DFS Alerts
Josh Hart (knee) will play Sunday
Hart has officially been upgraded from questionable and will play in Sunday’s matchup against the New York Knicks after missing one game due to lingering right knee tendinitis, while Lance Stephenson and Tyson Chandler remain questionable with their respective ailments, though their roles in the new-look Lakers rotation has been nonexistent even when active. Hart has managed to record at least 28 minutes in four of his previous six games as both a starter and a reserve, so he figures to maintain a fairly significant role in head coach Luke Walton’s wing rotation, as long as he’s healthy, for the foreseeable future. Additionally, LeBron James is set to return from a one-game hiatus for rest purposes, but the Lakers and Walton have stuck true to their word on managing James’ playing time in the final stretch of the season, as he’s averaged 31 minutes over his previous four games despite leading the team with a 42.4% usage rate and an average of 1.74 DraftKings and 1.66 FanDuel points per minute in that span.
As reported by: Kyle Goon via Twitter
Increased Minutes
Perhaps one of the more underrated injury situations is in Orlando where Isaiah Briscoe is out with a knee injury. Briscoe’s injury may seem inconsequential for DFS purposes but it’s led to more solidified minutes for DJ Augustin as Steve Clifford has made it clear he doesn’t trust Jerian Grant with expanded run. Augustin, who is averaging just north of 27 minutes per game this season, has topped 31 minutes twice in the most recent four game stretch without Briscoe, and his 26 minute low was due to a blowout win against the Cavaliers. As long as Sunday’s game stays close, look for Augustin to log another 31+ minutes of court time as the Magic fight for a playoff spot in the East.
Monitor Harden's Status
If James Harden is active on Sunday night, Chris Paul is an ok play. If Harden is inactive, Paul is one of the top overall plays of the slate. Harden’s status will dictate lineup construction for Sunday’s main slate so you’re going to want to pay attention to RotoGrinders’ lineup alerts. Unsurprisingly, Paul sees a massive uptick in usage rate and fantasy production when James Harden isn’t playing – his usage rate jumps 6.1% and he averages roughly 11 more fantasy points per 36 minutes. Paul is playable if we don’t have news on Harden’s status before lock and is a must play if Harden is confirmed out.
High Floor + Ceiling Combination
The Atlanta Hawks are a cheat code. They combine the fastest pace in the league with a defense that ranks third worst in both points per 100 possessions allowed (114.3%) and effective field goal percentage allowed (54.8%). Nikola Vucevic has averaged a 24/13 line in two games against the Hawks this season and he has arguably the highest floor + ceiling combination on the slate if James harden is unable to suit up.
Dennis Smith Jr. (back) and Noah Vonleh (ankle) out Sunday
Smith Jr. has officially been downgraded from questionable and won’t play in Sunday’s matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers due to a sore lower back that has now forced him to miss two consecutive games, while Vonleh has also been ruled out with a sprained right ankle he sustained in the first half of Friday’s loss. Vonleh was replaced by Luke Kornet to begin the second half of that contest, but Lance Thomas has typically started at power forward when Vonleh has been sidelined of late and appears to be the likeliest candidate once again given the matchup with Kyle Kuzma and LeBron James at the forward positions. In Smith’s absence, Emmanuel Mudiay drew the start at point guard but was rather ineffective from a fantasy standpoint in 36 minutes of action, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see Allonzo Trier get some extra run in today’s contest, and he owns a 26.2% usage rate (+4.4%) while averaging 0.88 DraftKings and 0.81 FanDuel points per minute with Smith and Vonleh off the court since the trade deadline.
As reported by: Ian Begley via Twitter Other tagged players: Noah Vonleh Torrey Craig (shoulder) available to play Saturday
Craig has officially been upgraded from questionable and will be available to play in Saturday’s matchup against the Indiana Pacers after missing one game due to a sprained left shoulder. Head coach Mike Malone has shortened his rotation of late, and Craig has played 13 minutes or fewer in seven of his previous eight games, so it’s unlikely he sees anywhere close to significant run with the second unit. This expedition of playing time has also relegated Isaiah Thomas to two consecutive DNP-CDs, which has enabled Monte Morris to thrive from a fantasy perspective in an average of 28.9 minutes off the bench over that same span. With Craig unavailable last time out, Juancho Hernangomez managed to record just six minutes in a minimal reserve role, while Trey Lyles joined Thomas as a DNP-CD, just further emphasizing how tight Malone is attempting to keep his rotation for the final stretch of the season.
As reported by: the Denver Nuggets via Twitter Shabazz Napier (hamstring) out Saturday
Despite being listed as probable on the Nets’ injury report, Napier has officially been ruled out of Saturday’s matchup against the Utah Jazz due to a tight left hamstring that’s now forced him to miss two consecutive games, while Treveon Graham and DeMarre Carroll each remain listed as probable with their respective ailments. The Nets will be without Allen Crabbe for at least the next two contests, so Caris LeVert will more than likely receive the starting nod alongside Joe Harris on the wing, and he’s played fewer than 20 minutes off the bench just once in the previous five games, giving him a decent minute floor with Crabbe unavailable. As of now, there’s been no report of a potential minute restriction for Graham, who is slated to return from a five-game hiatus because of a sore back, but even if he does reclaim his vacated starting power forward position from Rodions Kurucs, it’s unlikely that one of the two will see substantially more playing time than the other and essentially removes them from consideration in daily fantasy formats entirely.
As reported by: Brian Lewis via Twitter Larry Nance Jr. (rib) and Tristan Thompson (foot) out Saturday
Nance Jr. has officially been downgraded from doubtful and won’t play in Saturday’s matchup against the Dallas Mavericks due to a rib contusion that has now forced him to miss four consecutive games, while Tristan Thompson remains sidelined with a sore left foot despite participating in shootaround this morning. In their absences, Ante Zizic has started the previous three contests at center, and he’s been solid from a fantasy perspective in an average of 30.4 minutes over that span. The Cavaliers are also slated to be without Matthew Dellavedova for a fifth straight contest, so his continued unavailability should allow Jordan Clarkson, Brandon Knight, and Nik Stauskas to still see extended run at their respective positions, though Stauskas could take on a diminished role if head coach Larry Drew opts to play bigger with Marquese Chriss absorbing some power forward minutes.
As reported by: Chris Fedor via Twitter Other tagged players: Tristan Thompson Luka Doncic (knee) out Saturday
Doncic has officially been downgraded from questionable and won’t play in Saturday’s matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers due to a right knee contusion, while Devin Harris remains listed as probable with a sprained left ankle. Harris’ playing time has been all over the place of late, as he’s been a DNP-CD and played as many as 20 minutes over the span of the previous four games, so with Doncic unavailable, he’ll continue his typical bench role as the backup point guard but may have a higher minute ceiling than normal if Trey Burke picks up a DNP-CD for a fourth straight contest. As for Doncic, he has averaged 34.9 minutes over the Mavericks last five games, so there will be plenty of playing time available for Jalen Brunson and presumptive replacement starter Dorian Finney-Smith this evening. Unsurprisingly, Tim Hardaway Jr. has been the main beneficiary with Doncic off the court, as he owns a 31.4% usage rate (+7.0%) and is averaging 1.04 DraftKings and 0.97 FanDuel points per minute in a 163.1 minutes sample size.
As reported by: Bobby Karalla via Twitter Tomas Satoransky (head) will play Saturday
Satoransky has officially been upgraded from questionable and will play in Saturday’s matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies despite sustaining a head injury in the first half of Friday’s loss. Satoransky passed all of the required concussion tests, so he presumably won’t be limited by any sort of minute restriction and will almost certainly start at his customary point guard position in tonight’s contest. Chasson Randle started the second half of last night’s game in relief of Satoransky, but he still totaled just eight minutes and is unlikely to be much of a factor in the rotation with Sam Dekker back in the fold following his brief one-game hiatus due to a sore lower back. Bradley Beal is unlikely to see anywhere close to the 45 minutes he logged yesterday on the second leg of a back-to-back set, but he does still lead the Wizards with a 28.6% usage rate and is averaging 1.35 DraftKings and 1.34 FanDuel points per minute since the trade deadline.
As reported by: Ben Standig via Twitter Tyler Johnson (knee) and Richaun Holmes (quad) out Saturday
Johnson has officially been downgraded from questionable and won’t play in Saturday’s matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans due to a sore right knee that has now forced him to miss two consecutive games, while Holmes has also been ruled out with a strained right quad he sustained during Friday’s loss. In Johnson’s absence, Tony Daniels ended up receiving the starting nod alongside Devin Booker in the backcourt, but he was still pretty irrelevant from a fantasy perspective in just 15 minutes of action as a member of the starting unit. This lineup decision by head coach Igor Kokoskov did enable Devin Booker and Jamal Crawford to handle most of the point guard responsibilities, and De’Anthony Melton and Elie Okobo were even DNP-CDs despite being on the only other natural point guards on the Suns’ roster with Johnson unavailable. With Johnson off the court, Kelly Oubre actually leads the starting unit with an average of 1.21 DraftKings and 1.21 FanDuel points per minute in a 139.8 minutes sample size.
As reported by: Kellan Olson via Twitter Other tagged players: Richaun Holmes Larry Nance Jr. (rib) now listed as doubtful Saturday; Matthew Dellavedova (concussion) listed out
Nance Jr. has been listed as doubtful on the most recent version of the Cavaliers’ injury report for Saturday’s matchup against the Dallas Mavericks due to a rib contusion that has already forced him to miss three consecutive games, while Tristan Thompson went through shootaround and remains questionable to suit up with a sore left foot that’s kept him sidelined nearly two full months. In their absences, Ante Zizic has started the previous three contests at center, and he’s been solid from a fantasy perspective in an average of 30.4 minutes over that span. The Cavaliers are also slated to be without Matthew Dellavedova for a fifth straight contest, so his continued unavailability should allow Jordan Clarkson, Brandon Knight, and Nik Stauskas to still see extended run at their respective positions, though Stauskas could take on a diminished role if head coach Larry Drew opts to play bigger with Marquese Chriss absorbing some power forward minutes.
As reported by: NBA Official Injury Report Other tagged players: Matthew Dellavedova Luka Doncic (knee) listed as questionable Saturday; Devin Harris (ankle) listed as probable
Doncic has been listed as questionable on the most recent version of the Mavericks’ injury report for Saturday’s matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers due to a bruised right knee, while Harris has had his status upgraded and is currently listed as probable with a sprained left ankle. Harris’ playing time has been all over the place of late, as he’s been a DNP-CD and played as many as 20 minutes over the span of the previous four games, so if Doncic is cleared to play, he’ll almost certainly remain in a minimal bench role as the backup point guard. As for Doncic, he has averaged 34.9 minutes over the Mavericks previous five games, flashing significant upside in three of those aforementioned contests, making him an intriguing tournament target he’s a full-go without any limitations this evening. Doncic has continued to thrive for fantasy purposes following the slew of moves the Mavericks made at the trade deadline, as he has recorded a 34.2% usage rate and is averaging 1.38 DraftKings and 1.31 FanDuel points per minute in a 427.4 minutes sample size over that span
As reported by: NBA Official Injury Report Other tagged players: Devin Harris Highest Point Total Game Offers Multiple Player Options
The New Orleans – Phoenix game has the highest Vegas point total tonight, with New Orleans ranking 27th in points allowed this season and Phoenix ranking 28th. Julius Randle and Elfrid Payton are the top targets from New Orleans, with Randle averaging 26.5 points and 7 rebounds per game in March and Payton averaging 11.1 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 9 assists in the month. Anthony Davis isn’t playing full games, but is still worth a look on his non-rest day, averaging 16.8 points and 8.8 rebounds for the month in reduced playing time (with now reduced salary and ownership). On the Phoenix side, Devin Booker (28.8 points per game in March) and Kelly Oubre (19.6 points per game in March) are the surest targets, while Deandre Ayton (16.1 points per game in March) will look to take advantage of a New Orleans defense that ranks 26th in the league in points in the paint allowed.
Other tagged players: Devin Booker, Julius Randle, Anthony Davis, Kelly Oubre, Deandre Ayton
Top Play of the Night
Let’s get this out of the way. This slate is ugly. There are bad teams, slow paced teams, good defensive teams, and few stars to pay up for on this slate. That said, Russell Westbrook is the most logical spend in all formats. There is plenty of value out there by which you can fit Westbrook in comfortably, and we are likely going to get more value as the afternoon goes along. The OKC/GS game should be the marquee one of the night, and we have to start the core plays with someone in that game. Westbrook is rolling again with back to back 65+ fantasy point performances, and it’s difficult to envision anyone else having his floor tonight. Westbrook logged a triple-double the first time he faced off against Golden State earlier this year, posting that despite shooting just 5-for-15 from the floor. His shooting and scoring are up this month, and he appears poised for yet another run of dominance. The price tag isn’t outrageous, the usage is obviously there, and the floor/ceiling combination makes him a logical starting point everywhere.
