DFS Alerts
Big Night Could Be In Store for This Center Tonight
Centers against the Nets are going to be a thing again this season. Just like last year, opposing centers continue to put up big numbers against the Nets already this season and in preseason. Jarret Allen is a good player, but has rebounding issues and combined with the Nets fast pace creates exploitable situations for us to take advantage of. Turner is certainly inconsistent, but you cannot deny his upside with his ability to rack up boards, blocks, and even threes. He recently inked a four-year extension, which should tell you all you need to know about how the Pacers view him and Domantas Sabonis is currently questionable for tonight’s game, which could give Turner a minutes boost. The Nets have already given up monster games to Andre Drummond, Enes Kanter, and even Zaza Pachulia in their first two games and Turner has averaged over 41.5 DK points over his last four meetings against the Nets. I like him in GPPs on all sites.
Deandre Ayton (ankle) uprgaded to probable Saturday
Ayton participated in shootaround Saturday morning and has been upgraded from questionable to probable for tonight’s matchup against the Denver Nuggets due to a sprained right ankle. Head coach Igor Kokoskov wouldn’t commit to Ayton playing, but he did disclose to media members that he is optimistic and said that he looked good during shootaround. There’s been no report of a potential minute restriction, and Ayton can be fired up with confidence if the Suns allow him to suit up this evening. Ayton only recorded a 16.9% usage rate in Wednesday’s season opener but still averaged 1.19 DraftKings and 1.23 FanDuel points per minute, which means there’s still plenty of upside at his price tag if he manages to be more involved in the Suns’ offensive game plan.
As reported by: Evan Sidery via Twitter
Multiple Injuries Creating Opportunity for this Team Tonight
Kris Dunn is expected to miss tonight’s game, along with Denzel Valentine and Lauri Markkanen who are out for some time with injuries, opening up some opportunity for Chicago’s remaining healthy bodies. Cameron Payne is expected to start for Dunn, and while his first start was terrible with no points scored in 22 minutes, he remains priced too low across sites for his current opportunity. Zach LaVine should get some additional shots as well, and sees a 1.7% usage bump with Dunn out of the lineup the past two seasons. Wendell Carter is also a site-specific target on DraftKings ($4,000) and FantasyDraft ($7,300).
Other tagged players: Zach LaVine, Wendell Carter Jr.
Take Advantage of Multi-Position Eligibility
The preferred approach in cash games on FanDuel is to save at the PG position but it’s a different story on DraftKings due to multi-position eligibility. Guys like Fred VanVleet and Jamal Murray have PG/SG eligibility which opens up room to play an underpriced Damian Lillard. In past years a matchup against the Spurs was a more daunting one but trades + injures make this an exploitable matchup for Lillard’s skill-set as a point guard. Keep an eye on the Trailblazers rotation early this year as Dame and CJM didn’t run a staggered rotation in their season opener which would ultimately be bad for both of their usage rates.
This Big Man Could Put Up the Points at Home Tonight
The Suns – Nuggets game has the second highest over/under on the slate tonight, and Nikola Jokic could put up a big game in Denver. Jokic averaged almost one additional point (18.9 vs 18.0), more than one additional rebound (11.4 vs 9.9), and more than one additional assist (6.8 vs 5.4) at home last season than on the road, making him a particularly appealing play across sites. The Suns could also be without big man rookie DeAndre Ayton, giving Phoenix one less Center to matchup against Jokic.
Open Usage and Court Time
The absence of Kawhi Leonard from the Raptors rotation will open up plenty of usage and playing time for role players like Fred VanVleet. VanVleet is already seeing plenty of court time through the first two games of the season and has done a good job accumulating stats in all categories. FVV has produced nearly a fantasy point per minute this season and is a top point-per-dollar play on Saturday’s main slate.
Gordon Hayward (rest) out Saturday
Hayward will be rested on the second night of a back-to-back set and won’t play in Saturday’s matchup with the New York Knicks as he continues to work his way back from that gruesome ankle injury he sustained in last year’s season opener. As planned, Hayward has been limited to under 25 minutes in each of the Celtics first two games, so his absence won’t have as much of impact as it typically would if he was handling a full minute workload. Still, his unavailability clearly frees up some extra playing time for Marcus Morris and Aron Baynes, both of whom are candidates to start in Hayward’s place. It’s still too early in the season to put too much stock in on/off splits, but Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart, and Terry Rozier all should stand to benefit from a usage standpoint with one less mouth to feed on the offensive end of the floor.
As reported by: Chris Forsberg via Twitter Strong FPPM Producer
Bobby Portis is going to be a strong early season play for as long as Lauri Markkanen remains sidelined with a sprained elbow. Portis opened the season with a 20/11 performance against the 76ers and should continue to see strong usage and rebound rates as the Bulls go to big man. The absence of the high usage Kris Dunn from Saturday’s lineup will also lead to increased usage for Portis who is in play in all formats.
Kawhi Leonard (rest) and Delon Wright (adductor) out Saturday
Leonard will be rested on the second night of a back-to-back set and won’t play in Saturday’s matchup with the Washington Wizards, and he’ll join Delon Wright, who will miss his third straight, among the Raptors’ inactives. In his absence, either OG Anunoby or Norman Powell will likely draw the start at small forward alongside Pascal Siakam, and Serge Ibaka in the frontcourt. With Wright still sidelined, Fred VanVleet should continue seeing some extra playing time off the bench and has averaged 26 minutes through the Raptors first two games. His minute ceiling in this spot could be even higher given the plethora of guards and forwards the Wizards are able to deploy on a nightly basis, increasing the chances that this game goes small for extended stretches sans Leonard in the Toronto frontcourt.
As reported by: Blake Murphy via Twitter Other tagged players: Delon Wright Kris Dunn (personal) remains out Saturday; Cameron Payne will start again
Dunn is still away from the team dealing with a personal issue and will not play in Saturday’s matchup against the Detroit Pistons, joining teammate Denzel Valentine, who will remain sidelined for at least two more weeks, among the Bulls inactives. Cameron Payne will start at point guard in Dunn’s absence and does present some potential value in tournament formats despite an atrocious performance in a similar spot in Thursday’s blowout loss. Cristiano Felicio is also available off the bench, but with Wendell Carter Jr. and Jabari Parker joining the fray in the frontcourt rotation, he’s unlikely to see any meaningful playing time should the Bulls remain healthy. Parker begins the season as the sixth man for Chicago, as head coach Fred Hoiberg as reiterated throughout the preseason that he prefers Parker in a role where he can be the focal point on the offensive end of the floor. This means that Bobby Portis will start at power forward alongside Carter Jr. and still is an appealing tournament target after erupting for 43.75 DraftKings and 42.20 FanDuel points in 33 minutes on Wednesday evening.
As reported by: Cody Westerlund via Twitter Other tagged players: Cameron Payne Domantas Sabonis (knee) and TJ Leaf (ankle) questionable Saturday
Sabonis has been added to the Indiana Pacers’ injury report and is questionable for Saturday’s matchup with the Brooklyn Nets due to a bruised right knee. The Pacers are usually pretty cautious with their injury reporting, so it would not be shocking to see Sabonis available for tonight’s contest despite the downgrade in status. As for Leaf, if he’s unable to suit up once again, Sabonis would likely resume his bountiful role as the backup center and power forward, which has allowed him to averaged 25 minutes per game this season despite not playing normal minutes in Friday’s blowout loss. The sample size is obviously small, but Sabonis currently leads the Pacers’ core rotation with rates of 1.30 DraftKings and 1.23 FanDuel points per minute and even compliments that with a respectable 23.9% usage rate overall.
As reported by: the Indiana Pacers via Twitter Other tagged players: TJ Leaf Treveon Graham (hamstring) out Saturday; Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (personal) remains out
Graham sustained a hamstring injury during Friday’s win and has officially been ruled out for Saturday’s matchup with the Indiana Pacers, while Rondae Hollis-Jefferson will miss his third consecutive game due to a strained left adductor and a personal matter. The Nets are still without DeMarre Carroll, Shabazz Napier, and Alan Williams, which means they will be without two regular starters from last season. Jared Dudley should continue to start at power forward in Hollis-Jefferson’s place and has averaged 31 minutes through the Nets first two games, while Joe Harris will likely start alongside Caris LeVert on the wing once again. From a usage standpoint, LeVert has led the Nets with a 32.6% usage rate and is averaging 32.5 minutes per game, keeping him in play for all formats across the industry.
As reported by: Mike Gallagher via Twitter Other tagged players: Rondae Hollis-Jefferson Harrison Barnes (hamstring) listed as out Saturday
Barnes is listed as out on the injury report and will miss his second consecutive game when the Mavericks take on the Minnesota Timberwolves at home this evening. Barnes practiced in full on Friday, so it would not be surprising to see him return to action in the near future, potentially as early as Monday night. In his absence, Dorian Finney-Smith started at small forward in Wednesday’s season opener and logged 30 minutes en route to exceeding salary-based expectations. With Devin Harris sidelined for at least two more games, J.J. Barea will have an increased role in the backcourt rotation and played well in his 20 minutes last time out. Additionally, rookie Luka Doncic will look to bounce back in his second career game after disappointing in his debut with just 24 DraftKings and 21.60 FanDuel points, respectively.
As reported by: Eddie Sefko via Twitter Starting to Open Some Eyes
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope might still be the starting shooting guard for the Lakers, but I doubt that this will last much longer. Josh Hart is clearly the better fit in a LeBron-led offense, as Hart’s shooting ability will help space the floor. I do have a slight worry about playing time for this particular matchup, as KCP’s defense might be utilized against James Harden. However, at the end of the day, this is going to be a game that’s all about offense. Hart contributed 20 points over 27 minutes in the opener against Portland, and he even added three steals and two blocks. He was the Summer League MVP and has an arrow that is clearly pointing higher. We might get more value that opens up throughout the day, but I love the dirt cheap price tag on Hart that we can get on FanDuel. Any time a viable player is cheaper on FanDuel than he is on DraftKings, we have to take notice, and Hart fits that bill. The fact that he is playing in the game with a 235 O/U also helps tremendously. Hart closed out the game the other night over KCP, and that might become a trend sooner rather than later.
Your DraftKings & FantasyDraft Value Play
Warren is nowhere near playable status on FanDuel, but DraftKings and FantasyDraft are dangling us quite the carrot here. Warren has proven that he’s a capable fantasy commodity whenever he gets the minutes, but everyone was nervous about how much playing time Warren would get with Trevor Ariza and Josh Jackson also in the mix. The good news is that Phoenix only really went eight deep in the opener, and all three players are versatile enough to play different positions. I am of the opinion that Warren matches up better against Denver than Ryan Anderson, so we might see Warren get some more minutes at the four in this game. In any case, he’s one of just two key bench pieces for the Suns, and he’s going to get 25-28 minutes of playing time on most nights. 25-28 minutes of Warren is certainly enough for him to make value at this price tag on DK/FDRAFT.