DFS Alerts
Devin Booker (toe) now doubtful Wednesday
Booker is another late addition to the Suns’ injury report and is doubtful for Wednesday’s matchup against the Los Angeles Clippers due to a left great toe injury, while T.J. Warren remains questionable with a sore right ankle. The Suns are on the second night of a back-to-back set and didn’t hold a shootaround this morning, so it remains unclear when Booker and Warren sustained their aforementioned injuries. There’s been no confirmation if De’Anthony Melton is back with the team after being sent to the G-League yesterday, and if he’s not, Elie Okobo would be in line for a significant role as the starting point guard following the release of Isaiah Canaan earlier this afternoon. If Warren is unable to suit up, either Josh Jackson or Ryan Anderson would likely enter the starting lineup alongside Trevor Ariza in the frontcourt, though Anderson has been a DNP-CD for nine of the last 10 games, leaving little confidence in his minute floor even if he starts.
As reported by: Evan Sidery via Twitter
Aaron Gordon (back) officially out Wednesday
Gordon has officially been downgraded from questionable, as expected, and won’t play in Wednesday’s matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers due to lower back tightness. Jonathan Isaac will enter the starting lineup in Gordon’s place after finally eclipsing the 30-minute mark off the bench in Monday’s loss, though Jarell Martin still figures to see meaningful minutes as the backup power forward. This makes Isaac a great value option, specifically on DraftKings, despite a mediocre 17.3% usage rate, as he typically does most of his damage through peripheral statistics. D.J. Augustin has logged at least 29 minutes in each of the Magic’s last two games, and he has the potential to be a tremendous value option with Gordon unavailable, as Augustin owns a 20.3% usage rate (+3.6%) and is averaging 1.03 DraftKings and 1.00 FanDuel points per minute with him off the court this season.
As reported by: Orlando Magic PR via Twitter Jusuf Nurkic (shoulder) will play Wednesday
Nurkic has officially been upgraded from probable and will start in Wednesday’s matchup against the Orlando Magic despite dealing with a bruised right shoulder he sustained during Sunday’s loss. Meyers Leonard started the second half in place of Nurkic in that contest and logged 24 minutes, so he’d likely be the first in line for additional playing time if Nurkic is hampered by his injury in any way. Nurkic is basically always in play for tournaments given his volatile floor and upside and tonight’s no different, as he squares off with Nikola Vucevic on the offensive end of the floor. In fact, Nurkic trails only Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum with a 25.4% usage rate among Trail Blazers starters and is averaging 1.35 DraftKings and 1.37 FanDuel points per minute this season.
As reported by: John Denton via Twitter T.J. Warren (ankle) questionable Wednesday
Warren is a late addition to the Suns’ injury report and is questionable for Wednesday’s matchup against the Los Angeles Clippers due to a sore right ankle. The Suns are on the second night of a back-to-back set and didn’t hold a shootaround this morning, so it remains unclear when Warren sustained the aforementioned injury. If Warren is unable to suit up, either Josh Jackson or Ryan Anderson would likely enter the starting lineup alongside Trevor Ariza in the frontcourt. The news Isaiah Canaan’s release only provides more clarity to head coach Igor Kokoskov’s new-look starting lineup and rotation, and it should enable Mikal Bridges to consistently see close to starters’ minutes with only Jackson and Jamal Crawford left to battle for reserve wing minutes. In the limited time with both Warren and Canaan off the court, Devin Booker owns a 36.4% usage rate (+2.9%) and has averaged 1.43 DraftKings and 1.28 FanDuel points per minute, making him an elite option for all formats this evening.
As reported by: Kellan Olson via Twitter Dwight Powell (knee) will play Wednesday
Powell has officially been upgraded from questionable and will play in Wednesday’s matchup against the Houston Rockets after missing three consecutive games due to a left knee effusion, while Luka Doncic and Dennis Smith Jr. have also been cleared to play and are fully expected to start in tonight’s contest. With Smith sidelined, Dorian Finney-Smith entered the starting lineup and logged 30 minutes alongside Harrison Barnes in the frontcourt, while Doncic shifted over to point guard and was serviceable from a fantasy perspective in 31 minutes of action. Now that Doncic and Smith Jr. officially available, Finney-Smith will head back to the bench to resume his normal reserve role, and there isn’t really much to like from this Mavericks squad for daily fantasy formats, as they currently sport the third-lowest implied team total on a loaded 10-game main slate.
As reported by: Dwain Price via Twitter Kyle Korver traded to Utah Jazz for Alec Burks and two 2nd-round picks
The Cleveland Cavaliers have agreed to trade Kyle Korver to the Utah Jazz in exchange for Alec Burks and two future second-round picks. News of this deal obviously means that neither Korver or Burks will be available to play for their former teams in their respective matchups on Wednesday evening. This is particularly noteworthy for the Cavaliers, who will be left with only nine available players against Oklahoma City, and interim head coach Larry Drew may even opt to utilize an eight-man rotation as Channing Frye has accumulated just 31 minutes and appeared in only three games all season.
As reported by: Adrian Wojnarowski via Twitter Other tagged players: Alec Burks Frank Jackson (ankle) out Wednesday; Tim Frazier starts ahead of Wesley Johnson
Jackson tweaked his ankle during pregame warmups and has officially been ruled out for Wednesday’s matchup against the Washington Wizards due to a sprained right ankle. Jackson’s role in the rotation has been sporadic, at best, but his absence will clear the way for Frazier to see meaningful minutes as the starting point guard in tonight’s contest, which will send Wesley Johnson to resume a reserve role and enable Jrue Holiday to play off the ball a bit more often than he has in recent games. Frazier has played more than 21 minutes just once all season, so this news doesn’t mean he’s automatically locked into a starters’ minute workload alongside Holiday in the backcourt. On top of that, he has just a 12.7% usage rate and is averaging only 0.67 DraftKings and 0.66 FanDuel points per minute on the season, making him a pretty unappealing punt option in tournaments.
As reported by: Will Guillory via Twitter Other tagged players: Tim Frazier, Wesley Johnson Nerlens Noel (calf) available to play Wednesday
Noel has officially been upgraded from questionable and will be available to play in Wednesday’s matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers despite dealing with a left calf contusion, while Terrance Ferguson and Hamidou Diallo remain sidelined with their respective ailments. Because of this, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot is poised to draw a second consecutive start at shooting guard following a middling fantasy performance in 21 minutes of action in the Thunder’s previous game. Noel hasn’t played more than 15 minutes in any of his last five games, so he’ll likely continue serving as the primary backup center behind Steven Adams for the foreseeable future, which keeps his minute upside capped while Adams is healthy since the two almost never share the court together.
As reported by: Erik Horne via Twitter Chris Paul (leg) and Gerald Green (ankle) out Wednesday
Paul has officially been downgraded from questionable and won’t play in Wednesday’s matchup against the Washington Wizards due to a sore left leg that’s now forced him to miss three consecutive games, while Green has also been ruled out with a sore right ankle for a second straight contest. Head coach Mike D’Antoni expressed concern about the workload his starters have absorbed in recent games, so he opted to run out newly-signed Danuel House for 28 minutes in his Rockets debut and essentially stepped directly into Green’s role in the rotation. Eric Gordon may not see the 41 minutes he’s averaged over the last two games, but he should start at shooting guard once again in Paul’s absence and remains cheap enough across the industry to provide value. However, James Harden is the clear beneficiary with Paul and Green off the court, as he owns a massive 46.2% usage rate (+5.7%) and is averaging 1.86 DraftKings and 1.80 FanDuel points per minute in a 180.3 minutes sample size this season.
As reported by: Craig Ackerman via Twitter Other tagged players: Gerald Green Kevin Huerter (back) will start Wednesday; Jeremy Lin (ankle) ruled out
Huerter has officially been upgraded from questionable and will start in Wednesday’s matchup against the Charlotte Hornets despite dealing with a strained back, while Lin has been ruled out with a sprained left ankle and joins Alex Poythress, who will miss a sixth consecutive game, among the Hawks’ inactives for tonight’s contest. Huerter has started the last two games at shooting guard but has averaged just 20.8 minutes over that span, while Kent Bazemore has averaged 25.6 minutes despite his “demotion” to the bench. With Tyler Dorsey still sidelined, the absence of Lin leaves Atlanta relatively thin at the point guard position, as Trae Young and two-way player Jaylen Adams are the only two natural point guards on the active roster. This lack of depth will likely allow Bazemore to serve as the primary ball-handler when Young is off the court and elevates both his and Young’s minute floors, assuming Adams doesn’t absorb a significant amount of playing time off the bench since he’s accumulated just 13 minutes in four appearances this season.
As reported by: Chris Vivlamore via Twitter Other tagged players: Jeremy Lin DeMarre Carroll (foot) available to play Wednesday
Carroll has officially been upgraded from questionable and will be available to play in Wednesday’s matchup against the Utah Jazz despite dealing with a sore right foot. Carroll is averaging just over 20 minutes per game off the bench, and he’ll likely remain in that role for the foreseeable future even with Allen Crabbe’s sporadic play at the shooting guard position in the starting lineup. Obviously, Carroll remains irrelevant for daily fantasy formats with such a nominal role in the rotation, but Spencer Dinwiddie continues to benefit with Caris LeVert sidelined, as he owns a 27.7% usage rate (+3.3%) and is averaging 1.15 DraftKings and 1.11 FanDuel points per minute with him off the court this season.
As reported by: Brian Lewis via Twitter Isaiah Canaan will be released by the Suns
The Suns are releasing guard Isaiah Canaan, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, and he won’t be available to play in the matchup against the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday evening. Canaan started 15 of Phoenix’s 20 games so far this season, but Devin Booker has started at point guard in recent games with Mikal Bridges starting at the shooting guard position. This news only provides more clarity to head coach Igor Kokoskov’s new-look starting lineup and rotation, and it should enable Bridges to consistently see starters’ minutes with only Jamal Crawford and Josh Jackson left to battle for reserve wing minutes. The departure of Canaan should also allow Ellie Okobo to step into the backup point guard role after a stint in the G-League led to him being a DNP for seven consecutive games.
As reported by: Shams Charania via Twitter Luka Doncic (illness) will play Wednesday
Doncic participated in shootaround and will play in Wednesday’s matchup against the Houston Rockets despite dealing with an illness that forced him to miss Tuesday’s practice, while Dennis Smith Jr. has also been cleared to play and Dwight Powell reportedly has a good chance to return from a three-game absence. With Smith sidelined, Dorian Finney-Smith entered the starting lineup and logged 30 minutes alongside Harrison Barnes in the frontcourt, while Doncic shifted over to point guard and was serviceable from a fantasy perspective in 31 minutes of action. Now that Doncic and Smith Jr. officially available, Finney-Smith will head back to the bench to resume his normal reserve role, and there isn’t really much to like from this Mavericks squad for daily fantasy formats, as they currently sport the third-lowest implied team total on a loaded 10-game main slate.
As reported by: Eddie Sefko via Twitter Aaron Gordon (back) unlikely to play Wednesday
Gordon is still considered a game-time decision, but head coach Steve Clifford admitted to reporters at shootaround that Gordon is unlikely to play in Wednesday’s matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers due to lower back tightness. Jonathan Isaac appears to be the likeliest candidate to enter the starting lineup in Gordon’s place after finally eclipsing the 30-minute mark off the bench in Monday’s loss, though it’s certainly possible Clifford opts to go big and start Jarell Martin at power forward instead. D.J. Augustin has logged at least 29 minutes in each of the Magic’s last two games, and he’ll have the potential to be a tremendous value option if Gordon is ruled out, as Augustin owns a 20.3% usage rate (+3.6%) and is averaging 1.03 DraftKings and 1.00 FanDuel points per minute with him off the court this season.
As reported by: John Denton via Twitter This Unheralded Rookie Putting Up Big Numbers Off the Bench
The guard rotation for the Knicks can be difficult to figure out, with starting assignments and minutes in flux across the entire roster, but there is no doubt that Allonzo Trier is the hot hand right now. The rookie has averaged 19.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 4.0 assists in 29 minutes off the bench over his last three games. The price on Trier still hasn’t caught up with his recent production, as he is affordable across sites, and he is particularly appealing as a punt play on FanDuel at $3700.
