DFS Alerts
How do we Fade this Guy?
Anthony Davis posted a triple-double against the Jazz (WITH BLOCKS). He has been on an absolute tear over the last month of play and I don’t see him slowing down anytime soon. While Dwight Howard is a very physical defender that fares well against traditional centers, he doesn’t defend the perimeter well. Davis has the ability to stretch the floor and to beat you inside, which makes him a difficult cover for anyone.
Dario Saric (gastroenteritis) questionable Tuesday
Saric has officially been listed as questionable on the Philadelphia 76ers’ injury report for Tuesday’s game against the Indiana Pacers due to gastroenteritis, while Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot is also listed as questionable with right knee patellar tendinitis. However, Luwawu-Cabarrot is still out of head coach Brett Brown’s rotation following the addition of Marco Belinelli and return of Justin Anderson from an extended injury absence. The last time Saric was unavailable for a game, Jerryd Bayless ended up drawing the start in his place, but since he’s no longer a part of the regular rotation, Ersan Ilyasova will slot in at power forward alongside Joel Embiid in the frontcourt court. While Ilyasova will undoubtedly benefit the most from the potential absence of Saric this evening, Richaun Holmes or Justin Anderson would likely rejoin the rotation depending on lineup combinations as well. With Saric off the court this season, Robert Covington owns a +3.7% usage rate differential and has seen his production spike to 1.06 fantasy points per minute on DraftKings and 1.04 on FanDuel in this scenario.
As reported by: Jessica Camerato via Twitter
Quietly Benefiting from Massive Minutes
Kuzma has played at least 37 minutes in four straight games now, which is quite the accomplishment for a Lakers player. Luke Walton has finally stopped messing with his rotations, and Kuzma should be able to thrive in the season’s final month. While his results haven’t been the best in those last few games, I’ll gladly take some chances on his upside in a pace up game against the Nuggets. If the Lakers want to stay close in this game, they will need Kuzma to play well, making him a fine risk/reward GPP target in the mid range.
Massive Upside and a Great Matchup
Cleveland has a massive team total of 119 tonight, which is the highest implied team total on the board. This is despite the fact that they are on the road and have been hit or miss all year as a team. When you combine that with the fact that Rodney Hood might be out again, there’s plenty of Cleveland plays to like in a favorable matchup against the Suns. As for James, he has the safest floor and the highest ceiling of the studs on the slate tonight. Cleveland is coming off an embarrassing weekend loss against the Lakers, and this could be a game where he just decides to take over, video game style. It’s certainly possible with the Suns on the docket. He will be the high end play that I have the most exposure to this evening.
A Great Mid-Range Center Option for GPPs
His size on the interior is the only prayer the Hornets have to slow down Anthony Davis. While his play has been up and down a little more lately, the potential is certainly there. Howard has shown his upside plenty of times this year, and his price tag is still reasonable compared to other top end centers. He also played well in the first meeting between these teams this year, piling up 22 points and 16 rebounds over 37 minutes of court time. Fire him up as a great GPP play on this large Tuesday slate.
Increased Opportunity Because Of Injuries
Jeff Green drew the start at small forward on Sunday, and there is a good chance that happens again tonight. He only played 22 minutes, but the Lakers blew out the Cavs. He played all 22 minutes before the fourth quarter, so I could see six to eight more minutes in a close game without Hood and Osman playing. The last game he played 30+ minutes, he went for 24 actual points. Green is not a safe play at all, but with the injuries, he’s certainly in play for tournaments tonight. Cleveland has the highest implied team total on the slate, and it’s 8.5 points higher than their season average.
I Am Hit Or Miss
I’m not a big Yogi Ferrell fan, but I have to consider him with Wesley Matthews out for the season. Ferrell is averaging just less than 33 minutes in 20 starts this season, and he’s averaging .71 fantasy points per minute without Matthews on the floor. He shot terribly in the Houston game, but he did get to play six fourth-quarter minutes in a blowout. He also played nine minutes in the fourth quarter of the blowout game against Memphis the night before. The Knicks are allowing the ninth-most fantasy points per game to opposing shooting guards over their last ten games. He’s not a high-ceiling guy, but I think he presents us with a really solid floor tonight.
Double-Digit Shot Attempts
Allen Crabbe comes in with double-digit shot attempts in nine of his last ten games, and he’s still priced in the value range. He heavily relies on scoring, which is always risky when targeting someone. The Nets have been playing a nine-man rotation and are finally a team I’m willing to play in DFS. Crabbe had 20 actual points against the Raptors in their first meeting this season, and with the current shot attempts, I like the upside of 20 actual points again. The minutes are certainly there for Crabbe, and I’m willing to take a shot at this price tag.
Minutes Trending In The Right Direction
Emmanuel Mudiay has been the one bright spot when playing anyone from the Knicks lately. He’s still priced where we can profit on him, and he has a really good matchup against Dallas tonight. Dallas is ranked 26th in defensive efficiency against point guards this season, and they’re allowing 47.77 fantasy points per game to opposing point guards over their last ten games. Mudiay has at least 28 fantasy points in two straight games, and I like his chances to make it three straight games tonight.
Jarell Martin (foot) will start ahead of Ben McLemore on Monday
Martin has officially been cleared to play and will start in Monday’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks after originally being listed as questionable on the Memphis Grizzlies’ injury report with a right foot injury. Meanwhile, the Grizzlies are still without Tyreke Evans, Mario Chalmers, Andrew Harrison, and Mike Conley, leaving them extremely thin in the backcourt and essentially relying on Kobi Simmons and Xavier Rathan-Mayes to absorb all of the available playing time at point guard. Martin ended up logging 29 minutes as the starter in place of the Marc Gasol on Saturday, but he’s consistently been in that range of late, no matter his role, and should continue to see playing time at all three frontcourt positions while Memphis is shorthanded. This means Martin could be worth a look in large-field tournaments on Monday’s slate but is still far from an elite option given his sporadic lack of efficiency and elevated price tag across the industry.
As reported by: the Memphis Grizzlies via Twitter Other tagged players: Ben McLemore Rudy Gay listed as starter in place of LaMarcus Aldridge (knee) on Monday
Aldridge was officially ruled out on the San Antonio Spurs’ injury report in advance of Monday’s game against the Houston Rockets with a sore right knee, while Manu Ginobili was also ruled out due to rest purposes on the front end of a back-to-back set. Davis Bertans was originally expected to draw the start alongside Pau Gasol in the frontcourt, but the Spurs have listed Rudy Gay as the starting power forward for tonight’s matchup. Gay has yet to eclipse 26 minutes in any game since returning from injury at the end of February, so it remains unclear just how much this lineup change will alter the allotted playing time for him, Bertans, and the other members of the Spurs frontcourt. That said, Gay still does own a +6.8% usage rate differential with Aldridge, Ginobili, and Kawhi Leonard off the court this season, making him a fantastic tournament option if he’s able to replicate anywhere near the 1.30 fantasy points per minute on DraftKings and 1.32 fantasy points on FanDuel he’s averaged in this scenario.
As reported by: Adam Spolane via Twitter Jarell Martin (foot) available to play Monday
Martin will be available to play in Monday’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks, according to interim head coach JB Bickerstaff, after previously being listed as questionable on the Memphis Grizzlies’ injury report with a right foot injury. Meanwhile, the Grizzlies are still without Tyreke Evans, Mario Chalmers, Andrew Harrison, and Mike Conley, leaving them extremely thin in the backcourt and essentially relying on Kobi Simmons and Xavier Rathan-Mayes to absorb all of the available playing time at point guard. Martin ended up logging 29 minutes as the starter in place of the Marc Gasol on Saturday, but he’s consistently been in that range of late, no matter his role, and should continue to see playing time at all three frontcourt positions while Memphis is shorthanded. This means Martin could be worth a look in large-field tournaments on Monday’s slate but is still far from an elite option given his sporadic lack of efficiency and elevated price tag across the industry.
As reported by: Clay Bailey via Twitter Steven Adams (ankle sprain) will start Monday; Terrance Ferguson (concussion) available to play
Adams has officially been cleared to play and will start in Monday’s game against the Sacramento Kings, according to head coach Billy Donovan, after previously being listed as questionable on the Oklahoma City Thunder’s injury report with a sprained left ankle he sustained during the second half of Saturday’s win. Meanwhile, Terrance Ferguson has cleared the NBA’s concussion protocol and will be available to play following his original out designation on the injury report. Given the abbreviated four-game slate, Adams will be a viable option for all formats at the center position and may actually end up absorbing lower ownership because of his initial questionable tag. On top of that, Adams won’t be subject to a minute restriction and has averaged an efficient 1.07 fantasy points per minute on DraftKings and 1.14 on FanDuel in the Thunder’s three previous meetings with the Kings this season.
As reported by: Brett Dawson via Twitter Marcus Smart (torn thumb tendon) out indefinitely
Smart suffered a torn tendon in his right thumb, according to Shams Charania of Yahoo! Sports, and will be sidelined indefinitely. Smart and the Boston Celtics are still seeking a second opinion on the injured thumb, so a timetable for his return has yet to be determined or disclosed by the team. This news comes shortly after the announcement that Daniel Theis would miss the remainder of the season due to a torn meniscus in his right knee that will require surgery. The Celtics don’t play again until Wednesday, but they may find themselves extremely shorthanded with Jaylen Brown still in the concussion protocol, Al Horford dealing with an illness, and Kyrie Irving expected to sit for multiple upcoming games to rest a sore left knee. In a corresponding move, the Celtics will recall Guerschon Yabusele from the G-League to provide some depth in the frontcourt, and barring another free agent signing, Greg Monroe appears to be in line to take on an increased role as the backup center behind Horford and Aron Baynes moving forward.
As reported by: Shams Charania via Twitter Wesley Matthews (leg stress fracture) will miss the rest of the season
Matthews underwent further testing on his injured leg Monday morning and has officially been diagnosed with a stress fracture to his right tibia that will force him to miss the remainder of the season. Matthews presumably suffered the injury during Saturday’s contest and caused him to be a late scratch from Sunday’s win, but on a positive note, the fracture won’t require surgery at this time and he is expected to make a full recovery through rest and rehabilitation. Yogi Ferrell drew the start alongside Dennis Smith Jr. in the backcourt yesterday and likely will remain the starting shooting guard until further notice with Matthews sidelined. Not only will Ferrell be in line for extended playing time, he is one of four Mavericks, including Dwight Powell, Dirk Nowitzki, and J.J. Barea, that own at least a +2.3% usage rate differential with Matthews off the court this season
As reported by: Tim MacMahon via Twitter