DFS Alerts
Sneaky Target in the Late Game
The game that is going to get overlooked the most on Christmas is the Blazers and Jazz game. It features two solid defenses and two slow-paced teams. Even though it’s not an ideal game environment, there are a few intriguing plays here. My favorite of the bunch is Ricky Rubio, who has logged 37, 31, 35, and 32 minutes in the last four Jazz games that have been competitive. His playing time is trending upward and he has averaged just under a fantasy point per minute this season.
Still Affordable
The current prices are STILL significantly cheaper than where we are used to seeing Green, and a matchup against the Lakers is mouth-watering for his all-around skill set. Green logged 13/11/7 and 15/11/9 in the two meetings he was active against the Lakers a year ago, chipping in his usual complement of steals along the way. There’s triple-double potential to go along with a solid floor given his rebounding and passing ability. In addition, Green has shot 37% from the field since his return. That’s not going to last at such a horrible level for a career 44% shooter. The scoring should improve, and this is just the matchup where we could expect that. Golden State has an implied team total of 122 points in this game, and Green could be a key part of winning lineups on this Christmas Day slate.
Healthy And Playing Without Limitations
We do get somewhat of a discount here with Brandon Ingram, largely because he recently returned from injury. Despite his lengthy layoff, he had no restrictions in his return and immediately stepped back into a 37 minute role. I was surprised to see him play that many minutes right away, but we can happily go back to targeting him in fantasy contests. He had started to co-exist better with the likes of James, Rondo, and Ball prior to his injury, and I expect solid production over the latter two-thirds of the season. The peripheral stats lagged a bit in his return, but Ingram did take 15 shot attempts and didn’t show much rust. The LAL/GS game has a 234 Vegas total, which is easily the highest on the slate, and Ingram is a great way to get some affordable exposure to the contest. He does have a solid floor given his secure minutes, and there’s a sneaky good ceiling here, too.
Massive Spike In Production Thanks To Injury
The rule is pretty simple. No Paul = Play Harden. In Saturday’s game against the Spurs, Harden attempted THIRTY FOUR shot attempts against the Spurs. NINETEEN of them were three point attempts. He didn’t have his most efficient game, but he still finished with 39 points, four rebounds, and 10 assists for yet another game over 60 fantasy points. The numbers are just staggering, with a usage rate well over 40% and over 60 fantasy points per 36 minutes on the floor when Paul has been out this year. I understand the idea of possibly saving a little salary if you want to start with Curry or Durant against the Lakers, but I am going to prioritize Harden if I can find a way to fit him in my lineups. He simply has a ridiculous floor and ceiling combination when Paul is not active — no matter the opponent.
Bombs Away
I hate playing one-dimensional players, but when the Rockets are using a condensed nine-man rotation and allowing Gerald Green to play 30+ minutes, he’s worth a look at his cheap price. With Chris Paul out several weeks and the Rockets unwilling to give Brandon Knight or Michael Carter-Williams extended playing time, that’s going to allow Gerald Green freedom to lead this second unit. Over his last three games, Green has played 28, 25 and 31 minutes, scoring double-digit points in two of those games. He doesn’t get many defensive stats, but he has shown no shyness about launching the ball whenever he feels like as evidenced by the fact he went 5-for-13 from beyond the arc last game. He’s an option to consider in GPPs if you’re trying to jam in the studs.
Dillon Brooks, Mike Conley and JaMychal Green are active and available to play Sunday night; Omri Casspi, Joakim Noah are inactive
Dillon Brooks, Mike Conley and JaMychal Green are active and available to play Sunday night. Conley is the top play on the Memphis side with Marc Gasol not too far behind. It’s likely Conley takes on his typical allotment of minutes (32-37) and he’s a fine target in any format. Kyle Anderson is also a viable mid-range option on the Memphis side. Dillon Brooks is active and figures to play somewhere in the range of 10-15 minutes, potentially cutting out Wayne Selden and MarShon Brooks from the rotation. JaMychal Green figures to back up the two bigs with Joakim Noah inactive.
Other tagged players: Dillon Brooks, JaMychal Green, Omri Casspi, Joakim Noah
Brandon Ingram listed as available on Sunday night
Brandon Ingram listed as available on Sunday night. No surprise here as he was listed as probable coming in. He’s not a “safe” target for late-slate contests, but he is on the GPP radar. LeBron, Kuzma and Zubac are the top targets on the LAL side. Expect Ingram to step into his typical role of 30-34 minutes.
As reported by: NBA's Official Injury Report Jonas Jerebko to start at PF with Draymond Green starting at C; Kevon Looney to the bench
Jonas Jerebko to start at PF with Draymond Green starting at C and Kevon Looney shifting to the bench. Jerebko becomes a slightly better value play in late-slate contests, but he’s still not a recommended target. Draymond Green’s price is still too cheap across the industry and with him shifting up to center, his rebounding upside rises a bit. The Warriors enter tonight as 10.5 point home favorites.
Other tagged players: Kevon Looney, Draymond Green Luka Doncic officially available to play Sunday
Luka Doncic officially available to play Sunday. This was expected to be the case, and with Dennis Smith Jr. still out, Doncic figures to be the primary ball-handler/playmaker and should lead the offense in shot attempts. He’s a fine play for late-slate formats and is one of only a few viable Mavericks in a tough spot in Portland. Wes Matthews, DeAndre Jordan and J.J. Barea are also on the radar.
Dillon Brooks expected to "get some run" tonight
Dillon Brooks expected to “get some run” tonight per the Grizzlies coaching staff. It’s hard to know what that means exactly, but given that Brooks hasn’t played since November 10th, it’s unlikely he sees more than 12-15 minutes. It’s possible he’ll begin to eat into the run of Kyle Anderson/Garrett Temple, but he could also knock guys like Wayne Selden and MarShon Brooks out of the rotation. Dillon Brooks is not a DFS option.
Ivica Zubac expected to start at C for Lakers on Sunday
Ivica Zubac expected to start at C for Lakers on Sunday. Tyson Chandler has been ruled out, and his absence figures to push Ivica Zubac into the starting center role for a second consecutive game, giving him massive upside at his current DFS asking price. He is a very strong option in all late-slate formats. Moritz Wagner figures to play behind Zubac when the Lakers stay big, but it’s certainly possible they shift to some smaller lineups when he’s off the floor. If Marc Gasol is rolling, it’ll be tough for LAL to stay small for long. LeBron and Kyle Kuzma are also strong targets on the Lakers side.
Other tagged players: Tyson Chandler Dennis Smith Jr. officially ruled out
Dennis Smith Jr. officially ruled out. No surprise here, as the Mavs noted they’d likely be without him through Christmas. Jalen Brunson figures to continue starting at PG, although his DFS floor/ceiling is still not worth targeting heavily even on a short slate. Luke Doncic will take on the majority of the ball-handling responsibilities with the first unit, and J.J. Barea will continue holding down the fort with the reserves.
Other tagged players: Jalen Brunson, J.J. Barea Tyson Chandler ruled out Sunday
Tyson Chandler ruled out for Sunday. His absence figures to push Ivica Zubac into the starting center role for a second consecutive game, giving him massive upside at his current DFS asking price. He is a very strong option in all late-slate formats. Moritz Wagner figures to play behind Zubac when the Lakers stay big, but it’s certainly possible they shift to some smaller lineups when he’s off the floor. If Marc Gasol is rolling, it’ll be tough for LAL to stay small for long. LeBron and Kyle Kuzma are also strong targets on the Lakers side.
Other tagged players: Ivica Zubac Dirk Nowitzki (rest) will not play tonight; Luka Doncic (right hip) is more probable than not per Carlisle
Per Rick Carlisle, Luka Doncic is more probable than not to play tonight against the Blazers. With Dennis Smith Jr. still out, Doncic figures to continue playing an even bigger role offensively and is squarely on the radar in late-slate formats. Wes Matthews is an appealing salary-saver on the Dallas side, especially at $4,300 on DraftKings. The Portland side of this match-up is the more appealing of the two, with Lillard, Nurkic, McCollum and Aminu all looking like strong targets.
Other tagged players: Dirk Nowitzki Derrick Rose ruled out for Sunday; Tyus Jones will start at PG
Derrick Rose ruled out for Sunday. Tyus Jones will start in his place and should absorb a heavy minutes load, so he’s squarely in play in all formats. DraftKings players with swapping options should take note. With Rose out, expect Andrew Wiggins to be a little more involved offensively and we could see more of the scoring load fall onto the shoulders of Towns and Covington as well.
As reported by: Erik Horne Other tagged players: Tyus Jones