DFS Alerts
Taj Gibson (calf) doubtful Saturday
Gibson has officially been listed as doubtful on the Timberwolves’ injury report for Saturday’s matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers due to a strained left calf that has now forced him to miss five consecutive, while Luol Deng remains sidelined with a sore left Achilles and is appearing unlikely to suit up again this season. Prior to his injury, Gibson had logged at least 21 minutes off the bench in four of his previous five games, so there will certainly continue to be a sizable amount of playing to be had in the second unit for Anthony Tolliver and Keita Bates-Diop, and even Gorgui Dieng managed to record 15 minutes as the backup behind Karl-Anthony Towns at center in three of the previous four contests. The main beneficiary with Gibson and all of the injured Timberwolves off the court continues to be Towns, as he owns a 32.4% usage rate (+3.2%) and is averaging 1.73 DraftKings and 1.67 FanDuel points per minute in this scenario.
As reported by: Timberwolves PR via Twitter
Danilo Gallinari (ankle) out Saturday; Patrick Beverley (hip) available to play
Gallinari has officially been downgraded from questionable and won’t play in Saturday’s matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers due to a sore left ankle, while Beverley has been cleared to return from a one-game absence because of a right hip pointer. There’s yet to be any reports of a potential minute restriction for Beverley, so he’ll likely reclaim his typical starting position from Garret Temple, who has been inconsistent from a fantasy perspective in an average of 34.4 minutes over the previous two games. With Gallinari unavailable, JaMychal Green will receive the starting nod at power forward, and he’ll be a worthy punt option on the three-game early slates considering he logged 32 minutes the last time Gallinari was sidelined.
As reported by: Brad Turner via Twitter Other tagged players: Patrick Beverley Josh Jackson (ankle) will play Saturday
Jackson has officially been upgraded from questionable and will play in Saturday’s matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies after missing three consecutive games due to a sprained right ankle, while Tyler Johnson and T.J. Warren both remain sidelined with their respective ailments. Since Kelly Oubre is out for the remainder of the season, Mikal Bridges and De’Anthony Melton should remain in the starting lineup for the foreseeable future as along as head coach Igor Kokockov doesn’t resort back to utilizing Devin Booker as the sole ballhandler in the starting unit while Johnson is sidelined. There’s still isn’t a tremendous sample size with Johnson, Oubre, and Warren off the court since the trade deadline, but in that time, both Booker and Deandre Ayton own at least a +4.7% usage rate differential and experience a minimum of a +0.15 increase to their per minute fantasy production in this scenario.
As reported by: Duane Rankin via Twitter Harry Giles III (thigh) out Saturday
Giles has officially been downgraded from questionable and won’t play in Saturday’s matchup against the Houston Rockets due to a left thigh contusion that has now forced him to miss five consecutive games. Prior to last Saturday’s win, head coach Dave Joerger confirmed with reporters during his pregame media availability that tests revealed that there is no structural damage to Giles’ leg, so it appeared at that moment he wouldn’t be sidelined for a significant period of time. However, in his absence, Willie Cauley-Stein and Nemanja Bjelica figure to continue being the main beneficiaries in terms of playing time, while Marvin Bagley III should also see a few extra minutes but has already logged at least 28 minutes in five of the Kings previous six games, leaving little room for a substantial increase considering he’s just nine games removed from an extended injury hiatus because of a sprained left knee and has dealt with a variety of health issues over the course of his rookie season.
As reported by: James Ham via Twitter Kyrie Irving (back) and Al Horford (knee) out Saturday; Jayson Tatum (illness) questionable
Irving and Horford have been added to the Celtics’ injury report and won’t play in Saturday’s matchup against the Brooklyn Nets due to their respective ailments, while Tatum is listed as questionable with an illness. Head coach Brad Stevens has opted to utilize a big starting lineup with Horford and Aron Baynes manning the frontcourt in the previous two games, so in Horford and Irving’s absences, Marcus Morris and Terry Rozier will be the leading candidates to enter the starting unit, assuming Stevens prefers to keep Gordon Hayward and Jaylen Brown in their typical reserve roles. Assuming Tatum is cleared without any restrictions, both he and Rozier will be intriguing options for daily fantasy formats on today’s early slates, as they each own at least a +2.1% usage rate differential and experience a minimum of a +0.21 increase to their per minute fantasy production with Irving and Horford off the court since the All-Star break.
As reported by: the Boston Celtics via Twitter Other tagged players: Al Horford, Jayson Tatum Patrick McCaw (thumb) out Saturday
McCaw has been added to the Raptors’ injury report and won’t play in Saturday’s matchup against the Chicago Bulls due to a sprained right thumb, while OG Anunoby and Kawhi Leonard have already been ruled out with their respective ailments. This will leave the Raptors relatively thin at the forward positions for tonight’s contest, and Fred VanVleet figures to receive the starting nod alongside Kyle Lowry in the backcourt, as he’s done since returning from a lengthy injury absence following the conclusion of the All-Star break. Unsurprisingly, Lowry and Pascal Siakam have been the primary beneficiaries with Leonard off the court since the trade deadline, as they each own at least a +2.6% usage rate differential and experience a minimum of a +0.13 increase to their per minute fantasy production in this scenario.
As reported by: Eric Smith via Twitter Jeremy Lamb (ankle) available to play Friday
Lamb has officially been upgraded from probable and will be available to play in Friday’s matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers despite dealing with a sprained right ankle, while Nicolas Batum is no longer listed on the Hornets’ injury report and appears poised to return from a three-game absence due to an illness. Prior to Batum’s absence, Dwayne Bacon replaced him at the shooting guard position in the starting lineup, and Bacon has seen an astronomical rise in his playing time while Batum was sidelined by averaging 33.7 minutes over the previous three contests. This leaves Batum’s status in head coach James Borrego’s new-look, youthful rotation in some doubt, and it’d be far from surprising if Batum assumes a minimal or nonexistent role in the wing rotation as the Hornets continue to be in evaluation mode as the regular season comes to a close.
As reported by: Charlotte Hornets PR via Twitter LeBron James (groin) and Mike Muscala (ankle) available to play Friday
James and Muscala have officially been upgraded from probable and will be available to play in Friday’s matchup against the Charlotte Hornets despite dealing with a sore left groin and tibialis posterior tendinitis respectively, while there’s yet to be any updates on the status of Reggie Bullock or Tyson Chandler, though both did not play in Wednesday’s loss because of their respective ailments. In Bullock and Josh Hart’s absences, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is essentially the last man standing to start on the wing, and he’s recorded at least 33 minutes in four of the last five games in both starting and reserve roles. Head coach Luke Walton has essentially utilized just an eight-man rotation of late, but he’s been extremely unpredictable with the backup two-guard and small forward minutes, as Lance Stephenson has rejoined the rotation and siphoned away a large portion of Alex Caruso’s previously-stable minute floor.
As reported by: Kyle Goon via Twitter Other tagged players: Mike Muscala Paul George (shoulder) will start Friday
George has officially been upgraded from questionable and will start in Friday’s matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder despite dealing with a sore left shoulder that forced him to be a game-time decision. There’s yet to be any reports of a potential minute restriction for George, so he’ll presumably resume his high-30s minutes’ role as the starting small forward, and he’s managed to log at least 39 minutes in four of the Thunder’s previous five games heading into tonight’s contest. Oklahoma City as a team has struggled in recent weeks, and that is largely reflected in George’s fantasy output since the conclusion of the All-Star break, as he owns a 29.4% usage rate and is averaging just 1.26 DraftKings and 1.22 FanDuel points per minute over this span.
As reported by: Royce Young via Twitter Andrew Bogut available to play Friday
Andrew Bogut available to play Friday. Not much DFS impact here, it’s likely Bogut just slots into about 10-14 minutes of court time off the bench. He’s not going to eat into DeMarcus Cousins’ court time, but it does impact Kevin Looney’s minutes and likely knocks Jordan Bell out of the equation.
As reported by: Logan Murdock
Paul George to be a game-time decision Friday
Paul George to be a game-time decision Friday. If he sits, Russell Westbrook will become the clear-cut top play on the slate, while Dennis Schroder would immediately cement himself as one of the top value/mid-range targets. Jerami Grant’s upside would also rise, making him a strong GPP target and a viable cash game piece. The Thunder are in the midst of a very busy playoff race in the West, so they are still all system go from here on out.
As reported by: Steve McGehee Other tagged players: Russell Westbrook, Dennis Schroder Justin Anderson to start in place of Taurean Prince on Friday
Justin Anderson to start in place of Taurean Prince on Friday. Anderson hasn’t really had a rotation role over the course of this season, but he could see some added opportunities at the tail end of the season. He still carries a really low floor, but he is on the DFS radar as a minimum priced punt play with the hopes that he sees upwards of 25 minutes. DeAndre Bembry, Kent Bazemore and Kevin Huerter also will likely see upticks in playing time, so you can make a case for any of them in GPPs.
As reported by: Kevin Chouinard Other tagged players: Kent Bazemore, DeAndre Bembry How Could You Be Moe Harkless?
With all of the attention focused on Damian Lillard and Enes Kanter, secondary Blazers options are sure to go overlooked on Friday against the Hawks. The Hawks play at the fastest pace in the league and an uptempo, sloppy matchup is perfect for Harkless who annually ranks toward the top of block and steal percentage leaderboards. Harkless’ involvement on offensive and on the boards give him a strong floor for his price tag in this matchup and his defensive involvement gives him a nice ceiling.
Minutes on the Rise
As the Lakers season comes to a conclusion, Lance Stephenson minutes are on the rise. Stephenson has logged 25+ minutes of court time in each of their last three contests and should be in line for a similar role on Friday night against Charlotte. Despite a roller-coaster year, Stephenson has remained a strong fantasy producer for his price tag, averaging nearly a fantasy point per minute over 1,000+ minutes this year.
More Minutes for the Trio
Taurean Prince is doubtful for Friday’s contest for against the Blazers which should mean more minutes for the trio of Kent Bazemore, Kevin Huerter, and DeAndre Bembry. Bazemore currently stands to be the biggest beneficiary as he’ll likely grab the starting nod and should see his minutes approach mid-to-high 20’s. Bazemore is currently underpriced for that type of role and if he does in fact draw the start he’s one of the top point-per-dollar options of the slate.
Other tagged players: Kevin Huerter, DeAndre Bembry