DFS Alerts

Low Owned Value Play

Since rejoining the Rockets, he’s played at least 28 minutes in three straight games and he has at least 23 fantasy points in each of those games. Tonight, is a tough matchup, but Memphis ranks 28th in defensive efficiency against small forwards over the last ten games. With the recent struggles and with Eric Gordon ruled out for this game, House is one of my favorite value plays on this slate.

Maxi Kleber (wrist) out Wednesday

Kleber has officially been downgraded from questionable and won’t play in Wednesday’s matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers due to a sprained left wrist. Despite being demoted to the bench in favor of Dirk Nowitzki and Dorian Finney-Smith in recent games, Kleber has averaged 28.6 minutes as a reserve in the Mavericks last five contests, so his absence will certainly have a significant impact on head coach Rick Carlisle’s frontcourt rotation. This means that Finney-Smith should continue to have a solid minute floor after logging at least 32 minutes in the previous two games, and Justin Jackson could see an increased role in the second unit as part of smaller lineup combinations with one of Nowitzki or Dwight Powell off the floor this evening.

Giannis Antetokounmpo (ankle) listed as questionable Wednesday; Nikola Mirotic (thumb) and George Hill (groin) listed out

Antetokounmpo has been listed as questionable on the most recent version of the Bucks’ injury report for Wednesday’s matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers due to a sprained right ankle that has already forced him to miss one game, while Mirotic and Hill have been listed out with their respective ailments, and Mirotic is expected to miss at least two-to-four weeks because of a fractured thumb. Ersan Ilyasova is listed as probable to return from a one-game hiatus due to an illness, so as long as he isn’t limited, he or Tony Snell would be the leading candidates to draw the start alongside Antetokounmpo, if he’s cleared, in the frontcourt. However, even with the Bucks shorthanded from Tuesday’s win, Snell was limited to just 15 minutes of action as a starter, eliminating his viability on a nine-game slate that already has a plethora of better value options available.

Otto Porter (shoulder) out Wednesday; Zach LaVine (thigh) upgraded to probable

Porter has officially been downgraded from doubtful and won’t play in Wednesday’s matchup against the Washington Wizards due to a strained right rotator cuff that has now forced him to miss two consecutive games, while LaVine has been upgraded from questionable to probable despite dealing with a right thigh contusion. In his absence, Shaquille Harrison surprisingly received the starting nod alongside LaVine on the wing, and Harrison was relatively serviceable from a fantasy perspective in 32 minutes of action in his spot start. Unsurprisingly, Kris Dunn has been the primary beneficiary with Porter off the court since the trade deadline, as he owns a 21.8% usage rate (+4.3%) and is averaging 1.02 DraftKings and 0.99 FanDuel points per minute in a 139.7 minutes sample size.

Take Advantage of this Team's Defensive Weakness

Chicago could be playing short-handed again tonight with Otto Porter (Doubtful) and Zach LaVine (Questionable) both possibilities to sit against Washington. The Wizards rank 27th in the NBA in points in the paint allowed, and Robin Lopez and Lauri Markkanen would be the prime candidates to take advantage of Washington’s defensive weakness, ranking second and third respectively on the Bulls (behind LaVine) in points in the paint scored per game.

Putting Up the Best Numbers of His Career

Elfrid Payton has recorded five straight triple-doubles, and his salary across sites has risen at least three thousand dollars across all sites during the month of March as a result. He’ll go for his sixth straight triple-double tonight against his old team Orlando, and while his salary now drastically outpaces his season averages, it’s worth noting that Payton has averaged 15.6 points, 12.8 assists, and 12.0 rebounds per game during the triple-double streak. Payton will likely see a small ownership percentage tonight due to the salary increase, making him an intriguing GPP play.

Injury Situation Creates Favorable Defensive Matchups For This Team

Oklahoma City is favored by 5 points in the game with the second-highest Vegas point total tonight, as Toronto will be without Kyle Lowry due to an ankle injury. Lowry ranks as the 6th-best defender (out of 97 players) at the point guard position according to ESPN’s DRPM metric, while Lowry’s potential replacements, Fred VanVleet and Jeremy Lin, rank 30th and 80th respectively. That should mean good things for OKC’s scoring guards, Russell Westbrook and Dennis Schroder, tonight. On the other side of the court Kawhi Leonard sees a 1.2% usage increase (32.0% overall) with Kyle Lowry off the court this season.

Kenneth Faried (knee) questionable Wednesday

Faried has officially been listed as questionable for Wednesday’s matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies due to a sore left knee after logging 21 minutes in his return to the lineup in Tuesday’s win. The Rockets will also be without Eric Gordon and Nene Hilario for rest purposes on the second leg of a back-to-back set, so Danuel Hose Jr. should rejoin the starting lineup alongside James Harden on the wing, and he’s been serviceable from a fantasy perspective in an average of 31.9 minutes per game over the previous three contests in both reserve and starting roles. Meanwhile, Iman Shumpert saw 31 minutes his last time out, and he would be a significant beneficiary in terms of playing time if Faried is unable to suit up, making him a potential pivot from House in tournament formats on tonight’s nine-game slate.

Avery Bradley (shin) out for at least one week

Bradley underwent an MRI following Saturday’s loss and has been diagnosed with a right shin contusion that will keep him sidelined for at least a week’s time, effectively ruling him of Wednesday’s matchup against the Houston Rockets, while C.J. Miles is expected to miss the remainder of the season with a stress fracture in his left foot. In Bradley’s absence, Delon Wright appears to be the likeliest candidate to receive the starting nod alongside Mike Conley in the backcourt, and he’s typically started when either Bradley or Conley has been sidelined since being acquired at the trade deadline. Over this span, Conley has led the Grizzlies with a 29.7% usage rate and is averaging 1.45 DraftKings and 1.39 FanDuel points per minute with Bradley and Jaren Jackson Jr. off the court, making him an intriguing tournament target on tonight’s slate considering he’s exceeded his salary-based expectations in four of the last five games.

Anthony Davis (personal) out Wednesday

Davis is a new addition to the Pelicans’ injury report and won’t play in Wednesday’s matchup against the Orlando Magic due to personal reasons, while Jrue Holiday and E’Twaun Moore each remain sidelined with their respective ailments. The Pelicans have stuck true to their word and have limited Davis to fewer than 23 minutes in every game since the All-Star break, so his absence won’t have as much of an impact on the frontcourt rotation as it typically would have, but it does allow Jahlil Okafor to likely draw the start at center in tonight’s contest, though he hasn’t logged more than 17 minutes in either of his most recent starts. Okafor has largely lost playing time to Cheick Diallo of late, and Diallo sets up as a viable value option on tonight’s nine-game slate considering he’s averaged 1.27 fantasy points per minute over the previous 14 games. With Davis, Holiday, and Moore off the court during this span, Julius Randle has been the main beneficiary, as he owns a 33.5% usage rate (+4.9%) and is averaging 1.46 DraftKings and 1.42 FanDuel points per minute.

Massive Usage and FP/Min Boost

CJ McCollum is not going to suit up tonight for the Blazers, who are fighting for playoff positioning in the stacked Western Conference. In McCollum’s absence on Monday night, Damian Lillard put up 64 fantasy points in a tough matchup against the Pacers. On the season, Lillard sees a 9% usage boost and a massive 0.32 FP/min boost. Even at an elevated price point, I love Lillard tonight against the Mavericks, who have struggled to contain point guards this season.

Great Value at Point Guard

Shaquille Harrison drew the start for Otto Porter on Monday night against the Suns. Porter is listed as doubtful for tonight’s game against the Wizards and there is a chance Zach LaVine sits out as well. In his spot start, Harrison logged 32 minutes. While his per-minute production wasn’t great, he’s priced near the min-salary across the industry and could play 30+ minutes against the Wizards. Sign me up!

Great Form Plus a Chance at Revenge

Jabari Parker has never been known for his consistency, but he is playing at an incredibly high level right now. Over his last four games, he has averaged 30 minutes and 35 fantasy points. He has a very high usage rate off the bench and draws an incredible matchup against the Bulls, who are ranked in the bottom ten in defensive rating and rebounding percentage over the last 10 games. The revenge narrative doesn’t always work out in our favor, but it certainly doesn’t hurt.

Kyle Lowry (ankle) out Wednesday

Lowry has officially been downgraded from questionable and won’t play in Wednesday’s matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder due to a sprained right ankle he sustained in Monday’s win, while Serge Ibaka is set to return from a three-game hiatus stemming from a league suspension. Jeremy Lin has started at point guard in the two most recent games Lowry has been sidelined, but he failed to play more than 21 minutes in either of those spot starts and there’s a good chance that Fred VanVleet remains in the starting lineup after starting in place of Kawhi Leonard and logging 28 minutes in the previous contest.

NBA Injury Rundown - Wednesday, 3/20

Boston Celtics – Al Horford (P), Gordon Hayward (O)

Milwaukee Bucks – Giannis Antetokounmpo (TBD), Ersan Ilyasova (TBD), Sterling Brown (O), Malcolm Brogdon (O)

Cleveland Cavaliers – Kevin Love (Q), Larry Nance Jr. (Q), Tristan Thompson (Q), Matthew Dellavedova (O), John Henson (O)

Utah Jazz – Derrick Favors (P), Dante Exum (O)

New York Knicks – Frank Ntilikina (Q), Noah Vonleh (D), Dennis Smith Jr. (O)

Houston Rockets – Eric Gordon (O), Nene Hilario (O)

Memphis Grizzlies – Avery Bradley (Q), C.J. Miles (O), Jaren Jackson Jr. (O), Kyle Anderson (O), Dillon Brooks (O)

Chicago Bulls – Zach LaVine (Q), Otto Porter (D), Wendell Carter Jr. (O), Chandler Hutchison (O), Denzel Valentine (O)

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

Toronto Raptors – Kyle Lowry (Q)

Oklahoma City Thunder – Nerlens Noel (Q), Andre Roberson (O)

Dallas Mavericks – Maxi Kleber (Q), Kristaps Porzingis (O), J.J. Barea (O)

Portland Trail Blazers – C.J. McCollum (O)