DFS Alerts
I am Thrilled to Play This Guy on DK
While Harris gets the slight edge for me as the salary saver on FD, Will the Thrill gets the nod on DK. While he may not end up playing quite as many minutes as Harris, he was the better per-minute contributor this season (0.86 to 0.78 for Harris) and is only $200 more expensive. The increased minutes and lack of other compelling options make Barton and Harris very much cash game viable on this three-game slate. As for tournaments, I much prefer Barton’s upside to Harris’s.
Too Cheap for these Minutes
Harris is yet another example of a guy who has seen the minutes increase in a big way for the playoffs. He averaged a shade under 29 minutes per game in the regular season but saw them up to almost 37 in Game 1 as the Nuggets leaned heavily on their starters. His per-minute production was down a little this season, but that doesn’t matter as much when he is sub $5k on FD and DK and expected to play mid 30’s minutes. He is my favorite salary relief play on FD and is also a great cheap play on DK.
Don't Overlook this Usage Increase
We all know by now about the huge minutes Siakam played in Game 1 (42+; only averaged 32 in the regular season), but perhaps even more encouraging is the big usage bump he saw as well. It was almost 27% in that first game, while we saw it down at 20.8% for the regular season. Combine those two things (huge minutes and potentially increased usage) with his ability to contribute in so many other ways across the board, and we suddenly have ourselves one of the better combinations of floor and ceiling on the slate, especially when we factor in his mid tier price tag.
My Favorite Point Guard Tonight
In the playoffs, we often have slates in which we are lacking any semblance of cheap value. That makes every dollar count, which has me heading towards the savings of Dame tonight over a guy like Westbrook. Dame saves you $2,400 from Russ on FD and $1,600 on DK. We know the minutes will be there (almost 39 in Game 1). We know the usage will be there (32.5% usage rate in Game 1). With this being the best game to target on the slate (highest total and tightest spread), I like starting all of my builds with Dame.
Joel Embiid is expected to play
Joel Embiid will play, get him in your lineups.
As reported by: Jon Johnson
Ed Davis is expected to play
With Jarrett Allen a likely candidate for foul trouble and playing sub 25 minutes most games anyway, the backup big is a crucial role for the Nets, especially going up against a Sixers team that could potentially have Joel Embiid available. Ed Davis is likely to pick up these minutes and play an important role in limited bursts for the Nets, and is a viable value play with Jared Dudley confirmed as out and relatively few large bodies populating the Nets rotation.
As reported by: Shams Charania Jared Dudley has been ruled out
With Jarrett Allen a likely candidate for foul trouble and playing sub 25 minutes most games anyway, the backup big is a crucial role for the Nets, especially going up against a Sixers team that could potentially have Joel Embiid available. Ed Davis, who is also questionable, is likely to pick up these minutes and play an important role in limited bursts for the Nets, and is a viable value play if he is confirmed playing tonight.
As reported by: Shams Charania James Ennis III is expected to play
We now know what Ennis’ minutes will look like, which removes him from even the slightest consideration from a DFS standpoint. It also slightly dampens the outlook for Mike Scott, who will likely lose some minutes to accommodate the Ennis cameo.
As reported by: Jon Johnson Shaun Livingston is listed as questionable
If you’re projecting a blowout here, this actually has some meaning. Livingston was never going to get more than 12-15 minutes, but if he can’t go then Quinn Cook would end up getting the blowout run at the 1, making him a potentially viable low cost option. If you are expecting a more competitive game though, Livingston’s absence wouldn’t lead to enough time for Cook to be viable. Livingston himself probably isn’t a DFS option even if he is able to go.
As reported by: NBA Injury Report James Ennis III is expected to play
James Ennis will be available for the 76ers today, which doesn’t move too many needles, but may result in slightly less playing time for Mike Scott and Jonathon Simmons, neither of whom contributed in a significant way in Saturday’s loss to the Nets. Ennis himself is likely not a DFS consideration with Jimmy Butler likely to be even more ball dominant with the Sixers looking to right the ship before heading to Brooklyn for the next two games.
As reported by: Shams Charania The Best Salary Relief Play on DraftKings?
Scott gets the nod for me as the salary relief play on DK where he is only $3,400. On FD ($4,200), however, I think he is best suited as an MME target. And yes, I like Scott regardless of Embiid’s status tonight, as it was apparent that he earned the trust of Brett Brown. In Game 1, the only frontcourt player to log more minutes than Scott (32.5 minutes) was Tobias Harris (40.5 minutes). He logged a handful of minutes at the center position down the stretch too, which is great for his minutes upside. He isn’t great from a per-minute perspective, but the $3,400 price tag makes up for that. I will note that I like him way more as a cash game play than a tournament play (assuming Embiid plays). If he is going to be ultra chalk on a two-game slate, I think he makes for a great fade in large field GPPs.
The Best Salary Relief Play on FanDuel?
DeMarre is a priority play for me on FD where he is only $4,000, but he is also absolutely viable in all formats on DK ($4,400). The veteran started in Game 1 and played almost 34 minutes. The Nets were able to manage his minutes during the season with such a deep roster, as he only averaged 25 per game. With day(s) off in between playoff games, we saw the minutes increased. Assuming that remains the same (and you’d have to think it does), we have a guy who is a tad too cheap for his expected production. He is my favorite salary relief piece on FD, and he is in the mix for that title on DK as well.
This Warrior is Too Cheap for the Minutes & Production
During the regular season, Klay averaged 34 minutes per game while posting a 25.6% usage rate and 57% true shooting percentage. In Game 1, he only posted a 15.6% usage rate and 41.6% TS%. Nonetheless, he still was able to grind his way to 24.75 DK points and 28.2 FD points. I’d expect those offensive numbers to stabilize a bit tonight, and the price tags are just too cheap for that, especially when you factor in the increase in minutes he sees in the playoffs. We saw last game that his floor is pretty sturdy despite how scoring dependent he is, and we know the ceiling is there if he catches fire. I like Klay plenty in all formats tonight.
The Top Overall Play
With the uncertainty surrounding Embiid (and how many minutes he will play if he even does suit up), Curry is the top projected scorer on this two-game slate. And it is an odd slate in the sense that we have no Harden, Westbrook, Giannis, etc. to stretch for in terms of salary. As a result, that makes Curry an easy get in all formats. The price tag is more appropriate on FD, but the looser pricing makes it extremely easy to fit him in. On DK (where the scoring system suits him better too), he is just drastically underpriced. He should be the starting point for your roster builds, especially if Embiid plays tonight.
Kyle Korver (knee), Ricky Rubio (quad), and Raul Neto (ankle) available to play Sunday
Korver has officially been upgraded from questionable and will be available to play in Sunday’s Game 1 matchup against the Houston Rockets after missing six consecutive games to close the regular season due to a sore right knee, while Rubio and Neto have both also been cleared to play, as expected, after participating fully in Saturday’s practice session. There’s been no report of a potential minute restriction for Rubio, so he’ll presumably be a full-go to resume his typical starting point guard role alongside Donovan Mitchell in the backcourt. As for Neto, he appears to be on the fringe of head coach Quin Snyder’s playoff rotation and could certainly pick up a DNP-CD in tonight’s contest, though Korver figures to be one of the first three players off the bench and should absorb meaningful minutes with the Jazz second unit.
As reported by: Eric Walden via Twitter Other tagged players: Ricky Rubio, Raul Neto