DFS Alerts
Hassan Whiteside (personal) and Wayne Ellington (personal) listed out Saturday
Whiteside is still away from the team and has been listed as out on the most recent version of the Heat’s injury report for Saturday’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers due to personal reasons, while Ellington is also listed out for the same reason and will miss his second consecutive game as well. Miami is also without Goran Dragic for rest purposes on the second leg of a back-to-back, which will shift Josh Richardson over to the point guard position and allow either Justise Winslow or Derrick Jones Jr. to start at small forward. Winslow will be an intriguing tournament target regardless of role, as he’s logged at least 31 minutes in each of the Heat’s last three games and is averaging 1.03 DraftKings and 1.05 FanDuel points per minute with Whiteside, Dragic, and Ellington off the court this season.
As reported by: NBA Official Injury Report Other tagged players: Wayne Ellington
Rodney Hood (toe) officially out Saturday
Hood has officially been downgraded from doubtful and won’t play in Saturday’s matchup against the Washington Wizards due to a sprained right toe he sustained during Friday’s loss, while David Nwaba remains sidelined with a sore right knee. The Cavaliers were already shorthanded following the trade of George Hill to Milwaukee, as Hill doesn’t expect to complete his physical until Monday afternoon, which means Matthew Dellavedova is still ineligible to be on the Cavaliers active roster. Larry Nance is projected to take over Hill’s spot in the starting lineup, and with Hood now unavailable, either Alec Burks or Jordan Clarkson will likely start alongside Collin Sexton in the backcourt. However, regardless of starting lineup, all three are poised to be strong fantasy options on tonight’s nine-game slate.
As reported by: Rick Noland via Twitter Dennis Smith Jr. (wrist) and Maxi Kleber (toe) out Saturday
Smith Jr. has officially been downgraded from doubtful and won’t play in Saturday’s matchup against the Houston Rockets due to the lingering effects from a sprained right wrist, while Kleber has been ruled out with a sprained great left toe. Kleber has averaged 20 minutes off the bench in the Mavericks last two games, so there will certainly some available playing time in the frontcourt rotation. Luka Doncic will likely start at point guard in Smith Jr.‘s place once again, and this will allow Dorian Finney-Smith to remain in the starting lineup at small forward, and he’s logged at least 25 minutes in nine of the last 12 games regardless of a bench or starting role. Doncic and Harrison Barnes continue to be the focal points of the Mavericks offense, though Barnes has been the main beneficiary with Smith Jr. off the court, as he owns a 30.0% usage rate (+3.7%) and is averaging 1.04 DraftKings and 1.00 FanDuel points per minute in this scenario.
As reported by: Brad Townsend via Twitter Other tagged players: Maxi Kleber Robert Covington (knee) probable Saturday
Covington is a new addition to the Timberwolves’ injury report and is probable for Saturday’s matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers due to a sore right knee. There’s been no indication that Covington is in danger of missing tonight’s contest, so he’ll likely remain in his typical starting small forward role that’s allowed him to averaged 35.6 minutes over his first 11 games with Minnesota following the trade that shipped Jimmy Butler to Philadelphia just last month. Despite recording just a 17.2% usage rate, Covington has actually averaged 0.92 DraftKings and 0.97 FanDuel points per minute in his time with the Timberwolves, keeping him in play for tournaments on a near-nightly basis.
As reported by: Timberwolves PR via Twitter Injuries and Trades Opening Up Opportunities On This Team
The backcourt for Cleveland is drawing a lot of attention tonight with George Hill being traded and Rodney Hood getting hurt, meaning Alec Burks and Jordan Clarkson should get minutes and usage increases that make them great point-per-dollar plays. There is another name drawing my attention given the Cavs matchup tonight, however, and that is Larry Nance. Nance actually drew the start for Hill last night, and as the team’s third leading rebounder (second if you exclude Kevin Love), Nance should be able to take advantage of a Wizards team that is second-to-last in the league in rebounding differential.
Other tagged players: Jordan Clarkson
BAM! BAM! BAM!
Whiteside is doubtful again Saturday night, and well, if you don’t play Bam Adebayo…clears throat to get the Dan Back voice ready…“You’re just going to lose.” Bam didn’t disappoint owners on Friday night in Whiteside’s absence as he posted a 22/10 line in 32 minutes against Phoenix. Despite an increased price tag and a slightly tougher matchup on Saturday night, Bam should still be a staple of your cash game lineups.
Bulk of Offensive Responsibilities
Goran Dragic will miss Saturday night’s contest as he rests on the second leg of a back-to-back, and with Hassan Whiteside’s status also in doubt, Josh Richardson is set to take over a bulk of offensive responsibilities for the Heat. Richardson is the owner of a 28.4% usage rate with both Dragic and Whiteside off the court this season and has been producing over a fantasy point per minute in such scenarios.
Mike Conley (hand), Kyle Anderson (back), and Joakim Noah (back) probable Saturday
Conley has officially been listed as probable for Saturday’s matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers due to a sprained right finger, while Anderson and Noah are also probable with sore backs, respectively. Noah has averaged 15 minutes off the bench in his first two games as a member of the Grizzlies, but he’ll be difficult to consistently rely on for fantasy with that type of workload despite a solid performance in Friday’s win. As for Anderson, he’s coming off of his best fantasy performance of the entire season in 33 minutes of action in that contest, and he’ll set up as a viable fade on tonight’s slate considering he has just a 12.2% usage rate and is averagng a modest 0.79 DraftKings and 0.83 FanDuel points per minute on the season.
As reported by: Grizzlies PR via Twitter Other tagged players: Kyle Anderson, Joakim Noah Al Horford (knee) questionable Saturday
Horford is a new addition to the Celtics’ injury report and is questionable for Saturday’s matchup against the Chicago Bulls due to a sore left knee, while Aron Baynes remains doubtful with a sprained left ankle that forced him to exit Thursday’s win after just two minutes of action. Prior to that, Baynes had played between 16-23 minutes in each of the Celtics previous five games, so there will certainly be a noteworthy amount of playing time available in the frontcourt rotation. In his absence, Daniel Theis should continue serving as the primary backup center behind Horford, but he’ll likely remain out of serious consideration for daily fantasy formats if Horford is available, despite averaging a respectable 0.88 DraftKings and 0.87 FanDuel points per minute on the season.
As reported by: Brian Robb via Twitter Rodney Hood (foot) listed doubtful Saturday; David Nwaba (knee) listed out
Hood has been listed as doubtful on the most recent version of the Cavaliers’ injury report for Saturday’s matchup against the Washington Wizards due to a sprained right toe he sustained during Friday’s loss, while David Nwaba remains sidelined with a sore right knee. The Cavaliers are already shorthanded following the trade of George Hill to Milwaukee, as Hill doesn’t expect to complete his physical until Monday afternoon, which means Matthew Dellavedova is still ineligible to be on the Cavaliers active roster. Larry Nance is projected to take over Hill’s spot in the starting lineup, and with Hood unlikely to play now, either Alec Burks or Jordan Clarkson will likely start alongside Collin Sexton in the backcourt. However, regardless of starting lineup, all three are poised to be strong fantasy options on tonight’s nine-game slate.
As reported by: NBA Official Injury Report Other tagged players: David Nwaba Bobby Portis (knee) and Antonio Blakeney (illness) listed questionable Saturday
Portis has been listed as questionable on the most recent version of the Bulls’ injury report for Saturday’s matchup against the Boston Celtics due to a sprained right MCL that’s kept him sidelined for all but four games this season, while Blakeney is also listed as questionable with an illness. If Portis is cleared to return, he’ll likely be subject to a minutes restriction, but his mere presence in the lineup will likely begin to siphon some playing time away from Wendell Carter Jr., Jabari Parker, and other tertiary frontcourt rotational players. Blakeney is coming off of two consecutive DNP-CDs and has largely been out of the rotation of late, so his potential absence would mean very little to the remaining members of the active rotation. Additionally, the continued absence of Kris Dunn will enable Ryan Arcidiacano to continue starting at point guard, though he’s struggled in his last four games despite averaging 29 minutes over that span.
As reported by: NBA Official Injury Report Other tagged players: Antonio Blakeney Domantas Sabonis (illness) listed questionable Saturday
Sabonis has been listed as questionable on the Pacers’ injury report for Saturday’s matchup against the Sacramento Kings due to an illness, while Victor Oladipo remains without a timetable for his return from a sore right knee that’s already kept him sidelined for nine consecutive games. If Sabonis is unable to suit up once again, both Myles Turner and Thaddeus Young could see an uptick in playing time, though Kyle O’Quinn stole the show in Friday’s win and logged 27 minutes off the bench. Surprisingly, Bojan Bogdanovic has been the main beneficiary from a usage standpoint with both Sabonis and Oladipo off the floor, as he owns a +3.9% usage rate differential, but Turner has actually been the most productive in this scenario and is averaging 1.19 DraftKings and 1.27 FanFuel points per minute.
As reported by: NBA Official Injury Report Thinned Out Rotation
A thinned out frontcourt rotation should mean heavy minutes for Jokic, even on a back-to-back, for as long as this game stays close. Jokic has seen monster usage with all of Millsap, Harris, and Barton off the court over the last two seasons as the Nuggets big man has posted a 34.1% usage rate in this scenario. The matchup is also pristine against a Hawks defense that is allowing the second highest effective field goal percentage this season (55.2%) and the fifth most points per 100 possessions (113).
Jamal Murray (forearm) probable Saturday
Murray has been added to the Nuggets’ injury report and is probable for Saturday’s matchup against the Atlanta Hawks due to a right forearm contusion. However, the Nuggets announced this morning that they will be without Paul Millsap and Gary Harris, who’s week-to-week, for an extended period of time. This leaves them with just two remaining starters from their opening night lineup in Murray and Nikola Jokic, as Will Barton has been sidelined with a groin injury since the third game of the season. Torrey Craig has already started the last two games in place of Harris, averaging 22 minutes, and Trey Lyles appears to be the likeliest candidate to start at power forward, though Mason Plumlee may also see some additional run alongside Jokic off the bench. There is not a tremendous sample size with Millsap and Harris off the court together this season, but in that time, Jokic has recorded a 36.7% usage rate (+10.3%) and is averaging 1.83 fantasy points per minute, vaulting him into elite play status on tonight’s nine-game slate.
As reported by: T.J. McBride via Twitter Iman Shumpert (rest) out Saturday
Shumpert is a new addition to the Kings’ injury report and won’t play in Saturday’s matchup against the Indiana Pacers due to rest purposes on the second leg of a back-to-back set. Shumpert logged 23 minutes as the starting small forward in Friday’s win, which has become the norm for him lately as he’s played 23 minutes or fewer in three of his last four games. The last time Shumpert was unavailable, Bogdan Bogdanovic replaced him in the starting lineup and led the Kings with 34 minutes played, making him the likeliest candidate to start at small forward once again. On top of that, Bogdanovic owns a 27.6% usage rate and is averaging 1.02 DraftKings and 0.98 FanDuel points per minute with Shumpert off the court this season.
As reported by: James Ham via Twitter