DFS Alerts
Kyle Lowry (back) officially out Saturday
Lowry has officially been downgraded from doubtful and won’t play in Saturday’s matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks due to lower back pain that’s now forced him to miss six consecutive games. Now that Lowry is unavailable, Fred VanVleet should be free to draw another start at point guard and has been relatively underwhelming from a fantasy perspective in an average of 30.9 minutes over the Raptors last five games. Kawhi Leonard continues to lead the team by a wide margin with a 36.0% usage rate (+2.8%) and is averaging 1.33 DraftKings and 1.32 FanDuel points per minute without Lowry on the court this season, making him an elite option on DraftKings, where he is priced at a severe discount to FanDuel on tonight’s seven-game slate.
As reported by: Eric Smith via Twitter
Rodney Hood (Achilles) out Saturday
Hood has officially been downgraded from questionable and won’t play in Saturday’s matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans due to a sore left Achilles tendon, while Matthew Dellavedova was already ruled out with a sprained left foot, and they’ll join David Nwaba and Ante Zizic on the Cavaliers’ inactive list. Larry Nance ended up replacing Alec Burks in the starting lineup for Friday’s loss in an effort to match up with Rudy Gobert and Derrick Favors on the defensive end of the floor, so it’s certainly possible he draws another start at power forward with Anthony Davis and Julius Randle manning the Pelicans frontcourt. This lineup change allowed Channing Frye to serve as the backup center and logged 16 minutes off the bench. However, with Hood unable to suit up, Burks will more than likely rejoin the starting unit while Patrick McCaw could see an increase in playing time with the second team, though he’s yet to eclipse the 18-minute mark in either of his first two games.
As reported by: Chris Fedor via Twitter J.J. Barea (ankle) and Devin Harris (back) out Saturday
Barea and Harris have both been downgraded from questionable and won’t play in Saturday’s matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers due to a sore left ankle and a tight lower back, respectively, while Dirk Nowitzki has also been ruled out for rest purposes on the second night of a back-to-back set. Nowitzki logged a season-high 16 minutes in Friday’s loss, which led Maxi Kleber to be a DNP-CD in that contest, but he’ll likely rejoin the rotation with Nowitzki unavailable to play this evening. On the other hand, with both Barea and Harris sidelined, Jalen Brunson will likely return to the rotation after totaling just 23 minutes and accruing three DNP-CDs over the Mavericks last six games, and Dennis Smith Jr. would theoretically have a higher minute floor with less point guard depth behind him in the rotation.
As reported by: Eddie Sefko via Twitter Other tagged players: Devin Harris Dirk Nowitzki (rest) out Saturday
Nowitzki has officially been downgraded from questionable and won’t play in Saturday’s matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers due to rest purposes on the second leg of a back-to-back set, while J.J. Barea and Devin Harris remain listed as questionable with a sore left ankle and a tight lower back, respectively. Nowitzki logged a season-high 16 minutes in Friday’s loss, which led Maxi Kleber to be a DNP-CD in that contest, but he’ll likely rejoin the rotation with Nowitzki unavailable to play this evening. On the other hand, if either Barea or Harris are ruled out closer to tipoff, Jalen Brunson would likely return to the rotation after totaling just 23 minutes and accruing three DNP-CDs over the Mavericks last six games, and Dennis Smith Jr. would theoretically have a higher minute floor with less point guard depth behind him in the rotation.
As reported by: Serena Winters via Twitter Jimmy Butler (illness) and Wilson Chandler (illness) out Saturday
Butler has officially been downgraded from questionable and won’t play in Saturday’s matchup against the Dallas Mavericks due to an upper respiratory infection that has now forced him and Chandler to miss two consecutive games. In the three games Butler has missed as a member of this Sixers team, Furkan Korkmaz has started at small forward alongside J.J. Redick on the wing, and he averaged 31.3 minutes per start in those contests, vaulting him into consideration as tournament option on tonight’s seven-game slate. Landry Shamet also saw an increased role off the bench when Butler was unavailable, and he averaged 20.3 minutes as a member of the Sixers second unit in the aforementioned games. With Butler and Chandler off the court, Joel Embiid has unsurprisingly been the main beneficiary from usage and production standpoints, as he owns a 38.7% usage rate and is averaging 1.89 DraftKings and 1.92 FanDuel points per minute in a 185.4 minutes sample size.
As reported by: Keith Pompey via Twitter Other tagged players: Wilson Chandler Maurice Harkless (knee) listed as probable Saturday
Harkless has been listed as probable on the most recent version of the Trail Blazers’ injury report for Saturday’s matchup against the Houston Rockets due to a left knee issue. Head coach Terry Stotts confirmed with reporters prior to Friday’s loss that the plan is for Harkless to play in both legs of the Trail Blazers’ current back-to-back set, but the late addition to the injury is a bit concerning considering he’s missed one game in each of the last two back-to-back situations. Jake Layman has typically started at small forward when Harkless is unavailable, but the last time he was sidelined, Evan Turner received the starting nod instead and logged 23 minutes in a blowout win, making him the preferred target of the two in tournament formats regardless of role.
As reported by: Casey Holdahl via Twitter Jeremy Lamb (hamstring) officially out Saturday
Lamb has officially been downgraded from doubtful and won’t play and in Saturday’s matchup against the Denver Nuggets due to a strained right hamstring that has now forced him to miss two consecutive games, while Cody Zeller remains sidelined and is expected to miss an additional four-to-six weeks after undergoing surgery on his right hand. This leaves the Hornets without two of their usual starters and should allow Devonte’ Graham and Willy Hernangomez to draw a second straight start at shooting guard and center, respectively. Hernangomez was a part of a three-man committee at center in Wednesday’s loss, but Graham led the team with 34 minutes in his first spot start, though he was ultimately disappointing from a fantasy perspective. Hernangomez is averaging 1.35 DraftKings and 1.34 FanDuel points per minute with Lamb and Zeller off the court this season, but he’ll need more than 18 minutes of action to realize his true ceiling in tournaments.
As reported by: Charlotte Hornets PR via Twitter Rodney Hood (Achilles) listed as questionable Saturday; Matthew Dellavedova (foot) listed out
Hood has been listed as questionable on the most recent version of the Cavaliers’ injury report for Saturday’s matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans due to a sore left Achilles tendon, while Matthew Dellavedova has been listed out with a sprained left foot, joining David Nwaba and Ante Zizic on the inactive list. Larry Nance ended up replacing Alec Burks in the starting lineup for Friday’s loss in an effort to match up with Rudy Gobert and Derrick Favors on the defensive end of the floor, so it’s certainly possible he draws another start at power forward with Anthony Davis and Julius Randle manning the Pelicans frontcourt. This allowed Channing Frye to serve as the backup center and logged 16 minutes off the bench. Additionally, if Hood is unable to suit up, Burks would likely rejoin the starting unit while Patrick McCaw could see an increase in playing time with the second team.
As reported by: NBA Official Injury Report Other tagged players: Matthew Dellavedova J.J. Barea (ankle), Dirk Nowitzki (rest), and Devin Harris (back) listed as questionable Saturday
Barea and Harris have been listed as questionable on the most recent version of the Mavericks’ injury report for Saturday’s matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers due to a sore left ankle and a tight lower back, respectively, while Nowitzki is also listed questionable but shouldn’t be expected to play after sitting one half of every back-to-back set so far this season. Nowitzki logged a season-high 16 minutes in Friday’s loss, which led Maxi Kleber to be a DNP-CD in that contest, but he’ll likely rejoin the rotation with Nowitzki unlikely to suit up this evening. On the other hand, if either Barea or Harris are unavailable, Jalen Brunson would likely return to the rotation after totaling just 23 minutes and accruing three DNP-CDs over the Mavericks last six games.
As reported by: NBA Official Injury Report Other tagged players: Dirk Nowitzki, Devin Harris Can He Get Back On Track?
Andre Drummond has really been struggling lately, and that is forcing his price to drop on certain sites. On DraftKings, for example, he’s priced at just $7,900, the lowest he’s been all season. It’s hard to want to play him in this spot against Rudy Gobert and the Jazz, but keep in mind he did destroy Gobert this time last year for a 30 point, 24 rebound, 6 block, 4 assist, 3 steal performance. I’m not calling Drummond a core play, but if you’re building 20 tournament lineups, I don’t think it’s crazy to throw him onto one or two and hope he can find his groove.
Revenge Game Alert
I hate playing Kyle Anderson as this guy can disappear at times, but he gets a #revenge game against his former pals on Saturday, the San Antonio Spurs. This isn’t as daunting of a matchup as it appears at first glance. The Spurs rank among the bottom half of the league in defensive efficiency and haven’t been the same team this season. Anderson is also coming into this game in good form, dropping a 11/11/10 triple-double last night against the Nets. Anderson could be forced into an even bigger role if teammate Marc Gasol misses this game, as he’s currently questionable with a hamstring issue. With Gasol (and MarShon Brooks + Wayne Selden who are no longer on the team) off the court this season, CourtIQ shows Kyle Anderson seeing a +0.6% bump in usage.
On A Tear
Joel Embiid has been on a tear lately, scoring at least 23 points and grabbing 10 rebounds in six straight starts. His outlook is enhanced if disgruntled teammate Jimmy Butler can’t suit up for this game against the Mavericks, as there will be even more usage for Embiid to soak up. With so many studs on this slate we want to pay up for, that may make Embiid a bit overlooked. Tournament exposure to Embiid is recommended if Butler can’t make it back.
Steady Role and Affordable Price Tag
VanVleet has been largely underwhelming in Kyle Lowry’s absence but he continues to have a steady role and an affordable price tag. FVV remains a low usage player with Lowry off the court this season (22%) but does have the ability to rack up a variety of stats and is an active defender which helps stabilize his fantasy floor. FVV isn’t a sexy option as he hasn’t flashed a high ceiling but his floor is worthy of cash game consideration.
Underpriced for Playing Time
Payton was supposedly on a 25 minute restriction last game against the Nets but ended up playing 34 minutes and scored 25 points while also dishing out 7 assists. Elf is simply underpriced if he’s going to continue to see his playing time in the mid-30’s. On top of being underpriced for his role, Payton also gets an excellent matchup against a Cavs team that ranks dead last in the league in points allowed per 100 possessions (116.3) and effective field goal percentage allowed (55.2%).
Unreal Stretch
So here’s the thing – I actually think Harden is a pretty decent fade tonight at an increased price tag but I’m not sure I’ll be able to pull the trigger. Harden is on an unreal stretch, scoring over 40 points in five straight contests and dipping below 60 (SIXTY) fantasy points just twice in his last ten games. Harden’s usage has been high and the amount of high usage minutes he’s been playing is unsustainable and its got to catch up to him eventually. My current stance is that I’ll eat the Harden chalk in cash games while fade it and pray in GPPs.