DFS Alerts
Rodions Kurucs will start in place of Allen Crabbe (knee) on Friday
Crabbe was officially downgraded from questionable and won’t play in Friday’s matchup against the Washington Wizards due to a sore right knee. Spencer Dinwiddie has typically started alongside D’Angelo Russell in the backcourt when the Nets are down a starting wing and did so when Joe Harris was sidelined for a stretch of games earlier in the year. DeMarre Carroll was also an option to enter the starting lineup, but head coach Kenny Atkinson has been hesitant to give him extended minutes and has resulted in Carroll surpassing the 24-minute mark on just three occasions all season. Thus, Rodions Kurucs will receive the starting nod and has seen his playing time gradually increase over the last three games. Dinwiddie has thrived without Crabbe on the court this season, and he is averaging 1.18 DraftKings and 1.17 FanDuel points per minute with a 33.2% usage rate (+7.4%) in this scenario.
As reported by: Brian Lewis via Twitter
Bucks will start Bledsoe, Connaughton, Snell, Antetokounmpo, and Lopez on Friday
Middleton was a late addition to the Bucks’ injury report and won’t play in Friday’s matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers due to a sprained right finger, while Malcolm Brogdon was also been downgraded to out because of a sore left hamstring. Tony Snell started in place of Middleton when he was sidelined earlier in the season, and he will receive the starting nod at one of the wing positions in his absence this evening. The other open starting spot was much less clear, but head coach head Mike Budenholzers’ has opted to go with Pat Connaughton at the other wing position, though neither are particularly intriguing fantasy options on a full slate. Unsurprisingly, Eric Bledsoe has been the main beneficiary with both of his backcourt running mates sidelined, and he owns a 26.9% usage rate (+4.5%) with an average of 1.52 DraftKings and 1.54 FanDuel points per minute with them off the court this season.
As reported by: the Milwaukee Bucks via Twitter Other tagged players: Pat Connaughton Justise Winslow (calf) and Tyler Johnson (hip) available to play Friday
Winslow and Johnson have both officially been upgraded from probable and will be available to play in Friday’s matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies despite dealing with their respective ailments, while Dwyane Wade was ruled out due to general soreness. Additionally, Hassan Whiteside will return from a four-game absence due to personal reasons, which will send Bam Adebayo back to the bench to resume a reserve role after he averaged 29.4 minutes per game as a starter. Miami will still be without Goran Dragic for tonight’s contest as well, so Johnson is slated to draw a second consecutive start at point guard following his brutal fantasy performance in 22 minutes in Wednesday’s loss. The matchup with Memphis isn’t necessarily a favorable one, but Johnson could be an interesting bounce-back candidate with Wade unable to suit up, as he owns a 23.0% usage rate (+2.9%) and is averaging 0.91 DraftKings and 0.89 FanDuel points per minute with Wade and Dragic off the court this season.
As reported by: the Miami Heat via Twitter Other tagged players: Tyler Johnson Dwyane Wade (general soreness) out Friday
Wade has officially been downgraded from questionable and won’t play in Friday’s matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies due to general soreness, while Tyler Johnson and Justise Winslow are both available to play despite dealing with their respective ailments. Additionally, Hassan Whiteside will return from a four-game absence due to personal reasons, which will send Bam Adebayo back to the bench to resume a reserve role after he averaged 29.4 minutes per game as a starter. Miami will still be without Goran Dragic for tonight’s contest as well, so Johnson is slated to draw a second consecutive start at point guard following his brutal fantasy performance in 22 minutes in Wednesday’s loss. The matchup with Memphis isn’t necessarily a favorable one, but Johnson could be an interesting bounce-back candidate with Wade unable to suit up, as he owns a 23.0% usage rate (+2.9%) and is averaging 0.91 DraftKings and 0.89 FanDuel points per minute with Wade and Dragic off the court this season.
As reported by: Shandel Richardson via Twitter Allen Crabbe (knee) out Friday
Crabbe has officially been downgraded from questionable and won’t play in Friday’s matchup against the Washington Wizards due to a sore right knee. In his absence, Spencer Dinwiddie appears to be the likeliest candidate to draw the start alongside D’Angelo Russell in the backcourt, just as he did earlier in the year when Joe Harris was sidelined for a stretch of games. DeMarre Carroll is also an option to enter the starting lineup, but head coach Kenny Atkinson has been hesitant to give him extended minutes and has resulted in Carroll surpassing the 24-minute mark on just three occasions all season. Dinwiddie has thrived without Crabbe on the court this season, and he is averaging 1.18 DraftKings and 1.17 FanDuel points per minute with a 33.2% usage rate (+7.4%) in this scenario.
As reported by: Anthony Puccio via Twitter Jimmy Butler (groin) out Friday; Mike Muscala (illness) will play
Butler has officially been downgraded from questionable and won’t play in Friday’s matchup against the Indiana Pacers due to a strained right groin that’s now forced him to miss two consecutive games, while Mike Muscala will play after missing one game with an upper respiratory infection. In his absence, Furkan Korkmaz will continue starting at small forward following a fantastic fantasy performance in 35 minutes of action in Wednesday’s loss. Korkmaz remains priced at a value across the industry and is certainly in play for tournaments given his reliance on scoring for fantasy production. With Butler off the court, Ben Simmons has been the clear beneficiary from usage and production standpoints, as he owns a 23.7% usage rate (+2.5%) and is averaging 1.54 DraftKings and 1.60 FanDuel points per minute in this scenario.
As reported by: Jon Johnson via Twitter Other tagged players: Mike Muscala Khris Middleton (finger) and Malcolm Brogdon (hamstring) listed out Friday
Middleton is a late addition to the Bucks’ injury report and won’t play in Friday’s matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers due to a sprained right finger, while Malcolm Brogdon has also been downgraded to out because of a sore left hamstring. Tony Snell started in place of Middleton when he was sidelined earlier in the season, and he appears to be the likeliest candidate to start at one of the wing positions in his absence this evening. The other open starting spot is much less clear as Ersan Ilyasova, George Hill, and Sterling Brown are all realistic options to enter head Mike Budenholzers’ starting unit. Unsurprisingly, Eric Bledsoe has been the main beneficiary with both of his backcourt running mates sidelined, and he owns a 26.9% usage rate (+4.5%) with an average of 1.52 DraftKings and 1.54 FanDuel points per minute with them off the court this season.
As reported by: NBA Official Injury Report Other tagged players: Malcolm Brogdon Jaylen Brown (illness) will play Friday
Brown has officially been upgraded from questionable and will play in Friday’s matchup against the Atlanta Hawks after missing Wednesday’s overtime win due to an illness, while both Gordon Hayward and Aron Baynes were removed from the Celtics’ injury report entirely and are good to go for tonight’s contest. The Celtics are still without Al Horford, which will allow Baynes to draw a second consecutive start at center after he logged 16 minutes in his first spot start. Head coach Brad Stevens has reverted to a center-by-committee approach sans Horford as both Daniel Theis and rookie Robert Williams recorded 14 minutes off the bench, essentially removing all three from consideration in daily fantasy formats. Marcus Morris continues to be the main beneficiary with Horford sidelined, as he owns a 25.9% usage rate (+3.0%) and is averaging 1.11 DraftKings and 1.05 FanDuel points per minute with him off the court this season.
As reported by: Sean Grande via Twitter If The Minutes are there, The Money is There
I, like lots of DFS players, have spent many a night punching through walls and laptop screens after rostering Nance for any number of reasons, but I feel like some more angry outbursts tonight. In the last game for Cle, Frye got the start and Nance only played 12 minutes in the first half, but came back in the second half and ended with 33 minutes on the floor. without Thompson on the floor this season, Nance is averaging 1.15 DK Pts/Minute and should be in line for a decent amount of minutes tonight. While we are not sure if Nance will get the start tonight, his minutes may and usage may be more secure if he comes off the bench as this game may be a blowout. Nance offers 40 point upside in any matchup without Thompson and while rostering him may end up with you banging your head against the wall, Nance makes a great GPP play with lowered ownership at his current price tag.
Low Owned High Upside PG
Three of the nine games on tonight’s slate are currently double digit spreads right now and Mil is one of them. The Bucks draw a matchup against the Cavs who may play at one of the slowest paces in the league, but they own the worst defensive efficiency rank in the entire NBA (which they struggle most against the PG). Bledsoe gets a matchup vs. Sexton who is competing with Trae Young for the Isiah Thomas Defensive Real Plus Minus award (That’s not a real thing, but I wanted to convey how bad they are on defense). In addition, the Cavs are ranked 29th in defensive efficiency and 25th in DvA against the PG. Overall, this is about a perfect matchup for Bledsoe who already averages 1.15 points per minute on the year. If this game stays close, expect Bledsoe to end up somewhere in the 40s with a chance for more.
Potential Upside in a Potential Blowout
As of the time of this writing, the Celtics are a 12-point favorite and this game currently has the highest spread on the board, but the Celtics have by far the best matchup today. Currently, the Hawks lead the NBA in pace and are 22nd in defensive efficiency. In addition, Kyrie draws the best matchup of all Celtics tonight as the Hawks rank 26th in DEFF and 28th in DvsA against the PG and Trae Young is one of the worst defenders in the league in terms of defensive real plus minus. On the season, without Horford on the floor, Kyrie sees a 3.2% usage bump and a .06 PT/Min bump.There is a decent chance that this game turns into a blowout, but if this game stays close, Irving has a real shot at a 60 point game.
Big Man, Big Upside
With the absence of Kawhi over the last few games, Ibaka has been on an absolute tear. Over the last 3 games Ibaka has averaged over 44 DK points per game. If we run CourtIQ, we see that in 310 minutes on the floor without Kawhi, Ibaka has a 3.7% usage bump and .21 DK point per minute bump. While Kawhi is questionable tonight, and we likely won’t know prior to lock on non-lock sites, Ibaka still can provide some upside with Kawhi on the floor. The Raptors just lost JVal for several weeks and Ibaka could be in for a minutes bump. It wouldn’t suprise me to see Ibaka go over 30 mintues tonight and he still averages 1.17 DK points per minute with Kawhi on the floor. I will we rolling with Ibaka tonight whether or not we get news on Kawhi prior to lock.
Damyean Dotson (shoulder) and Lance Thomas (knee) out Friday
Dotson has officially been downgraded from questionable and won’t play in Friday’s matchup against the Charlotte Hornets due to a bruised shoulder, while Thomas and Trey Burke will remain sidelined with their respective ailments. With Dotson unable to suit up, Mario Hezonja should see an uptick in playing time with the second unit after failing to record more than 11 minutes in either game since he was replaced by Kevin Knox in the starting lineup. Courtney Lee is also back with the team following a brief stint in the G-League, and he could enter the rotation with the Knicks lacking some depth at the guard and the wing positions this evening. As for Knox, he’s logged at least 33 minutes in both of his most recent starts while recording a 24.0% usage rate over that span, and he still possesses immense upside at his price tag across the industry.
As reported by: Steve Popper via Twitter Other tagged players: Lance Thomas Dwyane Wade (illness) questionable Friday; Tyler Johnson (hip) and Justise Winslow (calf) probable
Wade has been added to the Heat’s injury report and is questionable for Friday’s matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies due to an illness, while Tyler Johnson and Justise Winslow are both listed probable with their respective ailments. Additionally, Hassan Whiteside will return from a four-game absence due to personal reasons, which will send Bam Adebayo back to the bench to resume a reserve role after he averaged 29.4 minutes per game as a starter. Miami will still be without Goran Dragic for tonight’s contest, so Johnson is slated to draw a second consecutive start at point guard following his brutal fantasy performance in 22 minutes in Wednesday’s loss. The matchup with Memphis isn’t necessarily a favorable one, but Johnson could be an interesting bounce-back candidate if Wade is unable to go, as he owns a 23.0% usage rate (+2.9%) and is averaging 0.91 DraftKings and 0.89 FanDuel points per minute with Wade and Dragic off the court this season.
As reported by: the Miami Heat via Twitter Other tagged players: Tyler Johnson, Justise Winslow Fella Chucks
Kevin Knox drew the start over Mario Hezonja the Knicks last game against and saw 33 minutes of action. Knox and the Knicks have a tougher draw on Friday night against the Hornets but the rookie is a strong value option if he draws another start simply because the fella chucks. Knox has attempted 40 shot attempts over the last two games and his aggressiveness gives him tremendous upside for his cheap price tag.
