DFS Alerts
Tyreke Evans (illness) out Wednesday
Evans has officially been downgraded from questionable and won’t play in Wednesday’s matchup against the Dallas Mavericks due to food poisoning, while Domantas Sabonis was previously ruled out with a sprained left ankle he sustained in Monday’s loss. In Sabonis’ absence, Kyle O’Quinn will rejoin the rotation to absorb the vacated backup center minutes, though T.J Leaf and Doug McDermott will likely be relied upon to soak up most of the backup power forward minutes since head coach Nate McMillan is highly unlikely to run out lineups with O’Quinn and Myles Turner on the court together. As for Evans, his unavailability has less of an impact with the recent arrival of Wesley Matthews via the buyout market, but it should still enable Aaron Holiday to assume a significant role off the bench, though Evans has played fewer than 19 minutes in eight of the Pacers previous 10 games.
As reported by: the Indiana Pacers via Twitter
Kris Dunn (migraine) and Otto Porter (leg) will start Wednesday
Dunn and Porter have officially been upgraded from probable and will start in Wednesday’s matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies after missing one game due to their respective ailments. In their absences, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot and Ryan Arcidiacano received the starting nods at small forward and point guard, respectively, and they each recorded at least 28 minutes and were serviceable from a fantasy perspective in Monday’s loss. However, since there’s been no report of a potential minute restriction for either Dunn or Porter, they’ll reclaim their customary positions in the starting lineup, sending Luwawu-Cabarrot and Arcidiacano back to the bench to resume reserve roles. If Porter isn’t limited, he could be an intriguing tournament target in the mid-range since he’s fit in relatively well with his new team and logged at least 34 minutes in each of the five previous games prior to his aforementioned injury absence.
As reported by: K.C. Johnson via Twitter Other tagged players: Otto Porter Jr. Avery Bradley (knee, ankle) and C.J. Miles (hip) will play Wednesday
Bradley and Miles have both officially been upgraded from their original injury designations and will be available to play in Wednesday’s matchup against the Chicago Bulls due to their respective ailments, while Ivan Rabb was already ruled out with a sore right heel. With Jaren Jackson Jr. still sidelined for the foreseeable future, the absence of Rabb will leave the Grizzlies frontcourt relatively thin and should allow Jonas Valanciunas and Joakim Noah to see extended minutes at the center position, though Bruno Caboclo has already been confirmed as the starting power forward for tonight’s contest in Rabb’s place. Obviously, there isn’t a tremendous sample size with Rabb and all of the departed former Grizzlies off the court, but in that limited time, Conley leads the way with a 36.7% usage rate (+7.8%), and both he and Noah each experience a minimum of a +0.44 increase to their per minute fantasy production in this scenario.
As reported by: David Cobb via Twitter Other tagged players: C.J. Miles Ivan Rabb (heel) officially out Wednesday
Rabb has officially been downgraded from doubtful and won’t play in Wednesday’s matchup against the Chicago Bulls due to a sore right heel, while Avery Bradley and C.J. Miles have both been cleared and are available to play despite dealing with their respective ailments. With Jaren Jackson Jr. still sidelined for the foreseeable future, the absence of Rabb will leave the Grizzlies frontcourt relatively thin and should allow Jonas Valanciunas and Joakim Noah to see extended minutes at the center position, though Bruno Caboclo has already been confirmed as the starting power forward for tonight’s contest in Rabb’s place. Obviously, there isn’t a tremendous sample size with Rabb and all of the departed former Grizzlies off the court, but in that limited time, Conley leads the way with a 36.7% usage rate (+7.8%), and both he and Noah each experience a minimum of a +0.44 increase to their per minute fantasy production in this scenario.
As reported by: Omari Sankofa II via Twitter Terry Rozier (knee) out Wednesday; Brad Wanamaker (illness) available to play
Rozier has officially been downgraded from questionable and won’t play in Wednesday’s matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers due to a sore left knee, while Wanamaker will be available to play after missing one game with an illness. Wanamaker typically isn’t apart of the rotation when the Celtics are at full strength in the backcourt, but with Rozier unavailable, Wannamaker should absorb a large portion of the vacated point guard minutes in the second unit. However, it’s certainly possible head coach Brad Stevens instead opts to tighten his rotation and distribute all of that playing time to Kyrie Irving and Marcus Smart, which could enable Jaylen Brown and Gordon Hayward to see some extended run off the bench. Irving has logged over 40 minutes in two of the previous four games, and he could be in line for a similar workload in tonight’s contest, making him an intriguing tournament target since he owns a 31.3% usage rate and is averaging 1.37 DraftKings and 1.36 FanDuel points per minute on the season.
As reported by: Sean Grande via Twitter Other tagged players: Brad Wanamaker Jeff Teague (knee) out Wednesday
Teague has officially been downgraded from questionable and won’t play in Wednesday’s matchup against the Atlanta Hawks due to a sore left knee that has now forced him to miss two consecutive games. In his absence, Tyus Jones will likely draw the start at point guard once again since Derrick Rose has logged fewer than 25 minutes in each of the previous five games, and Jones was stellar from a fantasy perspective in 31 minutes of action in his first spot start in Monday’s win. Despite the reduction in playing time since returning from injury, Rose does still own a 33.8% usage rate (+4.8%) and is averaging 1.25 DraftKings and 1.23 FanDuel points per minute with Teague and Robert Covington off the court this season, making him an interesting speculative tournament option if he somehow sees his minutes increase this evening.
As reported by: Timberwolves PR via Twitter Justise Winslow (knee), Derrick Jones Jr. (illness), and Rodney McGruder (knee) available to play Wednesday
Winslow, Jones Jr., and McGruder have all been upgraded from their original injury designations and will be available to play in Wednesday’s matchup against the Golden State Warriors due to their respective ailments, while Hassan Whiteside and James Johnson were already ruled out, the latter missing his third straight game with a sprained left shoulder. There’s been no word of a potential minute restriction for any of the aforementioned available players, so Winslow will more than likely rejoin the starting lineup at point guard with the Heat attempting to bring Goran Dragic along slowly following a right knee procedure that forced him to miss a large portion of the season. Dwyane Wade has consistently seen starters minutes since the conclusion of the All-Star break, and he owns a 32.8% usage rate (+4.7%) and is averaging 1.15 DraftKings and 1.14 FanDuel points per minute with Whiteside, Johnson, and the departed former Heat players off the court.
As reported by: Shandel Richardson via Twitter Other tagged players: Derrick Jones Jr., Rodney McGruder Hassan Whiteside (hip) and James Johnson (shoulder) out Wednesday
Whiteside is a late addition to the Heat’s injury report and won’t play in Wednesday’s matchup against the Golden State Warriors due to a hip pointer, while Johnson has been downgraded from questionable and will miss a third consecutive game with a sprained left shoulder. Additionally, Justise Winslow, Derrick Jones Jr., and Rodney McGruder were all cleared to play, so Miami will at least receive some reinforcements at the forward and guard positions in tonight’s contest. There’s been no word of a potential minute restriction for any of the aforementioned players, so Winslow will more than likely rejoin the starting lineup at point guard with the Heat attempting to bring Goran Dragic along slowly following a right knee procedure that forced him to miss a large portion of the season. Dwyane Wade has consistently seen starters minutes since the conclusion of the All-Star break, and he owns a 32.8% usage rate (+4.7%) and is averaging 1.15 DraftKings and 1.14 FanDuel points per minute with Whiteside, Johnson, and the departed former Heat players off the court.
As reported by: Ira Winderman via Twitter Other tagged players: James Johnson Trey Burke (illness) listed as questionable Wednesday
Burke has been added to the most recent version of the Mavericks’ injury report and is questionable for Wednesday’s matchup against the Indiana Pacers due to an illness. Burke saw a sizable increase in playing time while Luka Doncic was sidelined with a sore knee for two consecutive games, but in Monday’s loss, he was limited to just six minutes off the bench with Doncic and all of the other rotation regulars healthy and available to play in that contest. Doncic has been an excellent source of fantasy value following the departure of Dennis Smith Jr. to the New York Knicks via trade, as he’s exceeded salary-based expectations in six of his previous seven games while averaging 33.5 minutes per contest over that span. On top of that, Doncic owns a 36.1% usage rate (+5.4%) and is averaging 1.42 DraftKings and 1.34 FanDuel points per minute with all of the departed former Mavericks off the court this season.
As reported by: NBA Official Injury Report Terry Rozier (knee) and Brad Wanamaker (illness) questionable Wednesday
Rozier has officially been listed as questionable for Wednesday’s matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers due to a sore left knee, while Wanamaker is also listed as questionable with an illness that forced him to miss Tuesday’s loss. Wanamaker typically isn’t apart of the rotation when the Celtics are at full strength in the backcourt, but his status could become crucial if Rozier is ruled out closer to tipoff. If both are unable to suit up, Boston would be down to just Kyrie Irving and Marcus Smart at the point guard position, which could enable Jaylen Brown and Gordon Hayward to see some extended run off the bench. Irving has logged over 40 minutes in two of the previous four games, and he could be in line for a similar workload in tonight’s contest, making him an intriguing tournament target since he owns a 31.3% usage rate and is averaging 1.37 DraftKings and 1.36 FanDuel points per minute on the season.
As reported by: the Boston Celtics via Twitter Other tagged players: Brad Wanamaker Darius Miller (ankle) available to play Wednesday
Miller has officially been upgraded from probable and will be available to play in Wednesday’s matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers after missing three consecutive games due to a sprained right ankle. Miller’s return to the lineup could cut into the playing time of E’Twaun Moore and Kenrich Williams, but it remains uncertain where he stands in the Pelicans plans for the remainder of the season, as they’ve begun to prioritize developing the younger players in their rotation by giving Williams, Frank Jackson, Cheick Diallo, and even Stanley Johnson substantial minutes at their respective positions. Additionally, head coach Alvin Gentry confirmed with reporters during his pregame media availability prior to Monday’s loss that Anthony Davis will be limited to roughly 20 minutes per game and will not play in the fourth quarter moving forward.
As reported by: Daniel Sallerson via Twitter Kris Dunn (migraine) and Otto Porter (leg) upgraded to probable Wednesday
Dunn and Porter both participated in shootaround and have been upgraded from questionable to probable for Wednesday’s matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies after missing one game due to their respective ailments. In their absences, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot and Ryan Arcidiacano received the starting nods at small forward and point guard, respectively, and they each recorded at least 28 minutes and were serviceable from a fantasy perspective in Monday’s loss. However, since there’s been no report of a potential minute restriction for either Dunn or Porter, they’ll almost certainly reclaim their customary positions in the starting lineup, sending Luwawu-Cabarrot and Arcidiacano back to the bench to resume reserve roles. If Porter isn’t limited, he could be an intriguing tournament target in the mid-range since he’s fit in relatively well with his new team and logged at least 34 minutes in each of the five previous games prior to his aforementioned injury absence.
As reported by: K.C. Johnson via Twitter Other tagged players: Otto Porter Jr. Look Past the Headline Plays In This Late Game
All eyes will be on LeBron and Anthony Davis tonight when the Pelicans travel to LA to take on the Lakers, but for GPP play we may be best served looking at some other players as well. Forward Julius Randle will be taking on his old Lakers team and will be looking to again take advantage of Davis’ reduced playing time after putting up 19 points and 14 rebounds on Monday against Philadelphia. For the Lakers, Brandon Ingram is an intriguing pivot off of LeBron, averaging 29.3 PPG over his last three games and taking on a Pelicans defense that gives up the fourth-most points per game in the NBA.
Other tagged players: Julius Randle
Two Weak Defenses Meet Tonight
The game with the second-highest Vegas point total tonight is Washington at Brooklyn, a matchup of the 29th and 21st worst scoring defenses in the league, respectively. Brooklyn’s defensive weakness this season has been in the paint, where they allow the third-most points in the league. Forward Bobby Portis recently entered the starting lineup for Washington and has increased his PPG (15.8), RPG (7.5) and APG (1.8) from his time in Chicago, making him an appealing play across sites tonight. Brooklyn meanwhile will look to take advantage of Washington’s across-the-board defensive weaknesses. Jarrett Allen looks good against a Wizards defense that ranks 6th in the league in points in the paint allowed, and D’Angelo Russell will look to take advantage of Washington allowing the second-most 3PM per game in the league.
Other tagged players: Bobby Portis, D'Angelo Russell Minutes Are Way Up
Charlotte is trying to make a playoff push, and since the All-Star break, Nicolas Batum has looked like old Nicolas Batum. He’s played at least 37 minutes in three straight games, and has at least 26 fantasy points in each of those games. He has at least 37 fantasy points in two of those three games. Batum should see big minutes tonight against Harden, which makes him one of my favorite value plays on this slate.
