DFS Alerts
Otto Porter a game-time decision Friday
Otto Porter (hip) will be a game-time decision for tonight’s game against the Pelicans. Porter did participate in shoot-around on Friday. If he does play tonight, Porter will only be a GPP option. If he’s unable to go, Kelly Oubre will most likely replace him in the starting lineup, and become a top value play for the slate. Along with Oubre, Markieff Morris and Bradley Beal also get a bump up it usage with Porter out.
As reported by: Candace Buckner via Twitter
Discounted Price Point and an Exploitable Matchup
The Raptors have been playing so well recently that they haven’t needed DeMar DeRozan to play a ton of minutes. In a matchup against the Rockets, we can expect 35+ minutes for their shooting guard. On the season, he has averaged 1.14 fantasy points per minutes and he should see a few extra shot attempts in an uptempo game against Houston. At his price point, he offers a high floor and a high ceiling, which puts him on my radar in cash games and tournaments.
Justin Holiday and Robin Lopez will start Friday
Robin Lopez and Justin Holiday will both start Friday against the Pistons according to Coach Fred Hoiberg. Both players aren’t DFS options for tonight. The only reason they’re playing tonight, is because the NBA issued a warning to the Bulls for resting healthy players. Lopez hasn’t played since February 14th. Holiday started last game, but only saw 17 minutes. With Lopez and Holiday starting, it will hurt the value of Bobby Portis, Christiano Felicio, and David Nwaba.
As reported by: Chicago Bulls via Twitter Other tagged players: Robin Lopez Complete the Stack with this Power Forward
The Pelicans are by far my favorite team to target tonight. They have been playing at the league’s fastest pace over the last month of play and are expected to be without Anthony Davis. Nikola Mirotic will likely draw the start at power forward and push for 35+ minutes against the Wizards. In 118 minutes without Davis on the floor this season, Mirotic has averaged 1.28 fantasy points per minute with a usage rate of 29%. I will be stacking the Pelicans in all formats and my stacks will certainly include Mr. Mirotic.
Lock and Load this Point Guard
Anthony Davis twisted his ankle in Wednesday’s game and was unable to return. He is currently listed as doubtful and with the Pelicans in the mix for home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs, they need to protect their superstar. This will give massive boosts to the rest of the Pelicans. Without Davis and DeMarcus Cousins on the floor this season, Rajon Rondo has averaged 1.32 fantasy points per minute. He has an exploitable matchup against the Wizards and his price is affordable across the industry.
Ready to Capitalize on Upside?
James Harden is clearly hurting Paul’s production because Harden handles the ball so much, but I can’t get over how cheap this price tag is. The upside is obviously there, but this is a tough draw against Kyle Lowry and the Raptors. The good news is that the matchup is guaranteed to keep Paul’s ownership in check, and I’ll take some shots on the potential. He did manage a double-double with a 16/5/11 line in a difficult matchup his last time out, and I expect him to play better down the stretch as Houston looks to keep hold on the top seed in the Western Conference. If you are looking to differentiate your GPP lineups with some mid-range upside tonight, Paul is my pick.
Leading the Charge for the Red Hot Pelicans
If we fire up the RotoGrinders CourtIQ tool, we see that Holiday carries a 35.6% usage rate with Davis and Cousins off the floor this year, and he scores 52 DK points per 36 minutes on the floor. The usage is more than 10% higher than his rate for the season, and that’s a huge boost in production as well. Several New Orleans pieces will be popular tonight, but Holiday leads the group for me. I will prioritize him over Rondo in GPP formats.
Risk/Reward GPP Upside
He occasionally struggles with foul difficulty, but the upside is very much tangible. I also like his matchup against this Indiana team. Collins sizes up well with Indiana’s big men, and he is capable of hanging if this game goes up and down a little bit in terms of pace. He should get minutes in the 30s if he can stay out of foul trouble, and the price tag is very reasonable. I wouldn’t call him a safe cash game play by any stretch, but there’s certainly reason to dabble with the upside in tournaments.
A No Brainer Top Play
Stephen Curry is out tonight. Kevin Durant is under $10,000 on FanDuel and $8,900 on DraftKings. Even in a tough matchup and on the tail end of a back-to-back, you just can’t ignore Durant in those circumstances at this price. Unless Golden State gives us random news that he will rest on the tail end of a back-to-back set, just play the man in all formats. Period.
Delon Wright (toe) officially ruled out Friday; OG Anunoby (ankle) remains out
Wright has officially been ruled out and won’t play in Friday’s game against the Houston Rockets after previously being listed as doubtful on the Toronto Raptors’ injury report with a sprained right big toe. Meanwhile, OG Anunoby will miss his fourth straight game due to a sprained right ankle and remains without a timetable for return.
As reported by: Josh Lewenberg via Twitter Other tagged players: OG Anunoby
The Forgotten Piece
I expect the Pelicans to be very popular tonight, and with Anthony Davis likely out, that obviously makes a lot of sense. That said, I think Moore is someone that will be overlooked tonight, yet I love the value he presents in this matchup. The Wizards rank 25th against small forwards this season, and Moore has posted at least 23 fantasy points in three of the last four games, while playing at least 30 minutes in four straight. With Cousins and Davis off the floor this season, he has a 25% usage rate and is averaging 1.05 fantasy points per minute.
Increased Playing Time Tonight
With Evan Fournier and Aaron Gordon out, and D.J. Augustin questionable, the Magic will present us with a lot of value tonight, and they have a great matchup against the Kings. In 645 minutes without Gordon and Fournier on the floor, Hezonja has a 22.2% usage rate. He’s also averaging .94 fantasy points per minute in that span, which is a .05 increase over his average. He’s been an excellent source of value when Gordon has been out recently, and he should get plenty of shot attempts with Fournier out as well.
David West (arm) officially ruled out Thursday
West has officially been ruled out and won’t play in Thursday’s game against the San Antonio Spurs after previously being listed as doubtful on the Golden State Warriors’ injury report with a cyst on his right arm that has now forced him to miss two consecutive games. The Warriors are also already without Andre Iguodala and Jordan Bell due to their respective ailments, the latter expected to miss at least two more games with a sprained right ankle, leaving them relatively shorthanded in their second unit. Kevon Looney had appeared in just one game and totaled five minutes for Golden State since the All-Star break, but in the absence of West, he ended up togging 15 minutes off the bench, essentially stepping directly into West’s role in the frontcourt rotation. With Iguodala unable to suit up, Looney may end up seeing slightly more playing time than that, and both Omri Casspi and Nick Young are likely to absorb extended minutes on the wing with the second unit since Patrick McCaw is still sidelined with a fractured left wrist.
As reported by: Connor Letourneau via Twitter T.J. Warren (back spasms) ruled out Thursday; Josh Jackson will start
Warren is a late addition to the Phoenix Suns’ injury report and has officially been ruled out for Thursday’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder due to back spasms. Warren was never given a designation on the injury report at any point throughout the day, so it remains unclear when exactly he began experiencing issues with his back. Meanwhile, Troy Daniels was excluded from the injury report after missing Monday’s loss with a hyperextended right knee and will be available to play, likely relegating Shaquille Harrison back into his former role following an adequate fantasy performance in 24 minutes of action. In Warren’s absence, Josh Jackson will draw the start at small forward and will have a solidified minute floor considering he typically logs minutes in the upper-20s even with Warren active. On top of that, Jackson owns a +2.7% usage rate differential with Warren off the court this season while averaging 1.00 fantasy points per minute on DraftKings and 0.99 on FanDuel in this scenario as well.
As reported by: Scott Bordow via Twitter Other tagged players: Josh Jackson Wayne Ellington (quad contusion) will play Thursday
Ellington confirmed with reporters that he has been cleared to play and will suit up for Thursday’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers after previously being listed as probable on the Miami Heat’s injury report with a left quad contusion that had forced him to miss four consecutive games. Derrick Jones Jr. actually saw the court in garbage time of Monday’s win, but he’s been reassigned to the G-League with Ellington available for tonight’s contest. Tyler Johnson appears to have been stripped of his minute restriction following a massive fantasy performance in 38 minutes in Tuesday’s loss, and he will replace Luke Babbitt in the starting lineup this evening, sliding Josh Richardson over to small forward and likely relegating Babbitt from the rotation entirely. As for Ellington, he appears to be slated as the primary guard off the bench in head coach Erik Spoelstra’s rotation once again, though that aforementioned rotation has seen an influx of depth recently, making it difficult to hone in on ancillary members of this Heat squad for any daily fantasy formats.
As reported by: Ira Winderman via Twitter