DFS Alerts
Trick-Or-Treat Backcourt From Earlier This Week In Play Again
With starting Point Guard Jeff Teague again ruled out for tonight’s game against the Warriors in Golden State, the Minnesota backcourt of Tyus Jones and Derrick Rose once again comes into play. Many owners will likely be wary of Jones after he pulled a Halloween trick-or-treat earlier this week when he was declared out after the game’s lock time. Rose took advantage by putting up a 50 point game, and while both players have seen their prices rise across the industry, the two could still be point-per-dollar bargains in the game carrying highest Vegas point total of the night.
Other tagged players: Tyus Jones
Isaiah Canaan (ankle) will play Friday; Devin Booker (hamstring) probable
Canaan confirmed with reporters at shootaround that he will play in Friday’s matchup against the Toronto Raptors after missing one game due to a sprained right ankle. Meanwhile, Booker has officially been listed as probable with a strained left hamstring, but he is still expected to be a game-time decision as the team wants to ensure he’s able to go through pregame warmups without any setbacks prior to making a decision on his status. Canaan is likely to overtake his starting point guard role from Ellie Okobo, according to head coach Igor Kokoskov, while T.J. Warren will start at power forward for a second straight game. The projected Suns starting lineup has only played together for 3.2 minutes this season, but it’s logical to assume that the offense will still run through Booker and Deandre Ayton with Warren pitching in as the secondary scoring option on the outside, as his 24.5% usage rate trails only Booker and Josh Jackson for the team lead among players that have logged more than 100 minutes on the year.
As reported by: Duane Rankin via Twitter Other tagged players: Devin Booker
Jeff Teague (knee) out Friday; Tyus Jones (foot) will play
Teague has been officially downgraded from questionable and won’t play in Friday’s matchup against the Golden State Warriors due to a left knee contusion, while Tyus Jones is set to return from a one-game absence because of a sore right foot. Either Jones or Derrick Rose will draw the start at point guard in place of Teague, but no matter who starts, it’s probable that they both end up seeing similar playing time, especially with Rose coming off of his monster performance in 40 minutes of action on Wednesday night. Prior to that contest, head coach Tom Thibodeau reiterated his desire to keep Rose at 26-28 minutes a night, and if that remains the plan, Jones could be an interesting tournament pivot with a chance to receive pseudo starters’ minutes at a significant salary discount across the industry.
As reported by: Chris Hine via Twitter Other tagged players: Tyus Jones Don't Overlook This Player's Move Into the Starting Lineup
The Suns have been missing starting guards Devin Booker and Isaiah Canaan due to injury, however even without the two guards in the lineup, Ryan Anderson only played 8 minutes last game as T.J. Warren took over his starting role. Warren is still priced down across the industry, and if he gets the starting nod again tonight he could be a big point-per-dollar producer in the Suns’ game against the Raptors in Phoenix tonight. Warren’s potential only gets higher if Booker and Canaan aren’t in the lineup to soak up shots and usage, and if that is the case then rookie DeAndre Ayton comes into play as an underpriced value to consider as well.
Other tagged players: Deandre Ayton Points Available In Game Featuring League’s Worst Defense
As someone who has watched every Wizards game so far this season, I can say that visually no team has looked worse on defense than the Wizards, and that is backed up by the team allowing a league-worst 122.4 points per game on the year. On top of that, the 1-6 Wizards have the worst rebounding differential – by a wide margin – in the league. Tonight the Wiz take on Russell Westbrook and the Thunder in DC, and points and rebounds should be available for everyone. Dennis Schroder and Jerami Grant catch my eye in addition to Westbrook as players who are underpriced across DFS sites despite playing big minutes for the Thunder (off the bench in the case of Schroder). John Wall – who has seen his price drop to the lowest point on the season – makes an excellent GPP pairing with the OKC players if you are expecting the game to high-scoring and competitive.
Other tagged players: John Wall, Dennis Schroder, Jerami Grant Anthony Davis (elbow) officially out Thursday
After a few tenuous moments, Davis has officially been downgraded from doubtful and will not play in Thursday’s matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers due to a sprained left elbow that has now forced him to miss three of the last four games, while Elfrid Payton and Darius Miller each remain sidelined with their respective injuries. Julius Randle continues to be listed as probable every game, but that appears to be only a precaution, as he is still playing normal minutes despite reportedly dealing with plantar fasciitis. Randle and Jahlil Okafor have alternated starts at center the two prior instances Davis was unavailable, but Randle has fallen between the 22-26 minute range all season, no matter if he’s come off the bench or started. Jrue Holiday continues to be a significant beneficiary with Davis and Payton sidelined, as he’s taken over as the primary playmaker in the starting unit and is averaging 1.32 fantasy points per minute with a 25.6% usage rate with the aforementioned duo off the court.
As reported by: Sean Kelley via Twitter Semi Ojeleye will start in place of Jaylen Brown (foot) on Thursday
Brown confirmed with reporters that he won’t play in Wednesday’s matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks due to a sore foot. The last time a Celtics starter was unavailable, Aron Baynes started at center, but head coach Brad Stevens has opted to roll with Semi Ojeleye at power forward for his defensive prowess. Despite not starting, Marcus Morris, Marcus Smart, and Terry Rozier should all see an increase in playing time with Ojeleye unlikely to see more than 15-20 minutes in a spot start, which vaults the trio firmly into tournament consideration in what should be an uptempo matchup for this Boston squad. Morris is averaging 1.14 DraftKings and 1.06 FanDuel points per minute with Brown off the court this season, but Kyrie Irving may be the in line for the biggest boost, as he’s recorded a 28.4% usage rate (+3.0%) and has averaged 1.29 DraftKings and 1.26 FanDuel points per minute in a 45.4 minutes sample as well.
As reported by: Abby Chin via Twitter Luc Mbah a Moute (knee) remains out Thursday
Mbah a Moute has officially been downgraded from questionable and won’t play in Thursday’s matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers due to a sore left knee that’s now kept him sidelined for four consecutive games. However, he hasn’t had a major role in head coach Doc Rivers’ rotation to start this season, averaging just 15 minutes per game. Mbah a Moute obviously isn’t relevant for daily fantasy formats with his low minute floor, but with him unavailable, those minutes will have to be absorbed somewhere in the rotation. This means that whatever available playing time that isn’t distributed to the starters will likely trickle down to Montrezl Harrell, Mike Scott, and possibly even Boban Marjanovic in the frontcourt rotation.
As reported by: Jovan Buha via Twitter Jaylen Brown (foot) out Thursday
Brown confirmed with reporters that he won’t play in Wednesday’s matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks due to a sore foot. There’s been no word on who will replace Brown in the starting lineup, but the last time a Celtics starter was unavailable, Aron Baynes started at center. However, Marcus Morris and Marcus Smart are also candidates to enter the starting five. No matter the starters, Morris, Smart, and Terry Rozier will all see an increase in playing time, which vaults them firmly into tournament consideration in what should be an uptempo matchup for this Boston squad. Morris is averaging 1.14 DraftKings and 1.06 FanDuel points per minute with Brown off the court this season, but Kyrie Irving may be the in line for the biggest boost, as he’s recorded a 28.4% usage rate (+3.0%) and has averaged 1.29 DraftKings and 1.26 FanDuel points per minute in a 45.4 minutes sample as well.
As reported by: Sean Grande via Twitter Anthony Davis (elbow) doubtful Thursday; Elfrid Payton (ankle) and Darius Miller (quad) remain out
Davis has been downgraded to doubtful for Thursday’s matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers due to a sprained left elbow that has forced him to miss two of the last three games, while Payton and Miller each will remain sidelined for at least one more game. Julius Randle continues to be listed as probable, but that appears to be only a precaution, as he continued to play normal minutes despite reportedly dealing with plantar fasciitis. Randle and Jahlil Okafor have alternated starts at center the two prior instances Davis was unavailable, but Randle has fallen between the 22-26 minute range all season, no matter if he’s come off the bench or started. Jrue Holiday continues to be a significant beneficiary with Davis and Payton sidelined, as he’s taken over as the primary playmaker in the starting unit and is averaging 1.32 fantasy points per minute with a 25.6% usage rate with the aforementioned duo off the court.
As reported by: Pelicans PR via Twitter Other tagged players: Elfrid Payton, Darius Miller Take Advantage On DraftKings and FantasyDraft
With Moe Harkless ruled out again tonight, Al-Farouq Aminu should continue to play around 30 minutes. For some reason he’s very cheap on DraftKings and FantasyDraft tonight, and in this fast-paced matchup, he should be able to pay off this price tag. I’d expect him to be higher owned at this price tag, but he has over 25 fantasy points in three of his last five games. I could see going somewhere else in tournaments, but I think he’s a good cash game option tonight.
Let's Take A Shot
It’s going to be very interesting to see what happens with the Cavaliers, but I’m willing to take the risk on Sam Dekker tonight. Dekker started against the Hawks and played 17 minutes in the first half. He played 11 minutes in the second half but didn’t play in the fourth quarter because of the blowout. In a close game, I would suspect him to have played 30+ minutes. He’s still really cheap, and with limited value tonight, I’m going to roll the dice with this new coach.
Donte DiVincenzo (quad) listed as available Thursday
DiVincenzo has been listed as available in the most recent version of the Bucks’ injury report and will presumably play in Thursday’s matchup against the Boston Celtics despite dealing with a left quad contusion. DiVincenzo has managed to carve out a consistent bench role in head coach Mike Budenholzer’s rotation from the outset and is averaging 19.6 minutes per game, keeping himself firmly ahead of Tony Snell, Pat Connaughton, and Sterling Brown in the pecking order for playing time on the wing. Meanwhile, the more fantasy-relevant news, Giannis Antetokounmpo officially passed the NBA’s concussion protocol on Wednesday and will make his return from a one-game absence. Antetokounmpo has arguably been the best player in the league through the early portion of the season, and he’s recorded a 35.3% usage rate while averaging 1.78 fantasy points per minute through six games, making him a viable tournament option even in a matchup with Boston’s top-ranked defense.
As reported by: NBA Official Injury Report Over 30 minutes a game
We don’t have a ton of value at this time over on FanDuel, and E’Twaun Moore continues to be an excellent source of value. He’s $4,400 on FanDuel tonight, and he’s averaging 32.3 minutes per game this season. His lowest fantasy point total on the season is 15.4, and that was in 24 minutes against Utah. This is a much different matchup, and I think his floor is around 22 FanDuel points. I think he’s in play on DraftKings as well, but we have a little more value over there.
A Fine Matchup With Major Upside
Jokic has shown off his massive upside on plenty of occasions already this year, and Cleveland stands pretty much zero chance of being able to slow him down. Name one player on the Cleveland roster that you think could remotely contain the beast that is Nikola Jokic? I’ll wait while the crickets chirp. Jokic is one of the highest upside plays on this slate, especially given his immense all-around ability for a big man. He will be one of my highest GPP priorities tonight.
