DFS Alerts
Paul George (groin strain) will play Friday
George has officially been cleared to play and will start in Friday’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers after originally being listed as questionable on the Oklahoma City Thunder’s injury report with a strained groin. Meanwhile, Steven Adams has also been cleared to return from a one-game absence following his earlier questionable designation on the injury report due to a left hip contusion. Adams won’t be subject to a minute restriction, but his return to the starting lineup will send Dakari Johnson back to the bench and out of the rotation after logging just eight minutes as the starting center in Tuesday’s contest. Instead, it was Patrick Patterson and Jerami Grant that formed a committee to absorb a large majority of the available center minutes vacated by Adams, though Grant was the only one that produced a fantasy relevant performance, easily exceeding salary-based expectations in 32 minutes of action. Assuming George is close to full-strength, he’ll be a stellar tournament option on Friday’s slate and has averaged 1.50 fantasy points per minute on DraftKings and 1.43 on FanDuel in two prior meetings with the Clippers this season.
As reported by: Brett Dawson via Twitter
Kyle Lowry (rest) ruled out Friday; Norman Powell (ankle) remains out
Lowry has officially been ruled out and won’t play in Friday’s game against the Dallas Mavericks due to rest purposes on the second leg of a back-to-back set. Lowry was never listed on the Toronto Raptors’ injury report at any point throughout the day, so this news was not expected since the Raptors rarely rest players in back-to-back situations. There has yet to be any confirmation of who will replace him in the starting lineup, but Delon Wright has started all three games that Lowry has missed this season, making him the leading candidate. Meanwhile, Norman Powell remains sidelined with a sprained left ankle, and OG Anunoby will displace Malcolm Miller from the starting small forward spot. Unsurprisingly, with Lowry and Powell off the court this season, DeMar DeRozan has been the largest beneficiary, owning a +9.7% usage rate differential, while also averaging 1.52 fantasy points per minute on DraftKings and 1.50 on FanDuel in this scenario.
As reported by: Eric Smith via Twitter Other tagged players: Norman Powell Steven Adams (hip) available to play Friday; Paul George (groin) a game-time decision
Adams has officially been cleared to play and will suit up for Friday’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers after previously being listed as questionable on the Oklahoma City Thunder’s injury report with a left hip contusion that had forced him to miss one game. Meanwhile, Paul George remains questionable with a strained groin and is shaping up to be a true game-time decision as he will go through pregame warmups before a determination is made on his status. Adams won’t be subject to a minute restriction, but his return to the starting lineup will send Dakari Johnson back to the bench and out of the rotation after logging just eight minutes as the starting center in Tuesday’s contest. Instead, it was Patrick Patterson and Jerami Grant that formed a committee to absorb a large majority of the available center minutes vacated by Adams, though Grant was the only one that produced a fantasy relevant performance, easily exceeding salary-based expectations in 32 minutes of action.
As reported by: Royce Young via Twitter Other tagged players: Paul George Allen Crabbe (illness) ruled out Friday; Joe Harris and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson will start, Spencer Dinwiddie to the bench
Crabbe has officially been ruled out and won’t play in Friday’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers after previously being listed as questionable on the Brooklyn Nets’ injury report with an illness. In his absence, Joe Harris will draw the start at the shooting guard spot, and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson will finally rejoin the starting lineup at power forward, sliding DeMarre Carroll over to small forward and sending Spencer Dinwiddie to the bench to assume a reserve role. Jarrett Allen will also make his return from a one-game absence due to a sore left foot but has seen his playing time reduced since Hollis-Jefferson returned from injury, logging 21 minutes or fewer in each of his last four games. Harris will obviously see a significant uptick in minutes sans Crabbe, but Caris LeVert could end up being the more intriguing target in tournament formats as he’s averaged approximately 28 minutes per game when Crabbe has been sidelined this season.
As reported by: Brian Lewis via Twitter Other tagged players: Joe Harris, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson Aaron Gordon (concussion) could now be cleared to play Friday
Gordon was originally ruled out, but the Orlando Magic have filed an appeal with the NBA to have Gordon cleared from the concussion protocol in order to play in Friday’s game against the Boston Celtics since he is currently symptom-free, according to the Orlando medical staff. Gordon was previously listed as questionable on the injury report, and unfortunately, it appears that his official status is unlikely to be determined prior to the game’s scheduled tipoff. If Gordon is able to play, it won’t be as a starter since the Magic have already confirmed their starting lineup with Mario Hezonja and Jonathan Isaac manning the forward positions, though Isaac has had his minutes capped at 25 as he continues to work his way back from lingering ankle injuries, reserving him to tournament format consideration only. On the other hand, Jonathon Simmons and Nikola Vucevic both own at least a +5.3% usage rate differential with Gordon and Fournier off the court this season, while Simmons has also seen his production spike to 0.97 fantasy points per minute on DraftKings and 0.92 on FanDuel in this scenario.
As reported by: John Denton via Twitter Quinn Cook (hand), Jordan Bell (ankle), and David West (arm) available to play Friday
Cook and Bell have both officially been cleared to play and will suit up for Friday’s game against the Sacramento Kings after previously being listed as probable on the Golden State Warriors’ injury report with a right-hand contusion and a sprained right ankle, respectively, while David West will also be available off the bench for the first time in five games following his earlier probable designation on the injury report. The Warriors are without Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Patrick McCaw due to their respective ailments, so Nick Young will likely draw his second consecutive start at the shooting guard spot in place of Thompson, while Omri Casspi appears to be the leading candidate to start at small forward to keep Andre Iguodala in his accustomary sixth-man role. In Curry’s absence, Quinn Cook figures to continue starting at point guard but is coming off of three straight disappointing fantasy performances despite logging at least 27 minutes of action in each start. There is almost no sample size with the Warriors big three off the court together, but Young appears to be the big winner from a usage standpoint, as he owns a massive +11.3% usage rate differential while also averaging 0.96 fantasy points per minute on DraftKings and 0.84 on FanDuel in 84.1 total minutes played in this scenario.
As reported by: Connor Letourneau via Twitter Other tagged players: Jordan Bell Josh Richardson (sore foot) upgraded to questionable Friday
Richardson has officially been listed as questionable on the Miami Heat’s injury report for Friday’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers after previously being listed as doubtful with a sore left foot that already forced him to miss Wednesday’s overtime loss. Meanwhile, Hassan Whiteside and Dwyane Wade have already been ruled out, with Whiteside missing his fourth straight game due to a left hip issue and Wade missing his third straight because of a strained left hamstring, which will allow Bam Adebayo to start at center for the fourth time in as many contests and has averaged 23 minutes per game over that span. Luke Babbitt started at small forward in the last game sans Richardson but logged just 13 minutes as has been the case most times he’s cracked head coach Erik Spoelstra’s starting five. Should Richardson be ruled out once again, Justise Winslow and Kelly Olynyk stand to continue benefitting the most, as each own at least a +2.9% usage rate differential with him, Whiteside, and Wade off the court this season, while Olynyk leads the team with rates of 1.13 fantasy points per minute on DraftKings and 1.10 on FanDuel in this scenario.
As reported by: Ira Winderman via Twitter Skal Labissiere (bruised hip) probable Friday
Labissiere has officially been listed as probable on the Sacramento Kings’ injury report for Friday’s game against the Golden State Warriors after previously being listed as questionable with a bruised left hip that has forced him to miss three consecutive games. Willie Cauley-Stein finally rejoined the starting lineup for Wednesday’s overtime win and logged 36 minutes en route to exceeding his salary-based expectations. This lineup change sent Kosta Koufos back to the bench to resume a reserve role, though his playing time stayed roughly the same as it had been in his prior two starts, recording 18 minutes. There’s yet to be any confirmation on whether Labissiere will start or come off the bench, but either way, he and Cauley-Stein should lead the frontcourt quartet in total minutes played, with Koufos and Zach Randolph picking up any leftover playing time.
As reported by: Sean Cunningham via Twitter One of the Best Value Plays of the Slate
Hassan Whiteside has already been ruled out of tonight’s game, which opens the door for Bam Adebayo once again. In his last two starts, Adebayo has played 24 and 27 minutes and has scored 22 and 30 fantasy points. He draws an elite matchup against the Lakers, who aren’t particularly good at defending the paint.
Kevin Durant (sore ribs) ruled out Friday
Durant has officially been ruled out and won’t play in Friday’s game against the Sacramento Kings after previously being listed as questionable on the Golden State Warriors’ injury report with right ribs soreness. The Warriors are also without Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Patrick McCaw due to their respective ailments, while both Draymond Green and David West will be available to play following their stints on the injury report. The return of Green will send Kevon Looney back to the bench after logging 25 minutes in his spot start with West also sidelined, but Nick Young will likely draw his second consecutive start at the shooting guard spot in place of Thompson, while Omri Casspi appears to be the leading candidate to start at small forward to keep Andre Iguodala in his accustomary sixth-man role. In Curry’s absence, Quinn Cook figures to continue starting at point guard but is coming off of three straight disappointing fantasy performances despite logging at least 27 minutes of action in each start. There is almost no sample size with the Warriors big three off the court together, but Young appears to be the big winner from a usage standpoint, as he owns a massive +11.3% usage rate differential while also averaging 0.96 fantasy points per minute on DraftKings and 0.84 on FanDuel in 84.1 total minutes played in this scenario.
As reported by: Anthony Slater via Twitter Battle for Playoff Positioning
The Clippers and Thunder are both fighting to make the playoffs in the West, so this should be one of the best games to target for fantasy production. Lou Williams has been quiet over the last couple of weeks, but is a safe bet to play 35+ minutes and he has one of the highest usage rates of any player in the slate. It’s also worth noting that the Thunder have struggled to contain shooting guards ever since losing Andre Roberson for the season.
Lock and Load this Power Forward in Cash Games
The Warriors have already ruled out Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, which means there are a lot of shots to go around in this offense. There’s a chance that Kevin Durant could also sit, as he is listed as questionable. Draymond Green should see a boost in usage and likely in playing time as well. The fact that he is facing the Kings is icing on the cake. On the season, the Kings are one of the worst teams at defending both power forwards and centers.
J.J. Barea (rib strain) will play Friday
Barea has officially been cleared to play and will suit up for Friday’s game against the Toronto Raptors after previously being listed as questionable on the Dallas Mavericks’ injury report with a strained left rib muscle. Meanwhile, Salah Mejri will miss the next two games with a strained right hamstring but has mostly been out of the rotation ever since Nerlens Noel returned from an extended absence due to left thumb surgery. Dorian Finney-Smith replaced Dwight Powell in the Mavericks starting lineup for Tuesday’s win and logged 20 minutes, while Powell saw his playing time plummet to just eight minutes off the bench. At this time, it still remains unclear if this will be the starting lineup combination head coach Rick Carlisle will continue to utilize or if it was just a one-game abnormality, but if Finney-Smith draws the start for the second time in as many games, he could be worth a look for tournament formats at his price tag across the industry.
As reported by: Eddie Sefko via Twitter Al Horford (illness) will play Friday; Kyrie Irving (knee) remains out
Horford has officially been cleared to play and will suit up for Friday’s game against the Orlando Magic after previously being listed as probable in the Boston Celtics’ game notes with an illness that had forced him to miss two consecutive games. Meanwhile, Kyrie Irving will sit for the second straight game, as expected, to rest a sore left knee. The Celtics are also still without Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart, and Daniel Theis, which allowed Terry Rozier, Marcus Morris, and Guerschon Yabusele enter the starting lineup in Wednesday’s overtime loss, though the return of Horford will almost certainly relegate Yabusele back to the bench to resume a reserve role after logging 18 minutes in his spot start. There isn’t a large sample size with the aforementioned players off the court this season, but Rozier and Jayson Tatum have the most minutes played in this scenario and each own at least a +6.1% usage rate differential, while Rozier has seen his production spike to 1.14 fantasy points per minute on DraftKings and 1.15 on FanDuel as well.
As reported by: Gary Washburn via Twitter Other tagged players: Kyrie Irving Can He Keep This Up
On the Morning Grind, I was really fast to dismiss Corey Brewer, but after digging into it more, I think he’s an interesting GPP play tonight. He’s been crushing because of his steals and blocks, but there is upside for that in this game tonight. The Clippers are 12th in the league in turnovers per game this season. Brewer has a 16.2% usage rate and he’s averaging .77 fantasy points per minute in the month of March. Over the last three games, he is averaging .82 fantasy points per minute. He’s played at least 27 minutes in four straight games, and is very interesting if he plays 27+ minutes in tonight’s game.
