DFS Alerts
Terrence Ross (knee) available to play Sunday
Ross has officially been upgraded from questionable and will be available to play in Sunday’s matchup against the Indiana Pacers after missing two games due to a sore right knee. His return will almost certainly relegate Wes Iwundu from the wing rotation following his irrelevant fantasy performance in just eight minutes of action in Friday’s loss. Michael Carter-Williams logged nearly 26 minutes in that contest, and he’ll likely see that playing time drastically reduced if he isn’t out of head coach Steve Clifford’s rotation altogether.
As reported by: Orlando Magic PR via Twitter
Steven Adams (knee) listed out Sunday
Adams has been listed on the most recent version to the Thunder’s injury report and won’t play in Sunday’s matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks due to a left knee contusion. There’s yet to be any confirmation on who will replace Adams in the starting lineup, but Nerlens Noel typically receives those honors, and he averaged 26 minutes per game in his two most recent starts at center earlier this season. Noel is averaging 1.20 FanDuel and 1.13 DraftKings points per minute thus far on the year, so with a minute expectation in the upper-20s, he now becomes one of the top value options on tonight’s seven-game main slate.
As reported by: Joe Mussatto via Twitter Shabazz Napier (hamstring) officially out Sunday
As expected, Napier won’t play in Sunday’s matchup against the Denver Nuggets due to a strained right hamstring. With Napier and Jeff Teague unavailable once again, Jarrett Culver will receive another starting nod as the de facto point guard, but he seems to have taken a backseat to Andrew Wiggins in the ball-handling and playmaking departments after recording seven assists in his first spot start on Wednesday evening. With Teague sidelined for the previous two contests, Wiggins has a 31.0% usage rate and a 28.9% assist rate that has accumulated to an average of 1.41 FanDuel and 1.41 DraftKings points per minute in a 77.7 minutes sample size over that span.
As reported by: Jon Krawczynski via Twitter Allen Crabbe (knee) upgraded to questionable Sunday
Crabbe has been upgraded to questionable on the Hawks’ injury report and could make his season debut in Sunday’s matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers after recovering from right knee surgery. If Crabbe is able to suit up, he’ll almost certainly be brought along slowly and should help fill the minutes void left behind by Vince Carter, who has already been ruled out due to a personal matter. Additionally, Kevin Huerter and De’Andre Hunter will be available to play following their original probable designations on the injury report
As reported by: Chris Kirschner via Twitter Jeff Teague (illness) out Sunday
Head coach Ryan Saunders confirmed with reporters that Teague won’t play in Sunday’s matchup against the Denver Nuggets due to an illness that’s now forced him to miss three games, while Shabazz Napier remains listed as doubtful on the injury report as of the latest update. Assuming Napier is held out once again, Jarrett Culver should draw another start as the de facto point guard, but he seems to have taken a backseat to Andrew Wiggins in the ball-handling and playmaking departments after recording seven assists in his first spot start on Wednesday evening. With Teague unavailable in the previous two contests, Wiggins has a 31.0% usage rate and a 28.9% assist rate that has accumulated to an average of 1.41 FanDuel and 1.41 DraftKings points per minute in a 77.7 minutes sample size over that span.
As reported by: Jace Frederck via Twitter Underpriced for Historic Production
CJ McCollum’s fantasy production has been largely underwhelming this season but he continues to log heavy minutes and will have an opportunity to right the ship in one of the highest totaled games of Sunday’s slate. While McCollum is averaging nearly 6 fantasy points fewer per game this season, his rates matchup similarly to last season’s and it’s only a matter of time before he breaks out of his shooting slump (career .519 eFG% vs .422 eFG% this season). McCollum is underpriced across the industry for his historic production and I have little doubt he will rebound to his previous form.
Still Too Cheap
It’s hard to argue with the value Neto provides. Simmons is out and Neto slides into some easy minutes here. He’s a cheap pg and his price is only going to rise here. Tough to not continue to buy low on this really cheap price tag and jam in the studs on this slate.
Plug and Play
Ibaka and Lowry are out and that just funnels a ton of usage to different players. Powell is a guy who isn’t afraid to shoot and has shown in the past to have a ton of usage when Toronto has players out. This is a great spot for a guy like Powell and is one of the best salary plays on the board.
Rolling With His New Team
I wanted to highlight someone from the Nets/Suns game, as this game feels like the most likely shootout of the day. We have a 232 Vegas total at the open in this one, and the Nets have been playing at a breakneck pace to start the season. I went back and forth between Irving and Booker for this spot, so feel free to play whichever player you feel more comfortable with. In cash games, however, I have settled on Irving as the safer choice. His volume has been absolutely ridiculous in the early going, as he ranks sixth in the league with a 33.3% usage rate. He is playing over 34 minutes per game and is taking a whopping 23 shot attempts per game. That is safe volume no matter how you look at it. He has poured in 72 points over the last two games, and we have a high total, a close spread, and all the makings of a great game.
Value Abounds
The Raptors are a really interesting discussion today, so let’s hash that out here. For starters, the natural inclination is to go nuts with Raptors in this spot. Kyle Lowry is out. Serge Ibaka is out. The team was already rolling a fairly short rotation in competitive games. I will throw some water on the flame, though. We think of the Lakers as an offensive machine thanks to the duo of LeBron James and Anthony Davis, but let’s not forget about their defensive abilities. The Lakers lead the league in defensive efficiency so far this season, allowing just 94.5 points per 100 possessions. The Raptors have a mediocre implied team total of 103 points in this game, which is below average on this slate. Tread carefully. However, I do like Powell as a value option. He’s dirt cheap and we need value, and his scoring presence should play nicely on the new look Raptors. Expect him to be the second scoring option after Siakam. You can also roll with one of Siakam/VanVleet in cash, too, but I’d pause just a little before playing all three.
Sunday's Top Spend
When LBJ is motivated, the rest of the league has to be on notice. That appears to be the case right now, as the Lakers are riding a seven game winning streak, and James says he is as healthy as he has been in quite some time. It shows in the numbers, too, as he is averaging 29 points, 9 rebounds, and 12 assists per game in four November contests. He’s an offensive mismatch for the Raptors, who no longer have the presence of Kawhi Leonard to try and slow James down. Siakam is an elite athlete and a great NBA player, but James should have his way in this one. Our projections love him, and I do as well. He’s my favorite spend of the day.
Eric Paschall (hip) out Saturday; Alec Burks will start
Paschall is a surprise late addition to the Warriors’ injury report and won’t play in Saturday’s matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder due to a right hip contusion. Head coach Steve Kerr already confirmed that he will go small with his starting lineup with Alec Burks drawing the start alongside D’Angelo Russell in the backcourt, which will slide Jordan Poole and Glenn Robinson to small forward and power forward, respectively.
As reported by: Anthony Slater via Twitter Other tagged players: Alec Burks Derrick Favors will start ahead of Jahlil Okafor on Saturday
Head coach Alvin Gentry has opted to shake up his starting lineup once again for Saturday’s matchup against the Charlotte Hornets by starting Derrick Favors at the center position, which will send Jahlil Okafor back to the bench to resume a reserve role. This shouldn’t do much to alter Favors’ projected minutes total, especially on the second night of a back-to-back set, but it should be enough to eliminate Okafor from fantasy consideration on four-game slate that isn’t lacking in value options. Additionally, Kenrich Williams will start at power forward, as Gentry’s everchanging carousel at the fifth starter spot continues on sans Zion Williamson.
As reported by: the New Orleans Pelicans via Twitter Other tagged players: Jahlil Okafor Take Advantage of the Porzingis Void
Kristaps Porzingis has already been officially ruled out tonight due to rest, so his 30+ mins in the front court and 27.1% usage this season has to go somewhere. I expect either Maxi Kleber to draw the start at PF or Justin Jackson to draw the start at SF pushing Dorian Finney-Smith to PF. Either way, this should increase all their minutes, solidify Powell’s floor in the front court rotation, and see Luka Doncic being even more of the focus of the offense. Kleber is currently projected as the strongest value play on the slate, Powell and Finney-Smith as viable cash game options and Luka as one of the top pay-up options in all formats.
Other tagged players: Dwight Powell, Dorian Finney-Smith
Ja Morant (rest), Brandon Clarke (back), and Grayson Allen (ankle) out Saturday
Morant and Clarke will both sit out Saturday’s second leg of a back-to-back set against the Dallas Mavericks due to load management as the Grizzlies will remain cautious with their previously injured rookies, while Allen is also unavailable because of a sore left ankle. There’s been no confirmation on who will replace Morant in the starting lineup, but Tyus Jones will almost assuredly assume the starting point guard role and already typically see minutes in the low-20s off the bench on a consistent basis. Dillon Brooks plays most of his minutes with Morant on the court, but in the 44.0 minutes he has with Morant on the bench, Brooks owns a 28.1% usage rate and is averaging 0.99 DraftKings and 1.02 FanDuel points per minute on the season.
As reported by: Grizzlies PR via Twitter Other tagged players: Brandon Clarke, Grayson Allen