DFS Alerts
Kevin Love (calf) and Matthew Dellavedova (abdominal) available to play Thursday
Coach Bickerstaff mentioned pre-game that both Love and Dellavedova would be available to play tonight against the Philadelphia 76ers. Love will reclaim his spot in the starting lineup, while Dellavedova should be available off the bench to play a few minutes. Both will have their minutes “monitored”; no specific minutes limit was listed, but it’s unlikely either play gets past the 18-20 minute mark. With Love starting, Dean Wade will likely move to the bench and should take the biggest hit, while the Cavs other starters should lose some usage now that Love is available to play.
As reported by: Chris Fedor via Twitter Other tagged players: Matthew Dellavedova
Goran Dragic (back) and KZ Okpala (protocols) out Thursday; Kendrick Nunn (ankle) listed questionable
Dragic will miss the game against the Golden State Warriors tonight due to back soreness, while Okpala will miss his seventh straight due to the health and safety protocols. Nunn meanwhile is listed as questionable due to an ankle injury. Victor Oladipo should be available to make his team debut after being traded from the Houston Rockets, and could be thrust into big minutes if Nunn were to sit alongside Dragic. If Nunn sits, Tyler Herro would likely get a few more minutes, along with Gabe Vincent off the bench. Nobody shows a major boost with Dragic off the court, and with Oladipo joining the rotation it’ll take some time to see who gets the lion share of his minutes. This team should still run through Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, regardless of who is alongside them.
As reported by: the Miami Heat via Twitter Other tagged players: KZ Okpala, Kendrick Nunn Lonzo Ball (hip) and Zion Williamson (thumb) ruled out Thursday; Brandon Ingram (foot) listed doubtful
The Pelicans released an injury report that should open up massive amounts of value as they take on the Orlando Magic. Lonzo will miss his sixth straight game due to a hip injury, but the big news comes as Zion has been ruled out due to a thumb injury, while Ingram was listed doubtful due to an issue with his right big toe. Ingram hasn’t missed a game all year, and Zion has only missed two games this season, so there won’t be much help from CourtIQ since Ingram and Zion play such heavy minutes and dominate the usage of the team (along with Lonzo). Nickeil Alexander-Walker should continue to start in place of Lonzo, alongside Eric Bledsoe; these two will likely lead the team in usage with Kira Lewis playing big minutes off the bench behind them. Steven Adams should continue to start at center, with Jaxson Hayes backing him up. The last two spots are the toughest to project. Whether Josh Hart starts or comes off the bench, he will likely be forced into minutes in the mid to upper 30’s, as coach Van Gundy always prefers to keep his rotation tight. As for power forward, James Johsnon could be in line to start after being traded from the Dallas Mavericks; Wes Iwundu is another potential option. Overall, the top plays should revolve around NAW, Bledsoe, Hart, and Lewis perhaps; whoever joins the starting lineup should also be a good play. This is one situation that merits waiting on, as the lineups update will be crucial.
As reported by: the New Orleans Pelicans via Twitter Other tagged players: Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram Lonnie Walker (wrist), Trey Lyles (ankle), Keita Bates-Diop (hamstring), and Gorgui Dieng (shoulder) ruled out Thursday
The Spurs will continue to miss some key depth, as they play their second game in two nights against the Atlanta Hawks. Lonnie will miss his sixth straight with a wrist injury, Lyles will miss his fifth straight with an ankle injury, and Bates-Diop his eleventh straight with a hamstring injury. Dieng made his debut last night, but only was able to play six minutes due to a shoulder injury he suffered during the game. With Dieng out, Jakob Poetl should continue to start at the center, with Drew Eubanks picking up a few extra minutes off the bench without Dieng. As for Lonnie, his absence means more minutes for Patty Mills and Devin Vassell, although the Spurs production should continue to flow through DeMar DeRozan and Dejounte Murray.
As reported by: Noah Magaro-George via Twitter Other tagged players: Trey Lyles, Keita Bates-Diop, Gorgui Dieng Status update: Karim Mane (hamstring) ruled out Thursday
Mane will miss his second straight game tonight against the New Orleans Pelicans, as he nurses a hamstring injury. Chasson Randle should step in and play all the backup point guard minutes behind Michael Carter-Williams.
As reported by: the Official NBA Injury Report Dennis Smith Jr. (back) and Wayne Ellington (calf) listed questionable Thursday; Hamidou Diallo (injury management) and Rodney Mcgruder (elbow) listed out; Sekou Doumbouya (migraine) listed probable
The Pistons seem to have had a lengthy injury report for almost two weeks, and it continues as they face off against the Washington Wizards tonight. After playing 26 minutes last night, Diallo will be rested as he works his way back from a groin injury. McGruder will miss his fourth straight game due to an elbow sprain. Meanwhile, Ellington and Smith Jr. are both questionable to make their returns to the lineup; Ellington missed one game with a calf injury, while Smith Jr. has missed the last four due to spine soreness. Doumbouya has also been listed as probable due to a migraine. With this mess, it’s tough to forecast who will gain more traction as nobody has been playing more than 28 minutes or so besides Jerami Grant, Saddiq Bey, and Mason Plumlee. If both Smith and Ellington were to miss, there’s a chance for some viability for both Cory Joseph and possibly Josh Jackson, who has had his minutes reduced lately but could play some more off the bench. Overall, despite the great matchup against the Wizards, this is one of the trickiest rotations to project.
As reported by: the Official NBA Injury Report Other tagged players: Rodney McGruder, Dennis Smith Jr., Wayne Ellington, Sekou Doumbouya James Harden (hamstring) and Blake Griffin (rest) ruled out Thursday; Landry Shamet (ankle) and LaMarcus Aldridge available to play
The Nets released an injury report that should shake up tonight’s slate, as Harden will miss tonight’s game against the Charlotte Hornets due to a hamstring injury he suffered during the game last night. Blake Griffin will also miss the game, as he will be held out likely on back-to-backs all year. In Griffin’s absence, Aldridge is available to make his team debut since joining the team through buyout. Shamet will also be back in the rotation, after missing the last five games due to an ankle injury. The biggest winner of the news is certainly Kyrie Irving; with Harden, Kevin Durant, and Caris Levert off the floor, Irving averages 1.68 FPM, up from 1.33 per a 200 minutes sample from CourtIQ. Joe Harris also shows a big increase in usage, and should be able to take advantage of the volume against the Hornets. As for Griffin’s absence, it seems as if Aldridge would likely just take those minutes, along with some more run for Nic Claxton and Jeff Green in small-ball lineups. DeAndre Jordan hasn’t played more than 20 minutes in the last six games, so he may not get the biggest bump now that the Nets have so many frontcourt players to chip in.
As reported by: the Brooklyn Nets via Twitter Other tagged players: Blake Griffin, Landry Shamet, LaMarcus Aldridge Zach LaVine (ankle) and Coby White (neck) listed out Wednesday
LaVine and White have officially been downgraded from questionable and are now listed out for Wednesday’s matchup against the Phoenix Suns due to their respective ailments, Garrett Temple is also now listed out and remains sidelined with a strained right hamstring. In their absences, Bulls head coach Billy Donovan has opted to go with a relatively large starting lineup that consists of Patrick Williams, Thaddeus Young, Lauri Markkanen, and Nikola Vucevic with Tomas Satoransky running the point, so it’ll be interesting to see how the rest of the rotation shakes out with most of Chicago’s guard depth depleted. Because of that lack of depth, Ryan Arcidiacono appears to be the odds-on favorite to handle the backup point guard duties, whereas some combination of Javonte Green, Troy Brown Jr., and Daniel Theis figure to round out the second unit this evening.
As reported by: NBA Official Injury Report Other tagged players: Coby White
Hassan Whiteside (knee) ruled out Wednesday
Whiteside has officially been downgraded from questionable and won’t play in Wednesday’s matchup against the San Antonio Spurs due to a knee injury that’s now forced him to miss three consecutive games, while Marvin Bagley III continues to be sidelined with a fractured hand. Richaun Holmes has been playing extremely well of late and has been commanding a large portion of the center minutes sans Bagley, but with Whiteside unavailable once again, Chimezie Metu figures to step into the available backup minutes in the second unit for tonight’s contest, though head coach Luke Walton has hinted to beat reporters he’d like to get newly-acquired Chris Silva some run soon.
As reported by: Sean Cunningham via Twitter Ty Jerome (ankle) ruled out Wednesday
Jerome has officially been downgraded from questionable and won’t play in Wednesday’s matchup against the Toronto Raptors due to a sprained right ankle, while Aleksej Pokusevski was placed in the NBA’s health and safety protocols and could be required to self-isolate for a presently undetermined amount of time pending additional testing and contact tracing. Oklahoma City is still without Lu Dort, Mike Muscala, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, so it’s possible someone like Kenrich Williams or Justin Jackson starts alongside Svi Mykhailiuk on the wing, whereas Josh Hall could see additional run off the bench with the second unit. As it stands, with Jerome unavailable, the Thunder only has nine players available for tonight’s contest, and it’s possible several of them provide enough value to be considered for all daily fantasy formats this evening.
As reported by: Steve McGehee via Twitter Jaylen Brown (hip) available to play Wednesday
Brown has officially been upgraded from questionable and will be available to play Wednesday’s matchup against the Dallas Mavericks after missing one game due to a left hip contusion, while Romeo Langford will continue to unavailable as he continues to work himself back into game shape after a lengthy stint in the NBA’s health and safety protocols. There haven’t been any reports of a potential minute restriction for Brown, so he should be fine to handle his usual allotment as a member of the starting lineup, which will send Grant Williams back to the bench to resume a reserve role following a rather dismal fantasy performance in just under 23 minutes of action in Monday’s loss. Additionally, Evan Fournier saw just under 33 minutes in his Celtics debut, so it’ll be interesting to see how head coach Brad Stevens redistributes minutes with all of his main rotation players healthy for the first time since the trade deadline.
As reported by: the Boston Celtics via Twitter Aleksej Pokusevski (protocols) listed out Wednesday; Ty Jerome (ankle) listed questionable
Pokusevski is a new addition to the Thunder’s injury report and won’t play in Wednesday’s matchup against the Toronto Raptors as he’s been placed in the NBA’s health and safety protocols and could be required to self-isolate for a presently undetermined amount of time pending additional testing and contact tracing. Meanwhile, Jerome is listed as questionable because of a sprained right ankle. Oklahoma City is still without Lu Dort, Mike Muscala, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, so it’s possible someone like Kenrich Williams or Justin Jackson starts alongside Svi Mykhailiuk on the wing, whereas Josh Hall could see additional run off the bench with the second unit. As it stands, if Jerome is cleared to play, the Thunder would have 10 players available for tonight’s contest, and it’s possible several of them provide enough value to be considered for all daily fantasy formats this evening.
As reported by: NBA Official Injury Report Other tagged players: Ty Jerome Kyle Lowry (foot) ruled out Wednesday
Lowry has officially been downgraded from questionable and won’t play in Wednesday’s matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder due to a right foot infection that has now forced him to miss three consecutive games, while De’Andre Bembry and Paul Watson remain in the NBA’s health and safety protocols and are still without a timetable for a return. In Lowry’s absence, Aron Baynes has been starting alongside Pascal Siakam in the frontcourt, but he’s played fewer than 15 minutes on both occasions thus far with Chris Boucher and Stanley Johnson each absorbing additional minutes off the bench with the second unit over this span. Unsurprisingly, Fred VanVleet has benefitted the most with Lowry and the recently traded Norman Powell off the court this season as VanVleet has averaged 1.24 fantasy points per minute (up from 1.07) and leads the Raptors in both usage and assist percentage in this data set.
As reported by: Blake Murphy via Twitter Marcus Morris (calf) scratched Tuesday
Despite originally being confirmed in the Clippers’ starting lineup, Morris is now a late scratch and won’t play in Tuesday’s matchup against the Orlando Magic due to a calf injury, while Paul George, Serge Ibaka, and Patrick Beverley all remain sidelined with their respective ailments. Rajon Rondo also continues to deal with right adductor soreness, so he won’t be available to make his Clippers debut once again, which will allow Luke Kennard to remain in the starting lineup alongside Reggie Jackson in the backcourt with George unable to suit up for a second straight night. As for Jackson, he’s continued to see increased minutes of late with the Clippers shorthanded, and he remains an intriguing tournament target regardless of George’s status at a relatively affordable price tag across the daily fantasy industry this evening.
As reported by: Andrew Greif via Twitter Paul George (foot) ruled out Tuesday
George has officially been downgraded from questionable and won’t play in Tuesday’s matchup against the Orlando Magic due to right foot soreness that has now forced him to miss two games, while Serge Ibaka and Patrick Beverley remain sidelined with their respective ailments. Rajon Rondo also continues to deal with right adductor soreness, so he won’t be available to make his Clippers debut once again, which will allow Luke Kennard to remain in the starting lineup alongside Reggie Jackson in the backcourt with George unable to suit up for a second straight night. As for Jackson, he’s continued to see increased minutes of late with the Clippers shorthanded, and he remains an intriguing tournament target regardless of George’s status at a relatively affordable price tag across the daily fantasy industry this evening.
As reported by: Farbod Esnaashari via Twitter