DFS Alerts
Kawhi Leonard (laceration) ruled out Tuesday
Leonard fell victim to a scary collision towards the end of Friday’s win, and he’s officially been ruled out of Tuesday’s matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves after previously being listed as questionable on the Clippers’ injury report due to a mouth laceration. In his absence, Luke Kennard will receive the starting nod alongside Paul George on the wing once again, and with Marcus Morris also still unavailable, there will be a surplus of playing time available at the forward positions in tonight’s contest. Unsurprisingly, George has led the Clippers with a 37.5% usage rate with Leonard off the court thus far this season, so he immediately becomes one of the top options on the slates across the daily fantasy industry this evening.
As reported by: Lucas Hann via Twitter
Alec Burks (ankle) listed out Tuesday; Kevin Knox (knee) listed available
As expected, Burks has been downgraded from doubtful and is listed out on the Knicks’ injury report for Tuesday’s matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers due to a sprained left ankle. This will leave the Knicks pretty thin in the backcourt with Immanuel Quickley, Dennis Smith Jr., and Austin Rivers all still sidelined with their respective ailments. Frank Ntilikina saw nearly 19 minutes off the bench in Monday’s win even with Burks available, so he’ll definitely have room for additional playing time if head coach Tom Thibodeau opts to go that direction with his backcourt rotation. Although, Elfrid Payton should also have a more solidified minute floor in the starting lineup with the lack of depth at point guard, making him an intriguing option for all formats across the daily fantasy industry this evening.
As reported by: NBA Official Injury Report Jimmy Butler (ankle) listed out Tuesday
As expected, Butler has been downgraded from doubtful and is listed out on the Heat’s injury report for Tuesday’s matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks due to an ankle injury that forced him to miss the second half of Friday’s win. Andre Iguodala ended up starting the second half in Butler’s place, but given Milwaukee’s size in the frontcourt, it appears more likely Meyers Leonard and Maurice Harkless will receive the starting nods at the power forward and small forward positions, respectively. However, after that, the rotation starts to become a bit murky and it’s possible players like KZ Okpala or Kendrick Nunn see significant run off the bench with the second unit.
As reported by: NBA Official Injury Report Joel Embiid (back) listed available Tuesday
As expected, Embiid has been upgraded from probable and is listed as available on the Sixers’ injury report for Tuesday’s matchup against the Toronto Raptors after missing one game due to back tightness. Head coach Doc Rivers already confirmed with reporters during his pregame media availability that Embiid won’t be subject to a minute restriction, so he’ll presumably be a full-go in tonight’s contest. His presence will relegate Dwight Howard back to his usual reserve center role, and Tony Bradley will likely pick up another DNP-CD following his spotty performance off the bench in Sunday’s loss.
As reported by: NBA Official Injury Report Jahlil Okafor (ankle) listed doubtful Tuesday; Sekou Doumbouya (foot) probable
Okafor has been listed as doubtful on the Pistons’ initial injury report for Tuesday’s matchup against the Golden State Warriors due to a sprained right ankle that already forced him to miss one game, while Sekou Doumbouya is probable because of a sore right foot. Doumbouya managed to play 10 minutes off the bench in Monday’s loss, but with Blake Griffin returning from a one-game absence and Saddiq Bey playing well in his 30 minutes of action as a spot starter, there may not be any room left for Doumbouya in the rotation. In Okafor’s absence, Isaiah Stewart will likely step into the backup center role once again following his adequate performance in last night’s contest.
As reported by: NBA Official Injury Report Other tagged players: Sekou Doumbouya Al Horford (rest) listed out Tuesday; George Hill (neck) questionable
Horford has been included on the Thunder’s initial injury report, and he won’t play in Tuesday’s matchup against the Orlando Magic for rest purposes on the second leg of a back-to-back set, while Hill is listed as questionable with neck spasms, which may be code for another potential rest candidate. If Hill were to miss tonight’s contest, Theo Maledon and Hamdiou Diallo would likely step into even more significant roles at the guard positions with Ty Jerome still sidelined with a sprained left ankle. As for Horford’s absence, Mike Muscala is an overwhelming favorite to start at the center position a see a majority of the available minutes there, and it’s likely some combination of Moses Brown, Isaiah Roby, or Josh Hall see spot minutes as the backup five this evening.
As reported by: NBA Official Injury Report Other tagged players: George Hill Alec Burks (ankle) downgraded to doubtful Tuesday
Burks was originally listed as questionable on the Knicks’ injury report, but he is now considered doubtful for Tuesday’s matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers due to a sprained left ankle. This will leave the Knicks pretty thin in the backcourt with Immanuel Quickley, Dennis Smith Jr., and Austin Rivers all still sidelined with their respective ailments. Frank Ntilikina saw nearly 19 minutes off the bench in Monday’s win even with Burks available, so he’ll definitely have room for additional playing time if head coach Tom Thibodeau opts to go that direction with his backcourt rotation. Elfrid Payton should also have a more solidified minute floor in the starting lineups with the lack of depth, making him an intriguing option for all formats across the daily fantasy industry this evening.
As reported by: Stefan Bondy via Twitter LeBron James (ankle) will play Monday; Alex Caruso (COVID protocols) ruled out
Lakers head coach Frank Vogel confirmed that James will play in Monday’s matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers after previously being listed as questionable on the injury report with a sprained right ankle. However, Caruso will be unavailable as he must adhere to the health and safety protocols related to COVID-19 for a presently unspecified reason. There haven’t been any reports of a potential minute restriction for James or Anthony Davis, who was given the night off on the front leg of a back-to-back set on Sunday, so they will presumably be fine to handle their usual minute allotment this evening. The absence of Caruso may lead to some additional run for Dennis Schroder at point guard, but other than that, his absence won’t have too much of an impact on Vogel’s general rotations.
As reported by: Dave McMenamin via Twitter Other tagged players: Alex Caruso Danilo Gallinari (foot) ruled out Monday
Gallinari has officially been downgraded from questionable and won’t play in Monday’s matchup against the Detroit Pistons due to a left foot contusion that has now forced him to miss two consecutive games. The Hawks will at least have Clint Capela back in the starting lineup, which will slide John Collins, De’Andre Hunter, and Cam Reddish all up one position. When asked by reporters, Capela wasn’t sure exactly how many minutes he’d play, but he did disclose that he believes he’ll end up somewhere in the “20s” in terms of minutes in tonight’s contest. The return of Capela will also shift Bogdan Bogdanovic back to the bench to lead the second unit, and even though Capela is only slated to see around 20 minutes, his presence is enough to clog up the wing and forward rotations since John Collins will now be spending more time at the power forward position.
As reported by: Brad Rowland via Twitter Jahlil Okafor (ankle) ruled out Monday
Okafor has officially been downgraded from questionable and won’t play in Monday’s matchup against the Atlanta Hawks due to a sprained right ankle, while Sekou Doumbouya remains probable and will be a game-time decision because of a sore right foot. With Blake Griffin already unavailable for rest purposes, this will leave Mason Plumlee and Isaiah Stewart as the only two natural centers on the Pistons roster with Dembouya or Jerami Grant being potential candidates in smaller lineup combinations. The absence of Griffin should allow either Svi Mykhailiuk or Josh Jackson to join the starting lineup alongside Grant at the forward positions.
As reported by: Rod Beard via Twitter Clint Capela (Achilles) will play Monday
As expected, Capela confirmed with reporters that he will play in Monday’s matchup against the Detroit Pistons due to a left Achilles soreness that forced him to miss the first two games of the season. When asked, Capela wasn’t sure exactly how many minutes he’d play, but he did disclose that he believes he’ll end up somewhere in the “20s” in terms of minutes in tonight’s contest. The return of Capela will likely shift Danilo Gallinari and Bogdan Bogdanovic make to the bench to lead the second unit, and even though Capela is only slated to see around 20 minutes, his presence is enough to clog up the wing and forward rotations since John Collins will now be spending more time at the power forward position.
As reported by: Brad Rowland via Twitter Kyrie Irving (rest) ruled out Monday
Irving was excluded from the Nets’ initial injury report, but he’s officially been ruled out and will join Kevin Durant on their list of inactives for Monday’s matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies for rest purposes. Brooklyn also received the unfortunate news this morning that Spencer Dinwiddie sustained a partially torn ACL in last night’s loss, so they’ll be down three starters for tonight’s contest. Caris LeVert may not be the long-term replacement starter for Dinwiddie when Durant is available, but he appears to be an overwhelming favorite to join the starting lineup in Dinwiddie’s place while either Taurean Prince or Jeff Green get the nod at the power forward. The Nets have tremendous depth, especially in the frontcourt, so it may be difficult to pinpoint the correct value option there for cash games, but in tournaments, Prince or Green are both more than viable on a five-game slate.
As reported by: Shams Charania via Twitter Anthony Davis (calf) will play Monday
Davis wasn’t included on the Lakers’ initial injury report, and he will play in Monday’s matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers after missing one game due to a right calf contusion. This isn’t all that surprising considering Davis appeared to given the night off on the front leg of a back-to-back set as opposed to being severely limited by injury. However, the Lakers may be without LeBron James and Alex Caruso in tonight’s contest, and if James is unable to suit up or held out for rest, Davis would become one of the top options on the five-game slates across the industry if he is expected to be a full-go without any severe minute limitations.
As reported by: Dave McMenamin via Twitter Kevin Durant (rest) officially out Monday
Durant shot down the idea of sitting out one leg of back-to-back sets when speaking with reporters after Sunday’s game, but ultimately the Nets got their way, and he’s officially been ruled out of Monday’s matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies for rest purposes. Brooklyn also received the unfortunate news that Spencer Dinwiddie sustained a partially torn ACL in last night’s loss, so they’ll be down two starters for tonight’s contest. Caris LeVert may not be the long-term starter when Durant is available, but he appears to be a heavy favorite to join the starting lineup in Dinwiddie’s place while either Taurean Prince or Jeff Green get the nod at the power forward. The Nets have tremendous depth, especially in the frontcourt, so it may be difficult to pinpoint the correct value option there for cash games, but in tournaments, Prince or Green are both more than viable on a five-game slate.
As reported by: Shams Charania via Twitter NBA Injury Outlook - Monday, 12/28
DET – Blake Griffin (Out), Derrick Rose (Out), Jahlil Okafor (Q), Sekou Doumbouya (P)
ATL – Kris Dunn (Out), Onyeka Okongwu (Out), Tony Snell (Out), Danilo Gallinari (Q), Clint Capela (P)
MEM – De’Anthony Melton (Out), Jaren Jackson Jr. (Out), Justise Winslow (Out), Xavier Tillman (Out), Killian Tillie (Out), Jontay Porter (O)
BKN – Kevin Durant (Out), Spencer Dinwiddie (Out), Nicolas Claxton (Out)
UTA – Derrick Favors (P), Shaquille Harrison (P)
OKC – Ty Jerome (Out), Trevor Ariza (Out)
HOU – John Wall (Out), DeMarcus Cousins (Out), Eric Gordon (Out), Ben McLemore (Out), Kenyon Martin Jr. (Out), Mason Jones (Out), Chris Clemons (Out)
DEN – JaMychal Green (Out), Greg Whittington (Out)
POR – Carmelo Anthony (Out), Nassir Little (Out), Zach Collins (Out)
LAL – LeBron James (Q), Alex Caruso (Q)