DFS Alerts
Justise Winslow (thigh) and Rodney McGruder (knee) listed out Saturday
Winslow and McGruder have both been listed out on the most recent version of the Heat’s injury report and won’t play in Saturday’s matchup against the Washington Wizards due to a right thigh contusion and a sore left knee, respectively, while Bam Adebayo is no longer listed on the injury report but was limited to just 18 minutes in Friday’s loss. In Winslow’s absence, Derrick Jones Jr. has started each of the previous four games at small forward and has logged at least 24 minutes in three of those contests, while Josh Richardson has continued to absorb massive minutes as the starting point guard with Goran Dragic still partially limited. However, with Winslow and McGruder off the court since the trade deadline, Hassan Whiteside actually owns a 24.0% usage rate (+2.0%) and is averaging 1.47 DraftKings and 1.50 FanDuel points per minute in a 155.9 minutes sample size.
As reported by: NBA Official Injury Report Other tagged players: Rodney McGruder
Joakim Noah (knee) probable Saturday
Noah has officially been listed as probable for Saturday’s matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves after missing one game due to a sore right knee, Mike Conley wasn’t included on the Grizzlies’ injury report and is slated to return in tonight’s second night of a back-to-back set following a one-hiatus because of general soreness. In Conley’s absence, Tyler Dorsey joined the starting lineup alongside Delon Wright in the backcourt, and he was phenomenal from a fantasy perspective in a whopping 43 minutes of action in Friday’s loss. However, with no reports of a potential minute restriction for Conley, it’s almost a certainty that Dorsey will head back to the bench to resume a reserve role that’s enabled him to log at least 20 minutes in two of his last three games as a member of the second unit. Ever since the trade deadline, Conley has recorded a 28.7% usage rate and is averaging 1.41 DraftKings and 1.34 FanDuel points per minute with Bradley off the court, making him an intriguing tournament target on tonight’s slate considering he’s exceeded his salary-based expectations in five of his previous six games.
As reported by: Grizzlies PR via Twitter Best Floor + Ceiling Combination
Towns remains the most stable source of fantasy points whenever the Timberwolves take the court. KAT has been unreal since the All-Star Break as he closes in on third team All-NBA honors and his $31M bonus that comes with it. In 9 March games, Towns is averaging 29.1 points and 12.4 rebounds per game. Town’s usage remains solidified with Jeff Teague and Derrick Rose declared out for the remainder of the season and he possesses the best floor + ceiling combination of the slate.
Zero Doubt
While you can squabble with who the top high-priced play is on the slate, there’s zero doubt that Quinn Cook is the best point-per-dollar option on Saturday night. Not only will the Warriors be without Stephen Curry, they’ll also be without backup point guard Shaun Livingston which should mean plenty of court time for Cook, regardless of how close the game stays. Cook has been a serviceable fantasy producer when given minutes this season, averaging ~ 30 fantasy points per 36 minutes. That type of production is a steal for Cook’s minimum price tag across the industry.
No Curry, No Problem
With Stephen Curry off the floor this season Kevin Durant’s usage rate jumps 9.1% to 38.8% and he averages nearly 9 more fantasy points per 36 minutes. It’s safe to temper expectations a bit with DeMarcus Cousins active and soaking up usage – KD and Cousins have shared the court for only 12 minutes this season without Curry – but no Curry still means good things for Durant’s fantasy production.
Lance Stephenson available to play, Mike Muscala out
The Lakers bench will have the addition of Lance Stephenson tonight as he is available to play. Mike Muscala will not play tonight due to a sore ankle. LeBron James returns to the starting lineup with hopes of ending a four-game losing streak. With a loss tonight The Lakers are officially eliminated from the playoff picture. Down a handful of players including Josh Hart, Stephenson could see a few extra minutes off the bench vs The Nets. At this point in the season predicting production on a team that clearly has waived the white flag is not an easy task. As we have seen in the past, Stephenson can produce fantasy points in a hurry if given the opportunity.
As reported by: Mike Trudell Twitter Other tagged players: Mike Muscala
DeMarre Carroll returns to the starting lineup
DeMarre Carroll returns to the starting lineup tonight vs The Lakers. Carroll will join Rodions Kurucus in the frontcourt pushing Caris LeVert to the bench. Historically a good defender the addition of Carroll to the starting lineup is to help provide defense against LeBron James. Priced down Carroll becomes a source of value assuming he gets a decent amount of run. The emergence of Jared Dudley playing better of late allows for Carroll to move to the first unit without sacrificing defense in the second unit.
As reported by: Brian Lewis Twitter Other tagged players: Rodions Kurucs, Caris LeVert Giannis Antetokounmpo will play on Friday
After missing two games with an ankle injury, Giannis Antetouounmp will play tonight vs The Heat. There was some talk earlier tonight out of the Bucks camp that Giannis was closer to a game-time call based upon his performance in a pregame workout. After proving that his ankle is ready, Giannis is listed as active and should resume his normal role in the offense.
As reported by: Matt Velazquez Twitter Sterling Brown and George Hill have been cleared for the Bucks tonight and will play; Giannis out on the court warming up, closer to a game-time decision
Sterling Brown and George Hill have both been cleared to play tonight for the Bucks. Giannis Antekokounmpo has missed the last two games with an ankle injury but is on the court warming up with hopes of playing. The team is hopeful to have Giannis back tonight but will make a final call after his pregame workout. We will update Giannis status as news becomes available.
As reported by: Matt Velazquez Twitter Other tagged players: George Hill, Giannis Antetokounmpo
Rudy Gay will start over Jakob Poeltl on Friday
The Spurs will continue to play the matchup game with their starting lineup as Rudy Gay will start tonight vs The Rockets. Gay will replace Jakob Poeltl in the starting lineup. Regardless of starting or coming off the bench, Gay plays a big role on the Spurs offense. In his last four games has averaged a usage rate of 24% producing almost 30 DK points per game.
As reported by: Jeff McDonald Twitter Other tagged players: Jakob Poeltl Joakim Noah ruled out Friday
Just like Mike Connley, Joakim Noah has been ruled out for tonight’s game. With Noah out, we can expect a bump in Jonas Valanciunas minutes as a starter. Ivan Rabb will eat up extra minutes as the backup and becomes a great play as min priced option on the slate. Memphis is extremely thin so there will be plenty of minutes to soak up tonight and both Valanciunas and Rabb should see a ton of action in the frontcourt this evening.
As reported by: Grizzles PR Twitter Other tagged players: Jonas Valanciunas, Ivan Rabb Kenneth Faried will play Friday
Kenneth Faried will return to his bench role after missing the last game for rest purposes. Since his return to the bench, Faried has lost his DFS appeal due to the lack of playing time on what is finally a healthy Rockets team.
As reported by: Salman Ali Twitter Mike Conley ruled out Friday
Mike Conley has been officially ruled out of tonight’s game. Delon Wright and Tyler Dorsey will get the start in the Memphis backcourt tonight. Both players become instant sources of value tonight and can be considered in all formats. Priced down a bit lower than Wright, Dorsey has a slight advantage of being a better point per dollar play for the evening.
As reported by: Josh Robbins Twitter Other tagged players: Delon Wright, Tyler Dorsey Clarification on Grizzlies news: Conley and Noah both not expected to play, but going through pre-game evaluations. Wright to start at PG and Dorsey at SG assuming Conley sits
Clarification on Grizzlies news: Conley and Noah both not expected to play, but going through pre-game evaluations. Wright to start at PG and Dorsey at SG assuming Conley sits. Noah’s absence further solidifies JVal’s value and also puts Ivan Rabb squarely on the DFS radar. Wright and Dorsey are both viable punt plays across the industry, but Dorsey may offer better $/point value on DraftKings where he’s priced at the minimum and Wright sits at $4,900.
As reported by: Michael Wallace Other tagged players: Joakim Noah, Ivan Rabb, Jonas Valanciunas, Delon Wright, Tyler Dorsey Frank Ntilikina and Kadeem Allen are both available to play Friday
Frank Ntilikina and Kadeem Allen are both available to play Friday. Having missed a decent amount of time with a groin injury, Ntilikina will play for the first time since late January. Nailing down the Knicks minutes is never an easy task, but with the injuries to the Knicks backcourt, Coach Fizdale claims Ntilikina will play significant minutes tonight. Kadeem Allen has done little to impress with the minutes played of yet, so we could see Ntilikina get some run despite returning from an extended absence. The price will be intriguing for Ntilikina tonight, but the uncertainty of his actual role in the offense remains a mystery making his addition to a roster more of a risky play.
As reported by: NBA.COM Other tagged players: Kadeem Allen