With a busy Friday slate, NBA DFS players are leaning on every edge available — from updated NBA injury reports and projected NBA starting lineups to trusted NBA player projections and fantasy basketball rankings. Understanding how injuries, rotations and matchup trends shape NBA lineups is essential when building DraftKings entries.
Tools like a fantasy basketball cheat sheet, NBA depth charts, and an NBA lineup optimizer help clarify value plays, chalk options and potential NBA sleepers. With several teams shorthanded and star absences impacting usage, tonight's matchups offer plenty of opportunities to target strong DFS builds.
NBA Games Today
ATL at DET: Hawks 10-5 on the road; Pistons 10-2 at home
IND at PHI: Pacers 1-10 on the road; 76ers 7-7 at home
CLE at WAS: Cavs 5-5 on the road; Wizards on three-game slide
CHI at CHA: Bulls 3-9 on road; Hornets 3-7 in last 10 games
UTA at MEM: Jazz 2-8 on road; Grizzlies on two-game win streak
BKN at DAL: Nets 4-7 on road; Mavs 5-5 in last 10 games
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.
NBA Injury Report
For all the latest updates, visit RotoWire's NBA Injury News page and our comprehensive NBA Injury Report.
ATL - Kristaps Porzingis (illness), Trae Young (knee): OUT
IND - Aaron Nesmith (knee): OUT
PHI - Joel Embiid (knee): Probable; Tyrese Maxey (illness): Questionable; Kelly Oubre (knee), Trendon Watford (thigh): OUT
CLE - Jarrett Allen (finger): OUT
WAS - Bilal Coulibaly (oblique), Corey Kispert (thumb), Khris Middleton (knee), Alex Sarr (thigh): OUT
CHI - Ayo Dosunmu (thumb), Kevin Huerter (thigh): OUT
CHA - LaMelo Ball (ankle), Tre Mann (knee), Collin Sexton (quadriceps): OUT
MEM - Ja Morant (calf): Probable; Zach Edey (ankle), Ty Jerome (calf): OUT
DAL - Daniel Gafford (ankle): Doubtful
Elite NBA DFS Picks
Guards
Josh Giddey, Bulls 
($9,600) at Hornets
Giddey is coming off a couple of quieter outings but is averaging 18.6 points, 8.7 rebounds, 8.3 assists and 1.0 steals over the last 10 games, surpassing 40 DK points six times within that span, including a high of 62.0. He faces a great opportunity to pick up his production against the Hornets, who are giving up the league's second-most points and highest field-goal percentage to opposing point guards.
Forwards/Centers
Miles Bridges, Hornets 
($7,500) vs. Bulls
Bridges racked up 47.8 DK points in the previous game and is averaging 19.4 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.1 assists over five outings. He should continue to thrive against the Bulls, who are giving up the league's fifth-most points per game, including the second-most points per game to opposing power forwards. The Bulls also give up the league's seventh-most rebounds to opposing power forwards.
Pascal Siakam, Pacers 
($9,100) at 76ers
Despite tough times for the Pacers, Siakam is delivering solid production, averaging 23.9 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.4 steals over the last 10 games, including a high of 56.5 DK points within that stretch. He should keep it up against the 76ers, who continue to manage injury trouble in the frontcourt and are giving up the league's eighth-most rebounds to opposing power forwards.
Jalen Duren, Pistons 
($7,800) vs. Hawks
Duren has six double-doubles over the last 10 games, averaging 18.2 points, 11.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 0.7 blocks over that span, including a 21-point, 11-rebound effort in a meeting with the Hawks. He is likely to keep up the strong play, as the Hawks are shorthanded in the frontcourt and giving up the league's eighth-highest field-goal percentage to opposing centers.
Expected NBA DFS Chalk Picks
Donovan Mitchell, Cavaliers 
($9,800) at Wizards
Mitchell is averaging 30.5 points per game on the season and has surpassed the 40-point mark twice within the last six outings, while averaging 32.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.3 steals across that span. He is up for an ideal chance to shine against the Wizards, who are giving up the league's most points per game, including the most three-pointers per game to opposing shooting guards.
Mid-Range NBA DFS Picks
Cooper Flagg, Mavericks 
($7,000) vs. Nets
Flagg turned in 38.3 DK points in the last game and has reached at least 35 in five of the last six outings, while averaging 21.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.3 steals over that span. He has a good opportunity to prosper against the Nets, who are giving up the league's second-most points per game and third-highest field-goal percentage to opposing shooting guards.
Santi Aldama, Grizzlies 
($5,600) vs Jazz
Aldama continues to do a great job of chipping in off the bench for his squad, averaging 13.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 0.9 blocks through the last 10 games, with a high of 45.8 DK points within that span. He is up for a boost in his role with Zach Edey back on the sideline, and he should do well against the Jazz, who are struggling to contain opposing frontcourt players.
Nic Claxton, Nets 
($6,900) at Mavericks
Claxton is coming off his second triple-double of the season and is averaging 11.5 points, 8.6 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 1.4 blocks over the last 10 games, including four with more than 40 DK points. He is likely to thrive against the Mavericks, who are giving up the league's most points in the paint and the sixth-most rebounds and fourth-most free throws per game to opposing centers.
NBA DFS Value Picks
Ryan Nembhard, Mavericks ($4,800) vs. Nets
Nembhard has done a great job stepping up for the Mavs, averaging 14.8 points, 2.5 rebounds and 6.8 assists over six consecutive starts, including two games with over 45 DK points. He is likely to do well against the Nets, who are giving up the league's third-highest field-goal percentage and the seventh-most assists per game to opposing point guards.
Jaylen Wells, Grizzlies ($4,400) vs. Jazz
Wells is rolling, averaging 16.2 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists over the last five games, including a high of 31.8 DK points in the most recent outing. He is up for a great chance to flourish against the Jazz, who are giving up the league's third-highest field-goal percentage to opposing small forwards.
Ace Bailey, Jazz 
($4,600) at Grizzlies
Bailey continues to build on a positive trajectory, averaging 12.7 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.1 steals, with 2.2 made threes per outing over the last 10 games, including seven with more than 20 DK points. He has a good chance to keep it up against the Grizzlies, who are giving up the league's fifth-most three-pointers per game.
