DFS Alerts
Revenge Best Served Hot
I am going to continue to get sucked in by the cheap price tag on Chris Paul — and who can resist a cheap price plus a matchup against his former team? Things got very heated the last time these teams met, and I will absolutely believe that Chris Paul has a big game in store for the rematch. There’s tons of upside at a very reasonable price point here, and I think even James Harden might defer to his backcourt mate a little more this evening. Paul will be a staple in my GPP lineups tonight.
We Have A Real Good Thing Going Here
Green has a double-double in four of the last five games, and has played at least 30 minutes in four of the last six games. Phoenix ranks 30th in overall defensive efficiency, and they rank 30th against power forwards. The Suns also allow the most fantasy points per game to opposing power forwards. Green has at least 30 fantasy points in three of the last five games, and I like his chances to keep it going tonight.
Thriving in the Absence of Cousins
He seems like he is flying under the radar a bit, but Jrue Holiday is absolutely thriving in New Orleans with DeMarcus Cousins on the shelf. He is averaging 50 fantasy points over his last five games, and that is nothing to scoff at. Given that production, the current DFS price tag actually seems like a bit of a bargain. I know it’s tough to pay that price for him given a matchup against the Spurs, but that will likely lead to lower ownership. When you combine that with the now obvious upside, this is a mouthwatering leverage spot to take advantage of in GPPs.
Time for a Bounce Back Performance
Well, we saw the danger of targeting Alex Len in DFS in the last game, where the entire Suns frontcourt seemingly fouled out against Anthony Davis. Len was overmatched in that game, fouling out in 21 minutes and posting just one point, two rebounds, and two assists while on the court. This is Exhibit A about why it is always difficult to trust Len in cash games. However, the GPP upside is certainly there, and Len was coming off back-to-back double-doubles before that dud. Even though the matchup isn’t great against a slow paced Memphis team tonight, the upside is still there. With ownership likely in the tank after the last game, this is the perfect spot to buy low in tournaments.
Paul Millsap (wrist surgery) available to play Tuesday
Millsap has officially been cleared to play and will suit up for Tuesday’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers after previously being upgraded to questionable on the Denver Nuggets’ injury report due to left wrist surgery he underwent back in mid-November. Meanwhile, Torrey Craig has been ruled out with a strained left hamstring following his original questionable designation on the injury report. There’s been no confirmation on whether Millsap will start or come off the bench in his return, but it appears likely that he’ll be eased back into the rotation in a reserve role based on head coach Mike Malone’s comments to reporters a couple weeks ago. Either way, Millsap will be subject to a restriction of 18-24 minutes, so he’ll need to be uber-efficient to become relevant for daily fantasy formats, though he’s more than worth a look on FanDuel at his baffling stone minimum salary. That said, his mere presence in the rotation will still cut into the playing time of players like Wilson Chandler, Mason Plumlee, and Trey Lyles in the Nuggets frontcourt.
As reported by: the Denver Nuggets via Twitter
Zach Randolph (coach's decision) may not play Tuesday
Randolph may not play and could become a healthy scratch for Tuesday’s game against the Portland Trail Blazers due to “player development”, according to head coach Dave Joerger during his pregame media availability. If that ends up being the case, Randolph would be a DNP-CD for the second consecutive game and likely allow Skal Labissiere to start power forward for the second straight night after he logged 31 minutes in Monday’s loss. Unfortunately, it’s highly doubtful that there will be any confirmation from the Kings on whether Randolph will play or not, and now that the organization appears to back to their old strategy of resting one or two veteran players each game, older players like Garrett Temple, Kosta Koufos, and Vince Carter are all candidates to be DNP-CDs or see their minutes drastically reduced on a nightly basis.
As reported by: Kerry Eggers via Twitter Kelly Olynyk (shoulder) will play Tuesday; Rodney McGruder (leg) available to play
Olynyk was able to participate fully in shootaround Tuesday morning and will play in tonight’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers after originally being listed as questionable on the Miami Heat’s injury report with a strained left shoulder that had forced him to miss six consecutive games. Olynyk will come off the bench and be subject to a minute restriction in his first game back and, according to head coach Erik Spoelstra, the goal is to “try to get his feet wet and see how he feels”, meaning he is unlikely to see significant minutes in his return. Olynyk obviously won’t be a viable option for any daily fantasy format, but the news of his availability could affect the viability of players like Hassan Whiteside, Justise Winslow, and James Johnson in tournament settings. Additionally, Rodney McGruder was officially recalled from the G-League and will be available to play in tonight’s contest despite previously being listed out with a left leg stress fracture that had kept him sidelined for the entire season to this point.
As reported by: Tom D'Angelo via Twitter Other tagged players: Rodney McGruder Jeff Green (sore back) ruled out Tuesday
Green is a late addition to the Cleveland Cavaliers’ injury report and has officially been ruled out for Tuesday’s game against the Brooklyn Nets due to lower back soreness despite never previously being given a designation on the injury report at any point throughout the day. Green has logged at least 15 minutes in all five games since George Hill, Rodney Hood, Jordan Clarkson, and Larry Nance made their Cavaliers debuts following the trade deadline. So, in his absence, Hood, Nance, Cedi Osman, and possibly even Kyle Korver will be in line for more playing time with head coach Tyronn Lue more likely to cut his rotation to nine players than give the run to non-rotation players. Even with extra minutes for members of the forward and wing rotations, the unavailability of Green is unlikely to equate to increased value in daily fantasy formats for one individual Cleveland player.
As reported by: Dave McMenamin via Twitter Danilo Gallinari (bruised hand) ruled out Tuesday
Gallinari has officially been ruled out and won’t play in Tuesday’s game against the Denver Nuggets after previously being listed as questionable on the Los Angeles Clippers’ injury report with a bruised right right hand that has now forced him to miss two consecutive games. The Clippers are also still without Avery Bradley for at least another one-to-three weeks due to a lingering groin injury, so Wesley Johnson and Tyrone Wallace are likely to remain in the starting lineup at small forward and the shooting guard spots, respectively, for at least an additional game. Johnson saw just 20 minutes in Friday’s win, but Wallace logged a team-high 36 minutes en route to easily exceeding salary-based expectations, setting him up as a likely popular option for all daily fantasy formats on Tuesday’s slate. Ever since Blake Griffin was traded and with Gallinari and Bradley off the court, DeAndre Jordan and Lou Williams both own at least a +2.6% usage rate differential while seeing a minimum increase of +0.24 fantasy points per minute on DraftKings and FanDuel in this scenario as well.
As reported by: Brad Turner via Twitter Top Value Play on the Board
Denzel Valentine is coming off of a strong performance against the Nets where he scored 33 fantasy points in 29 minutes of action. Granted, he saw a small boost with Zach LaVine out, but Justin Holiday is going to get the night off for the Bulls this time around. Valentine should be locked into 26-30 minutes off the bench and he will continue to have a high usage rate. On the season, he has averaged a very respectable 0.79 fantasy points per minute.
Small Forward to Pay Up For
The decision at small forward is a difficult one — we can play LeBron James against the Nets or we can play Giannis Antetokounmpo against the Wizards. While Giannis has the tougher matchup, we don’t have to worry as much about a blowout. James has been more of a facilitator since the trade deadline and there’s a decent chance he ends up sitting out most of the fourth quarter. Giannis is a safe bet to play 36-38 minutes and he has scored at least 63 fantasy points in three of his last five meetings with the Wizards.
Great Matchup and a Solid Price Point
Austin Rivers has played at least 31 minutes in every game since returning from injury and has averaged 36 minutes over his last five games. He draws a near-perfect matchup against the Nuggets, who are ranked 30th in efficiency and 28th in DvP against point guards. Rivers is priced well below $6,000 on both FanDuel and DraftKings and is one of the top point-per-dollar targets at point guard tonight.
A Top Play in All Formats
Even though he comes off the bench as a super sub, we simply can’t ignore Lou Williams at this point. He is the primary scorer on the new look Clippers team, and he still plays 30+ minutes per game despite a bench role. With Avery Bradley out, that role is even more secure. You can pencil him in for a few more shots if Danilo Gallinari is out, too. Williams has a reputation as a pure scorer, but he has added other elements to his game this year. This game could potentially be one of the more fantasy-friendly games of the night, so I will have plenty of exposure to both the Nuggets and Clippers here.
Kelly Olynyk (shoulder strain) intends to play Tuesday
Olynyk participated fully in shootaround Tuesday morning and reportedly plans to warm up with the intention of playing in tonight’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers after previously being listed as questionable on the Miami Heat’s injury report with a strained left shoulder that has forced him to miss six consecutive games. If Olynyk is ultimately cleared to play, he’ll be subject to a minute restriction in his first game back but, according to head coach Erik Spoelstra, isn’t guaranteed to see the court even if he’s active. Olynyk obviously won’t be a viable option for any daily fantasy format regardless of his status, but the news of his potential availability and minute allocation could affect the viability of players like Hassan Whiteside, Justise Winslow, and James Johnson in tournament settings. Additionally, Rodney McGruder was officially recalled from the G-League but has been ruled out for at least one additional game due to a left leg stress fracture that has kept him sidelined for the entire season to this point.
As reported by: Anthony Chiang via Twitter Monitor Injury Status for the Clippers
This, of course, is provided that he is able to suit up tonight. Hopefully we get clarity prior to roster lock. His injury doesn’t seem very severe, and I think he will want to get out there to face his former team. He is becoming a focal point on offense with Blake Griffin off to Detroit, and he is averaging 20 actual points per game this month. The revenge angle is there, and the upside is there. If Gallinari is out, I’ll change this pick to Austin Rivers.