DFS Alerts
De'Aaron Fox (abdominal) questionable Thursday
Fox has been added to the Kings’ injury report and is now questionable for Thursday’s matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder due to lower abdominal tightness, while Marvin Bagley III and Richaun Holmes remain sidelined with their respective ailments and are still without firm timetables for a return to the court. Fox briefly exited with an injury in the first quarter of Tuesday’s win, but he still went on to record 32 minutes of action in that contest, making it tough to gauge how protrusive his abdominal injury might be. If he’s unable to suit up, Cory Joseph would more than likely receive the starting nod at point guard, whereas Bogdan Bogdanovic, Buddy Hield, and possibly even Kent Bazemore would see increased usage and playmaking responsibilities this evening.
As reported by: Jason Jones via Twitter
Frank Ntilikina (groin) listed doubtful Thursday
Ntilikina has been listed as doubtful on the initial Knicks’ injury report for Thursday’s second leg of a back-to-back against the Philadelphia 76ers due to bilateral groin soreness that has already forced him to miss two games, while Elfrid Payton wasn’t included on the injury report and will be available to play in tonight’s contest. Payton returned from a two-game injury absence himself in Wednesday’s loss, but he was limited to just 27 minutes and was rather disappointing for fantasy purposes, whereas Dennis Smith Jr. handled all of the backup point guard duties, accruing 21 minutes of action off the bench. With how inconsistent interim head coach Mike Miller’s rotations can be, Knicks players are usually relegated to tournament-only options in daily fantasy formats, and Payton would be no different on tonight’s four-game since he has a 34.2% assist rate and is averaging 1.05 DraftKings and 1.07 FanDuel points per minute on the season thus far.
As reported by: NBA Official Injury Report Joel Embiid (shoulder) officially out Thursday; Norvel Pelle (illness) available
As expected, Embiid has officially been ruled out and won’t play in Thursday’s matchup against the New York Knicks due to a sprained left shoulder he sustained at the end of the first quarter of Wednesday’s loss, while Pelle is set to return from a two-game absence because of an illness and will be available off the bench. There hasn’t been any indication from the team or head coach Brett Brown on who will replace him in the starting lineup, but Matisse Thybulle did start the second half of the aforementioned contest despite logging less than five minutes for the remainder of the game. However, the playing time that would normally be allotted for the Sixers fifth starter could easily be distributed amongst four different players, which makes Shake Milton the preferred source of value, as he, Al Horford, and Tobias Harris all own a minimum of a +2.8% increase in usage rate and are averaging at least +0.14 more fantasy points per minute with Embiid and Ben Simmons off the court this season.
As reported by: Noah Levick via Twitter Other tagged players: Norvel Pelle Bam Adebayo (ankle) will start Wednesday
Adebayo has officially been upgraded from questionable and will start in Wednesday’s matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves despite dealing with a sprained right ankle, while Jimmy Butler will also be available to play after missing two games because of a personal matter. There haven’t been any reports of a potential minute restriction for Butler, so he will assume his usual starting role in the Heat’s backcourt and should be fine to handle his normal allotment of minutes, which will send Derrick Jones Jr. back to the bench with Adebayo cleared to play as well. Butler isn’t exactly priced at a discount on daily fantasy sites, but he’ll be an intriguing tournament target on a nine-game slate since he has a 25.9% usage rate, a 28.7% assist rate, and is averaging 1.22 DraftKings and 1.24 FanDuel points per minute on the season thus far.
As reported by: the Miami Heat via Twitter Trae Young (illness) available to play Wednesday
As expected, Young has been upgraded from probable and will be available to play in Wednesday’s matchup against the Orlando Magic despite dealing with flu-like symptoms, while Dewayne Dedmon was already ruled out with right elbow pain. Head coach Lloyd Pierce already confirmed with reporters at his pregame media availability that Bruno Fernando will receive the starting nod at the center position in tonight’s contest, but with Damian Jones available off the bench and John Collins’ ability to play the five in smaller lineup combinations, Fernando never has a stable enough minute floor to be considered as anything other than tournament punt in daily fantasy formats. There haven’t been any reports of a potential minute restriction for Young, so he’ll be an intriguing tournament option at likely decreased ownership since he has a 34.9% usage rate, a 41.9% assist rate, and is averaging 1.44 DraftKings and 1.35 FanDuel points per minute on the season thus far.
As reported by: Sarah K. Spencer via Twitter Dewayne Dedmon (elbow) out Wednesday
Dedmon has quickly been downgraded from questionable and won’t play in Wednesday’s matchup against the Orlando Magic due to right elbow pain, while Trae Young was already upgraded to probable despite dealing with flu-like symptoms. Head coach Llyod Pierce already confirmed with reporters at his pregame media availability that Bruno Fernando will receive the starting nod at the center position in tonight’s contest, but with Damian Jones available off the bench and John Collins’ ability to play the five in smaller lineup combinations, Fernando never has a stable enough minute floor to be considered as anything other than tournament punt in daily fantasy formats. There haven’t been any reports of a potential minute restriction for Young if he’s cleared to play, so he’ll be an intriguing tournament option at likely decreased ownership since he has a 34.9% usage rate, a 41.9% assist rate, and is averaging 1.44 DraftKings and 1.35 FanDuel points per minute on the season thus far.
As reported by: Chris Kirschner via Twitter Cody Zeller (coach's decision) unlikely to play Wednesday; Bismack Biyombo will start
Zeller wasn’t listed on the Hornets’ injury report, but head coach James Borrego disclosed to reporters at his pregame media availability that Zeller is unlikely to play in Wednesday’s matchup against the New York Knicks due to a coach’s decision, Malik Monk won’t be available after receiving a currently indefinite suspension for violating the NBA’s substance abuse policies. In Zeller’s absence, Bismack Biyombo will receive the start at the center position, and the last time Zeller was a DNP-CD, he was phenomenal for fantasy purposes in just under 26 minutes of action. If Biyombo receives anywhere close to that type of playing time in tonight’s contest, he’ll be an elite value option for all daily fantasy formats since he has a 16.5% rebound rate and is averaging 0.91 DraftKings and 0.92 FanDuel points per minute on the season.
As reported by: Rick Bonnell via Twitter Other tagged players: Bismack Biyombo Bam Adebayo (ankle) listed questionable Wednesday
Adebayo has been added to the Heat’s injury report and is now questionable for Wednesday’s matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves due to a sprained right ankle, while Jimmy Butler will be available to play after missing two games because of a personal matter. There haven’t been any reports of a potential minute restriction for Butler, so he will assume his usual starting role in the Heat’s backcourt and should be fine to handle his normal allotment of minutes, which will send either Derrick Jones Jr. or Kelly Olynyk back to the bench, assuming Adebayo is cleared to play as well. Butler isn’t exactly priced at a discount on daily fantasy sites, but he’ll be an intriguing tournament target on a nine-game slate, even if Adebayo is available since he has a 25.9% usage rate, a 28.7% assist rate, and is averaging 1.22 DraftKings and 1.24 FanDuel points per minute on the season thus far.
As reported by: NBA Official Injury Report Davis Bertans (knee) will play Wednesday
Bertans has officially been upgraded from questionable and will play in Wednesday’s matchup against the Brooklyn Nets after missing one game due to a sore right knee. Head coach Scott Brooks didn’t confirm if Bertans would be subject to a minute restriction in his return, but he did disclose to reporters at his pregame media availability that Bertans may play “a little less” than normal in tonight’s contest. In Bertans’ absence, Brooks actually condensed his rotation instead of condensing it, which led to Rui Hachimura logging a whopping 46 minutes in Monday’s overtime loss. The presence of Bertans in the second unit will obviously lower that minute floor substantially while also siphoning away playing time from the likes of Isaac Bonga, Troy Brown Jr., and Moritz Wagner this evening.
As reported by: Fred Katz via Twitter Wilson Chandler (personal) out Wednesday
Chandler has officially been downgraded from questionable and won’t play in Wednesday’s matchup against the Washington Wizards due to personal reasons. Chandler has consistently seen minutes in low-20s off the Nets bench in recent weeks, so there will definitely be a sizable chunk of playing time that will need to be absorbed in head coach Kenny Atkinson’s second unit. The prime candidate to fill a large portion of these minutes if Rodions Kurucs, who was just recalled from the G-League and will be available to play in tonight’s contest.
As reported by: Alex Schiffer via Twitter Jimmy Butler (personal) available to play Wednesday
Butler has officially been upgraded from questionable and will be available to play in Wednesday’s matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves after missing two games due to personal reasons, while Tyler Herro and Meyers Leonard remain sidelined with their respective ailments and are still without a firm timetable for returns. There haven’t been any reports of a potential minute restriction for Butler, so he will assume his usual starting role in the Heat’s backcourt and should be fine to handle his normal allotment of minutes, which will send either Derrick Jones Jr. or Kelly Olynyk back to the bench. Butler isn’t exactly priced at a discount on daily fantasy sites, but he’ll be an intriguing tournament target on a nine-game slate, even if Adebayo is available since he has a 25.9% usage rate, a 28.7% assist rate, and is averaging 1.22 DraftKings and 1.24 FanDuel points per minute on the season thus far.
As reported by: Chris Hine via Twitter Kemba Walker (knee) officially out Wednesday
As expected, Walker has officially been ruled out and won’t play in Wednesday’s matchup against the Utah Jazz due to a sore left knee that has now forced him to miss four consecutive games, while Robert Williams III remains sidelined with his respective ailment and is still without a firm timetable for a return. In his absence, Marcus Smart has continued to start at point guard, and Jayson Tatum, Gordon Hayward, and Jaylen Brown have all taken on a larger portion of the offensive responsibilities, leading to increased usage and production rates for the entire trio over this span.
As reported by: Jay King via Twitter Eric Gordon (knee) listed out Wednesday
Gordon has been downgraded from questionable on the latest Rockets’ injury report and is listed out for Wednesday’s matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies due to a right knee contusion he sustained early in the fourth quarter of Monday’s win. Meanwhile, Russell Westbrook wasn’t included on the injury report and is slated to return from a one-game absence because of a sore right thumb, which will keep Ben McLemore and Austin Rivers in reserve roles, albeit, more extensive ones than if Gordon were available to play this evening. Somewhat surprisingly, James Harden still sees a notable increase in usage and production with Gordon off the court this season, as he owns a 40.2% usage rate, a 34.4% assist rate, and is averaging 1.75 DraftKings and 1.69 FanDuel points per minute in a 635.4 minutes sample size.
As reported by: NBA Official Injury Report Andre Drummond (calf) listed out Wednesday
Drummond has been added to the latest Cavaliers’ injury report and is listed out for Wednesday’s matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers due to a strained left calf, while Dante Exum and Alfonzo McKinnie were already ruled out with their respective ailments. However, Exum was limited to just six minutes and McKinnie was a DNP-CD in Monday’s overtime win, so their absences will have a minimal impact on the rotation, if at all. With Drummond sidelined, Tristan Thompson will almost certainly rejoin the starting lineup at the center position, and he went on to play all of the fourth quarter and overtime en route to accumulating 29 minutes in the aforementioned contest. Ever since Drummond made his debut after the trade deadline, Collin Sexton and Kevin Porter Jr. have benefitted the most with him off the court, as they each own a minimum of a +2.2% increase in usage rate and are averaging at least +0.15 more fantasy points per minute over their season-long numbers in this limited sample size.
As reported by: NBA Official Injury Report Trae Young (illness) downgraded to questionable Wednesday
Young has been added to the Hawks’ injury report and is now questionable for Wednesday’s matchup against the Orlando Magic due to flu-like symptoms, while Dewayne Dedmon remains listed as probable with right elbow pain. There hasn’t been any indication from the team or head coach Lloyd Pierce on who would replace Young in the starting lineup if he’s unable to suit up for tonight’s contest, but the last time he was sidelined, Jeff Teague ended up receiving the starting nod at point guard but was largely disappointing for fantasy purposes in just under 26 minutes of fact. In fact, he was benched for the fourth quarter in favor of Brandon Goodwin, who was clearly the better player in his 28 minutes off the bench that evening.
As reported by: Brad Rowland via Twitter