DFS Alerts

Unlikely Status

Fred VanVleet has seen his court time approach the 30-minute mark the last couple of games as he’s started in Kawhi Leonard’s absence. FVV once again makes for a strong value play if Leonard is unable to go on Friday night. It seems unlikely that we’ll know Kawhi’s status before lineup lock as the Raptors are playing in Portland but I like the idea of using FVV in GPPs as he’s unlikely to sink your lineup if Kawhi is active and he can be a slate winner if Kawhi is unable to go.

Denver Starter

Trey Lyles and Mason Plumlee have each drawn a start in Paul Millsap’s absence and whomever gets the starting nod on Friday is the top value option of the slate. If Mike Malone is deciding who starts at PF/C based on matchups it seems likely that Lyles will draw the start against a Thunder squad starting the athletic Jerami Grant at PF. Either way this is a situation to monitor closely leading up to lineup lock as you’ll want to play whichever Denver big is announced as the starter.

Jeremy Lin (back) available to play Friday

Lin has officially been upgraded from questionable and will be available to play in Friday’s matchup against the Boston Celtics after missing two consecutive games with a strained lower back. The Hawks are already without Taurean Prince, Omari Spellman, Alex Poythress, and Miles Plumlee, so the availability of Lin is certainly good news for their bench depth and will allow DeAndre Bembry soak up more playing time at the wing positions. Prior to his injuries, Lin was typically logging minutes in the mid-20s, so his presence in the rotation will likely diminish the role of Tyler Dorsey the most since he won’t be needed to fill in at the backup guard positions. This could lead to Justin Anderson being the beneficiary of the available playing time at the end of the rotation, though neither he or Dorsey see enough minutes to be fantasy relevant.

NBA Injury Rundown - Friday, 12/14

Atlanta Hawks – Jeremy Lin (Q), Omari Spellman (O), Miles Plumlee (O), Taurean Prince (O), Alex Poythress (O)

Boston Celtics – Jaylen Brown (Q), Al Horford (O), Guerschon Yabusele (O)

New York Knicks – Damyean Dotson (Q), Lance Thomas (D), Allonzo Trier (O), Trey Burke (O)

Cleveland Cavaliers – Tristan Thompson (O), Kevin Love (O), John Henson (O)

Washington Wizards – Otto Porter (Q), Dwight Howard (O)

Brooklyn Nets – Allen Crabbe (Q), Caris LeVert (O), Treveon Graham (O)

Indiana Pacers – Kyle O’Quinn (Q)

Philadelphia 76ers – Jimmy Butler (Q), Mike Muscala (Q), Markelle Fultz (O)

Miami Heat – Goran Dragic (O), Dion Waiters (O)

Memphis Grizzlies – Mike Conley (P), Chandler Parsons (O), Dillon Brooks (O), Jevon Carter (O)

Golden State Warriors – Andre Iguodala (Q), Shaun Livingston (O), Damian Jones (O)

Denver Nuggets – Jamal Murray (P), Gary Harris (O), Paul Millsap (O), Will Barton (O)

Toronto Raptors – Kawhi Leonard (Q), Jonas Valanciunas (O), Norman Powell (O)

Dennis Smith Jr. (wrist) and Dirk Nowitzki (ankle) will play Thursday; J.J. Barea (ankle) ruled out

Smith Jr. has officially been upgraded from questionable and will play in Thursday’s matchup against the Phoenix Suns after missing four consecutive games due to a sprained right wrist, while Barea has been ruled out because of a sprained right ankle and, as expected, Nowitzki will make his season debut. The return of Smith Jr. will send Jalen Brunson back to the bench, but he’ll still have a prominent role in the backcourt rotation while Barea is sidelined. With Nowitzki available, it still remains unclear how his presence will affect the playing time of Kleber and Dwight Powell in the second unit, but Kleber would appear to be the odd man out of the rotation given Powell’s ability to absorb backup center minutes. However, Nowitzki will be subject to a strict minute restriction as he works his way back from offseason ankle surgery, limiting his impact on head coach Rick Carlisle’s minute distributions at least from the initial outset.

Chandler Hutchison (illness) out Thursday

Hutchison is a late addition to the Bulls’ injury report and won’t be available to play in Thursday’s matchup against the Orlando Magic due to an illness, while head coach Jim Boylen confirmed that Antonio Blakeney will be active for tonight’s contest to fill Hutchison’s spot on the roster. However, Hutchison is starting to be phased out of the rotation with Bobby Portis and Kris Dunn gradually ramping up their minutes in each passing game, so his absence won’t have any impact on the playing time of the remaining members of the first or second unit. As for Portis and Dunn, they are expected to see their minute restrictions increased, and Boylen disclosed to reporters that he is targeting between 24-26 minutes for each this evening.

Jonathon Simmons (ankle) available off the bench Thursday; Jonathan Isaac starts

Simmons went through shootaround Thursday morning and will be available to play in tonight’s matchup against the Chicago Bulls in Mexico City after sustaining a sprained right ankle in Wednesday’s practice. There’s been no word if Simmons will be subject to a minute restriction, but Jonathan Isaac will remain in the starting lineup at one of the forward positions with Evan Fournier returning from a one-game absence due to personal reasons. Despite the change in roles, there shouldn’t be a significant shift in playing time for either forward, as Isaac was already logging more minutes off the bench than Simmons was as a starter. Isaac still has some upside at his current price tag, but the potentially permanent move into the starting lineup could be a hit to his already low 17.2% usage rate this season

Brandon Knight (knee) available to make Rockets debut Thursday

Knight has officially been upgraded from probable and will be available to play in Thursday’s matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers after missing every game to this point as he recovered from left knee surgery. Head coach Mike D’Antonio did confirm with reporters that Knight will play a “few” minutes, but barring some drastic change in the rotation, Knight is still unlikely to have a substantial role even when he’s back up to full game speed. The Rockets will be without James Ennis, so his absence should allow Gerald Green and Danuel House to see an uptick in minutes in the second unit, while Eric Gordon will draw his second consecutive start alongside James Harden and Chris Paul in this new three-guard starting lineup.

Maxi Kleber (toe) no longer listed on injury report for Thursday

Kleber has been removed from the Mavericks’ injury report and will be available to play in Thursday’s matchup against the Phoenix Suns after previously being listed as questionable due to a sprained left great toe. Meanwhile, Dennis Smith Jr., J.J. Barea, and Dirk Nowitzki remain questionable, though Nowitzki confirmed with reporters he plans to make his season debut this evening. If Nowitzki does suit up, it remains unclear how his presence will affect the playing time of Kleber and Dwight Powell in the second unit, but Kleber would appear to be the odd man out of the rotation given Powell’s ability to absorb backup center minutes. However, Nowitzki will almost certainly be subject to a strict minute restriction as he works his way back from offseason ankle surgery, limiting his impact on head coach Rick Carlisle’s minute distributions at least from the intial outset.

Dennis Smith Jr. (wrist) and J.J. Barea (ankle) questionable Thursday

Smith Jr. has been listed as questionable on the Mavericks’ injury report for Thursday’s matchup against the Phoenix Suns due to a sprained right wrist that’s forced him to miss four consecutive games, while J.J. Barea is also questionable with a sprained right ankle he sustained during Wednesday’s win. Dirk Nowitzki is listed questionable as well but is ultimately expected to be available to play this evening. If Nowitzki does make his season debut, it remains unclear how his presence will affect the playing time of Maxi Kleber and Dwight Powell in the second unit, though Kleber would appear to be the odd man out of the rotation given Powell’s ability to absorb backup center minutes. However, Nowitzki will almost certainly be subject to a strict minute restriction as he works his way back from offseason ankle surgery, limiting his impact on head coach Rick Carlisle’s minute distributions at least from the initial outset.

Trevor Ariza will start Thursday

Ariza is available to play and, according to head coach Igor Kokoskov, will start in Thursday’s matchup against the Dallas Mavericks after receiving a DNP-CD in Tuesday’s loss that was reportedly an effect of the Suns back-to-back set, despite Ariza never being listed on the injury report. It’s also possible that the Suns have an agreed upon deal in place involving Ariza for after December 15, when newly-signed free agents from the offseason are eligible to be traded. His return to the starting lineup will send Josh Jackson back to the bench to resume a reserve role for the time being following a disappointing fantasy performance in 35 minutes of action in his spot start. However, just because Ariza is starting doesn’t necessarily mean he’s going step directly back into his former minute-intensive role with T.J. Warren having his playing time ramped up to 25 minutes in his second game back from a lengthy injury absence.

High Minute Floor

With Ingram and Rondo out again tonight, Josh Hart is in line to play around 30 minutes. It’s not the greatest matchup but we can’t really be picky on a four-game slate. He’s played at least 35 minutes in three straight games, but he’s only had one really good fantasy game. I’m hoping that keeps his ownership down some. With only four games tonight, his minute floor is something worth targeting.

Jonathon Simmons (ankle) likely to play Thursday

Simmons went through shootaround Thursday morning and is likely to play in tonight’s matchup against the Chicago Bulls in Mexico City after sustaining a sprained right ankle in Wednesday’s practice. There’s been no word if Simmons will be subject to a minute restriction, but Jonathan Isaac is expected to remain in the starting lineup at small forward with Evan Fournier returning from a one-game absence due to personal reasons. Despite the change in roles, there shouldn’t be a significant shift in playing time for either forward, as Isaac was already logging more minutes off the bench than Simmons was as a starter. Isaac still has some upside at his current price tag, but the potentially permanent move into the starting lineup could be a hit to his already low 17.2% usage rate this season

Path For Minutes Is Clear

Melton should not have to worry about playing time for now, as the Suns have finally sent Okobo to the G-League and Booker remains sidelined. The DK/FDRAFT price tag in particular is far too cheap, and Melton has shown solid per-minute ability in his limited sample size. I like him as a salary relief / mid-range option on this short slate, and I would be shocked if he didn’t log 30+ minutes if the game is competitive.

Looking To Rebound From A Disaster

The Clippers were a flat-out disaster in their last game, so don’t worry about the starters having poor production in that one. I expect a better performance tonight, and this is a solid matchup against a Spurs team that is much weaker defensively than they were in previous seasons. They rank 26th in the league in defensive efficiency and 28th in opponent’s field goal percentage. Tobias Harris should be able to find plenty of shots in this game, and his most recent dud combined with his high price tag might keep some people away. This is especially true since the stars and scrubs build will be so popular on this slate. Don’t sleep on Harris as a contrarian GPP option.