DFS Alerts
Increased Playing Time and Usage
The Lakers are not expected to have Isaiah Thomas and Brandon Ingram in the lineup tonight, which shortens their rotation significantly. It also opens up usage in the offense. Kyle Kuzma should soak up extra playing time and more responsibility in the offense. He has played at least 40 minutes in back-to-back games and he has taken at least 18 shot attempts in three of his last five games. I’m not concerned about a matchup against the Pistons, who have struggled to contain opposing small forwards this season.
Blurred Lines
At this point of the season, there isn’t much separating cash game from tournament plays. There are very few safe targets, which makes players like Trey Burke solid options for all formats. Burke has played well over his last five games and was named the starter for last night’s game against the Wizards. He didn’t disappoint, scoring 33 fantasy points in 27 minutes of action. Burke averages well over a fantasy point per minute on the season and will hopefully play minutes in the high-20s again tonight.
Young Guard/Forward Looking to Continue Hot Month
Andrew Wiggins has turned things up in the month of March with Jimmy Butler off the court, and is averaging monthly highs in points (20.2), rebounds (5.0), and assists (2.4) since the calendar turned at the end of February. He has been particularly strong the past three games, averaging 35.8 FanDuel points and 36.7 DraftKings points, but his price hasn’t risen accordingly, and he is still available for $7000 on FanDuel and $6,500 on DraftKings. Tonight he plays at home against a Memphis team that has gone an astounding 1 – 23 in their last 24 games. As long as Wiggins gets his usual allotment of minutes tonight, he should be a great pick at home in an almost guaranteed win.
Triple-Double Threat Every Time He Takes the Court
Ben Simmons has been heating up over the past few weeks, and now has four triple-doubles in his last seven games. Over that span he has averaged 12.7 points, 11.6 assists, and 10.4 rebounds, and tonight he takes on a Denver team that ranks 26th in the league in opponent assists allowed per game, and 21st in opponent points allowed. Simmons won’t come cheap, as he is $9800 at power forward on FanDuel and $8800 at point guard or small forward on DraftKings, but he has the potential to put up another triple-double (and a big fantasy point total) tonight to pay off that price.
Derrick Rose (ankle sprain) ruled out Monday
Rose and his ailing ankle are progressing well, according to head coach Tom Thibodeau, but he’s been ruled out of Monday’s matchup with the Memphis Grizzlies and will miss his third consecutive game. The Timberwolves are still without Jimmy Butler as he recovers from a torn meniscus, so as he typically does, Thibodeau will continue to rely heavily on his starting unit as Karl-Anthony Towns, Andrew Wiggins, and Nemanja Bjelica have consistently approached the 40-minute mark with Butler sidelined. In Rose’s absence, Thibodeau will almost certainly give Jeff Teague a longer leash than normal with the starters, while Tyus Jones will absorb the remaining available point guard minutes, though he should remain irrelevant for daily fantasy formats barring a drastic rotation change in the backcourt.
As reported by: Jon Krawczynski via Twitter
Great Matchup for Young Point Guard
Isaiah Thomas is out tonight for the Lakers, meaning there should be plenty of minutes for Lonzo Ball, who has averaged 40 minutes per game over his last six games as it is. Tonight, Ball draws a matchup against a Detroit team that has had trouble guarding the point guard position all season and ranks 27th in the league in opponent assists allowed per game. Ball’s price has risen to $8300 on FanDuel and $7800 on DraftKings, but with a ton of minutes and a good matchup, he has the upside to put up a GPP-winning point total even at those prices.
Nicolas Batum (sore Achilles) intends to play Monday
Batum is likely to be a game-time decision but will try to play in Monday’s matchup with the New York Knicks following a four-game absence due to a sore left Achilles. Head coach Steve Clifford already confirmed that Batum will start if he plays, meaning Jeremy Lamb would head back to the bench to resume his normal reserve after logging at least 30 minutes in three of the last four contests. With Zeller still sidelined, Dwight Howard figures to be on the receiving end of some additional playing time, while Guillermo Hernangomez should remain in the backup center role and is averaging just over 15 minutes per game over his last five contests. The Hornets have generally struggled in their three prior meetings with New York this season, as Howard has led the team with rates of 1.07 fantasy points per minute on DraftKings and 1.05 on FanDuel in these matchups, significant decreases in his normal per minute averages.
As reported by: Charlotte Hornets PR via Twitter Shaun Livingston (groin) available to play Sunday; Omri Casspi (ankle) ruled out
The Golden State Warriors are also without Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson for Sunday’s matchup with the Utah Jazz, marking the first time all season, which has forced head coach Steve Kerr to start Kevon Looney and JaVale McGee alongside Patrick McCaw in the frontcourt, sending Jordan Bell and Zaza Pachulia to the bench. With Curry sidelined for at least three weeks, Kerr has already confirmed that Quinn Cook will start at point guard alongside Nick Young in the backcourt, and given his recent performances, should more than likely continue starting for the duration of Curry’s absence. The Warriors are poised to receive some reinforcements in the coming days with Green presumably close to returning and Kevin Durant targeting a return later in the week, possibly for Tuesday or Thursday’s contests. Outside of Cook, both Young and Andre Iguodala have been the main beneficiaries with Curry, Durant, Gren, and Thompson off the court, as each own at least a +6.4% usage rate differential and experience a minimum of a +0.10 increase to their per minute production as well.
As reported by: Mark Medina via Twitter Other tagged players: Omri Casspi Patrick McCaw (back) and Nick Young (knee) will start Sunday
The Golden State Warriors are without Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson for Sunday’s matchup with the Utah Jazz, marking the first time all season, which has forced head coach Steve Kerr to start Kevon Looney and JaVale McGee alongside Patrick McCaw in the frontcourt, sending Jordan Bell and Zaza Pachulia to the bench. With Curry sidelined for at least three weeks, Kerr has already confirmed that Quinn Cook will start at point guard alongside Nick Young in the backcourt, and given his recent performances, should more than likely continue starting for the duration of Curry’s absence. The Warriors are poised to receive some reinforcements in the coming days with Green presumably close to returning and Kevin Durant targeting a return later in the week, possibly for Tuesday or Thursday’s contests. Outside of Cook, both Young and Andre Iguodala have been the main beneficiaries with Curry, Durant, Gren, and Thompson off the court, as each own at least a +6.4% usage rate differential and experience a minimum of a +0.10 increase to their per minute production as well.
As reported by: Anthony Slater via Twitter Other tagged players: Nick Young Dennis Schroder (ankle) ruled out Sunday; John Collins (ankle) will start
Schroder has been ruled out for the second time in three games, this time due to a sprained right ankle he sustained during Friday’s loss. He’ll be replaced by Isaiah Taylor in the starting lineup at point guard, though Taylor was allotted just 26 minutes in his previous start when Schroder was rested on the front end of a back-to-back set earlier in the week. John Collins was always expected to play, despite his previous probable designation on the Atlanta Hawks’ injury report, after logging 31 minutes in his return from a two-game absence due to a sprained left ankle. The Hawks are also still without Malcolm Delaney, Jaylen Morris, DeAndre Bembry, and Antonius Cleveland, so Josh Magette should be able to return to the rotation to provide some depth in a depleted backcourt and recorded 22 minutes the last time Schroder was unavailable. Taurean Prince owns some pretty outrageous statistics with Schroder and the other injured Hawks off the court this season, evidenced by a massive +14.8% usage rate differential and averages of 1.58 fantasy points per minute on DraftKings and 1.50 on FanDuel in this scenario. While these numbers are unsustainable in a larger sample size, they do indicate that Prince is likely the top player to target from this Hawks squad Sunday evening.
As reported by: Annie Finberg via Twitter Other tagged players: John Collins Shabazz Napier (toe), Jusuf Nurkic (back), Evan Turner (back) and Ed Davis (foot) available to play Sunday
Napier was a late scratch from Friday’s loss due to a sore great left toe but has been cleared to play in Sunday’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, while Jusuf Nurkic, Evan Turner, and Ed Davis will suit up as well. Pat Connaughton logged 22 minutes off the bench in the absence of Napier, but he’ll more than likely see a drastic reduction in that time with Napier back in the fold, as he typically absorbs minutes in the mid-teens by himself. This was the second straight game that Nurkic and Turner have received designations on the injury report, and it wouldn’t be all that surprising to see Turner limited in some way as he confirmed with reporters following the loss on Friday that his back was still bothering him, despite logging just 21 minutes. As for Damian Lillard, his “baby watch” continues, but he is currently present at the arena and is currently fully expected to go through pregame warmups and play in tonight’s contest
As reported by: Joe Freeman via Twitter Other tagged players: Jusuf Nurkic, Evan Turner, Ed Davis Lance Thomas (personal) now available to play Sunday; Frank Ntilikina likely to start
Thomas was originally listed out in the New York Knicks’ game notes but has rejoined the team for Sunday’s matchup with the Washington Wizards, though there’s been no word on whether he’ll start or come off the bench. Frank Ntilikina and Trey Burke are expected to start in the backcourt, according to head coach Jeff Hornacek, which will presumably send Emmanuel Mudiay and Courtney Lee to the bench to assume reserve roles after they were replaced by Burke to begin the second half of Friday’s loss, limiting him to just four minutes of action. With Kyle O’Quinn unavailable, the Knicks will be forced to rely upon Luke Kornet and Isaiah Hicks to absorb the backup minutes behind Enes Kanter at center, though neither should be expected to see a substantial increase in playing time since O’Quinn hasn’t logged more than 15 minutes in either of the last two games. As for Damyean Dotson, he’s been in and out of the lineup, so his absence won’t have much of an effect on the remaining wing and guard rotation.
As reported by: Chris Iseman via Twitter Other tagged players: Frank Ntilikina Jaylen Brown (concussion) will start Sunday
Brown will make his return from a concussion in Sunday’s matchup with the Sacramento Kings, and he’ll reclaim his spot in the starting lineup from Marcus Morris, who’s already been ruled out with a sprained right ankle, a move that will slide Jayson Tatum over to his normal small forward position. Kyrie Irving underwent a procedure to remove a tension wire in his left knee and he’ll be sidelined for the next three-to-six weeks, which will allow Terry Rozier to continue starting at point guard and has averaged 33 minutes per game over his last four starts. Outside of Rozier, it’s been Jayson Tatum, Al Horford, and Greg Monroe that have benefited the most with the aforementioned players off the court, as each own at least a +4.8% usage rate differential, while Horford has seen the largest spike in usage and is averaging 1.31 fantasy points per minute on DraftKings and 1.32 on FanDuel in this scenario.
As reported by: Adam Himmelsbach via Twitter C.J. Miles (gastroenteritis) available to play Sunday
Miles is set to return from a two-game absence due to a bout of gastroenteritis, and his presence in the lineup should spell the end of Norman Powell and Lucas Nogueira’s stints in the rotation. Miles has averaged just over 21 minutes off the bench in the Toronto Raptors last 11 games, so if steps directly back into the integral role, players like Fred VanVleet may see their playing time reduced to some extent. That said, VanVleet seems to be locking down the Raptors sixth-man role with the playoffs fast-approaching, and he’s recorded at least 27 minutes in four of the last five games, making him a compelling tournament target on Sunday’s six-game main slate.
As reported by: Blake Murphy via Twitter Zach Randolph (illness) ruled out Sunday
Randolph is still battling an illness and will miss his second consecutive game, which should enable Skal Labissiere to draw the start at power forward once again. Labissiere was solid from a daily fantasy standpoint in Thursday’s win, exceeding salary-based expectations in 29 minutes of action, while Vince Carter saw 23 minutes off the bench in the absence of Garrett Temple, who remains sidelined with a sprained right ankle. Shockingly, Kosta Koufos led the team with 32 minutes off the bench, though given head coach Dave Joerger’s unpredictable rotations, it’s tough to project him or any member of this Kings squad for playing time over the 30-minute mark. Meanwhile, Bogdan Bogdanovic and Willie Cauley-Stein each own at least a +1.8% usage rate differential with Randolph and Temple off the court this season, while Bogdanovic has averaged 0.98 fantasy points per minute on DraftKings and 0.97 on FanDuel in this scenario as well.
As reported by: James Ham via Twitter