DFS Alerts
Giannis Antetokounmpo (knee) officially out Sunday
As expected, Antetokounmpo has officially been downgraded from doubtful and won’t play in Sunday’s matchup against the Phoenix Suns due to a minor joint capsule sprain in his left knee, while George Hill remains questionable with a groin contusion that has already forced him to miss two games. Antetokounmpo will also miss the final game of the Bucks current road trip, so it’ll be interesting to see who head coach Mike Budenholzer decides to start at power forward in his absence, as Marvin Williams has clearly passed Ersan Ilyasova in the rotational pecking order and makes Ilyasova a much more volatile fantasy option even if he does draw the start this evening. It’s no secret that Eric Bledsoe and Khris Middleton dramatically benefit from Antetokounmpo being off the court, as they each own a minimum of a +7.5% increase in usage rate and are averaging at least +0.21 more fantasy points per minute over their normal season-long numbers.
As reported by: Malika Andrews via Twitter
Kristaps Porzingis (ankle) questionable Sunday; Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (illness) ruled out
Porzingis has been added to the Mavericks’ injury report and is now questionable for Sunday’s matchup against the Indiana Pacers due to a sprained right ankle, while Michael Kidd-Gilchrist will join Seth Curry and Jalen Brunson on the inactive list for tonight’s contest. Tim Hardaway Jr. and Dorian Finney-Smith are also listed as questionable, and in their recent absences, Curry and Courtney Lee ended up receiving the start at the wing positions, and Lee was actually relatively productive for fantasy purposes in just over 29 minutes in Friday’s blowout win. If Porzingis is unable to suit up, Luka Doncic becomes an even stronger option for all daily fantasy formats since he has a 39.9% usage rate, 41.3% assist rate, 15.3% rebound rate, and is averaging 1.69 DraftKings and 1.57 FanDuel points per minute in 376.4 minutes sample size with Porzingis and Dwight Powell off the court.
As reported by: Mike Peasley via Twitter Other tagged players: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist Zach LaVine (quad) and Ryan Arcidiacono (Achilles) out Sunday
LaVine has officially been downgraded from questionable and won’t play in Sunday’s matchup against the Brooklyn Nets due to a left quadriceps strain that has now forced him to miss four games, while Arcidiacono is a new addition to the Bulls’ injury report and has been ruled out with right Achilles soreness. Arcidiacono ended up being a DNP-CD in Friday’s loss with Shaq Harrison and Denzel Valentine grabbing ahold of nearly all of the wing minutes that weren’t already claimed by Otto Porter Jr. and Coby White, as they both were phenomenal for fantasy purposes in at least 27 minutes of action in the aforementioned contest. This news also thrusts White back into consideration for all daily fantasy formats on today’s slate, and he has a 26.2% usage rate, a 26.6% assist rate, and is averaging 1.12 DraftKings and 1.05 FanDuel points per minute with LaVine, Arcidiacono, and the other ailing Bulls off the court this season.
As reported by: K.C. Johnson via Twitter Other tagged players: Ryan Arcidiacono Lonnie Walker IV (shin) out Sunday
Walker IV has officially been downgraded from questionable and won’t play in Sunday’s matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers due to a left shin contusion, while LaMarcus Aldridge and Marco Belinelli remain sidelined with their respective ailments. In their absences, head coach Gregg Popovich started his smallest lineup of any of the six games Aldridge has been unavailable by inserting Derrick White at the small forward position and sliding DeMar DeRozan and Trey Lyles over to power forward and center, respectively. This move essentially demoted Drew Eubanks from the rotation entirely as he was limited just three non-garbage time minutes in Friday’s blowout loss, but it’s certainly possible he could see a larger role in tonight’s contest with one less body in an already depleted rotation. Rookie Keldon Johnson appears poised to assume most, if not all, of the vacated playing time left behind by Walker and Belinelli, and he was a solid contributor in 21 minutes off the bench in the Spurs previous game.
As reported by: Paul Garcia via Twitter Andre Drummond (calf) probable Sunday; Darius Garland (groin) remains out
Drummond has officially been listed as probable for Sunday’s matchup against the San Antonio Spurs due to a strained left calf that has already forced him to miss three consecutive games, while Darius Garland will miss a fourth straight contest with a strained left groin. In his absence, Tristan Thompson returned to the Cavaliers starting lineup and was not limited in the slightest by the injury that kept him sidelined for three games, accruing just under 38 minutes in Saturday’s win, whereas all the other starters except for Matthew Dellavedova also logged at least 37 minutes of action in head coach J.B. Bickerstaff’s depleted seven-man rotation. Collin Sexton and Kevin Love each own a minimum of a +2.1% increase in usage rate and are averaging at least +0.09 more fantasy points per minute with all of the injured Cavaliers off the court since the conclusion of the NBA trade deadline.
As reported by: Kelsey Russo via Twitter Other tagged players: Darius Garland Richaun Holmes (shoulder) will play Saturday
Holmes has officially been upgraded from questionable and will play in Saturday’s matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers after missing two months due to a sore right shoulder, while Marvin Bagley III remains sidelined and is still without a firm timetable for a return. Head coach Luke Walton already confirmed with reporters at his pregame media availability that Holmes will come off the bench in his first game back and will have a minute restriction, likely limiting him to a minor role with the second unit. This means that Harry Giles III will remain in the starting lineup at center, but his minute floor might be drastically reduced if Walton opts to use a three-man rotation at the center position, which could also limit the upside of Nemanja Bjelica, who typically spends time at the five in smaller lineup combinations.
As reported by: James Ham via Twitter Trae Young (illness) will start Saturday; Cam Reddish (back) available
Young has officially been upgraded from questionable and will play in Saturday’s matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies after missing one game, while Reddish has also bee cleared to play, as expected, despite dealing with low back pain. In Young’s absence, Jeff Teague ended up receiving the start at the point guard position and was serviceable, albeit underwhelming, from a fantasy perspective in just over 28 minutes of action, whereas Brandon Goodwin saw 10 minutes off the bench and Kevin Huerter assumed a lot of the point guard responsibilities in the first unit when Teague was off the floor. There haven’t been any reports of a minute restriction for Young, so he’ll remain firmly in consideration for tournament formats on a five-game slate since he has a 34.8% usage rate, a 42.1% assist rate, and is averaging 1.43 DraftKings and 1.35 FanDuel points per minute on the season thus far.
As reported by: Sarah K. Spencer via Twitter Other tagged players: Cam Reddish Tristan Thompson (knee) and Alfonzo McKinnie (foot) will play Saturday; Andre Drummond (calf) ruled out
Thompson and McKinnie have officially been upgraded from questionable and will play in Saturday’s matchup against the Denver Nuggets after missing time with their respective ailments, while Drummond will remain sidelined for a third straight game with a strained left calf following his original questionable designation on the Cavaliers’ injury report. In Thompson’s absence, Larry Nance Jr. had started the last two games alongside Kevin Love in the frontcourt, and he was phenomenal for fantasy purposes and logged at least 38 minutes on both occasions. However, there haven’t been any reports of a potential minute restriction for Thompson, so he’ll presumably draw the start at center and should be able to handle close to his normal minute allotment in tonight’s contest. Cleveland is extremely shorthanded in the backcourt with Kevin Porter Jr. in the concussion protocol, so outside of the increased playing time for Matthew Dellavedova at point guard, Collin Sexton and Kevin Love each own a minimum of a +2.4% increase in usage rate and are averaging at least +0.10 more fantasy points per minute with all of the injured Cavaliers off the court since the conclusion of the NBA trade deadline.
As reported by: James Rapien via Twitter Other tagged players: Alfonzo McKinnie, Andre Drummond Stephen Curry (illness) and Draymond Green (knee) listed out Saturday
Curry has been added to the latest Warriors’ injury report and is listed out for Saturday’s matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers due to an illness, while Draymond Green remains sidelined and will miss a fifth straight game with a sore left knee. Curry made his return from a lengthy injury layoff in Thursday’s loss, and he was mostly serviceable from a fantasy perspective in just over 27 minutes of action. In his and Green’s absences, Mychal Mulder becomes the leading candidate to start alongside Damion Lee in the backcourt, whereas Juan Toscano-Anderson should remain in the starting lineup at one of the forward positions but has only logged more than 22 minutes twice in the Warriors’ previous six contests. This has allowed Eric Paschall to essentially assume a starting workload off the bench, and he has benefitted the most with Curry, Green, Kevon Looney, and Ky Bowman off the court since the trade deadline, as he has a 21.9% usage rate, a 22.7% assist rate, and is averaging 1.08 DraftKings and 1.02 FanDuel points per minute in a 147.6 minutes sample size.
As reported by: NBA Official Injury Report Other tagged players: Draymond Green Trae Young (illness) and DeAndre Bembry (abdominal) questionable Saturday; Cam Reddish (back) probable
Young and Bembry have been listed as questionable on the Hawks’ initial injury report for Saturday’s matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies due to the respective ailments that forced them to miss Friday’s loss, while Reddish is listed as probable with low back pain. In Young’s absence, Jeff Teague ended up receiving the start at the point guard position and was serviceable, albeit underwhelming, in just over 28 minutes of action, whereas Brandon Goodwin saw 10 minutes off the bench and Kevin Huerter assumed a lot of the point guard responsibilities in the first unit when Teague was off the floor. Ever since Teague was acquired from the Timberwolves in January, it’s been Reddish and Huerter that have benefited the most with Young off the court, as they each own a minimum of +4.2% increase in usage rate and are averaging at least +0.11 more fantasy points per minute over their normal numbers during this span.
As reported by: NBA Official Injury Report Other tagged players: DeAndre Bembry, Cam Reddish George Hill (groin) out Friday
Hill has officially been downgraded from questionable and won’t play in Friday’s matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers due to a groin contusion that has now forced him to miss two games, while Kyle Korver will be available to return from an eight-game absence because of back soreness. In Hill’s absence, Donte DiVincenzo should assume a large portion of the backup point guard duties behind Eric Bledsoe, and he’s managed to log at least 26 minutes off the bench in three of the previous six games. However, DiVincenzo is priced appropriately on daily fantasy sites, so he’ll be nothing more than tournament option on a 10-game slate, and he is averaging 0.95 DraftKings and 0.95 FanDuel points per minute on the season thus far.
As reported by: Eric Nehm via Twitter Deandre Ayton (ankle) officially out Friday
As expected, Ayton has officially been downgraded from doubtful and won’t play in Friday’s matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers due to a sprained left ankle he suffered in the closing minutes of Tuesday’s loss, while Cameron Johnson was already ruled out with an illness. In Ayton’s absence, head coach Monty Williams already confirmed with reporters at his pregame media availability that Aron Baynes will receive the starting nod at the center position, and even though he’s been serving as solely the backup center in the Suns’ previous six games, he should still have a stable enough minute floor with Ayton unavailable to accrue minutes in the low or mid-20s this evening. Other than the expanded roles for Baynes and Cheick Diallo in the frontcourt rotation, Ricky Rubio has actually benefitted the most with Ayton and Kelly Oubre Jr. off the court this season, as he owns a 22.9% usage rate, a 36.9% assist rate, and is averaging 1.20 DraftKings and 1.15 FanDuel points per minute in a 132.7 minutes sample size.
As reported by: Gerald Bourguet via Twitter J.J. Barea (ankle) available to play Friday
Barea has officially been upgraded from questionable and will be available to play in Friday’s matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies despite dealing with a sore right ankle, while Dorian Finney-Smith and Tim Hardaway Jr. won’t play following their original questionable designations on the Mavericks’ injury report with their respective ailments. In Hardaway’s absence, Seth Curry will be the leading candidate to rejoin the starting lineup, and he was phenomenal for fantasy purposes in just over 37 minutes of action in Wednesday’s overtime win, showing no ill-effects from the back injury that forced him to miss the two previous games. Curry does see a minor boost in usage and production with Finney-Smith, Hardaway, Jalen Brunson, and Dwight Powell off the court, but his elevated minute floor more than makes up for his unimpressive 21.9% usage rate and averages of 0.95 DraftKings and 0.89 FanDuel points per minute.
As reported by: Mavs PR via Twitter T.J. Warren (leg), Malcolm Brogdon (hip), and Doug McDermott (foot) out Friday
Warren, Brogdon, and McDermott have all been downgraded and won’t play in Friday’s matchup against the Chicago Bulls due to their respective ailments, while Victor Oladipo and JaKarr Sampson are available to play following their original questionable designations on the Pacers’ injury report, the former returning from a two-game absence with a sore right knee. Head coach Nate McMillan has already confirmed with reporters at his pregame media availability that Aaron Holiday and Brian Bowen will join the starting lineup, though Bowen appears to be a false starter just to keep the second unit intact as much as possible. Since the Pacers are now down three regular starters, there isn’t much of a sample size for Oladipo or Myles Turner without Warren, Brogdon, and Jeremy Lamb off the court, but Domantas Sabonis has thrived in this scenario as he has a 27.1% usage rate, 28.9% assist rate, 22.8% rebound rate and is averaging 1.45 DraftKings and 1.42 FanDuel points per minute in a 446.6 minutes sample size.
As reported by: J. Michael via Twitter Other tagged players: Malcolm Brogdon, Doug McDermott Victor Oladipo (knee) will play Friday
Oladipo has officially been upgraded from questionable and will play in Friday’s matchup against the Chicago Bulls after missing two games due to a sore right knee, while T.J. Warren, Malcolm Brogdon, and Doug McDermott were all ruled out following their earlier designations on the Pacers’ injury report. Head coach Nate McMillan has already confirmed with reporters at his pregame media availability that Aaron Holiday and Brian Bowen will join the starting lineup, though Bowen appears to be a false starter just to keep the second unit intact as much as possible. Since the Pacers are now down three regular starters, there isn’t much of a sample size for Oladipo or Myles Turner without Warren, Brogdon, and Jeremy Lamb off the court, but Domantas Sabonis has thrived in this scenario as he has a 27.1% usage rate, 28.9% assist rate, 22.8% rebound rate and is averaging 1.45 DraftKings and 1.42 FanDuel points per minute in a 446.6 minutes sample size.
As reported by: J. Michael via Twitter