DFS Alerts
Elfrid Payton (ankle) out Tuesday
Payton is an extremely late addition to the Pelicans’ injury report and won’t play in Tuesday’s matchup against the Houston Rockets due to a sprained right ankle, and he’ll join Julius Randle, E’Twaun Moore, Anthony Davis, and Nikola Mirotic on the inactive list for tonight’s contest. Clearly, the Pelicans are poised to be severely shorthanded this evening, which should allow Darius Miller and Solomon Hill to start at the forward positions once again and both have averaged at least 32 minutes over the last two games. The defensive liabilities of Okafor hasn’t seemed to deter head coach Alvin Gentry from utilizing him as the team’s primary starting center since Okafor has also averaged 32 minutes over the previous four games. In the limited sample size with the aforementioned players off the court this season, Jrue Holiday owns a 30.0% usage rate (+3.7%) and is averaging of 1.91 DraftKings and 1.83 FanDuel points per minute, which could potentially make him an elite option on this slate if the Pelicans can keep this matchup with the Rockets competitive for four quarters.
As reported by: Andrew Lopez via Twitter
Steven Adams (ankle) and Terrance Ferguson (back) out Tuesday
Adams has officially been downgraded from questionable and won’t play in Tuesday’s matchup against the Orlando Magic due to a sprained right ankle he sustained during the first quarter of Sunday’s win, while Terrance Ferguson is a late scratch because of back spasms. In Ferguson’s absence, Hamidou Diallo will receive the starting nod at shooting guard despite being on the receiving end of three starting DNP-CDs in the Thunder’s previous three contests. With Adams unable to suit up, Nerlens Noel will replace him in the starting lineup at center, and Noel was tremendous from a fantasy perspective in 26 minutes of action in his only spot start of the season. While Noel will clearly be in line for additional playing time, Dennis Schroder has actually been a sneaky beneficiary with Adams off the court, as he owns a 35.3% usage rate (+8.4%) and is averaging 1.14 DraftKings and 1.09 FanDuel points per minute in this scenario.
As reported by: Erik Horne via Twitter Other tagged players: Terrance Ferguson Sterling Brown (wrist) is active but still may not play Tuesday
Brown is officially active for Tuesday’s matchup against the Detroit Pistons despite being listed as doubtful on the Bucks’ injury report with a right wrist contusion, while Malcolm Brogdon was previously ruled out due to a sternal contusion. Brogdon has missed two games this season, and on both occasions, Tony Snell has received the starting nod alongside Khris Middleton on the wing. Even with a projected increase in playing time, Snell is a tough sell for daily fantasy formats considering he owns just a 14.9% usage rate and is averaging 0.67 DraftKings and 0.68 FanDuel points per minute on the year. On a separate note, Eric Bledsoe has actually benefitted with Brogdon off the court, as he owns a 25.5% usage rate (+2.3%) and is averaging 1.28 DraftKings and 1.29 FanDuel points per minute in this scenario.
As reported by: Matt Velazquez via Twitter Sam Dekker (back) and Ian Mahinmi (thumb) available to play Tuesday
Dekker and Mahinmi have officially been upgraded from questionable and will be available to play in Tuesday’s matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers following their one-game absence due to back spasms and a sprained right thumb, respectively. Their availability should relegate Troy Brown Jr. from the rotation after he managed to log 14 minutes of action off the bench in Sunday’s loss, but Mahinmi had played fewer than eight minutes or been a DNP-CD in four of his previous six games prior to his brief injury hiatus. In their absences, Thomas Bryant logged just 30 minutes as the primary center, while Jeff Green and Trevor Ariza, who played a team-high 42 minutes, served as the backups in smaller lineup combinations when Bryant was off the floor.
As reported by: the Washington Wizards via Twitter Other tagged players: Ian Mahinmi Reggie Bullock (ankle) listed out Tuesday
Bullock has been downgraded from doubtful on the most recent version of the Pistons’ injury report and won’t play in Tuesday’s matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks due to a sprained left ankle, and he’ll join Ish Smith, who is battling a right adductor injury, on the inactive list this evening. Unfortunately, there hasn’t been a consistent replacement starter when Bullock has been sidelined this season, but Luke Kennard appears to be the likeliest candidate as he’s played at 21 minutes off the bench in seven of the last nine games. In Smith’s continued absence, Jose Calderon has solidified his role as the primary backup behind Reggie Jackson at point guard, but he’s still failed to eclipse the 18-minute plateau in any of the last five games, eliminating him from consideration for daily fantasy formats.
As reported by: NBA Official Injury Report Malcolm Brogdon (sternum) listed out Tuesday; Sterling Brown (wrist) listed as doubtful
Brogdon has been downgraded from probable and won’t play in Tuesday’s matchup against the Detroit Pistons due to a sternal contusion, while Brown is a new addition to the Bucks’ injury report and is doubtful because of a bruised right wrist. Brogdon has missed two games this season, and on both occasions, Tony Snell has received the starting nod alongside Khris Middleton on the wing. Even with a projected increase in playing time, Snell is a tough sell for daily fantasy formats considering he owns just a 14.9% usage rate and is averaging 0.67 DraftKings and 0.68 FanDuel points per minute on the year. On a separate note, Eric Bledsoe has actually benefitted with Brogdon off the court, as he owns a 25.5% usage rate (+2.3%) and is averaging 1.28 DraftKings and 1.29 FanDuel points per minute in this scenario.
As reported by: NBA Official Injury Report Other tagged players: Sterling Brown Deandre Ayton (ankle) officially out Tuesday
Ayton has officially been downgraded from doubtful and won’t play in Tuesday’s matchup against the San Antonio Spurs due to a sprained left ankle that has now forced him to miss six consecutive games, while T.J. Warren and De’Anthony Melton remain sidelined with their respective ailments. Even with Richaun Holmes back for Sunday’s loss, Dragan Bender remained in the starting lineup but was limited to just 13 minutes compared to the 27 minutes Holmes logged off the bench. However, Holmes replaced him in the starting lineup to begin the second half of that contest, and head coach Igor Kokoskov already confirmed that he is planning to start Holmes at center this evening. Kelly Oubre has played at least 31 minutes in three straight contests, and he continues to thrive with Ayton, Warren, and Melton available, as he owns a 27.5% usage rate (+2.7%) with an average of 1.08 DraftKings and 1.09 FanDuel points per minute with them off the court.
As reported by: Evan Sidery via Twitter Jonah Bolden (Achilles) out Tuesday
Bolden has officially been downgraded from questionable and won’t play in Tuesday’s matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers due to a sore right Achilles tendon, while Joel Embiid is fully expected to play despite missing shootaround because of an upset stomach. With the emergence of Corey Brewer as a dependable rotational player, Bolden has played 12 minutes or fewer in each of the Sixers last three games, so his absence won’t have too much of an impact on the remaining members of the frontcourt rotation with Embiid, Jimmy Butler, and Wilson Chandler all available to play this evening. However, either Furkan Korkmaz or Amir Johnson could remain in a nominal role at the end of the rotation for another game depending on the lineup combinations head coach Brett Brown opts to utilize in tonight’s contest.
As reported by: Keith Pompey via Twitter Kyle Kuzma (hip) out Tuesday; Josh Hart (knee) will play
Kuzma has officially been downgraded from questionable and won’t play in Tuesday’s matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers due to a strained left hip that has now forced him to miss two consecutive games, while Hart has been cleared to play despite dealing with knee tendinitis. The Lakers will still be without LeBron James for a 17th straight contest, so Michael Beasley will likely be relied upon to draw another start at power forward following a solid fantasy performance in 26 minutes of action in Sunday’s win. While Beasley is clearly in line for additional playing time at an inexpensive price tag, Brandon Ingram is also in a tremendous position to provide value on tonight’s slate, as he owns a 28.1% usage rate (+4.0%) and is averaging 1.09 DraftKings and 1.10 FanDuel points per minute with Kuzma, James, and Lonzo Ball off the court this season.
As reported by: Kyle Goon via Twitter Other tagged players: Josh Hart Huge Minutes at Point Guard
Many players are limited when they return from injury, but that hasn’t been the case with Rajon Rondo. He has played 37 and 42 minutes in his first two games back, scoring 50 and 30 fantasy points. He’ll play as many minutes as he can handle again tonight, as the Lakers host the visiting Sixers. The matchup doesn’t look great on paper, but this will be an incredibly fast-paced game where Rondo can fill up all areas of the stat sheet.
All we Need is a Close Spread
When it comes to the Bucks, we worry more about the spread than we do about the matchup. They own the best record in basketball and have the highest point differential. They have played in so many blowouts that their starters rarely see a full complement of minutes. Tonight’s game against Detroit features a 7.5-point spread, so we can project Giannis Antetokounmpo play minutes in the mid-30s. He has averaged a ridiculous 1.65 FP/min and is right there with Russell Westbrook and Joel Embiid as the top overall play of the slate.
Steven Adams (ankle) questionable Tuesday
Adams has officially been listed as questionable for Tuesday’s matchup against the Orlando Magic due to a sprained right ankle he sustained during the first quarter of Sunday’s win. Adams was ultimately able to return in that game, so it seems unlikely that he’d allow the aforementioned ankle ailment to keep him sidelined for tonight’s contest. However, if for some reason he is unable to suit up, Nerlens Noel would almost certainly replace him in the starting lineup at center, and Noel was tremendous from a fantasy perspective in 26 minutes of action in his only spot start of the season. While Noel would clearly be in line for additional playing time, Dennis Schroder has actually been a sneaky beneficiary with Adams off the court, as he owns a 35.3% usage rate (+8.4%) and is averaging 1.14 DraftKings and 1.09 FanDuel points per minute in this scenario.
As reported by: Erik Horne via Twitter Julius Randle (ankle) out Tuesday
Randle has officially been downgraded from questionable and won’t play in Tuesday’s matchup against the Houston Rockets due to a sprained right ankle that’s now forced him to miss three consecutive games, and he’ll join E’Twaun Moore, Anthony Davis, and Nikola Mirotic on the Pelicans’ inactive list this evening. Clearly, the Pelicans are poised to be extremely shorthanded for tonight’s contest, which should allow Darius Miller and Solomon Hill to start at the forward positions once again and both have averaged at least 32 minutes over the last two games. The defensive liabilities of Okafor hasn’t seemed to deter head coach Alvin Gentry from utilizing him as the team’s primary starting center since Okafor has also averaged 32 minutes over the previous four games. In the limited sample size with the aforementioned players off the court this season, Jrue Holiday owns a 29.8% usage rate (+3.5%) and is averaging of 1.81 DraftKings and 1.78 FanDuel points per minute, which could potentially make him an elite option on this slate if the Pelicans tonight’s contest competitive.
As reported by: Andrew Lopez via Twitter Treveon Graham (back) not listed on injury report Tuesday
Graham was not included in the most recent version of the Nets’ injury report and will be available to play in Tuesday’s matchup against the Chicago Bulls after missing one game due to a sore lower back, while Jared Dudley will miss a ninth consecutive game with a strained left hamstring. In his absence, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson received the starting nod at power forward, and he was tremendous from a fantasy perspective in 27 minutes of action, marking the second consecutive game he’s logged at least 24 minutes. There’s been no word if Hollis-Jefferson will maintain his newly-reclaimed spot in the starting lineup, but he figures to see a similar minute allotment regardless of his role this evening. Additionally, in the first two full games with Spencer Dinwiddie unavailable, Shabazz Napier has averaged 27.3 minutes and exceeded his salary-based expectations on both occasions.
As reported by: Michael Gallagher via Twitter Isaiah Briscoe (ankle) will be active but not expected to play Tuesday
Briscoe will reportedly be active but is not expected to play in Tuesday’s matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder after missing two consecutive games due to a sprained right ankle. Briscoe appears to be healthy enough to play, but head coach Steve Clifford reiterated to reporters that he wants Briscoe to practice before returning to the court. Over his previous nine games, Briscoe had been serving as the primary backup point guard behind D.J. Augustin, so in his absence, Clifford already confirmed that Jerian Grant remain in Briscoe’s vacated role in the rotation, which has enabled him to log at least 20 minutes off the bench in each of the Magic’s last two contests.
As reported by: John Denton via Twitter