DFS Alerts

Chance To Thrive

Both Zach LaVine and Otto Porter have been confirmed out for tonight, while Kris Dunn is listed as doubtful. That means the Bulls could be without their starting point guard, shooting guard, and small forward. Yikes. If we run the CourtIQ data since the Jabari Parker and Bobby Portis trades, we don’t have a huge sample size to utilize, but Selden, Arcidiacono, and Harrison all see usage bumps of 4%+ with reasonable spikes in production. All three have to be considered as viable value options if the three starters are all sidelined. My interest would be Harrison > Arcidiacono > Selden in that order.

Harry Giles III (thigh) officially out Tuesday

Giles has officially been downgraded from doubtful and won’t play in Tuesday’s matchup against the Dallas Mavericks due to a left thigh contusion that has now forced him to miss three consecutive games. Prior to 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 appears that he won’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 could also see a few extra minutes but has already logged at least 28 minutes in each of the Kings previous four games, leaving little room for a substantial increase considering he’s just seven games removed from an extended injury hiatus because of a sprained left knee.

Value in Chicago's Backcourt

Zach LaVine, Otto Porter, and Kris Dunn are all expected to sit tonight against the Raptors, which basically opens up 100 minutes in the rotation. Even though Toronto has a stout defense and even though this game could be over by halftime, the Bulls have no choice but to play Ryan Arcidiacono and Shaquille Harrison big minutes. I expect both to see minutes in the mid 30s with the potential for more if the Bulls are able to keep this game competitive. We should also note that they will have increased usage with three of Chicago’s best offensive players out.

Value in Chicago's Backcourt

Zach LaVine, Otto Porter, and Kris Dunn are all expected to sit tonight against the Raptors, which basically opens up 100 minutes in the rotation. Even though Toronto has a stout defense and even though this game could be over by halftime, the Bulls have no choice but to play Ryan Arcidiacono and Shaquille Harrison big minutes. I expect both to see minutes in the mid 30s with the potential for more if the Bulls are able to keep this game competitive. We should also note that they will have increased usage with three of Chicago’s best offensive players out.

Taking Advantage of his New Role

Thomas Bryant has been productive on a per minute basis (1.11 FP/min) all season. After being announced as the starter against the Nuggets, he hasn’t turned back. In his last two games, he has averaged 35 minutes and 35 fantasy points. He has an excellent draw tonight against the Lakers, who are ranked 21st in efficiency against centers and 25th in DvsA against post bigs.

Taj Gibson (calf) downgraded to doubtful Tuesday

Gibson has officially been downgraded from questionable to doubtful and won’t play in Tuesday’s matchup against the Los Angeles Clippers due to a strained left calf that has already forced him to miss two consecutive games, while Derrick Rose, Jeff Teague, and Robert Covington all remain sidelined with their respective ailments and have been shut down for the remainder of the 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 each of the previous two contests. The main beneficiary with Gibson and all of the injured Timberwolves off the court continues to be Towns, as he owns a 32.7% usage rate (+3.6%) and is averaging 1.79 DraftKings and 1.73 FanDuel points per minute in this scenario.

Nicolas Batum (illness) not expected to play Tuesday; Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (concussion) available

Batum is still technically listed as questionable, but he confirmed with reporters at shootaround that he doesn’t anticipate playing in Tuesday’s matchup against the San Antonio Spurs due to an illness that has already forced him to miss two consecutive games, while Kidd-Gilchrist will be available following a three-game hiatus because of a concussion. Batum was moved to the bench in favor of Dwayne Bacon prior to his injury, but head coach James Borrego continues to be noncommittal about his plans for the rotation moving forward, and even though Bacon will likely start once again, it makes it difficult to trust most Hornets players in any daily fantasy formats for the time being. However, Miles Bridges appears to be locked into a solid minute floor with Charlotte turning their attention to player development in the final stretch of the season, and he’s logged at least 29 minutes in each of the previous four contests while averaging 1.07 DraftKings and 1.07 FanDuel points per minute over this span, which makes him an appealing tournament target on tonight’s slate.

Al Horford (knee) and Jayson Tatum (back) upgraded to probable Tuesday

Horford and Tatum both went through shootaround Tuesday morning and are now probable to play in tonight’s matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers due to their respective ailments, while Kyrie Irving has already been ruled out for rest purposes. The likely returns of Horford and Tatum will send Aron Baynes and Gordon Hayward back to the bench to resume reserve roles, and Hayward still managed to log 34 minutes in his spot start despite returning from a three-game injury absence in that contest. As for Irving’s absence, Terry Rozier will almost certainly receive the starting nod at point guard, but his upside may be limited since daily fantasy sites had time to adjust his salary prior to the release of tonight’s 10-game slate. As expected, nearly every Celtics starter sees some kind of increase in usage with Irving off the court since the All-Star break, but Horford may be the most intriguing tournament target of the bunch if he isn’t limited, as he is averaging 1.26 DraftKings and 1.24 FanDuel points per minute in a 98.2 minutes sample size over that period.

NBA Injury Rundown - Tuesday, 3/26

Boston Celtics – Jayson Tatum (Q), Al Horford (Q), Robert Williams III (D), Kyrie Irving (O)

Charlotte Hornets – Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (P), Nicolas Batum (Q), Cody Zeller (O)

Chicago Bulls – Kris Dunn (D), Zach LaVine (O), Otto Porter (O), Wendell Carter Jr. (O), Chandler Hutchison (O)

Miami Heat – Justise Winslow (Q), Rodney McGruder (O)

Houston Rockets – Eric Gordon (Q), Gerald Green (O)

Milwaukee Bucks – Tony Snell (O), Nikola Mirotic (O), Malcolm Brogdon (O), Pau Gasol (O), Donte DiVincenzo (O)

New Orleans Pelicans – Anthony Davis (P), Elfrid Payton (Q), Jrue Holiday (O), E’Twaun Moore (O), Trevon Bluiett (O)

Los Angeles Clippers – Landry Shamet (Q), Luc Mbah a Moute (O)

Minnesota Timberwolves – Taj Gibson (Q), Luol Deng (O), Jeff Teague (O), Derrick Rose (O), Robert Covington (O)

Sacramento Kings – Harry Giles III (D)

Dallas Mavericks – Luka Doncic (Q), Tim Hardaway Jr. (O), Kristaps Porzingis (O), J.J. Barea (O)

Washington Wizards – Trevor Ariza (D), Dwight Howard (O), John Wall (O)

Los Angeles Lakers – LeBron James (P), Reggie Bullock (Q), Mike Muscala (Q), Josh Hart (O), Brandon Ingram (O)

Mike Conley (thigh) out Monday

Conley has officially been downgraded from questionable and won’t play in Monday’s matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder due to a sore left thigh, while Joakim Noah was already ruled out with a sore right knee. Conley did manage to go through shootaround this morning, so it appeared likelier he would play than not, but he apparently wasn’t feeling well enough to suit up after going through pregame warmups. In his absence, Delon Wright will almost certainly rejoin the starting lineup alongside Tyler Dorsey in the backcourt, and he’s been the recipient of heavy minutes when both Conley and Avery Bradley have been sidelined simultaneously. However, given their pricing discrepancies around the industry, Dorsey will be the preferred option of the two in cash game formats, and he has recorded a 21.2% usage rate with an average of 0.97 DraftKings and 0.88 FanDuel points per minute with Conley and Bradley off the court in 105.7 minutes sample since the trade deadline.

Joakim Noah (knee) officially out Monday

Noah has officially been downgraded from doubtful and won’t play in Monday’s matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder due to a sore right knee, while Mike Conley remains questionable and will be a game-time decision because of a sore left thigh. Conley did manage to go through shootaround this morning, so he appears likelier to play than not, but if he is unable to suit up, Delon Wright would almost certainly rejoin the starting lineup alongside Tyler Dorsey in the backcourt, and he’s been the recipient of heavy minutes when both Conley and Avery Bradley have been sidelined simultaneously. However, given their pricing discrepancies around the industry, Tyler Dorsey will be the preferred option of the two in cash game formats, and Dorsey has recorded a 21.2% usage rate with an average of 0.97 DraftKings and 0.88 FanDuel points per minute with Conley and Bradley off the court in 105.7 minutes sample since the trade deadline.

Jsurab Reacts to Ben Simmons Being Out

With Ben Simmons out tonight, the chalk play will be T.J. McConnell. This news does a few things for me. First off, you can’t expect McConnell to put up the same numbers as Simmons, so other guys like Tobias Harris and Jimmy Butler should benefit with higher usages tonight. McConnell starting also gives us the value we need to pay up for anyone we want, which is why I think a lot of people will spend up for Embiid to pair with the point guard. That, in theory, should leave the likes of Harris and Butler a little overlooked, and that’s why I like pairing both of them in my lineups in GPPs.

Ben Simmons (illness) listed out Monday

Simmons has been listed out on the most recent version of the Sixers’ injury report and won’t play in Monday’s matchup against the Orlando Magic due to a stomach virus, while James Ennis III was already ruled out with a bruised right quad. In Simmons’ absence, T.J. McConnell will receive the starting nod at point guard, and he should be locked into a starters minute workload as long as head coach Brett Brown doesn’t delve too deep into his suddenly deepened bench following the conclusion of the G-League regular season. However, Brown did confirm with reporters that both Jonathon Simmons and Shake Milton will see time with the second unit on both the wing and in the backcourt this evening. With Simmons, Ennis, and Furkan Korkmaz off the court since the trade deadline, Jimmy Butler has undoubtedly been the main beneficiary, as he owns a 24.3% usage rate (+2.5%) and is averaging 1.34 DraftKings and 1.36 FanDuel points per minute in a 128.3 minutes sample size.

Another Player Out

With the recent injuries to the Phoenix Suns, Richaun Holmes has come back to life. He’s scored at least 20 fantasy points in each of his last four games, and he’s played over 19 minutes in back-to-back games. When trying to be different on a four-game slate, Holmes is an interesting high-risk tournament option.

Josh Jackson (ankle) out Monday

Jackson has officially been downgraded from questionable and won’t play in Monday’s matchup against the Utah Jazz due to a sprained right ankle that’s now forced him to miss two consecutive games, while Tyler Johnson will sit for a sixth straight contest because of a sore right knee. The Suns are also still without T.J. Warren and Kelly Oubre, so Mikal Bridges should be a lock to stick in the starting lineup for the duration of their absences, but Bridges has still been largely ineffective for fantasy purposes despite averaging 37.5 minutes over the previous six games. With Johnson still sidelined, De’Anthony Melton will presumably remain in the starting lineup alongside Devin Booker in the backcourt considering he’s managed to log at least 21 minutes in each of the last four contests regardless of reserve or starting role. There’s still a minimal sample size with Jackson, Johnson, and Oubre off the court since the trade deadline, but in that time, Deandre Ayton owns a 27.6% usage rate (+6.6%) and is averaging 1.40 DraftKings and 1.44 FanDuel points per minute.