DFS Alerts
Damian Lillard ruled out Thursday.
Portland will be without the services of Damian Lillard tonight against the Rockets. Lillard is out with an ankle injury he suffered last game. Shabazz Napier will start for Lillard, and is the top value play on this six game slate. Without Lillard on the court, CJ McCollum receives a big usage bump. He’s the top overall shooting guard play tonight.
As reported by: Chris Haynes via Twitter
Jose Calderon ruled out Thursday
Jose Calderon will miss tonight’s game against the Wizards with a hamstring injury. The Cavs will be thin at point guard, as George Hill was already ruled out for tonight earlier in the day. With Hill and Calderon out, Jordan Clarkson benefits the most. London Perrantes should also crack the rotation for Cleveland tonight. LeBron James should also see plenty of time at point guard tonight.
As reported by: Dave McMenamin via twitter Load up on this Game
It’s hard to go wrong with anyone from the Nuggets and Wolves game tonight. The two could basically be playing an elimination game when it comes to the playoffs, so starters from both sides will play a ton of minutes. I’m high on both of the centers in this one, but am giving the slightest edge to Nikola Jokic. Of the two, Karl-Anthony Towns is the worse defender. Jokic should play 38-40 minutes and should dominate both ends of the floor.
Good Value in a High Scoring Game
DeMarre Carroll has been ruled out of tonight’s game, which opens up around 30 minutes in the rotation. While the Nets will spread that out to a number of players, Crabbe is a safe bet to play 30 minutes against the Bucks in a game that features a massive total of 220 points. Crabbe is cheap across the industry and he helps fill the small forward position, which is awfully thin tonight.
Loading Up on a Huge Game
My approach in GPPs is simple tonight: load up on the Wolves/Nuggets game. Both teams DESPERATELY need this one, and you will see short rotations on both sides. Paul Millsap is quietly putting up solid numbers in the Denver frontcourt, and he has had three massive games over the last few weeks. Fire him up as a great mid-range option in a solid matchup.
The Top Play at a Premium Position
NBA is largely frustrating at this point of the season, and this year feels even worse. You want to target players on teams with something to play for. On this short slate, the Wolves/Nuggets game stands out as one to target, as both teams are still fighting for playoff spots and neither team has anything locked up. This is a huge game for both sides, and we know that Tom Thibodeau will play his starters huge minutes. I love the potential for Towns here, especially if both Teague and Butler are out for Minnesota. The upside is massive in a big game.
Top Point Per Dollar Play
You can certainly make a case to lock McCollum into all your lineups tonight. He carries a usage rate near 35% with Damian Lillard off the floor this season, and Lillard is doubtful for tonight’s game. Portland still has some incentive to keep the #3 spot in the Western Conference standings, so McCollum should carry the load in what should be an up tempo, high scoring game. Fire him up with confidence in both cash games and GPPs.
Jimmy Butler and Jeff Teague game-time decisions Thursday
Jimmy Butler will be a game-time decision Thursday against the Nuggets. Butler will go through warm-ups, then his status will be determined. Butler hasn’t played since February 23rd. If Butler returns tonight, it will hurt the minutes of Jamal Crawford and Nemanja Bjelica. Just like Butler, Jeff Teague will also be a game-time decision tonight. If Teauge is unable to go, Tyus Jones will once again be a top play. Last game with Teague injured, Jones finished with 32 FDP points in 33 minutes.
As reported by: Jerry Zgoda Other tagged players: Jeff Teague Andre Iguodala ruled out Thursday, Nick Young questionable
The Warriors will be without Andre Iguodala for a fourth game in a row. Iguodala is nursing a knee injury. Also Nick Young is questionable tonight against the Pacers with an illness. Kevon Looney will be back for Golden State, after he missed the last game with an illness. If Young is unable to go tonight, the Warriors will be short-handed on wings. Quinn Cook, Kevin Durant, and Klay Thompson should all play heavy minutes. The Warriors could also play bigger lineups at times.
As reported by: Mark Medina via Twitter George Hill listed out Thursday
George Hill will miss his third straight game Thursday against the Wizards with an ankle injury. With Hill on the shelf, Jose Calderon will start once again. Last game, against a tough Toronto team, Calderon played 26 minutes, and finished with 37.8 FDP points. Jordan Clarkson should also see a uptick in minutes tonight.
As reported by: Cleveland Cavaliers via gamenotes Elite Value Option
Shabazz Napier should draw the start for Damian Lillard tonight, and I hope people get scared off at this price tag on DK, but he should be chalk on FD (good chalk). Houston and Portland are both cruising to the end of the season, which could lead to some extra minutes for someone like Napier. Houston is top five in defensive efficiency against point guards this season, but that’s not going to scare me off of this matchup. He struggled in the last start for Lillard but has much better numbers in starts for him this season. In nine starts this season, he’s played at least 30 minutes in seven of those games, and he’s averaging 15.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 4.4 assist. He averages 12.33 shots per game as a starter, compared to 6.32 when he comes off the bench.
This Might Be The Last Time
Jabari Parker has played 31 and 39 minutes in the last two games, and this might be the last time we see him priced under 5k on DraftKings. We don’t have a lot of value options (yet) on tonight’s slate, and I’m looking for guys that are going to play minutes in good matchups. Parker has a great matchup against the Nets, and the Bucks have a 114.5 implied team total. It’s 8 points higher than their season average. Parker has double-digit shot attempts in nine of the last ten games.
Must Win Game For Both Teams
This is the game of the night, and I expect both teams to use tight rotations. Taj Gibson has played at least 30 minutes in six of the last seven games, and they’ll need his size in this matchup. He’s averaging 35.2 minutes per game in two meetings this season and averaging 26 fantasy points in those two games. It’s tough to get excited about a 5x play, but with the limited value options on this slate, I’m taking the minutes floor. Denver ranks 29th in defensive efficiency against power forwards this season. Denver is one game behind Minnesota in the West, and I expect this to be a close game.
MarShon Brooks will play Wednesday
MarShon Brooks will play Wednesday against the Pelicans. He was questionable earlier in the day, he missed the last game with an ankle injury. In his 1st two games with the Grizzlies, he was over 30 fantasy points in each.
As reported by: Grizzlies PR via twitter Terry Rozier will start Wednesday
Terry Rozier will start Wednesday against the Raptors. Rozier missed last night’s game with an ankle injury. With Rozier playing it will hurt the value of Kadeem Allen. Also Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown lose some usage with Rozier back on the court. Rozier is only a GPP play tonight with the tough match-up with the Raptors.
As reported by: Raptors MR via twitter