DFS Alerts
Devin Booker (hamstring) will start Sunday
Booker has officially been upgraded from questionable and will start in Sunday’s matchup against the Sacramento Kings after missing two consecutive games due to a tight right hamstring, while T.J. Warren and De’Anthony Melton remain sidelined with their respective ailments and are currently expected to be out until at least through the All-Star break. The return of Booker to the starting lineup will send Dragan Bender back to the bench to resume a reserve role following a couple of dismal fantasy performances in an average of 16 minutes over that span. Tyler Johnson logged 28 minutes off the bench in his Suns debut in Friday’s loss, and head coach Igor Kokoskov has apparently seen enough to insert him into the starting lineup in favor of Elie Okobo for tonight’s contest. Okobo already had a low-minute floor as a starter, but now with Johnson in the fold, he’ll no longer have the ceiling that made him an occasional viable punt option in tournament formats.
As reported by: Duane Rankin via Twitter
Joel Embiid (illness) will play Sunday
Embiid has officially been upgraded from questionable and will play in Sunday’s matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers despite continuing to recover from a lingering stomach illness that’s forced him to be a game-time decision each of the previous two games. Embiid was clearly hampered by the illness early on in Friday’s win, but he still managed to log 33 minutes in the Sixers new-look starting lineup and rotation, while Boban Marjanovic saw 15 minutes off the bench as the primary backup center. All of the remaining members of the second unit also played 16 minutes or fewer as head coach Brett Brown finally has a way to stagger his rotations to keep at least two starters on the floor at all times. Additionally, Jonathon Simmons is reportedly unlikely to make his Sixers’ debut this afternoon, which should allow Furkan Korkmaz to soak up any excess playing time at the end of the rotation once again, though it’s certainly possible Brown opts to utilize just nine players instead of 10 with Tobias Harris, Mike Scott, and James Ennis more acclimated to the Philadelphia system in their second game.
As reported by: Keith Pompey via Twitter Josh Hart (knee) available to play Sunday
Hart has officially been upgraded from questionable and will be available to play in Sunday’s matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers despite continuing to deal with left knee tendinitis, while LeBron James remains listed as probable but has played through that same designation in each of the last two games and averaged 34 minutes over that span. As for Hart, he made his return from a one-game absence in Thursday’s win, but he was limited to just eight minutes off the bench, and his minute floor won’t be getting any more secure following the acquisition of Reggie Bullock and Mike Muscala, who both figure to absorb significant minutes with the Lakers second unit. Hart will be competing with Lance Stephenson for backup point guard minutes while Lonzo Ball remains sidelined, and one of them appears more than likely to be a DNP-CD candidate on a nightly basis moving forward.
As reported by: Kyle Goon via Twitter John Collins (knee) probable Sunday; Jaylen Adams (ankle) doubtful
Collins has been officially listed as probable on the Hawks’ injury report for Sunday’s matchup against the Orlando Magic due to right anterior knee pain, while Jaylen Adams is doubtful with a right ankle sprain, but he’s largely been in the G-League or out of the rotation for a majority of the season. Collins has flashed significant upside in recent games, but he also consistently only sees 27-30 minutes on most nights in head coach Lloyd Pierce’s deep rotation, making him difficult to pinpoint as a viable target in tournament formats. The Hawks have played the Magic just once thus far, and in that contest, Dewayne Dedmon had a monster outing in just 27 minutes, as he recorded a 29.1% usage rate and averaged 1.48 DraftKings and 1.36 FanDuel points per minute.
As reported by: Brad Rowland via Twitter Other tagged players: Jaylen Adams Aaron Gordon (back) listed as questionable Sunday
Gordon has been listed as questionable in the Magic’s game notes for Sunday’s matchup against the Atlanta Hawks due to a sore lower back he aggravated during a fall in Saturday’s blowout win. Jarell Martin or Jonathon Simmons has typically received the starting nod in games Gordon was unavailable this season, but Simmons is no longer a member of the Magic following a trade that sent him to Philadelphia prior to the trade deadline, so if head coach Steve Clifford opts to utilize a smaller starting five, Wesley Iwundu would be the leading candidate to start at small forward. Either way, they both should see a significant uptick in playing time, but especially Martin since he’s accrued eight DNP-CDs over the previous nine games. Unsurprisingly, Nikola Vucevic and Evan Fournier have been the main beneficiaries with Gordon off the court this season, as they each own a +3.0% usage rate differential and experience a minimum of a +0.06 increase to their per minute fantasy production in this scenario.
As reported by: Brad Rowland via Twitter Limited Options
The Hawks are kind of an ugly team to use players from because they run such a deep rotation – 12 players saw the court in last night’s loss to the Hornets and 11 players played 10+ minutes. With that said, options are limited on Sunday’s small main slate and Trae Young’s role and production have been stable. Young is a top two point per dollar option at the PG position.
Master of the Midrange
Sunday’s main slate is simple – play as many Magic players as possible. The Hawks defense is terrible in general but they especially struggle defending Midrange shot attempts as they allow the highest field goal percentage in the league (43.9%) on these attempts. Somewhat surprisingly, Terrence Ross shoots the second highest frequency (41%) of Midrange shot attempts on the Magic, trailing only Nikola Vucevic. Ross is a strong play on all sites but makes for an especially strong play on FanDuel’s 2-game slate where you’re still required to roster two SG’s.
Must Play for Cash
The Atlanta Hawks continue to show us just how valuable the combination of the fastest pace in the league and a terrible defense is to an opposing teams fantasy production. Vuc is not only Sunday’s best Center-eligible player by a wide margin but is arguably the best overall play on the main slate in terms of raw projection. Vuc is a must play for cash games.
Joakim Noah (heel) and Yuta Watanabe (ankle) available to play Saturday
Despite originally being listed as doubtful on the Grizzlies’ injury report, Noah will be available to play in Saturday’s matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans after missing two consecutive games due to a sore right heel, while Watanabe is also available despite dealing with a sore left ankle. However, Watanabe and Julian Washburn will likely find themselves at the end of the Memphis rotation following the acquisitions of Avery Bradley, Delon Wright, and C.J. Miles prior to the trade deadline. With the debut of Jonas Valanciunas on hold because of a visa issue, Noah will likely assume his typical backup role behind Ivan Rabb at center, though his minutes may come into question once the Grizzlies are back at full strength.
As reported by: Grizzlies PR via Twitter Other tagged players: Yuta Watanabe Jahlil Okafor (ankle) out Saturday; E'Twaun Moore (quad) will play off the bench
Okafor has officially been downgraded from questionable and won’t play in Saturday’s matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies due to a sprained left ankle that has now forced him to miss two consecutive games, while Moore has been cleared to play and will come off the bench in his return from a six-game absence. Davis was limited to just 25 minutes and didn’t play the fourth quarter in Friday’s win, so it would be realistic to expect a similar minute allotment for him moving forward, especially on the backend of a back-to-back set. Julius Randle returned from a six-game injury hiatus earlier in the week, and he procured a solid fantasy performance in 31 minutes off the bench in Wednesday’s win, which increases the likelihood he eventually returns to the starting lineup alongside Davis in the frontcourt. On top of that, Randle is poised to be a significant beneficiary of Davis’ limited minutes, and he should be needed for more than the 24 minutes he logged in yesterday’s contest given Okafor’s unavailability and the matchup with a sizable Grizzlies frontcourt.
As reported by: Jim Eichenhofer via Twitter Other tagged players: E'Twaun Moore Anthony Davis (rest) will play Saturday
Despite the Pelicans previously stating that Davis would be rested on one leg of every back-to-back set for the remainder of the season, he will play in Saturday’s matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies, while Jahlil Okafor remains questionable and E’Twaun Moore remains probable with their respective ailments. Davis was limited to just 25 minutes and didn’t play the fourth quarter in Friday’s win, so it would be realistic to expect a similar minute allotment for him moving forward, especially on the backend of a back-to-back set. Julius Randle returned from a six-game injury hiatus earlier in the week, and he procured a solid fantasy performance in 31 minutes off the bench in Wednesday’s win, which increases the likelihood he returns to the starting lineup alongside Davis in the frontcourt. On top of that, Randle is poised to be a significant beneficiary of Davis’ limited minutes, and he should be needed for more than the 24 minutes he logged in yesterday’s contest given the matchup with a sizable Grizzlies frontcourt.
As reported by: Daniel Sallerson via Twitter Kawhi Leonard (knee) will play Saturday
Leonard has officially been upgraded from probable and will play in Saturday’s matchup against the New York Knicks after missing one game due to a sore left knee. Meanwhile, Marc Gasol will be available to make his Raptors debut, but head coach Nick Nurse already disclosed that Gasol will come off the bench in his first game with the team, which does call in to question just how many minutes he will see this evening. The return of Leonard will send Fred VanVleet back to the bench to resume his normal reserve role following his monster fantasy performance in 37 minutes of action in Thursday’s win. The Raptors are still a few players short following the departures of Jonas Valanciunas, Delon Wright, and C.J. Miles, but they should be receiving reinforcements soon with the signings of Ben McLemore and Malcolm Millet to 10-day contracts.
As reported by: TIm Bontemps via Twitter Doug McDermott (ribs) out Saturday
McDermott has officially been downgraded from questionable and won’t play in Saturday’s matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers due to bruised ribs that have now forced him to miss five consecutive games. The Pacers have yet make the signing of Wesley Matthews official, so in McDermott’s absence, Edmond Sumner and Aaron Holiday should have secured roles in the rotation and will continue to see an uptick in minutes for at least one additional game. This will be the Pacers fourth matchup with the Cavaliers this season, and in the three prior meetings, Thaddeus Young has averaged 1.02 DraftKings and 1.07 FanDuel points per minute, making him a solid cash game option, specifically on DraftKings where he is significantly less expensive, with Victor Oladipo sidelined for the remainder of the year.
As reported by: Tony East via Twitter Daniel Theis (knee) available to play Saturday
Theis has officially been upgraded from questionable and will be available to play in Saturday’s matchup against the Los Angeles Clippers despite dealing with a sore left knee, while Aron Baynes remains sidelined with a bruised left foot. In his absence, Theis has been seeing consistent minutes with the second unit and has logged at least 17 minutes in each of the previous three games en route to exceeding his salary-based expectations on each occasion. Theis will continue to be a viable dart throw in tournament formats on a near-nightly basis if he’s able to receive extra run from head coach Brad Stevens in the second unit, as he owns a respectable 16.7% usage rate and is averaging 1.02 DraftKings and 1.05 FanDuel points per minute on the season.
As reported by: the Boston Celtics via Twitter Post-Trade Deadline Revenge Game Narrative Tonight
Bobby Portis and Jabari Parker were both excellent in their debuts for the Washington Wizards, with Portis putting up 30 points and 6 rebounds in 27 minutes, and Parker scoring only 7 points, but adding 9 assists and 11 rebounds in 23 minutes. Tonight the two take on their old team, the Chicago Bulls. The Bulls rank 28th in rebounding differential and 17th in the league in opponent points allowed, of course some of that was probably due to Portis’ and Parker’s own defensive limitation. Regardless, both players are priced affordably given their potentially bigger role in the offense of their new team, and given the revenge game narrative, they make intriguing GPP plays tonight.
Other tagged players: Jabari Parker