DFS Alerts
Darius Garland (shoulder) will play off the bench Friday
As expected, Garland has officially been cleared to play and will come off the bench for Friday’s matchup against the Brooklyn Nets after missing the previous eight games due to a sprained right shoulder. The move to the bench is mostly an effort from the coaching staff to keep his minutes limited throughout the first half, so he’s able to see the floor for more meaningful minutes later on in the game, but Garland’s mere presence in the rotation should relegate Cedi Osman from his new-found creator role and will siphon minutes from the likes of Damyean Dotson in the second unit. Additionally, Collin Sexton will have to sacrifice some usage when Garland is on the floor and should even be relied upon less often as an offensive facilitator playing off-ball.
As reported by: Chris Fedor via Twitter
Danilo Gallinari (ankle), Cam Reddish (knee), and De'Andre Hunter (knee) will play Friday
Gallinari was a late upgrade to questionable on the Hawks’ injury report, and he will be available to play in Friday’s matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves after missing extended time due to a sprained right ankle, while Reddish and Hunter have also be cleared and will play in tonight’s contest. Head coach Lloyd Pierce disclosed that Hunter won’t be subject to a minute restriction, so he should be able to handle his usual allotment of minutes barring a setback, but Gallinari and Reddish aren’t so fortunate, as they will have a 15-minute and 25-minute limit, respectively. However, the trio’s presence will still provide plenty of depth at the wing and forward positions, and it’s likely players like Solomon Hill and Kevin Huerter see reduced roles this evening.
As reported by: Chris Kirschner via Twitter Other tagged players: Cam Reddish, De'Andre Hunter Tyler Herro (neck) ruled out Friday
Herro has officially been downgraded from questionable and won’t play in Friday’s matchup against the Toronto Raptors due to neck spasms that have now forced him to miss four consecutive games, while Goran Dragic and Gabe Vincent will be available to play following their original probable designations on the Heat injury report. However, Miami is still without Jimmy Butler, Meyers Leonard, and Avery Bradley, so Dragic will likely receive a third straight start at point guard following another solid fantasy performance in just over 31 minutes of action in Wednesday’s win. Kendrick Nunn also returned to the lineup in recent games following an extended absence and has logged at least 34 minutes off the bench in two straight contest, so will likely remain in an increased role with Vincent having such a volatile minute floor in recent games.
As reported by: Tim Reynolds via Twitter Kyle Lowry (foot) ruled out Friday; Pascal Siakam (groin) will play
Lowry has officially been downgraded from questionable and won’t play in Friday’s matchup against the Miami Heat due to right foot soreness, while Pascal Siakam has been cleared to play following his original questionable designation on the Raptors’ injury report with a sore right groin. The midday downgrade in status for Lowry was never a good sign, and with Lowry unable to suit up, Fred VanVleet will slide over to the point guard position whereas Norman Powell will be inserted into the starting lineup alongside him and OG Anunoby on the wing. Additionally, some combination of Terence Davis and Malachi Flynn would likely join the rotation to absorb the available backup point guard and shooting guard minutes this evening.
As reported by: Blake Murphy via Twitter Other tagged players: Pascal Siakam Myles Turner (hand) will play Friday
Turner has officially been upgraded from questionable and will play in Friday’s matchup against the Orlando Magic after missing two games due to an avulsion fracture in his right hand. It remains unclear if Turner will be subject to any sort of minute restriction in his return, but even if he’s able to handle his usual minute allotment, it’s likely he’ll be required to wear some type of wrap or brace on his shooting hand, potentially limiting his effectiveness on both sides of the floor. However, his return to the starting lineup still could send Doug McDermott back to the bench to assume his typical reserve role following a couple of stellar fantasy performances in an average of just over 33 minutes as a starter during the Pacers’ previous two contests
As reported by: Scott Agness via Twitter Cody Zeller (hand) available to play Friday
As expected, Zeller has been upgraded from probable and will be available to play in Friday’s matchup against the Chicago Bulls after missing essentially one month due to a fractured left hand. Zeller already disclosed to reporters that he doesn’t expect to have a minute restriction, but Hornets head coach James Borrego has yet to announce if Zeller will replace Bismack Biyombo in the starting lineup for tonight’s contest. However, either way, it would seem unlikely Zeller sees substantial playing time with this game trending towards going small with Wendall Carter Jr. unavailable for Chicago on the other side.
As reported by: Charlotte Hornets PR via Twitter Michael Porter Jr. (conditioning) will play Friday
Porter Jr. has officially been upgraded from questionable and will play in Friday’s matchup against Phoenix Suns after missing nearly a month due to the NBA’s health and safety protocols related to a positive COVID-19 diagnosis. There haven’t been any reports of a specific minute restriction for Porter, but given the nature and length of his absence, it’s likely he’ll be eased back into action and it’s even possible he’ll be relegated to a bench role until Nuggets head coach Mike Malone and the training staff feel he’s ready to take on a larger minute workload. However, Porter’s presence will certainly cut into the available forward minutes for the likes of Paul Millsap, Will Barton, PJ Dozier, and JaMychal Green moving forward.
As reported by: Adrian Wojnarowski via Twitter Kyle Lowry (foot) downgraded to questionable Friday
Lowry was a new addition to the Raptors’ injury report and is listed as questionable for Friday’s matchup against the Miami Heat due to right foot soreness, while Pascal Siakam remains listed as questionable with a sore right groin. The midday downgrade in status is never a good sign, and if Lowry is unable to suit up, Fred VanVleet would almost certainly slide over to the point guard position with Norman Powell being inserted alongside him and OG Anunoby on the wing. If that scenario were to come to fruition, some combination of Terence Davis and Malachi Flynn would likely join the rotation to absorb the available backup point guard and shooting guard minutes this evening.
As reported by: NBA Official Injury Report Seth Curry (conditioning) listed available Friday
As expected, Curry has been upgraded from probable and is now listed as available for Friday’s matchup against the Boston Celtics after missing seven games due to a positive COVID-19 diagnosis and re-conditioning. There haven’t been any reports of a specific minute restriction for Curry, but given the nature and length of his absence, it’s likely he’ll be eased back into action. His return will also send Tyrese Maxey back to the bench to resume a reserve role, but with Shake Milton essentially seeing starting minutes over the past three games, Maxey was limited to 26 minutes or fewer over that same span. Assuming head coach Doc Rivers wants to keep Maxey, Furkan Korkmaz, and Matisse Thybulle heavily involved in the rotation, it’s also possible that Danny Green sees his recent spike in minutes reduced from their currently elevated levels.
As reported by: NBA Official Injury Report Kevin Durant (injury management) ruled out Friday
Durant was briefly listed as questionable on the Nets’ injury report, but he’s now been ruled out of Friday’s matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers as the team attempts to manage his return from a torn right Achilles tendon on the front end of a back-to-back set. The Nets are coming off of a double-overtime loss on Wednesday where Durant logged 50 minutes of action, so it makes sense that he’d be rested in the midst of a stretch of three games in four nights. In his absence, Joe Harris will likely rejoin the starting lineup at small forward, but he still saw 42 minutes last time out as head coach Steve Nash opted to utilize a smaller lineup with Durant and Jeff Green in the frontcourt for roughly the final 22 minutes of Wednesday’s contest.
As reported by: Malika Andrews via Twitter Andrew Wiggins (knee) active Wednesday
As expected, Wiggins will be active for Wednesday’s matchup against the San Antonio Spurs after originally being listed as questionable on the Warriors’ injury report due to a sore right knee. There haven’t been any reports of a potential minute restriction for Wiggins on the front end of a back-to-back set, so he should be fine to handle his usual allotment of minutes in tonight’s contest. Head coach Steve Kerr made a substantial rotation tweak in the Warriors’ previous game, and if that change becomes permanent, Wiggins will be spending much less time on the floor with the second unit and more with Steph Curry, which could prove to be a boost to the projected fantasy value of Kelly Oubre Jr. moving forward.
As reported by: Anthony Slater via Twitter Hassan Whiteside (hip) ruled out Wednesday
Whiteside has officially been downgraded from questionable and won’t play in Wednesday’s matchup against the Los Angeles Clippers due to a strained left hip flexor that has now forced him to miss three consecutive games. The first time Whiteside was unavailable Chimezie Metu absorbed the available backup center minutes and was stellar for daily fantasy purposes in limited action, but head coach Luke Walton already reiterated that he plans to get Nemanja Bjelica back into the rotation at some point following several DNP-CDs over the previous few games. However, neither scenario came to fruition in the previous contest as all five starters eclipsed the 36-minute mark and Richaun Holmes and Harrison Barnes each logged well over 40 minutes.
As reported by: James Ham via Twitter Lou Williams (hip) will play Wednesday
Williams has officially been upgraded from questionable and will play in Wednesday’s matchup against the Sacramento Kings after missing two games due to left hip discomfort. The Clippers will also once again have the services of Serge Ibaka, who was sidelined in the previous game as well, so the roles of Marcus Morris and Luke Kennard may take substantial hits in tonight’s contest following their stellar fantasy performances last time out. Additionally, the return of Williams to the rotation likely relegates Reggie Jackson and Terrance Mann to DNP-CD candidates or fringe rotational backcourt pieces, at best.
As reported by: Mirjam Swanson via Twitter Myles Turner (hand) ruled out Wednesday; JaKarr Sampson (back) available to play
Turner has officially been downgraded from questionable and won’t play in Wednesday’s matchup against the Dallas Mavericks due to an avulsion fracture in his shooting hand that has now forced him to miss two games, while Sampson will be available to play following a one-game absence with a sore back. Now that Sampson is available, he likely becomes a candidate to start alongside Domantas Sabonis in the frontcourt, though he typically doesn’t receive the necessary playing time to become relevant in daily fantasy formats when he starts since Doug McDermott, Justin Holiday, and a surplus of guards are plenty capable of filling out the rotation with Sabonis likely primarily manning the five this evening.
As reported by: Tony East via Twitter Other tagged players: JaKarr Sampson Tyler Herro (neck) ruled out Wednesday; Goran Dragic (foot) available to play
Herro has officially been downgraded from questionable and won’t play in Wednesday’s matchup against the Detroit Pistons due to neck spasms that have now forced him to miss three consecutive games, while Dragic and Gabe Vincent will be available to play following their original probable designations on the heat injury report. However, Miami is still without Jimmy Butler, Meyers Leonard, and Avery Bradley, so Dragic will likely receive a second straight start at point guard following his solid fantasy performance in just over 33 minutes of action in Monday’s win. Kendrick Nunn also returned to the lineup in that contest following an extended absence and saw 34 minutes, so will likely remain in an increased role with Vincent being limited to just a nominal role at the end of the rotation last time out.
As reported by: Ira Winderman via Twitter Other tagged players: Goran Dragic