diabate.
The angle: The total is low, but three Charlotte players are out and the cheap Hornets are the value of the slate, so this is the second cash game.
- Dennis Schroder played 35 minutes in the opener and had 19 points and six assists. With Knueppel and White both out, he should play about 32 minutes and handle most of the Charlotte possessions. At $4,900 the field will be all over him. He's a cash play I won't fight.
- Naz Reid had 20 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists with four threes in 33 minutes against Brooklyn. That kind of all-around line at $6,600 is why he is chalk. Foul trouble is the one real risk. I'm playing him in cash.
- Grayson Allen came off the bench for 21 points and five threes in 29 minutes. Sion James starts, but Allen should still get about 26 minutes. He's fine at $4,800, but Reid and Schroder give me more of the Charlotte role for the money.
- Brandon Miller took 21 shots in 36 minutes in the opener and scored 18. With two guards out, even more usage should go his way, and the field will be on the cheaper Hornets instead. He carries real foul trouble risk. I like him as a GPP pivot at $7,600.
- Jalen Johnson nearly had a triple double against Orlando: 20 points, 14 rebounds and six assists in 28 minutes. Atlanta has the better team total and plays fast, and almost nobody will play him in a game the field treats as a Charlotte value spot. He's a strong GPP play at $9,100.
- Dyson Daniels had 20 points and five steals in 35 minutes. He's popular at $5,900, and the minutes are locked in. He's solid.
Matchups to target: Dennis Schroder, Naz Reid, Brandon Miller, Jalen Johnson, Dyson Daniels
Matchups to avoid: None
Game to fade: NY at BOS. The total is the lowest on the slate and the pace is the slowest, with Boston 30th and New York 23rd. Jayson Tatum is the only player I want from this game. He should play about 35 minutes, and at $9,200 that volume carries him.
Top Plays by Position
| Pos | Rank | Player | Matchup | Salary | Play |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PG | 1 | Cade Cunningham | DET at MIA | $9,700 | GPP |
| PG | 2 | Cooper Flagg | DAL at IND | $8,900 | GPP |
| PG | 3 | Tyrese Haliburton | IND vs DAL | $8,000 | Cash |
| PG | 4 | LaMelo Ball | MIN at ORL | $8,100 | GPP |
| SG | 1 | Anthony Edwards | MIN at ORL | $9,500 | GPP |
| SG | 2 | RJ Barrett | TOR at WSH | $6,200 | Cash |
| SG | 3 | Paul George | BOS vs NY | $6,700 | GPP |
| SG | 4 | Desmond Bane | ORL vs MIN | $6,100 | GPP |
| SF | 1 | Jayson Tatum | BOS vs NY | $9,200 | Cash |
| SF | 2 | Kawhi Leonard | TOR at WSH | $7,700 | Cash |
| SF | 3 | Scottie Barnes | TOR at WSH | $7,800 | Cash |
| SF | 4 | Brandon Miller | CHA vs ATL | $7,600 | GPP |
| PF | 1 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | MIA vs DET | $10,200 | GPP |
| PF | 2 | Anthony Davis | WSH vs TOR | $8,600 | Cash |
| PF | 3 | Jalen Johnson | ATL at CHA | $9,100 | GPP |
| PF | 4 | Paolo Banchero | ORL vs MIN | $9,000 | GPP |
| C | 1 | Bam Adebayo | MIA vs DET | $8,200 | GPP |
| C | 2 | Jalen Duren | DET at MIA | $7,100 | GPP |
| C | 3 | Ivica Zubac | IND vs DAL | $6,900 | GPP |
| C | 4 | Onyeka Okongwu | ATL at CHA | $6,400 | GPP |
| Pos | Rank | Player | Matchup | Salary | Play |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PG | 1 | Luka Doncic | LAL vs LAC | $11,800 | GPP |
| PG | 2 | Cade Cunningham | DET at MIA | $9,800 | GPP |
| PG | 3 | Tyrese Haliburton | IND vs DAL | $8,200 | GPP |
| PG | 4 | LaMelo Ball | MIN at ORL | $8,300 | GPP |
| SG | 1 | Anthony Edwards | MIN at ORL | $9,200 | GPP |
| SG | 2 | Austin Reaves | LAL vs LAC | $7,900 | GPP |
| SG | 3 | Tyler Herro | MIL vs CHI | $7,600 | GPP |
| SG | 4 | Ty Jerome | MEM at GS | $7,500 | GPP |
| SF | 1 | Jayson Tatum | BOS vs NY | $9,700 | GPP |
| SF | 2 | Cooper Flagg | DAL at IND | $9,400 | GPP |
| SF | 3 | Kawhi Leonard | TOR at WSH | $9,100 | GPP |
| SF | 4 | Deni Avdija | POR at SAC | $8,300 | GPP |
| PF | 1 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | MIA vs DET | $11,300 | GPP |
| PF | 2 | Anthony Davis | WSH vs TOR | $10,400 | GPP |
| PF | 3 | Jalen Johnson | ATL at CHA | $9,500 | GPP |
| PF | 4 | Paolo Banchero | ORL vs MIN | $8,800 | GPP |
| C | 1 | Victor Wembanyama | SA vs HOU | $11,600 | GPP |
| C | 2 | Domantas Sabonis | SAC vs POR | $8,500 | GPP |
| C | 3 | Karl-Anthony Towns | NY at BOS | $8,000 | GPP |
| C | 4 | Alperen Sengun | HOU at SA | $8,400 | GPP |
The FanDuel tab runs off the bigger FanDuel slate, so the late games bring in Luka Doncic and Victor Wembanyama. Anthony Davis is $8,600 on DraftKings and $10,400 on FanDuel, and Kawhi Leonard has the same gap, so both are much better buys on DraftKings. Karl-Anthony Towns shows up as a top center on FanDuel at $8,000, so the Knicks big is still in play there even though I'm fading his game on DraftKings.
Every projection lives on today's NBA DFS projections, and you can build around these in the free NBA lineup optimizer.
Final Thoughts
My cash core is Andrew Nembhard, Naji Marshall, Naz Reid and Dennis Schroder. All four are cheap, and all four should see big minutes with the injuries in Dallas, Indiana and Charlotte. I won't fade that much value on a six-game slate. Haliburton is the next name I'd add.
In GPPs, the move is Giannis at $10,200 instead of Tatum at $9,200. Pair him with Cade and Duren from the same fast, close game, and you are off the Indiana and Charlotte chalk without punting the environment. Jalen Johnson is the other leverage piece if you still want a slice of Atlanta at Charlotte.
Before lock, check Aaron Nesmith's status in Indiana and the Charlotte injury report one more time. Detroit at Miami tips an hour after the rest, so that is your late swap window. Nobody on the slate is on a back-to-back.
More slates in the NBA DFS articles archive.
Tools used for this slate
Every number in this playbook comes off the free BankrollSZN NBA tools: today's NBA DFS projections, the free NBA lineup optimizer, the NBA injury report for DFS, the NBA rotations and minutes tracker, and NBA pace stats.