DFS Alerts
Jeff Teague (foot) is active but won't play Thursday
Teague has officially been downgraded from questionable and won’t play in Thursday’s matchup against the Orlando Magic due to a sore left foot, despite being active, while Derrick Rose, Tyus Jones, and Robert Covington all remain sidelined with their respective ailments. Teague was able to go through a majority of shootaround, but head coach Ryan Saunders sounded more optimistic about Teague’s availability in tonight’s contest than Teague himself, as Teague stated that he’ll hopefully return soon and is aiming to do so before the All-Star break. With him unavailable, Jerryd Bayless and Isaiah Canaan should absorb nearly all of the point guard minutes once again, and Bayless has still logged at least 35 minutes in each of the last five games. While Bayless will sustain his high minute floor, Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns have been the other beneficiaries with Teague, Rose, and Covington off the court, as they each own at least a +5.2% usage rate differential and experience a minimum of a +0.12 increase to their per minute fantasy production in the aforementioned scenario.
As reported by: Chris Hine via Twitter
Kawhi Leonard (knee) out Thursday
Leonard is a surprise late addition to the Raptors’ injury report and won’t play in Thursday’s matchup against the Atlanta Hawks due to a sore left knee. Toronto made a trade to acquire Marc Gasol this afternoon by sending Jonas Valanciunas, Delon Wright, and C.J. Miles to the Memphis Grizzlies, which already had them on track to be shorthanded prior to the news of Leonard’s absence, and they’ll now be down to just nine available players, including Jordan Loyd, who is on a two-way contract. There’s yet to be any confirmation of the Raptors’ starting lineup, but Fred VanVleet will likely replace Leonard on the wing and head coach Nick Nurse is considering bringing Pascal Siakam off the bench to serve as the backup center with Greg Monroe also traded prior to the deadline. There’s actually a decent sample size with the aforementioned players off the court this season, and in that time, Serge Ibaka and Kyle Lowry have been the main beneficiaries, as they each own at least a +2.4% usage rate differential and experience a minimum of a +0.22 increase to their per minute fantasy production.
As reported by: Eric Koreen via Twitter Sixers are trading Markelle Fultz to the Magic for Jonathon Simmons
According to Yahoo Sports’ Shams Charania, the Philadelphia 76ers have agreed to trade Markelle Fultz to the Orlando Magic in exchange for Jonathon Simmons, a future first-round pick, and a future second-round pick. Fultz is still sidelined with his lingering shoulder issues, but this transaction does mean the Simmons won’t play in Orlando’s matchup with the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday evening. In Simmons’ absence, Wes Iwundu has entered the rotation following a stretch of four straight DNP-CDs and averaged 17.7 minutes off the bench in the last three games, while Isaiah Briscoe reclaimed the backup point guard role from Jerian Grant and has averaged 19.4 minutes at both guard positions in the second unit.
As reported by: Shams Charania via Twitter Other tagged players: Jonathon Simmons Raptors will send Jonas Valanciunas, Delon Wright, and C.J. Miles to Grizzles for Marc Gasol
The Toronto Raptors are planning to send Jonas Valanciunas, Delon Wright, CJ Milles and a 2024 second-round pick to the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for Marc Gasol, effectively ruling out Valanciunas, Wright, and Miles for the matchup against the Atlanta Hawks on Thursday evening. This will lead to additional playing time for Fred VanVleet, Norman Powell, and possibly even Greg Monroe in the second unit. As for Gasol’s departure, he was already ruled out by the Grizzlies due to trade speculation and means that Ivan Rabb and Julian Washburn are on track to make a second straight start after each logged at least 31 minutes in the previous contest, though Rabb was the much better daily fantasy option as he smashed his salary-based expectations in 34 minutes of action.
As reported by: Adrian Wojnarowski via Twitter Other tagged players: Delon Wright, C.J. Miles, Marc Gasol Grizzlies have traded JaMychal Green and Garrett Temple to the Clippers for Avery Bradley
The Memphis Grizzlies have agreed to trade JaMychal Green and Garrett Temple to the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for Avery Bradley, effectively ruling all three out of their former teams’ respective matchups on Thursday evening. The Grizzlies were limited to just nine available players in Tuesday’s win, and they will be shorthanded once again with Joakim Noah still questionable due to a sore right heel and looking unlikely to suit up for tonight’s contest. This means that Ivan Rabb and Julian Washburn are on track to make a second straight start after each logged at least 31 minutes in the previous contest, though Rabb was the much better daily fantasy option as he smashed his salary-based expectations in 34 minutes of action.
As reported by: Adrian Wojnarowski via Twitter Other tagged players: Garrett Temple, Avery Bradley Jeff Teague (foot) upgraded to questionable Thursday
Teague has officially been upgraded from doubtful to questionable on the Timberwolves’ injury report for Thursday’s matchup against the Orlando Magic due to a sore left foot, while Derrick Rose, Tyus Jones, and Robert Covington all remain sidelined with their respective ailments. Teague was able to go through a majority of shootaround, but head coach Ryan Saunders sounded more optimistic about Teague’s possible availability in tonight’s contest than Teague himself, as Teague stated that he’ll hopefully return soon and is aiming to do so before the All-Star break. If that’s the case, Jerryd Bayless and Isaiah Canaan should absorb nearly all of the point guard minutes once again, and Bayless has still logged at least 35 minutes in each of the last five games. While Bayless will sustain his high minute floor, Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns have been the other beneficiaries with Teague, Rose, and Covington off the court, as they each own at least a +5.2% usage rate differential and experience a minimum of a +0.12 increase to their per minute fantasy production in the aforementioned scenario.
As reported by: Timberwolves PR via Twitter Kyle Anderson (shoulder) will be active but may not play Thursday
Anderson has officially been upgraded from questionable and will be available to play in Thursday’s matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder after missing three consecutive games due to a sore right shoulder. However, head coach JB Bickerstaff disclosed that Anderson will only play in case of emergency, essentially insinuating that Anderson won’t play unless the Grizzlies active roster is depleted by potential trades that could occur prior to today’s trade deadline. The Grizzlies were limited to just nine available players in Tuesday’s win, and they may be shorthanded once again with JaMychal Green and Joakim Noah still questionable and Garrett Temple currently doubtful with their respective ailments. This means that Ivan Rabb and Julian Washburn are on track to make a second straight start after each logged at least 31 minutes in the previous contest, though Rabb was the much better daily fantasy option as he smashed his salary-based expectations in 34 minutes of action.
As reported by: David Cobb via Twitter Exceeding Expectations
Jerryd Bayless continues to play well in the absence of Derrick Rose and Jeff Teague, and he has now logged at least 34 minutes in five straight games. He struggled a bit in the last game but has been otherwise exceeding expectations every time he takes the court. The price tag is very fair in the mid-range in a reasonable matchup against the Magic, and both Rose and Teague are unlikely to play again tonight. Keep rolling out Bayless with confidence.
A Narrative Street GPP Option
The matchup obviously isn’t ideal here for the Lakers against the Celtics, but I have interest in LeBron James on this slate. The rumors have been swirling about “tampering” with Anthony Davis over the last few days, and this all seems like it’s bound to give LeBron James some individual motivation tonight. We have confirmation that he is going to play in this game, and this is a spot where we could see him shine brightest in a nationally televised game. Give him a look in GPP formats.
Taking Advantage of Opportunity
Keep an eye on the news here, as it seems likely that Marc Gasol might get moved prior to the trade deadline. JaMychal Green, Kyle Anderson, and Joakim Noah all remain questionable, so who knows what we will have for available bodies in this game. If all of the aforementioned names are sidelined, we have to consider Ivan Rabb and Jaren Jackson as options once again. Both played well as two of the only available big men the other night, and they would be two of the better point per dollar options on this slate. Even though the prices have risen, there is still some upside here.
Other tagged players: Jaren Jackson Upside Play
This team is lacking for frontcourt depth thanks to the trade of Tobias Harris and Boban Marjanovic. This squarely puts Montrezl Harrell on our radar tonight. He has always been one of the better fantasy point per minute producers in the league, but the playing time was always the big question mark. It’s difficult to envision a long-term scenario now where he is logging less than 30 minutes per game, and he’s a great option here — though the matchup isn’t exactly ideal against the Pacers.
Danilo Gallinari (back) available to play Thursday
Gallinari has officially been upgraded from questionable and will be available to play in Thursday’s matchup against the Indiana Pacers after missing 10 consecutive games due to low back spasms. His return couldn’t come at a better time for the Clippers following the trade that sent Tobias Harris, Mike Scott, and Boban Marjanovic to Philadelphia in exchange for Wilson Chandler, Mike Muscala, and Landry Shamet, as none of the aforementioned players will be active for tonight’s contest. There’s been no reported minute restriction for Gallinari in his return, but head coach Doc Rivers did confirm that he would start at one of the forward positions following Harris’ departure. If Gallinari isn’t severely limited, he’d be poised as an intriguing tournament target, though Montrezl Harrell has been the main beneficiary with Harris off the court, as he owns a 24.7% usage rate and is averaging 1.30 DraftKings and 1.38 FanDuel points per minute in this scenario.
As reported by: Jovan Buha via Twitter Jonas Valanciunas (thumb) will play Thursday
Valanciunas has officially been upgraded from probable and will play in Thursday’s matchup against the Atlanta Hawks after missing 25 consecutive games due to a dislocated left thumb. There’s been no report of a potential minute restriction for Valanciunas, and head coach Nick Nurse did acknowledge during shootaround that he will play Valanciunas for as long as he can handle, though that will likely be in a bench role with Serge Ibaka seemingly locking down the starting center spot while Valanciunas was on the shelf. His return will also likely relegate Greg Monroe to the third-string center, and Monroe will almost certainly be a candidate for a DNP-CD on a nightly basis as long as both Valanciunas and Ibaka are active.
As reported by: Josh Lewenberg via Twitter NBA Injury Rundown - Thursday, 2/7
Los Angeles Clippers – Danilo Gallinari (Q), Wilson Chandler (O), Landry Shamet (O), Mike Muscala (O), Milos Teodosic (O)
Indiana Pacers – Doug McDermott (O), Ike Anigbogu (O), Victor Oladipo (O)
Minnesota Timberwolves – Jeff Teague (D), Derrick Rose (O), Tyus Jones (O), Robert Covington (O)
Orlando Magic – Jonathon Simmons (Q), Mohamed Bamba (O), Timofey Mozgov (O)
Toronto Raptors – Jonas Valanciunas (Q)
Memphis Grizzlies – Yuta Watanabe (P), Kyle Anderson (Q), JaMychal Green (Q), Joakim Noah (Q), Garrett Temple (D)
Oklahoma City Thunder – Alex Abrines (O), Andre Roberson (O)
Los Angeles Lakers – LeBron James (P), Kyle Kuzma (P), Ivica Zubac (P), Josh Hart (Q), Lonzo Ball (O), Reggie Bullock (O)
Boston Celtics – Robert Williams (Q), Aron Baynes (O)
Eric Gordon (knee) will start Wednesday
Gordon has officially been upgraded from questionable and will start in Wednesday’s matchup against the Sacramento Kings after missing one game due to a sore right knee. There’s been no indication from the Rockets or head coach Mike D’Antoni that Gordon will be subject to a minute restriction, so he’ll likely be allotted close to a normal minute workload barring an in-game setback. James Ennis started the previous two games at small forward in Gordon and Chris Paul’s place, but he was inconsistent from a fantasy perspective in an average of 32.1 minutes over that span and will head back to the bench to resume a reserve role. James Harden hasn’t really missed a beat in the five games since Paul returned from a lengthy injury hiatus, as he has still recorded a 40.9% usage rate and is averaging 1.86 DraftKings and 1.87 FanDuel points per minute over that span.
As reported by: Jonathan Feigen via Twitter