DFS Alerts
Reggie Bullock (back) will start Thursday; Dwight Buycks (ankle) available to play
Bullock has officially been cleared to play and will start in Thursday’s game against the Denver Nuggets after previously being listed as questionable on the Detroit Pistons’ injury report with a sore back that had forced him to miss one game, while Dwight Buycks will also be available to play following his original questionable designation due to a sprained right ankle that had kept him sidelined for two games. The return of Bullock to the starting lineup will send Stanley Johnson back to the bench to resume a reserve role after logging 31 minutes in his spot start at shooting guard, as head coach Stan Van Gundy has already confirmed that James Ennis will continue to start at small forward for at least one additional game. Prior to his injury absence, Bullock had become a semi-reliable option for daily fantasy formats by exceeding salary based expectations in four of his last six games.
As reported by: James Edwards III via Twitter Other tagged players: Dwight Buycks
Larry Nance (hamstring) and Rodney Hood (back) questionable Thursday
Nance will participate in shootaround Thursday morning but has officially been listed as questionable on the Cleveland Cavaliers’ injury report for tonight’s game against the Portland Trail Blazers due to a right hamstring issue, while Rodney Hood is also going through shootaround but remains questionable with a strained lower back that has already forced him to miss two consecutive games. Regardless of Hood’s status, head coach Tyronn Lue already confirmed that he will use the same starters as last game, depending on the availability of Nance, which means Kyle Korver will start at shooting guard for at least one additional game. If Nance is unable to suit up, Ante Zizic would draw the start at center and has averaged 17 minutes per game as the backup center over the Cavaliers last two contests. That said, based on the comments of Lue during shootaround, Nance seems likely to play as long as he makes it through walkthroughs without a setback.
As reported by: Dave McMenamin via Twitter Other tagged players: Rodney Hood Devin Booker (hand contusion) questionable Thursday
Booker injured his hand during practice on Wednesday and has officially been listed as questionable on the Phoenix Suns’ injury report for Thursday’s game against the Utah Jazz due to a right-hand contusion. Booker was present and participating in shootaround this morning but, according to beat reporters, was primarily shooting left-handed, which does not lend much confidence to his potential availability this evening. If Booker is unable to suit up, Josh Jackson would likely remain in the starting lineup for a second straight game after logging 34 minutes en route to easily exceeding salary-based expectations in Tuesday’s loss. Interim head coach Jay Triano opted to utilize a small-ball starting lineup for that contest, but given the matchup with Rudy Gobert and Derrick Favors, it’s more than likely that Tyson Chandler rejoins the starting unit alongside Dragan Bender in the frontcourt. Jackson, T.J. Warren, and Elfrid Payton all own a +2.5% usage rate differential with Booker off the court this season, while Payton leads the trio with rates of 1.18 fantasy points per minute on DraftKings and 1.13 on FanDuel in this scenario as well.
As reported by: Scott Bordow via Twitter A Sneaky Mid-Range Find
Lowry is certainly not the sexiest of options these days, but I like him as a mid-range play tonight. Victor Oladipo should be concerned with shutting down DeMar DeRozan, which could open up some more scoring responsibilities for Lowry. He has quietly been a little more assertive on the offensive end of late, and it wouldn’t surprise me to see him pick up some of the slack tonight. He has the better matchup of the two Toronto guards, and the price tag is more than fair on every site. He has logged near triple-doubles of 11/7/8 and 24/10/8 in the two meetings between these teams already this year, too.
A Possible Pivot off the Chalky Vonleh?
I like Noah Vonleh as a value play for sure, but if you are looking for an interesting GPP pivot, don’t forget about Bobby Portis. He will also benefit from Lauri Markkanen being sidelined, and he should see close to 30 minutes of court time even if he continues to come off the bench. Portis has averaged 40 fantasy points over his last two contests, and it wouldn’t surprise me at all to see him do that again tonight, even against a slow-paced Memphis team.
A Fantastic GPP Option
He’s always on my radar as an under-owned play, and now he gets a matchup in a revenge game against one of his former teams. The Hawks often struggle with defending capable big men, too, so it wouldn’t surprise me at all to see Howard post a monster double-double here. My bold call is that Howard posts a 20 point, 20 rebound game this evening. The Hornets have a healthy implied team total of 112 points despite being on the road, which is a testament to just how bad Atlanta’s defense can be.
Sneaky Floor and Ceiling at Power Forward
The masses are going to gravitate to Blake Griffin at power forward and rightly so. He’s been playing well and on the season, the Nuggets haven’t been great against power forwards. If you are looking for a pivot that offers a higher floor, LaMarcus Aldridge makes a ton of sense. The Spurs are in must win mode and they get to take on a Pelicans’ team that has played at one of the fastest paces since the All-Star break.
Big Game with a High Total
The Blazers are right in the thick of things in the Western Conference. They need a strong finish to the season if they want to host a first-round playoff series. They draw one of the top matchups on the board, as they take on the Cavaliers, who are one of the worst defensive teams in basketball. Damian Lillard is expensive, but he offers a high floor and a high ceiling in a game that we expect to stay competitive throughout.
Much Needed Value at Power Forward
The Bulls have nothing to play for at this point of the season. While that’s a small concern, they are giving extended minutes to players that may not necessarily deserve them. Lauri Markkanen has been ruled out of tonight’s game, which means Noah Vonleh will draw another start at power forward and likely play around 30 minutes. He’s arguably the top value play on the board.
OG Anunoby (ankle sprain) will play Thursday
Anunoby has been cleared to play and will suit up for Thursday’s game against the Indiana Pacers despite previously being listed as doubtful in the Toronto Raptors game notes with a sprained right ankle that had forced him to miss seven consecutive games. There’s been no confirmation from the team or head coach or Dwane Casey whether Anunoby will start or come off the bench, but with Norman Powell still listed doubtful on the injury report with a sprained left ankle, Anunoby will almost certainly be needed to defend Victor Oladipo on the wing. Malcolm Miller did start two games at small forward when Anunoby was sidelined, but he still appears to be a longshot to start since he’s averaged just 7.5 minutes of action over the last four games. Prior to his extended absence, Anunoby had been logging minutes in the low-teens with Casey utilizing plenty of three-guard lineup combinations, and he’ll remain irrelevant for daily fantasy formats no matter the starting lineup.
As reported by: Eric Smith via Twitter Kyle Kuzma (ankle) ruled out Wednesday; Isaiah Thomas will start
Kuzma has officially been ruled out and won’t play in Wednesday’s game against the Golden State Warriors after previously being listed as questionable on the Los Angeles Lakers’ injury report with a sprained right ankle he sustained during Tuesday’s win. Kuzma had a visible limp following that contest, but he still tested his ankle briefly during pregame warmups before it was determined that he would be unable to suit up. In his absence, head coach Luke Walton will deploy a three-guard starting lineup with Isaiah Thomas and Lonzo Ball in the backcourt and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope sliding over to small forward. The Lakers are also without Brandon Ingram and Josh Hart on the wing, so newly-signed Derrick Williams will likely be relied upon to assume a significant role in the frontcourt rotation. The main beneficiaries of the aforementioned players’ absences have been Thomas and Julius Randle, as each own at least a +6.1% usage rate differential with Kuzma, Ingram, and Hart off the court this season. While neither has seen a noteworthy increase in their per minute production in this scenario thus far, Thomas does lead the team with a rate of 1.12 fantasy points per minute on DraftKings and 1.05 on FanDuel.
As reported by: Bill Oram via Twitter Other tagged players: Isaiah Thomas Josh Richardson (sore foot) officially ruled out Wednesday
Richardson has officially been ruled out and won’t play in Wednesday’s game against the Sacramento Kings after previously being listed as doubtful on the Miami Heat’s injury report with a sore left foot. Meanwhile, Hassan Whiteside and Dwyane Wade will jointly miss their second consecutive game due to their respective ailments, which will allow Bam Adebayo to start at center for the third time in as many contests and has averaged 20 minutes per start over that span. Neither the Heat or head coach Erik Spoelstra have announced who would replace Richardson in the starting lineup if he’s ruled out, but Justise Winslow or Wayne Ellington figure to be the top candidates. However, it’s certainly possible Spoelstra opts to make Luke Babbitt a starter in name only in order to keep the normal second unit and rotation as intact as possible. Either way, Winslow has sported a solid minute floor of late, and he owns a +3.2% usage rate differential with the aforementioned players off the court this season, making him an intriguing tournament target if he’s able to convert that usage into additional fantasy production.
As reported by: Manny Navarro via Twitter Jayson Tatum (back) will start Wednesday; Terry Rozier, Marcus Morris, and Guerschon Yabusele also starting
Tatum has officially been cleared to play and will start in Wednesday’s game against the Washington Wizards after previously being listed as probable on the Boston Celtics’ injury report with low back tightness. He’ll be joined in the starting lineup by Terry Rozier, Marcus Morris, and Guerschon Yabusele since the Celtics are without Kyrie Irving, Al Horford, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart, and Daniel Theis, the latter two in danger of missing the remainder of the season, while Brown is slated to miss at least two additional games following tonight’s contest. Irving is expected to sit for multiple games to rest a sore left knee and Rozier will be the main beneficiary of his and Smart’s absences. There’s obviously almost no sample size with all of the aforementioned players off the court this season, but in that limited time, Rozier, Morris, and Tatum all own at least a +11.4% usage rate differential, possibly indicating they may be the top three Celtics to target in all daily fantasy formats this evening.
As reported by: Chris Forsberg via Twitter Other tagged players: Terry Rozier, Marcus Morris, Guerschon Yabusele Aaron Gordon (concussion) ruled out Wednesday
Gordon has officially been ruled out and won’t play in Wednesday’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks after previously being listed as questionable in the Orlando Magic’s game notes with a concussion that has now forced him to miss four consecutive games. Gordon was originally hopeful he’d be able to make his return this evening, but remains in the NBA’s concussion protocol and won’t be cleared until he can pass the final phases. Meanwhile, Evan Fournier has missed the last three games with a sprained left MCL and remains without a timetable for return, which continues to feed into rumblings that the Magic may need (want) to shut him down for the remainder of the season. In their absences, Mario Hezonja and Jonathan Isaac will continue to start at 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 +6.2% usage rate differential with Gordon and Fournier off the court this season, while Simmons has also seen his production spike to 0.94 fantasy points per minute on DraftKings and 0.91 on FanDuel in this scenario.
As reported by: Josh Robbins via Twitter Skal Labissiere (hip contusion) ruled out Wednesday
Labissiere has officially been ruled out and won’t play in Wednesday’s game against the Miami Heat after previously being listed as questionable on the Sacramento Kings’ injury report with a left hip contusion that has now forced him to miss three consecutive games. Meanwhile, Iman Shumpert remains sidelined with left foot plantar fasciitis and is still without a timetable for his return. The Kings are in the midst of a stretch of three games in four nights, and there is currently no indication from the team or head coach Dave Joerger which, if any, veteran players will be rested in tonight’s contest. Willie Cauley-Stein managed to average 29 minutes off the bench in his first two games back from a strained lower back that had kept him sidelined for four straight games, which has allowed Kosta Koufos to start seven consecutive contests at center. Zach Randolph has started at power forward in place of Labissiere, averaging 22 minutes, but he’ll still remain a candidate to receive a DNP-CD, though an official update on his status or any other of the Kings veterans has not been provided.
As reported by: James Ham via Twitter