With a 9-game DraftKings slate tonight, managing the massive injury report is key to victory. Stars are sitting, which means there are huge value opportunities. We target elite plays like Devin Booker and Kevin Durant, while also uncovering must-have value picks like Lonzo Ball and Jordan Walsh. Get the best DraftKings strategy to construct a winning lineup.
For up-to-the-minute updates on injuries, lineups, roster changes and more, head to RotoWire’s NBA News or follow @RotoWireNBA on X.
Slate Overview
Visit RotoWire’s NBA Daily Starting Lineups to find out starters for every game on the schedule!
CHI at DET: Bulls on three-game slide; Pistons on seven-game win streak
ORL at NYK: Magic 2-3 on road; Knicks 7-0 at home
MIL at CHA: Bucks 3-2 on road; Hornets on three-game slide
MEM at BOS: Grizzlies on two-game slide; Celtics 2-3 at home
CLE at MIA: Cavs 3-3 on road; Heat 5-0 at home
POR at NOP: Trail Blazers on two-game slide; Pelicans 1-2 at home
WAS at HOU: Wizards on nine-game slide; Rockets 2-1 at home
GSW at SAS: Warriors 1-6 on road; Spurs 5-0 at home
PHX at DAL: Suns 1-4 on road; Mavs 2-5 at home
For the latest spreads and over/unders, visit RotoWire’s NBA Odds page. There you can also find player props, futures, picks, articles and sportsbook bonus codes.
Injuries to Monitor
For all the latest updates, visit RotoWire’s NBA Injury News page and our comprehensive NBA Injury Report.
CHI – Josh Giddey (ankle): Questionable; Coby White (calf): OUT
DET – Cade Cunningham (hip), Jalen Duren (ankle): Questionable; Isaiah Stewart (ankle): Doubtful; Tobias Harris (ankle), Ausar Thompson (ankle): OUT
MIL – Giannis Antetokounmpo (knee): OUT
CHA – Ryan Kalkbrenner (personal): Questionable; LaMelo Ball (ankle), Brandon Miller (shoulder): OUT
MEM – Ja Morant (ankle): Questionable; Zach Edey (ankle): Doubtful; Ty Jerome (calf): OUT
CLE – Darius Garland (toe), Donovan Mitchell (rest), Evan Mobley (rest): OUT
MIA – Bam Adebayo (toe), Tyler Herro (ankle): OUT
POR – Scoot Henderson (hamstring): OUT
NOP – Jordan Poole (quadriceps), Zion Williamson (hamstring): OUT
WAS – Bilal Coulibaly (calf): OUT
GSW – Jonathan Kuminga (knee): Questionable
PHX – Jalen Green (hamstring): OUT
DAL – Dereck Lively (knee): Questionable; Anthony Davis (calf): OUT
Elite Players
Guards
Devin Booker, Suns ($9,400) at Mavericks
Booker topped 40 DK points in eight straight games before finishing with 24.0 in a blowout win over the Pelicans in the most recent outing. He has a great chance to pick up his production again, especially by feeding his big men against a shorthanded Mavericks squad that is giving up the league’s third-most points in the paint.
Stephon Castle, Spurs ($7,600) vs. Warriors
Castle has topped 40 DK points in five of the last six games, including a high of 50.5, while averaging 18.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, 9.7 assists and 2.5 steals over that span. He should keep rolling with a matchup against the Warriors, who are struggling lately, including giving up the league’s ninth-highest field-goal percentage and seventh-most turnovers per game.
Try our DraftKings NBA Lineup Optimizer to discover more expert recommendations, customize the player pool, set exposure percentage and mass-enter DFS lineups.
Forwards/Centers
Jaylen Brown, Celtics ($8,500) vs. Grizzlies
Brown scored more than 30 points in three straight games, before delivering in the 20s in the last two games. He is averaging 30.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.0 steals over the five-game stretch, with a high of 51.3 DK points in that span. He is up for an ideal chance to continue to shine as an offensive leader for his squad against the Grizzlies, who are giving up the league’s eighth-highest field-goal percentage to opposing small forwards.
Kevin Durant, Rockets ($8,000) vs. Wizards
Durant delivered 31 points in the last game, marking the third time he topped the 30-mark this season. He faces a favorable matchup against the Wizards, who are giving up the league’s most points per game and the most steals per game to opposing small forwards.
Alperen Sengun, Rockets ($9,300) vs. Wizards
Sengun continues to stuff the stat sheet, averaging 22.0 points, 11.4 rebounds and 7.4 assists over the last five games, including four double-doubles and three games with more than 50 DK points. He should prosper against the Wizards, who are giving up the league’s second-most points in the paint and the third-most points and most rebounds per game to opposing centers.
Expected Chalk
Victor Wembanyama, Spurs ($11,600) vs. Warriors
Wembanyama topped the 70 DK-point mark for a fourth time in 10 outings, as he totaled a season-high 75.5 DK points with 38 points, 12 rebounds, five assists, a steal and five blocks in the last game. He is likely to come up big against the Warriors, who are giving up the league’s seventh-most points and third-highest field-goal percentage to opposing centers.
Mid-Range Money
De’Aaron Fox, Spurs ($7,100) vs. Warriors
Fox topped the 20-point mark in each of his first two games this season, averaging 22.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists over that short span. He should continue to thrive with a matchup against the Warriors, who are giving up the league’s fifth-most points and fifth-highest field-goal percentage to opposing point guards.
Jerami Grant, Trail Blazers ($5,900) at Pelicans
Grant has produced at least 24 DK points in each game this season and has topped 30 on four occasions, with a high of 38.8. He is up for a great chance to shine against the shorthanded Pelicans, who give up the league’s fifth-most points and third-highest field-goal percentage per game. He may also find room to pad his stats on the glass, where they give up the league’s sixth-most rebounds per game.
Value Picks
Lonzo Ball, Cavaliers ($4,500) at Heat
Ball is up for an increased role for the shorthanded Cavaliers. He is averaging 5.1 points, 3.9 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 0.9 steals in 23.4 minutes per game, and he has a good chance to stand out against the Heat, who are giving up the league’s fourth-most three-pointers to opposing point guards.
Jordan Walsh, Celtics ($3,900) vs. Grizzlies
Walsh has topped 20 DK points in three of the last four games, as he continues to make a case for an increased role in the frontcourt, where the Celtics are searching for answers. He faces an advantageous matchup against the Grizzlies, who are giving up the league’s sixth-most points in the paint, and who give up the league’s fourth-most rebounds to opposing power forwards.
Cam Whitmore, Wizards ($3,500) at Rockets
Whitmore played a season-high 29 minutes in each of the last two games, where he finished with 19 points, followed by 20 points in the most recent outing. He should continue to see a boost while his squad is shorthanded and will likely have a bit of extra motivation to show off against his former squad.
The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it’s possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Dan Bruno plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: duelingdan.
