DFS Alerts
Value On A Small Slate
Marcus Smart is out again for the Celtics tonight, so that opens up minutes in the back court rotation. As seen in previous situations, Brad Wanamaker should get an uptick in usage with the second unit and push for 20-22 minutes. While the matchup against a stout Sixers defense is not ideal, and his floor can be quite low, the value on a small 4-game slate is limited. At near-minimum price on both sites, Wanamaker may end up being a necessary piece in cash games in order to afford Luka Doncic in your lineup.
Andre Drummond (eye) listed questionable Thursday
Drummond has been downgraded to questionable on the Pistons’ injury report for Thursday’s matchup against the Dallas Mavericks due to left eye inflammation. Drummond has yet to miss a game this season, so his potential replacement in the starting lineup is a bit tough to project, but Markieff Morris, Christian Wood, and possibly even Thon Maker figure to benefit from increased playing time if Drummond is unable to suit up this evening. Blake Griffin has only played 57.5 minutes with Drummond off the court this season, but he should theoretically see a substantial increase in his usage and rebounding rates. However, Derrick Rose has been the clear beneficiary without Drummond, as he owns a 33.4% usage rate, 57.4% assist rate, and is averaging 1.56 DraftKings and 1.54 FanDuel points per minute in a 178.2 minutes sample size.
As reported by: NBA Official Injury Report
Marcus Smart (eye) and Robert Williams III (hip) remain out Thursday; Gordon Hayward (face) probable
Smart and Williams III remain out and won’t play in Thursday’s matchup against the Boston Celtics, while Hayward is listed as probable due to a facial contusion he sustained in the fourth quarter of Wednesday’s loss. In Smart’s absence, Gordon Hayward has received the start alongside Jayson Tatum at the forward positions in each of the last two games, and he was on pace to eclipse the 30-minute mark for the first time since returning from a lengthy injury layoff despite the disappointing fantasy performance in last night’s contest. Hayward is more appropriately priced on all sites, but he’s still firmly in play, as he is expected to see more minutes and is averaging 1.10 DraftKings and 1.06 FanDuel points per minute on the season.
As reported by: Chris Forsberg via Twitter Other tagged players: Robert Williams III, Gordon Hayward Delon Wright (adductor) out Thursday
Wright has officially been downgraded from questionable and won’t play in Thursday’s matchup against the Detroit Pistons due to a strained right adductor that has now forced him to miss two games. Depending on the night, Wright can see minutes anywhere between the high-teens and mid-20s, so there will certainly be a sizable amount of playing time available for the remaining members of the wing and guard rotations this evening. However, head coach Rick Carlisle can have one of the most frustrating rotations in the entire league, but some combination of Seth Curry, Jalen Brunson, and Justin Jackson should form a committee to absorb the aforementioned minutes, even though it may be difficult to pinpoint which will be the best value on tonight’s four-game main slate.
As reported by: Brad Townsend via Twitter Al Horford (knee, hamstring) questionable Thursday
Horford was able to participate in shootaround, but he has been downgraded to questionable for Thursday’s matchup against the Boston Celtics due to a sore left knee and tight left hamstring. Horford is expected to be a game-time decision for tonight’s contest, and if he’s unable to suit up, either Furkan Korkmaz or James Ennis III would likely enter the starting lineup since head coach Brett Brown has recently expressed his preference to bring Matisse Thybulle off the bench in a sixth-man role. Kyle O’Quinn would assume the backup center duties in this scenario, but he still hasn’t played a single second alongside Joel Embiid this season, which limits his minute ceiling.
As reported by: Serena Winters via Twitter Dennis Smith Jr. (illness) out Wednesday
Smith Jr. is a late addition to the Knicks’ injury report and won’t play in Wednesday’s matchup against the Golden State Warriors due to an illness. Smith’s playing time has been diminished of late, so his absence won’t have too much of an impact on the Knicks’ guard rotation. Interim head coach Mike Miller didn’t really provide any insight into his plans at point guard in Tuesday’s blowout loss, as Smith, Frank Ntilikina, Elfrid Payton, and Allonzo Trier all logged fewer than 18 minutes, which essentially removes them from consideration for daily fantasy formats. Payton theoretically has the highest upside of the three, and he is averaging 1.00 DraftKings and 1.01 FanDuel points per minute in 142.9 minutes this season
As reported by: Steve Popper via Twitter Eric Paschall (hip) will play Wednesday
As expected, Paschall has been cleared and will play in Wednesday’s matchup against the New York Knicks despite previously being listed as questionable with a sore left hip. Paschall ended up exiting midway through the fourth quarter of Monday’s loss, which enabled Alec Burks to close the game alongside the rest of the Warriors starting unit, and he did not disappoint from a fantasy perspective in 30 minutes of action. There haven’t been any reports of a potential minute restriction for Paschall, but if he is limited or hampered by the injury, Burks could be an interesting tournament target since he is averaging 0.95 DraftKings and 0.94 FanDuel points per minute this season.
As reported by: Logan Murdock via Twitter Marvin Bagley III (thumb) will play Wednesday
As expected, Bagley III will play in Wednesday’s matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder after missing every game since the Kings season opener due to a non-displaced fracture in his right thumb, while Cory Joseph and Bogdan Bogdanovic are also available despite their constant inclusion on the injury report. Head coach Luke Walton already confirmed at his pregame media availability that Bagley won’t necessarily be subject to a minute restriction, but he will have his on-court conditioning closely monitored by the coaching staff. Walton also disclosed that he has no reservations about playing Bagley and Richaun Holmes together, but he was hesitant to commit to that lineup combination right out the gate, so it’s more likely Bagley is on the floor with Nemanja Bjelica and Harrison Barnes for the time being.
As reported by: Jason Anderson via Twitter Jeff Teague (ankle) available to play Wednesday
As expected, Teague has been upgraded from questionable and will be available to play in Wednesday’s matchup against the Utah Jazz due despite dealing with a sore left ankle, while Keita Bates-Diop was previously ruled out with an illness. With Jake Layman still sidelined, Bates-Diop had settled into a consistent role in head coach Ryan Saunders’ rotation and had logged at least 22 minutes in six of the previous eight contests, so his absence should open up plenty of extra playing time for Treveon Graham and Jarrett Culver this evening. Neither are particularly intriguing options on a massive 11-game slate, but Culver would be the preferred target of the two, as he owns a 20.2% usage rate and is averaging 0.84 DraftKings and 0.82 FanDuel points per minute on the season.
As reported by: Danny Cunningham via Twitter Malik Monk (finger) out Wednesday
Despite being listed as probable, Monak won’t play in Wednesday’s second leg of a back-to-back set against the Brooklyn Nets due to finger discomfort, while Nicolas Batum and Marvin Williams were already ruled out with their respective ailments. Head coach James Borrego has now utilized a condensed rotation in two straight games, and every starter other than Bismack Biyombo was allocated at least 36 minutes in Tuesday’s win, which limited Batum, Malik Monk, and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist to reduced roles off the bench. Kidd-Gilchrist will more than likely remain in the rotation in place of Williams, while at least one of Dwayne Bacon, Cody Martin, or Caleb Martin could absorb the minutes vacated by Monk and Batum this evening.
As reported by: Charlotte Hornets PR via Twitter Iman Shumpert (knee) available to play Wednesday
Shumpert has officially been upgraded from questionable and will be available to play in Wednesday’s matchup against the Charlotte Hornets despite dealing with a sore left knee. Shumpert has settled into an extremely consistent role off the bench in head coach Kenny Atkinson’s rotation ever since making his Nets’ debut in mid-November, and he’s logged at least 18 minutes in all but two games over this stretch. Shumpert has been the direct substitute for Joe Harris o the wing most nights, so it’d be surprising to see that change for the remaining duration of Caris LeVert and Kyrie Irving’s injury hiatuses.
As reported by: Brian Lewis via Twitter Keita Bates-Diop (illness) out Wednesday
Bates-Diop is a late addition to the Timberwolves’ injury report and won’t play in Wednesday’s matchup against the Utah Jazz due to an illness, while Jeff Teague continues to be listed as questionable with a sore left ankle, despite playing in each of the last 13 games. With Jake Layman still sidelined, Bates-Diop has settled into a consistent role in head coach Ryan Saunders’ rotation and has logged at least 22 minutes in six of the previous eight contests, which should open up plenty of extra playing time for Treveon Graham and Jarrett Culver this evening. Neither are particularly intriguing options on a massive 11-game slate, but Culver would be the preferred target of the two, as he owns a 20.2% usage rate and is averaging 0.84 DraftKings and 0.82 FanDuel points per minute on the season.
As reported by: Timberwolves PR via Twitter Nicolas Batum (hand) officially out Wednesday
As expected, Batum won’t play in Wednesday’s second leg of a back-to-back set against the Brooklyn Nets due to left-hand discomfort, while Marvin Williams was already ruled out with a sore right knee that has now forced him to miss three games. Head coach James Borrego has now utilized a condensed rotation in two straight games, and every starter other than Bismack Biyombo was allocated at least 36 minutes in Tuesday’s win, which limited Batum, Malik Monk, and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist to reduced roles off the bench. Kidd-Gilchrist will more than likely remain in the rotation in place of Williams, while at least one of Dwayne Bacon, Cody Martin, or Caleb Martin could absorb the minutes likely to be vacated by Batum this evening.
As reported by: Charlotte Hornets PR via Twitter Fred VanVleet (knee) out Wednesday; Patrick McCaw (knee) available to play
VanVleet has officially been downgraded from questionable and won’t play in Wednesday’s matchup against the Los Angeles Clippers due to a right knee contusion that has now forced him to miss two games, while McCaw will be available to make his return from left knee surgery. However, head coach Nick Nurse did disclose to reporters that he doesn’t expect McCaw to play more than 10-15 minutes in tonight’s contest. With VanVleet unable to suit up, Norman Powell should receive the starting nod at the shooting guard position once again, and he would pretty regularly approach or exceed the 30-minute mark as a starter when Kyle Lowry was sidelined with an injury earlier in the year.
As reported by: Blake Murphy via Twitter Other tagged players: Patrick McCaw Markelle Fultz (illness) out Wednesday; D.J. Augustin will start
Fultz has officially been downgraded from questionable and won’t play in Wednesday’s matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers due to an illness. There wasn’t any update on Fultz’s condition following shootaround this morning, so the mid-day downgrade was always a bad sign for his availability for tonight’s contest. Now that he’s unable to suit up, D.J. Augustin will rejoin the starting lineup, and he’ll be a viable value option on an 11-game main slate considering he and Fultz essentially split the point guard duties when they aren’t on the floor together. Michael Carter-Williams has carved out a solid role in the mid-teens in terms of minutes on the wing, but he’d likely shift over to the backup point guard spot with Fultz unavailable, likely allowing Wes Iwundu to re-enter the rotation once again.
As reported by: Roy Parry via Twitter Other tagged players: D.J. Augustin