DFS Alerts
Trevor Ariza (knee) and Sam Dekker (back) available to play Friday
Ariza has officially been upgraded from questionable and will be available to play in Friday’s matchup against the Charlotte Hornets despite dealing with a sore right knee, while Dekker has been cleared to return from a one-game absence stemming from a sore lower back. Head coach Scott Brooks already confirmed that Ariza won’t be subject to a minute restriction, so he’ll presumably be a full-go in tonight’s contest and has consistently been seeing minutes in the mid-30s prior to his injury in Wednesday’s win. With Dekker unavailable last time out, Chasson Randle managed to record 21 minutes of action off the bench, but he was relatively ineffective from a fantasy standpoint and could see a diminished role with Dekker now back in the fold for playing time in the second unit.
As reported by: the Washington Wizards via Twitter Other tagged players: Sam Dekker
Cody Zeller (knee) officially out Friday; Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (knee) available to play
Zeller has officially been downgraded from doubtful and won’t play in Friday’s matchup against the Washington Wizards due to a sore left knee that’s now forced him to miss two consecutive games, while Kidd-Gilchrist will be available to return from a two-game absence stemming from a strained left knee. Head coach James Borrego wouldn’t disclose to reporters who would receive the starting nod at center in tonight’s contest, but Willy Hernangomez was solid from a fantasy perspective as a starter in nearly 25 minutes of action in Monday’s loss. Bismack Biyombo only contributed seven minutes off the bench in that game, so the only other logical option to start at center is Frank Kaminsky, who’s logged at least 21 minutes in five of the previous six games, to match up with the Wizards unconventional frontcourt.
As reported by: Charlotte Hornets PR via Twitter Other tagged players: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist Reggie Jackson (ankle) will start Friday
Jackson has officially been upgraded from questionable and will start in Friday’s matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers despite dealing with right ankle discomfort, while Bruce Brown remains listed as probable with right ankle discomfort as well. There’s yet to be any report of a potential minute restriction for Jackson, so he’ll presumably assume his customary starting point guard role alongside Wayne Ellington in the backcourt, but he’s been limited to fewer than 25 minutes in each of the previous five games, limiting his reliability for daily fantasy formats on tonight’s value loaded eight-game slate.
As reported by: James Edwards III via Twitter Anthony Davis (rest) out Friday
Davis is a late addition to the Pelicans’ injury report and won’t play in Friday’s matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers due to rest purposes on the frontend of their current back-to-back set, while Jrue Holiday and E’Twaun Moore remain sidelined with their respective ailments. In his absence, Jahlil Okafor will likely receive the starting nod at center, and head coach Alvin Gentry even when out of his way to tell reporters that Okafor would be needed in tonight’s matchup with Jusuf Nurkic, despite nursing lingering ankle soreness that limited him to a sporadic role in the frontcourt rotation of late.
As reported by: Pelicans PR via Twitter Ben Simmons (illness) and Mike Scott (illness) available to play Friday
Simmons and Scott have both officially been upgraded from probable and will be available to play in Friday’s matchup against the Sacramento Kings despite missing Thursday’s practice due to an illness. Even with Joel Embiid and Boban Marjanovic back in the fold, Scott has logged at least 26 minutes in each of the previous five games, so if he’s a full-go, he still figures to play prominent minutes in the rotation tonight and moving forward. There’s been no word of a potential minute restriction for Simmons either, so his presence in the starting lineup will keep T.J. McConnell in his customary backup point guard role, which has typically equated to somewhere in the mid-teens on a nightly basis.
As reported by: Jon Johnson via Twitter Other tagged players: Mike Scott Maurice Harkless (knee) out Friday; Seth Curry (illness) now probable
Harkless has officially been downgraded from questionable and won’t play in Friday’s matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans due to a left knee injury, while Curry has been upgraded to probable with an upper respiratory infection. The wing minutes in head coach Terry Stotts’ rotations can be very volatile, but Harkless seems to have settled into a consistent role in the mid-20s in terms of minutes as the starting small forward. In his absence, Jake Layman will more than likely join the starting lineup, and he’s logged at least 25 minutes off the bench in the previous two games with Rodney Hood and Evan Turner each unavailable in one of the aforementioned contests. However, Layman would be a difficult player to trust in daily fantasy formats considering he owns just a 16.5% usage rate and is averaging 0.82 DraftKings and 0.82 FanDuel points per minute with Hood off the court.
As reported by: Casey Holdahl via Twitter Other tagged players: Seth Curry Targeting Young Players as the Regular Season Comes to a Close
With LeBron James sitting out and Detroit favored by double digits at home, I’ll be targeting young developing players in the Lakers – Pistons game who are likely to see court time even in a blowout. Luke Kennard has seen an average of 27 minutes a game since the All-Star Break and averaged 13.8 PPG (up from 20 minutes a game and a 8.4 PPG average before the break), and will be my primary target on the Detroit side. For the Lakers, Mo Wagner only played 8 minutes last night, but was featured a week ago against Boston and Denver, averaging over 30 minutes and 16 points across the two games.
Other tagged players: Moe Wagner
Strong Per Minute Producer
Willy drew the start in Zeller’s absence last game against the Rockets and is a candidate to start again on Friday night against the Wizards with Zeller doubtful. Hernangomez has been a strong fantasy producer this season when given the minutes as he’s averaging 1.18 DK points per minute and 1.15 FD points per minute. Despite Zeller’s likely absence, Willy’s minutes are tough to project which makes him best left for GPPs.
Monitor Reggie's Status
Reggie Jackson’s status remains up in the air on Friday night. If Jackson is unable to suit up, Ish Smith would rival Emmanuel Mudiay for best value play on the slate. Stylistically, this is a strong matchup for Smith who likes to take the ball to the hole, while the Lakers allow the fifth highest frequency of shot attempts at the rim. If Reggie is active, you could still make a case for playing Ish in GPPs as he should see at least 20 minutes of court time with upside if Reggie’s ankle bothers him.
Likely Starting Role
No Dennis Smith Jr should mean a starting gig and more minutes for Emmanuel Mudiay who has been logging backup PG minutes since his return from injury. I say “should” because it’s David Fizdale we’re dealing with but it’s reasonable to project 30+ minutes of court time for Mudiay which makes him the best value play of the slate. Keep an eye on the Knicks starting lineup just to make sure Fizdale doesn’t try to pull a quick one but Mudiay is a core value play as long as he’s a confirmed starter.
LeBron James (rest) out Friday; Josh Hart (knee) questionable
As expected, James has officially been ruled out for Friday’s matchup against the Detroit Pistons due to rest purposes on the second leg of the Lakers current back-to-back set, while Hart is listed as questionable with right knee tendinitis and Reggie Bullock and Lance Stephenson are probable with their respective ailments. In James’ absence, Hart will be the likeliest candidate to join the starting lineup alongside Bullock on the wing, assuming they’re cleared to play, and Hart has managed to record at least 28 minutes in four of the previous four games regardless of a bench or starting role, giving him a solid minute floor if he’s a full-go this evening. Kyle Kuzma has a minuscule sample size with all of James, Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, and Tyson Chander off the court this season, but he’s still a decent bet to lead the Lakers in usage in tonight’s contest. However, in this scenario, Rajon Rondo and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope each own at least a +4.7% usage rate differential and experience a minimum of a +0.26 increase to their per minute production, making them intriguing tournament targets on tonight’s eight-game slate.
As reported by: the Los Angeles Lakers via Twitter Other tagged players: Josh Hart Limited Ceiling but a Good Buy at the Price
Anthony Davis is basically stuck playing 21-22 minutes a night because the Pelicans want him to avoid an injury. While that’s obviously not ideal, we never have to worry about a blowout and his price has come way down across the industry. Davis has averaged 40 fantasy points over his last four games and gets to face the Blazers, who are ranked 22nd in efficiency against power forwards over the last 10 games.
Spot Starts are Always Appealing for Point Guards
Even though the Knicks are large underdogs on the road tonight against the Spurs, Emmanuel Mudiay is one of the top value plays at any position. Dennis Smith has already been ruled out of tonight’s game, so Mudiay should draw the start and push for at least 30 minutes. He’s priced under $5,000 on both FanDuel and DraftKings and this is a slate where value isn’t exactly in abundance.
One of the Highest Floors in Basketball
Bradley Beal has always been a good player, but he’s turned into an elite one ever since John Wall went down with his season-ending injury. Beal offers an incredibly high floor, scoring at least 40 fantasy points in 15 straight games and topping 50 fantasy points seven times in his last 10 outings. He draws an exploitable matchup against the Hornets, who he has averaged 51 fantasy points against in three meetings this season.
Chris Paul (rest) out Friday
Paul is a new addition to the Rockets’ injury report and won’t play in Friday’s matchup against the Phoenix Suns due to rest purposes. In his absence, James Harden and Eric Gordon will almost certainly shift over to man the two backcourt positions, while Harden will assume the primary ballhandling and playmaking responsibilities in the starting unit. However, Paul’s actual replacement in the starting lineup is a bit more uncertain, as Austin Rivers, Kenneth Faried, Gerald Green, Iman Shumpert, and Danuel House are all realistic options to join the starting lineup. As usual, whenever Paul is sidelined, Harden becomes close to a must-play in all daily fantasy formats since he owns a 44.6% usage rate (+3.8%) and is averaging 1.76 DraftKings and 1.67 FanDuel points per minute with him off the court this season.
As reported by: Alykhan Bijani via Twitter