DFS Alerts
Anthony Davis listed as questionable for Monday due to hip injury
Anthony Davis listed as questionable for Monday due to the hip injury that kept him out of action Saturday against the Knicks. Fellow Pelicans forwards Nikola Mirotic and Julius Randle would become great albeit popular plays if Davis is unable to suit up Monday. Davis’s absence would also open up additional usage for Jrue Holiday, who already is playing heavy minutes due to the absence of Elfrid Payton.
Update: Tony Parker (rib) is active, but will not play Sunday for the Hornets
Updating a previous report, Tony Parker (rib) is active, but will not play Sunday for the Hornets. Parker’s absence doesn’t dramatically affect the Hornets rotation, but look for Malik Monk and Dwayne Bacon to see extra court time off the bench backing up Kemba Walker in the point guard role.
Jimmy Butler will play Sunday for 76ers
Jimmy Butler will play Sunday for the 76ers despite popping up on the injury report and being listed as questionable due to an ankle injury. Butler will not have a minutes limit Sunday against the Nets, and is in line to see his normal workload. Butler being active is a slight downgrade to Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid, but they each remain viable options on a short Sunday slate in a slightly pace-down matchup.
Tony Parker (rib) available to play Sunday for Hornets
Tony Parker (rib) is available to play Sunday for the Hornets. Look for Parker to resume his normal minutes and workload serving as the backup point guard for Charlotte behind Kemba Walker.
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (ankle) will not play Sunday
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist will not play Sunday for the Hornets due to an ankle injury. With the injury keeping MKG sidelined another game, Jeremy Lamb and Miles Bridges will continue to be the primary beneficiaries of Kidd-Gilchrist’s absence, with both likely to see extended minutes at the small forward position.
Kent Bazemore (ankle) and Alex Len (back) both available to play Sunday for the Hawks
Kent Bazemore (ankle) and Alex Len (back) are both available to play Sunday for the Hawks. Look for both players to see close to their normal minutes and usage in a slightly pace-down matchup Sunday evening vs the Hornets. Bazemore will come off the bench, but will not be on a minutes limit against Atlanta.
Other tagged players: Alex Len Rebound Season
Mike Conley has really been having an incredible season so far, but rarely gets the ownership because he plays for Memphis team that plays at a fairly slow pace. Against a Knicks team that has really struggled to cover the Point Guard position I think Conley is in a great spot to shine here. He has a 29% usage rate and is averaging 1.10 fpts per minute. With one of the best spots of the KN-ight (see what I did there) look for Conley to produce as usual.
Nice Spot for Production
This is a really nice spot for Russell against a defense that has not been playing stellar this season. Since the really sad departure of Caris Levert due to injury Russell’s usage is sitting at a nice 31.3% and is averaging 1.09 fpts per minute. In what will be a really game in terms of pace look for Russell to come through with some really good production here.
A Steady Option... For The Knicks?
Vonleh’s price is slowly creeping higher, but it still feels like it is a bit too cheap. He has posted at least 41 fantasy points in three straight games. He has entered the starting lineup and has played at least 30 minutes in all of those games, too. I don’t 100% love listing him as a core play because the Knicks are as volatile as it gets when it comes to playing time, and the matchup isn’t great against the Kings. For those reasons, I see the logic behind leaving him out of your lineups if you aren’t comfortable with it. After all, Trey Burke busted the other night at about 60% ownership. These reasons are why I have Vonleh listed as the last of the core plays. However, his recent play at least deserves him a mention. As long as the minutes remain where they have been, he is very unlikely to tank your lineup at this salary.
Quickly On The Rise
Upper management for the Kings said that they wanted to see more of Marvin Bagley, and the rookie has absolutely delivered of late. He has averaged 28.5 minutes over the last four games and has scored in double figures in all of them, culminating in a 20 & 17 outing on Saturday. This might be our last chance to get him at a discount. Bagley isn’t a “five tool” player that is going to contribute across the entire stat sheet, so we do need to bank on points and rebounds, but those should be plentiful given the pace that the Kings operate at. He’s capable of being a scorer for this team, and the arrow is definitely pointing upward. It’s a no brainer at this price on DK/FDRAFT, and while I had to think about it a little more on FD, I still like him as a core play there, too.
Opportunity Knocks With A Great Matchup
Opportunity knocks for Rubio with Donovan Mitchell ruled out for tonight. The other guards on this team just aren’t quality play-makers, and Rubio will have the ball in his hands plenty. While his efficiency has dipped so far this year with Mitchell off the floor, the 5% bump in usage is encouraging. He also draws a mouth-watering matchup against a Kings team that plays at the second fastest pace in the NBA, so there will be plenty of opportunity for easy baskets, assists, and steals. Rubio has posted 8/3/9 and 22/2/11 lines in the two games without Mitchell this year, and those were in tougher matchups against the Raptors and Grizzlies. I expect a much better game against the Kings, and he’s a fine mid-range play in all DFS formats tonight.
Top Play on the Slate
A) This slate features a lot of teams that are bad and/or play at a slow pace.
B) There are very few studs to pay up for, and Embiid is the only player on FD & DK that is priced above $10,000.
C) He also draws a matchup against a Brooklyn squad that has been abysmal against big men so far this year.
You simply need to get some exposure to Embiid tonight. In cash games, this is a spot where you can’t afford to get cute, especially if Jimmy Butler is out. Start your lineups with the Philadelphia big man, and build from there.
Iman Shumpert (rest) ruled out Sunday, Kosta Koufos (calf) also out for Kings
Iman Shumpert has been ruled out Sunday for rest purposes, and Kosta Koufos (calf) is also still out for the Kings. Shumpert’s absence will open up a spot in the starting lineup, which likely will be filled by Bogdan Bogdanovich. Buddy Hield, Bogdanovich and Justin Jackson all figure to see additional run in Shumpert’s absence. Willie Cauley-Stein will continue to see as much run as he can handle at center with Koufos sidelined.
Other tagged players: Kosta Koufos Strong Per Minute Producer
John Collins is finally starting to see his minutes extend into the 30’s and is one of the top point per dollar options on Sunday’s slate. Collins has been a strong fantasy producer when given the minutes as he’s averaged north of a point per minute over the last two seasons. A home matchup against the Hornets is favorable for Collins and the Hawks big men as Charlotte has been below average both in terms of offensive rebounds allowed and effective field goal percentage at the rim.
Increased Role
Donovan Mitchell has been announced out for Sunday’s game against Sacramento which means more offensive responsibilities for Ricky Rubio. Rubio’s usage rate has jumped over five percentage points to 29% with Mitchell off the court this system and is a strong play in all formats given his increased role.