DFS Alerts

Look For Multiple Pieces From the Night's Highest Projected Scoring Game

Anthony Davis will likely draw a lot of attention tonight with the Pelicans favored by 6 points at home against Washington in a game with a 241 Vegas point total, and for good reason – Washington ranks 2nd in the league in points allowed per game and also has the second-worst rebound differential in the league. Those numbers could also benefit Julius Randle, who should come off the bench for the Pelicans and will likely carry a fraction of the ownership of Anthony Davis. Randle started against this same Wizards team on Saturday with Davis out and feasted, putting up 29 points, 15 rebounds, and 7 assists. John Wall is a name to consider on the Wizards’ side, coming off of a 36-point, 11 assist game against Houston and ranking 3rd in the league with 8.2 assists per game.

Guards Could Post Big Point Total In Potential Shootout

The game in New Orleans tonight will generate a lot of attention from DFS players with its high projected point total, but the Hawks – Hornets matchup in Charlotte carries a fairly large 232 over/under as well, with the Hornets favored by 12 points. I have high interest in the guards in this game, starting with Kemba Walker on the Hornets. Walker is currently fourth in the NBA in scoring at 27.9 ppg, and will likely face off against Trae Young, who ranks dead last in the league in DRPM. I have some interest in Young as well, as guard Jeremy Lin is questionable tonight, which could increase the rookie’s minutes in this high scoring game. Finally Charlotte guard Malik Monk is a name to consider, with his low price across DFS sites and his minutes likely secure even if this game becomes a blowout.

Royce O’Neale (thigh) questionable Wednesday

O’Neale is a new addition to the Jazz’s injury report and is questionable for Wednesday’s matchup against the Brooklyn Nets due to right thigh soreness. O’Neale had started each of the last two games in place of the injured Donovan Mitchell, averaging 21.5 minutes, but with Mitchell cleared to return, O’Neale will head back to the bench to resume a reserve role if he’s available to play this evening. That role typically equates to minutes in the mid-teens, which obviously eliminates him from fantasy consideration on a nightly basis. There’s been no reported minutes restriction for Mitchell, so he could be an appealing tournament target in a plus matchup with the Nets, as he owns a 32.4% usage rate with an average of 1.03 fantasy points per minute this season.

Dennis Smith Jr. (wrist) will play Wednesday

Smith confirmed with reporters during shootaround that he will play in Wednesday’s matchup against the Houston Rockets after missing one game due to a sprained right wrist, while Luka Doncic and Dwight Powell remain questionable with to their respective ailments, but Powell reportedly has a good chance to return from a three-game absence. In Smith’s absence, 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. If Doncic is unable to suit up because of an illness, Finney-Smith would likely remain in the starting lineup and could be viable as punt option in tournaments, though his ceiling appears limited with a minuscule 14.1% usage rate on the year.

Kevin Huerter (back) and Jeremy Lin (ankle) questionable Wednesday; Alex Poythress (ankle) remains out

Huerter and Lin have both been added to the Hawks’ injury report and are questionable for Wednesday’s matchup against the Charlotte Hornets due to a strained back and a sprained left ankle, respectively, while Poythress will miss his sixth consecutive game with a left ankle contusion. Huerter has started the last two games at shooting guard but has averaged just 20.8 minutes over that span, so if he’s unable to suit up, Kent Bazemore would likely re-enter the starting lineup after averaging 25.6 minutes off the bench the last two contests. With Tyler Dorsey still sidelined, the potential absence of Lin would leave Atlanta relatively thin at the point guard position, as Trae Young and two-way player Jaylen Adams would be the only two on the active roster. This scenario would likely allow Bazemore to serve as the primary ball-handler when Young is off the court and would elevate both his and Young’s minute floors should Lin be unavailable this evening.

Great Spot To Target

With Dwight Howard already ruled out for tonight’s game, Otto Porter and Markieff Morris are prime targets for me. Porter is one of my favorite plays on the entire slate, and he’s under $6,000 on DraftKings. These two teams just met and scored 238 points and tonight’s implied total opened at 241. Porter played well with Howard out in the first meeting, and with all the size that the Pelicans have, I’m expecting him to play a big role again tonight. He’s played at least 36 minutes in three of the last four games and has at least 30 fantasy points in all four games.

Value Play With Upside

While we wait on injury news, we don’t have a lot of value options on this massive 10-game slate. The Bulls have one of the lowest implied team totals on the slate, but it’s still 4.2 points higher than their season average. Ryan Arcidiacono has played at least 29 minutes in ten straight games, and with Kris Dunn getting close to returning, now is the time for Arcidiacono to show what he’s got. He’s scored at least 20 fantasy points in seven of the last ten games and is one of my favorite value plays on this slate.

Minutes Treading In The Right Direction

Jonathan Simmons moved into the starting lineup for the Magic on Monday, and if he continues to start, he’s a really solid value play across the industry. If Gordon doesn’t play tonight, Simmons could see an increase in usage on top of his extra minutes. After playing 25 minutes against the Lakers, he played 28 minutes against the Warriors on Monday. Simmons has been very disappointing this season, but it seems like the wrist injury is better and he’s extremely cheap across the industry.

NBA Injury Rundown - Wednesday, 11/28

Philadelphia 76ers – Markelle Fultz (Out), Jonah Bolden (Out)

Atlanta Hawks – Alex Poythress (TBD), Tyler Dorsey (Out)

Brooklyn Nets – DeMarre Carroll (Questionable), Caris LeVert (Out), Treveon Graham (Out)

Dallas Mavericks – Luka Doncic (Questionable), Dennis Smith Jr. (Questionable), Dwight Powell (Questionable)

Houston Rockets – Chris Paul (Questionable), Gerald Green (Questionable), Carmelo Anthony (Out)

Cleveland Cavaliers – David Nwaba (Out), George Hill (Out), Sam Dekker (Out), J.R. Smith (Out)

Oklahoma City Thunder – Nerlens Noel (Questionable), Terrance Ferguson (Out), Hamidou Diallo (Out)

Washington Wizards – Dwight Howard (Out)

San Antonio Spurs – Pau Gasol (Out), Dejounte Murray (Out)

Orlando Magic – Aaron Gordon (Questionable)

Portland Trail Blazers – Seth Curry (Probable)

Los Angeles Clippers – Luc Mbah a Moute (Out), Jerome Robinson (Out)

Gary Harris (ankle) officially out Tuesday

Harris has officially been downgraded from questionable and won’t play in Tuesday’s matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers due to a sore left ankle that has now forced him to miss two consecutive games. In his previous absence, Torrey Craig entered the starting lineup at shooting guard and logged 36 minutes en route to a stellar fantasy performance in relation to his price tag across the industry, though he may not benefit from such a large minute allotment in tonight’s contest since he was tasked with defending Russell Westbrook in Saturday’s win. Nikola Jokic has only played 63.6 minutes with Harris and Will Barton off the court this season, but, in that time, he’s recorded a 37.5% usage rate while averaging 1.73 DraftKings and 1.67 FanDuel points per minute, making him an elite option for all formats despite the unsustainability of the aforementioned rates.

Gary Harris (ankle) unlikely to play Tuesday

Harris remains questionable but is unlikely to play in Tuesday’s matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers due to a sore left ankle that has already forced him to miss one game. Head coach Michael Malone admitted to reporters that Harris was limited at shootaround, so news of his likely unavailability is far from surprising. In his absence, Torrey Craig entered the starting lineup at shooting guard and logged 36 minutes en route to a stellar fantasy performance in relation to his price tag across the industry, though he may not benefit from such a large minute allotment in tonight’s contest since he was tasked with defending Russell Westbrook in Saturday’s win. Nikola Jokic has only played 63.6 minutes with Harris and Will Barton off the court this season, but, in that time, he’s recorded a 37.5% usage rate while averaging 1.73 DraftKings and 1.67 FanDuel points per minute, making him an elite option for all formats despite the unsustainability of the aforementioned rates.

Minutes Are Worth The Look

Miami has the highest implied team total on the slate, and it’s 6.3 points higher than their season average. They’re also receiving the biggest pace bump on the slate and will be without two key members of this team. With Ellington expected to play 30-minutes, he’s one of the safer value options on this slate. His upside is always limited because of the secondary stats. With such a small slate, I’m always willing to look for value in guys playing 30+ minutes.

Greg Monroe (back) out Tuesday

Monroe is a new addition to the Raptors’ injury report and won’t be available to play in Tuesday’s matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies due to back spasms. Monroe has mostly been a DNP-CD this season, as he’s appeared in only nine games and accumulated just 70 total minutes, so his absence won’t have much effect, if any, on the remainder of the Toronto frontcourt rotation. Per usual, Jonas Valanciunas and Serge Ibaka will continue to split all of the available center minutes when healthy and if the Raptors are in competitive game scripts.

Kent Bazemore (ankle) and Alex Len (back) available to play Tuesday

Bazemore and Len have both officially been upgraded from probable and will be available to play in Tuesday’s matchup against the Miami Heat, while Alex Poythress will miss a fifth consecutive game due to a left ankle contusion and Tyler Dorsey is expected to be sidelined for at least three games with a groin strain. Head coach Llyod Pierce opted to make a change to his starting in Sunday’s win by starting Kevin Huerter at shooting guard over Bazemore, though Bazemore still saw the most playing time of the two, logging 25 minutes off the bench en route to a fantastic fantasy performance for his price tag. In fact, Taurean Prince, Trae Young, and John Collins were the only Hawks to record more than 30 minutes in that contest, as Pierce utilized a 10-man rotation with Bazemore, DeAndre Bembry, and Jeremy Lin all absorbing at least 21 minutes in their reserve roles.

Contrarian On A Short Slate?

It seems like Josh Richardson isn’t going to be massive chalk tonight, and that should be music to our ears in GPP formats. He’s quietly becoming the leader of this Miami offense and is averaging 16 shot attempts per game this year. He’s going to see plenty of minutes and plenty of usage, and he should be able to score at will against a Hawks team that isn’t disciplined defensively and plays fast. At his now elevated price point, many people like to ignore Richardson, but there’s big time potential in this matchup.