DFS Alerts
Rematch of Last Week's High Scoring Game
The Lakers visit San Antonio tonight in a game that is a rematch of a matchup that went 143-142 in overtime last week. The Lakers currently rank last in the league in opponent points per game allowed, putting all Spurs squarely in play tonight with prices that area a little too cheap. DeMar DeRozan leads the team in scoring with 26.5 points per game and put up 32 points and 14 assists against the Lakers last week, while Rudy Gay is usually overlooked in tournaments and is underpriced across sites.
Other tagged players: DeMar DeRozan
Take Advantage of Price and Role on DK While You Can
Javale McGee should be a $6-to-$7k player at this point with his current role on this super fast paced Lakers squad. Look to him on DK tonight against the Spurs, who are not as good defensively as their reputation dictates. The Lakers get Rondo back tonight, which is just fine for McGee, as Rondo is all about creating. McGee currently has a 21.3% True Usage Rate, is averaging 1.53 FP/Min, and just put up 31 DK points against this same Spurs team less than a week ago.
Good Combination to Attack
DeMar DeRozan went off in the Spurs first matchup against the Lakers that went into overtime as he paired 32 points with 14 assists for 66.5 DK points/63.6 FD points. DeRozan is seeing monster usage with his new team as is evident by his 36.1% usage rate. The Lakers are paring the league’s second fastest pace with the leagues 8th most points per 100 possessions which is a great combination to attack when looking for fantasy points. We can never bank on double-digit assists or OT for DDR but this is still a great spot for the newly acquired Spur.
Opportunity Due to Injury
Devin Booker: Out. Deandre Ayton: Questionable. We’re dealing with super small samples to start the season but Josh Jackson’s usage rate with both Booker and Ayton off the court this year is a massive 34%. Booker being elevates Jackson’s playing time (30-35 minutes) while Ayton’s absence would just lead to increased usage. Jackson is an affordable piece to plug into your cash game lineups that will allow you to spend up elsewhere.
Rookies Square Off in Projected High Scoring Game
The game with the highest Vegas point total tonight is Chicago visiting Atlanta, which features two lottery pick rookies in Trae Young for the Hawks and Wendell Carter for the Bulls. Atlanta is favored by 5.5 points which could mean some points for Trae Young, who was picked fifth in the draft and leads all rookies in scoring with 21.5 points per game. Wendell Carter was picked seventh and has had a rougher start to his pro career, but still ranks 6th among rookies in rebounds per game, and will be looking to hit the boards tonight against an Atlanta team that ranks 19th in the NBA in opponent rebounding.
Other tagged players: Wendell Carter Jr. Poised for a Breakout
While Oladipo has been a consistent fantasy performer early this season, the lack of a true breakout performance has kept the Pacers SG price down. Oladipo’s usage rate has been strong this year as his 32.4% usage rate is 1.4-points higher than last year’s career high 31.4%. The Cavs are allowing the third most points per 100 possessions in the league (118.6) and still operate at a quick pace (102.9 possessions per game). Oladipo’s strong floor should continue on Saturday night and this matchup gives him a tremendous ceiling as well.
Julius Randle (foot) listed probable Saturday
Julius Randle (foot) is listed as probable for Saturday’s matchup against the Jazz. Look for Randle to see his usual compliment of minutes, although in a less than favorable pace-down matchup against a solid Utah defense.
Darius Miller (quad) out Saturday
Darius Miller is listed out Saturday due to a quad injury. Miller isn’t a player who logs heavy minutes for the Pelicans, but his absence will lock in a bit more court time for Solomon Hill and Nikola Mirotic.
Aron Baynes (hamstring) ruled out Saturday
Aron Baynes has been ruled out Saturday due to a hamstring injury. In his absence, Daniel Thies may pick up a few extra minutes (although he is questionable himself as of now), with Al Horford locked into the majority of the minutes at the center position.
Dirt Cheap on DK/FDRAFT
Batum is my fourth core play on DK/FDRAFT tonight simply because his price is too cheap. While he doesn’t necessarily have monster upside now that Kemba Walker is dominating the Charlotte offense, there’s still core play appeal at that price. It’s that simple.
Getting More Comfortable In His Role
While he struggled in the first few games of the season, Payne has picked up his play over the last two contests. He was one of the only Chicago players to show up on Friday in a blowout loss to Charlotte, and he was the only starter to make more than 50% of his shots last night. The minutes were down because the game turned into a blowout by the time the fourth quarter came around. I would expect him to get back to the 30-32 minute range in tonight’s game, and the price tag is still fair on all sites. In fact, if you combine Jackson and Payne together, they cost you $9,600 on FD and $10,100 on DK. That should give you enough salary flexibility to fit basically whatever you want into your lineups. Payne is a fine point per dollar option here, especially when you consider that the Bulls draw a pace-up matchup against a Hawks team that has played at the fastest pace in the NBA in the early going.
Opportunity Knocks
Yes, Jackson has had a tough start to the season. Yes, his role is in a little bit of limbo right now. Yes, the Suns are playing at a slower pace this year. However, it’s not all bad news for him. Devin Booker has been ruled out for tonight’s game, and Jackson was chosen as the starter at the two spot when Booker was out during the preseason. I would expect that to continue tonight, so we can likely project a bump from about 25 minutes to about 32 minutes for Jackson in this game, assuming it stays competitive. Also, Jackson’s early struggles have really depressed his DFS price tags. He’s dirt cheap on both FanDuel and FantasyDraft, and the DraftKings tag isn’t that bad. We also have a fairly solid sample size with Jackson in an expanded role, as he averaged 18 points and six rebounds over 31 minutes per game in February and March last year after receiving the sixth man spot and eventually a starting role. Add in a few peripherals and that gives you around 30 fantasy points, which is more than enough to justify this cheap price tag. Assuming Jackson draws the start, he’s an obvious core play for me this evening.
Top Play on the Slate
The closest thing we can get to a slam dunk tonight (NBA puns for the win) is Giannis Antetokounmpo. He has put up at least 40 fantasy points in every game and at least 50 in all but one. The “down” game came last night in a contest that the Bucks won by 30 points, and no starter was forced to play more than 25 minutes. That should have Giannis refreshed and ready to go for this game. Orlando’s only chance of containing him is with Aaron Gordon, but I’m not holding my breath. Giannis averaged 32 actual points in three games against the Magic last year, and there’s triple-double potential here in what could be a very high scoring game. If I’m paying up for one core cash game play tonight, Antetokoumpo is the obvious choice.
Bradley Beal (bruised sternum) will start Friday
Beal has officially been cleared and will start in Friday’s matchup against the Sacramento Kings despite previously being considered a game-time decision with a bruised sternum. Meanwhile, Ian Mahinmi is set to return from a one-game absence due to back spasms and will join Beal in the Wizards starting lineup at center. His availability will send Jason Smith back to the bench to resume a reserve role after logging just 10 minutes in his spot start with Mahinmi and Dwight Howard sidelined. There’s been no word of a minute restriction for Beal, so as long as he’s able to play through the pain, he can be utilized normally in daily fantasy formats this evening. Beal should also set up as a fine tournament option after carrying a questionable tag throughout the day, and he continues to lead the Wizards with a 30.4% usage rate and is averaging 1.31 DraftKings and 1.29 FanDuel points per minute through four games this season.
As reported by: Fred Katz via Twitter
Iman Shumpert (hip) intends to play Friday
Shumpert confirmed with reporters following a pregame warmup that he intends to play in Friday’s matchup against the Washington Wizards despite his original questionable designation with a sore left hip. His return to the starting lineup will send Justin Jackson back to the bench to assume a reserve role after logging a whopping 37 minutes in his spot start on Wednesday night but ultimately underwhelmed from a fantasy point per minute perspective. Prior to his injury, Shumpert was playing well and averaged 24.5 minutes per game over his last two starts, but head coach Dave Joerger has not been shy to ride the hot hand with his rotation, which limits everyone on the roster to tournament formats only with how drastically playing time can fluctuate on a nightly basis.
As reported by: James Ham via Twitter