DFS Alerts
No Get RICH Quick Scheme
The performances by Josh Richardson have been outstanding in the absence of Goran Dragic and I expect that to continue here tonight against the Utah Jazz. Richardson has a 27.8% usage rate and is averaging 1.02 fpts per minute in his absence. On a slate where raw points will certainly matter I consider him a primary target for that and more. Not only is he a “safe” play, but he has an opportunity to hit the 6 and 7x that we look for in tournaments. Fire him up with confidence in what should be a very competitive game.
E'Twaun Moore (leg) out Sunday; Wesley Johnson will start
Moore has officially been downgraded from questionable and won’t play in Sunday’s matchup against the Charlotte Hornets due to a left tibial contusion he sustained during Friday’s loss, while Frank Jackson remains questionable with a sprained right ankle that’s already forced him to miss two consecutive games. Head coach Alvin Gentry has already confirmed that Wesley Johnson will start at small forward despite averaging just 11.6 minutes over the Pelicans last four games, which leaves the projectivity of his minute floor in a bit of doubt. Jrue Holiday sees a substantial boost in usage without Moore and Elfrid Payton on the court, as he leads the team with a 31.5% usage rate and is averaging 1.14 DraftKings and 1.11 FanDuel points per minute in this scenario.
As reported by: Will Guillory via Twitter Other tagged players: Wesley Johnson
Cody Zeller (ribs) out Sunday
Zeller has officially been downgraded from probable and won’t play in Sunday’s matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans due to sore ribs he aggravated during the first half of Friday’s loss. Frank Kaminsky replaced him to begin the second half of that contest, but head coach James Borrego declined to confirm who would start in Zeller’s place and mentioned Kaminsky, Bismack Biyombo, and Willy Hernangomez all as possible options. Kaminsky has served as the primary backup center in the Hornets last six games but is only averaging 15.4 minutes over that same span, so it’d be far from surprising if Borrego opts to keep him in his normal bench role even if it leads to an increase in overall playing time.
As reported by: Charlotte Hornets PR via Twitter T.J. Warren (ankle) officially out Sunday
Warren has officially been downgraded from doubtful and won’t play in Sunday’s matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers due to a sore right ankle that’s now forced him to miss two consecutive games. With Warren unable to suit up, Josh Jackson will likely remain in the starting lineup alongside Trevor Ariza in the frontcourt, while Ryan Anderson should stay in the rotation for at least another game after a dismal fantasy performance in 20 minutes of action his last time out. As for Jackson, he logged 38 minutes with Warren and Devin Booker sidelined in that contest, and he’ll remain in consideration as a value option despite Booker making his return to the starting lineup this afternoon. In the limited time with both Warren off the court, Devin Booker owns a 35.2% usage rate and has averaged 1.38 DraftKings and 1.24 FanDuel points per minute, making him an elite option for all formats since he won’t be subject to a minutes restriction.
As reported by: Gina Mizell via Twitter Marco Belinelli (neck) listed out Sunday
Belinelli has been listed as out on the most recent version of the Spurs’ injury report and won’t play in Sunday’s matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers due to neck stiffness. Belinelli has averaged 22 minutes per game off the bench this season, so his absence certainly does open up a significant amount of available playing time on the wing. Quincy Pondexter may enter the rotation with Belinelli unavailable, but a majority of those minutes should be absorbed by committee with Bryn Forbes, Rudy Gay, Derrick White, and Dante Cunningham all having higher minute floors. White is particularly interesting since he’s averaged 26.7 minutes over the Spurs last three games, and he remains cheap enough across the industry to pay off his salary even with modest averages of 0.75 DraftKings and 0.72 FanDuel points per minute with Belinelli off the court this season.
As reported by: NBA Official Injury Report Top Raw Projection at Slim Position
LMA projects as one of the top overall options on Sunday’s short slate as the Spurs host the Trailblazers in San Antonio. Not a whole lot jumps out about the matchup as the Blazers have mostly been a middling defensive team this season – they rank 19th in points per 100 possessions and 11th in defending the rim – but Aldridge still pops with the highest raw projection at a slim PF position.
Lack of Value
JaMychal Green stands out as a solid option on a slate that lacks any strong value and he could end up being a tremendous option if Marc Gasol is unable to suit up or is at all limited. A matchup against the 76ers is far from ideal but Green’s price tag is low enough that he rates as a positive value even if he only logs 25 minutes of court time.
Highest Raw Projection
Joel Embiid gets a tough on paper matchup that could improve dramatically if Marc Gasol is unable to suit up on Sunday. Even if Gasol goes, I have Embiid with the highest raw projection on a short slate absent of other high priced studs to pay up for.
A Safe Option For This Salary
We’ll start the core plays today with LaMarcus Aldridge. Even though he has struggled over the last couple of games, don’t let that fool you as those were both blowout losses. The Spurs didn’t need to push Aldridge for big minutes as they lost both games by over 30 points. Aldridge is still a leader on this team and scores more than a fantasy point per minute. If he gets his usual run, the current prices are a nice bargain; we just need a competitive game. In fact, if you sort our projections for today by the “Floor” column, our current data has Aldridge with the highest floor on the slate. That’s good enough to make him a solid cash game centerpiece with only four games on the slate.
Top-End Options For A Team With A High Total
While it’s extremely hard to fathom Harrell with this high of a price tag, the guy has been downright dominant and efficient pretty much all season. He has topped 30 fantasy points in eleven straight games. He is scoring over 45 fantasy points per 36 minutes on the floor. The minutes are much safer this year, and Harrell is becoming a very safe option. Again, it’s hard to believe, but the numbers support it. Harrell’s price is a bit steep on FanDuel, but he makes sense if you can fit him in. Tobias Harris has also been a safe option in his own right, scoring 30+ fantasy points with regularity, too. He’s a more palatable option on FanDuel, but he’s a safe play on all sites for cash games. The Clippers have the highest team total on the slate, and we need to get some exposure. Both Harris and Harrell are fine options today, and I can even see playing them both together on the same lineup if you can make it work.
Other tagged players: Montrezl Harrell On The Rise Again
Donovan Mitchell has had a rough season so far, and he has been a fantasy disappointment through the first two months. However, it was clear that he was trying to play through some nagging injuries for a while. A little bit of rest appears to be ready to pay handsome dividends, especially with his scoring. Since returning last week, Mitchell has scored 59 points over two contests, posting solid all around lines and fantasy point totals around 45 in each game. Mitchell is clearly the leader of this Utah offense, and his confidence is going to be a big factor going forward. The most positive news is that he has shot 24-of-46 from the floor over those two games, and that’s a dramatic improvement over his 43% shooting percentage for the year. I know the matchup isn’t glamorous against the Heat, but this slate features a lot of slower-paced teams, and Mitchell is still too cheap given his play since his return. I am very comfortable with him as a DFS option on this four game slate.
Domantas Sabonis (back) available to play Saturday
Sabonis has officially been upgraded from questionable and will be available to play in Saturday’s matchup against the Sacramento Kings despite dealing with a sore back. There’s been no word of a minute restriction or any limitations for Sabonis, so he will presumably be a full-go this evening. The Pacers announce yesterday that Victor Oladipo will be sidelined indefinitely with a sore right knee, which will allow Tyreke Evans to continue starting at the shooting guard position, though he’s been largely disappointing from a fantasy perspective. It’s actually been Sabonis that’s taken on a larger role in the offense without Oladipo, as he owns a 26.3% usage rate (+2.7%) and is averaging 1.51 DraftKings and 1.49 FanDuel points per minute with him off the court this season.
As reported by: the Indiana Pacers via Twitter Marvin Bagley (back) out Saturday
Bagley has officially been downgraded from questionable and won’t play in Saturday’s matchup against the Indiana Pacers due to a sore lower back he aggravated towards the end of Thursday’s loss, while Kosta Koufos is available to return from an eight-game absence because of a strained right calf. Even with Koufos cleared to play, there’s no guarantee he’ll crack a fully healthy Kings rotation with the emergence of Bagley and Harry Giles in the second unit, as Bagley has logged at least 30 minutes in two of the last three games and Giles is just one game removed from a career-best performance in 20 minutes of action in Sunday’s contest. Willie Cauley-Stein saw his minutes rebound over the 30-minute mark in the Kings previous game, and he becomes a borderline elite option with Bagley now confirmed as inactive.
As reported by: Sean Cunningham via Twitter Jonas Jerebko will start ahead of Andre Iguoadala on Saturday
The return of Stephen Curry to the Warriors starting lineup has triggered head coach Steve Kerr to make another lineup change for Saturday’s matchup against the Detroit Pistons, as he’ll send Andre Iguodala back to the bench to resume his typical sixth man role and insert Jonas Jerebko at power forward. This move doesn’t dramatically shift either player’s minutes since both Iguodala and Jerebko should be locked into mid-20s minutes or higher for the duration of Draymond Green and Alfonzo McKinnie’s absences. However, the main player affected by the return of Curry is Quinn Cook, as he’ll head to the bench to resume a reserve role and compete with Shaun Livingston for the available minutes behind Curry and Klay Thompson in the backcourt.
As reported by: Anthony Slater via Twitter Other tagged players: Andre Iguodala Cedi Osman available to play Saturday
One of the Cavaliers’ reporters somehow confused Cedi Osman and Ante Zizic, so Osman is actually available to play in Saturday’s matchup against the Toronto Raptors, while Ante Zizic is the one out with the sore knee. In other news, George Hill didn’t play in either of the previous two games where he was listed as questionable, so head coach Larry Drew is planning to ease him back into the rotation by limiting him to around 20 minutes off the bench in his return to action, which allows Collin Sexton to remain the starting point guard. The absence of David Nwaba will enable Alec Burks to remain in a substantial role in the rotation, and he is coming off of a spectacular fantasy performance for his price in 26 minutes of action in Cavaliers debut on Friday evening.
As reported by: Chris Fedor via Twitter