DFS Alerts

Solid Value at Center

Joakim Noah has been stuck playing behind Marc Gasol all season. After the trade for Jonas Valanciunas, he saw a boost in playing time until Valanciunas was cleared to play. Even after that, Noah was still productive in limited playing time. He has scored at least 20 fantasy points in four of his last five games and should see a sizable boost in minutes with Valanciunas out tonight. On the season, Noah has averaged 1.07 FP/min and should see at least 20 minutes tonight against the Clippers, who just so happen to be one of the worst teams in basketball at defending centers.

Baze More? I certainly won't be Bazing Less

Kevin Huerter is listed as doubtful for tonight’s game. He has regularly played minutes in the 30s recently, so as long as he is ruled out, Kent Bazemore becomes one of the best value plays of the slate. He’s listed as the projected starter and should see 25 minutes at a minimum. Despite averaging over a fantasy point-per-minute this season, his price is discounted across the industry — $4,700 on FanDuel and $4,200 on DraftKings. A matchup against the Pistons is icing on the cake, as Detroit is ranked dead last in efficiency against shooting guards.

Is the Triple-Double Streak in Jeopardy?

Russell Westbrook has recorded not one, not two, not three…. this may take a while. He has recorded 11 straight triple-doubles and broke Wilt Chamberlain’s record streak in the process. He’s been quiet in his last two games against the Jazz, but posted 63, 56, and 76 fantasy points in the three previous games. He has a high floor, a high ceiling, and this slate has a lack of superstar options. With so many obvious values, the stars/scrubs lineup build really stands out, especially in cash games.

Karl-Anthony Towns (rest) questionable Friday

Towns missed shootaround after being involved in a car accident on his way to the airport on Thursday, and he’s officially been listed as questionable for Friday’s matchup against the New York Knicks due to rest purposes. Meanwhile, Gorgui Dieng is currently away from the team and was previously ruled out of tonight’s contest, so if Towns is unable to suit up, Taj Gibson and Dario Saric would likely be tasked with absorbing all of the vacated center minutes and Gibson would almost certainly rejoin the starting lineup if this situation were to come to fruition this evening. Towns hasn’t missed a game this season and has been extremely durable throughout his career, so there isn’t a tremendous sample size with him off the court. However, in that time, Derrick Rose and Andrew Wiggins have been the clear beneficiaries, as they each own at least a +6.7% usage rate differential and experience a minimum of a +0.27 increase to their per minute fantasy production in the aforementioned scenario.

NBA Injury Rundown - Friday, 2/22

Chicago Bulls – Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot (Q), Chandler Hutchison (O), Wendell Carter Jr. (O), Denzel Valentine (O)

San Antonio Spurs – LaMarcus Aldridge (P), Derrick White (P), Dejounte Murray (O)

New Orleans Pelicans – Darius Miller (D), Trevon Bluiett (O)

Indiana Pacers – Myles Turner (Q), Tyreke Evans (Q), Victor Oladipo (O)

Minnesota Timberwolves – Gorgui Dieng (O), Robert Covington (O)

Atlanta Hawks – Kevin Huerter (D), Miles Plumlee (O)

Memphis Grizzlies – Jevon Carter (P), Joakim Noah (P), Tyler Dorsey (P), Jaren Jackson Jr. (Q), Jonas Valanciunas (O)

Denver Nuggets – Trey Lyles (O), Michael Porter Jr. (O)

Clint Capela (thumb) will play Thursday

Capela has officially been upgraded from probable and will play in Thursday’s matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers after missing 15 consecutive games recovering from right thumb surgery, while Austin Rivers remains listed as probable and Iman Shumpert was previously ruled out with a sore right knee. Head coach Mike D’Antoni already confirmed that Capela won’t have a minute restriction in his first game back, and his return should send Kenneth Faried to the bench to assume a reserve role as the backup center and power forward in bigger lineup combinations. Even with no restriction, it’d be surprising to see D’Antoni allow Capela to log the high-30s minute totals he was accumulating on a nightly basis prior to his injury, but Capela is still averaging 1.17 DraftKings and 1.20 FanDuel points on the season and remains in consideration for tournament formats on tonight’s six-game slate.

Nikola Mirotic (calf) available to play Thursday

Mirotic has officially been upgraded from probable and will be available to make his Bucks debut in Thursday’s matchup against the Boston Celtics after missing 11 consecutive games for both Milwaukee and the New Orleans Pelicans due to a strained right calf, while Giannis Antetokounmpo remains listed as probable but is fully expected to play in tonight’s contest. Mirotic is expected to initially compete for minutes with Ersan Ilyasova and D.J. Wilson, but he will be subject to a minute restriction in his return, likely allowing both Ilyasova and Wilson to have at least a nominal role in head coach Mike Budenholzer’s frontcourt rotation for now.

Goran Dragic (knee) officially inactive Thursday

Despite originally being listed as questionable on the Heat’s injury report, Dragic was previously slated to be available to play in Thursday’s matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers, but he’s officially been included on the inactive list for tonight’s contest as he continues to rehab from a right knee procedure. This means that Spoelstra will stick with the same starting lineup that has featured Justise Winslow at point guard over the previous 20 games, and Winslow has logged fewer than 31 minutes just once in the Heat’s last 11 contests. Meanwhile, Derrick Jones Jr. is expected to be active but is unlikely to actually play, which is good news for the minute floors of Kelly Olynyk and James Johnson at the power forward position in both the first and second units.

Gordon Hayward (ankle) officially out Thursday

Hayward has officially been downgraded from questionable and won’t play in Thursday’s matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks due to a sprained right ankle he sustained in a recent workout. Meanwhile, Kyrie Irving, Terry Rozier, and Robert Williams were all removed from the injury report over the All-Star break, so Boston will at least have some reinforcements in both the first and second units despite Hayward and Aron Baynes’ absences, the latter set to miss a seventh consecutive contest. With all of the Celtics injuries of late, Hayward has settled into a role in the mid-20s in terms of minutes off the bench, so his unavailability will certainly open up some additional playing time and usage for the likes of Rozier and Jaylen Brown in the second unit this evening.

Goran Dragic (knee) will likely be inactive Thursday

Despite being listed as questionable on the Heat’s injury report, Dragic was previously slated to be available to play in Thursday’s matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers, but head coach Erik Spoelstra admitted during his pregame media availability that Dragic will likely be inactive for tonight’s contest as he continues to rehab from a right knee procedure. This means that Spoelstra will likely stick with the same starting lineup that has featured Justise Winslow at point guard over the previous 20 games, and Winslow has logged fewer than 31 minutes just once in the Heat’s last 11 contests. Meanwhile, Derrick Jones Jr. is expected to be active but is unlikely to actually play, which is good news for the minute floors of Kelly Olynyk and James Johnson at the power forward position in both the first and second units.

Mike Muscala (ankle) out Thursday; Tyson Chandler (neck) and Josh Hart (knee) available to play

Muscala has officially been downgraded from questionable and won’t play in Thursday’s matchup against the Houston Rockets due to a sprained right ankle that has now forced him to miss two consecutive games, while Chandler and Hart have been cleared to play after each was sidelined for the Lakers’ previous contest with their respective ailments. In Muscala’s lone game as a member of this Lakers squad, he was limited to just 13 minutes off the bench, so his lack of availability won’t have too much of an impact on the remainder of the rotation with LeBron James no longer listed on the injury report and eclipsing the 33-minute mark in three of his last five games. If anything, Chandler may absorb a few more minutes as the backup center behind JaVale McGee, while Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Lance Stephenson could see more run on the wing with James and Kyle Kuzma presumably absorbing all of the power forward minutes.

Finding His Stride

He has been hit or miss for much of the season, but Oubre has been a much better fit in Phoenix than he ever was in Washington. He played 32 minutes in the final game before the All Star break, dropping 28 actual points against the Clippers along the way. The wing minutes are always a little unpredictable in Phoenix, but Oubre is primed for a big second half and should thrive in a matchup against a defensively challenged Cleveland squad.

Damian Lillard (ankle) and Rodney Hood (illness) available to play Thursday

Lillard has officially been upgraded from probable and will be available to play in Thursday’s matchup against the Brooklyn Nets despite dealing with a sprained left ankle he aggravated in Wednesday’s practice, while Hood has also be cleared to play following a bout with gastroenteritis. Hood has logged at least 24 minutes off the bench in three of his four games as a member of the Trail Blazers, so his presence in the second unit will continue to have a negative impact on the playing time of Evan Turner and Seth Curry, the latter being limited to fewer than 11 minutes in three of the aforementioned contests. Additionally, Enes Kanter will be available to make his Trail Blazers’ debut, but his role in the frontcourt rotation still remains unclear, and he figures to split the available center minutes with Jusuf Nurkic in a best-case scenario, which should diminish or even eliminate the playing time of Zach Collins and Meyers Leonard moving forward.

Gordon Hayward (ankle) unlikely to play Thursday

Hayward is still technically listed as questionable on the Celtics’ injury report, but head coach Brad Stevens admitted to reporters at shootaround that Hayward is unlikely to play in Thursday’s matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks due to a sprained right ankle he sustained in a recent workout. Meanwhile, Kyrie Irving, Terry Rozier, and Robert Williams were all removed from the injury report over the All-Star break, so Boston will have some reinforcements in both the first and second units despite Hayward and Aron Baynes’ absences, the latter set to miss a seventh consecutive contest. With all of the Celtics injuries of late, Hayward has settled into a role in the mid-20s in terms of minutes off the bench, so his unavailability will certainly open up some additional playing time and usage for the likes of Rozier and Jaylen Brown this evening.

REVENGE!

Oh man… how sweet is the revenge going to be tonight for DeMarcus Cousins? He’s facing his former team in the Kings, and news just came out yesterday that Cousins will now be available to play more extended minutes moving forward. Look out, Sacramento. Cousins has been great on a per minute basis for the Warriors, and the extended playing time and favorable matchup are only additional feathers in the cap. Even though he will be chalky, it’s nearly impossible to fade him in this spot.