DFS Alerts
Possible Top Play at Lower Ownership
Anthony Davis is obviously a guy that you can spend up on. LeBron James is obviously a guy that you can spend up on. Giannis Antetokounmpo is obviously a guy that you can spend up on. We know the ceilings are sky high for these three players. None of the three have a cake walk matchup tonight, so I will gravitate toward the guy that is either cheapest and/or will be likely to be the lowest owned in tournaments. The answer to that question is Antetokounmpo. He had an effortless 36/11/13 triple-double right before the All Star break, and he often gets overlooked a little bit compared to the other NBA stars. I’ll use that leverage and upside to my advantage in tournaments despite a tough matchup on tap with Toronto. The upside is still there.
Lonzo Ball (MCL sprain) will play with a minute restriction Friday
Ball has officially been cleared to play and will suit up for Friday’s game against the Dallas Mavericks after previously being considered as questionable on the Los Angeles Lakers’ injury report with a sprained left MCL that had forced him to miss 15 consecutive games. Head coach Luke Walton told reporters following shootaround that he’s still unsure whether he’ll have Ball come off the bench or return to the starting lineup, but either way, Ball will be subject to an unspecified minute restriction in his first taste of game action in more than a month’s time. Walton also disclosed that Ball will be rested on back-to-back sets for the foreseeable future, which effectively rules him out of the matchup with the Sacramento Kings on Saturday evening. That said, the availability of Ball will eat into Josh Hart’s cumulative playing time and possibly even relegate him back to a reserve role, while Brandon Ingram is also likely to see less time manning the point, reducing his appeal in daily fantasy formats ever so slightly.
As reported by: the Los Angeles Lakers via Twitter
Ricky Rubio (sore hip) available to play Friday
Rubio has officially been cleared to play and will suit up for Friday’s game against the Portland Trail Blazers after previously being listed as questionable on the Utah Jazz’ injury report with left hip soreness that had forced him to miss three consecutive games prior to the All-Star break. There’s yet to be any reported minute restriction for Rubio in his return, but he’ll more than likely displace Royce O’Neale from the starting lineup, who averaged just under 36 minutes per game over his three starts and exceeded salary-based expectations on two occasions. This means O’Neale should be expected to serve as the primary reserve on the wing, along with Jae Crowder, now that Rodney Hood and Joe Johnson are with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Houston Rockets, respectively.
As reported by: Eric Woodyard via Twitter John Henson (hamstring) and Tyler Zeller (illness) available to play Friday
Henson has officially been cleared to play and will suit up for Friday’s game against the Toronto Raptors after previously being listed as probable on the Milwaukee Bucks’ injury report with a sore right hamstring that had forced him to miss three consecutive games prior to the All-Star break. Meanwhile, Tyler Zeller will also be available to play following his earlier probable designation on the injury report due to an illness. Zeller easily outperformed Thon Maker from real-life and daily fantasy perspectives with Henson sidelined, especially the last two games, so it’ll be interesting to see how interim head coach Joe Prunty decides to deploy his frontcourt rotation moving forward. If the last two contests are any indication, Maker may find himself on the outside-looking-in at the rotation sooner rather than later.
As reported by: Matt Velazquez via Twitter Other tagged players: Tyler Zeller Marcus Smart (quad) expected to play Friday; Shane Larkin (knee) remains out
Smart sustained a minor left quad contusion in Wednesday’s practice but is still expected to play in Friday’s game against the Detroit Pistons, according to head coach Brad Stevens, even though he officially remains listed as probable on the Boston Celtics’ injury report with the aforementioned quad contusion. While Smart appears to be on track to return from an 11-game absence due to a right-hand laceration, Shane Larkin will miss his ninth consecutive game because of lingering right knee soreness. Stevens has hinted in recent days that he may opt to shake up the rotation with the Celtics dropping four of their last five games prior to the All-Star break, though he failed to provide any specifics. Either way, the return of Smart to the lineup would almost assuredly cut into the playing time of Terry Rozier to some extent and possibly even Jaylen Brown or Jayson Tatum if Stevens wants to experiment with more lineup combinations at the two through four spots on te florr with Al Horford and Kyrie Irving manning the center and point guard positions, respectively.
As reported by: Jay King via Twitter Other tagged players: Shane Larkin Bounce Back Spot for this Small Forward
T.J. Warren is coming off of a terrible outing, scoring only six fantasy points. I’m willing to give him a pass, as it was in a road game against the Jazz. His price has come way down across the industry and tonight he squares off against the Clippers at home. We’ve seen that Warren’s splits don’t change much with Devin Booker in or out of the lineup, so we can fire him up with confidence at this discounted price point.
Absurd Splits against a Solid Defender
Every time I look at these splits, I do a double take. For whatever reason, Karl-Anthony Towns absolutely owns Clint Capela. In their last six meetings, Towns has scored 65, 58, 70, 61, 67, and 65 fantasy points. I typically don’t put a lot of stock into the BvP of basketball, but it’s hard not to look at these numbers and not say they are a trend. Given his price point, the ownership on Towns will be very reasonable.
Secure Minutes and an Elite Matchup
Since returning from injury, Austin Rivers has played at least 31 minutes in every game. With Avery Bradley questionable (potentially closer to doubtful after missing last night’s game), we can project Rivers to play around 35 minutes against a Suns’ defense that is ranked 28th in efficiency and 29th in DvP against point guards this season. Rivers offers great value at a price point below $6,000 on both FanDuel and DraftKings.
Strictly A DraftKings Play
There isn’t a ton of value on such a large slate, and if you’re looking to play two studs in your lineups, I really like Andrew Harrison. I hate his FanDuel price, but he’s very playable on DraftKings tonight. I wouldn’t play him if you’re only playing one team, but if you’re playing multiple teams tonight, I like his upside in this matchup. Harrison has been hot or cold all season, and he’s been dealing with a shoulder injury on and off all year. With nine days off in between games, I like his chances to be ready to go tonight. If you get the 30-35 minute game from Harrison, he should crush value at this DraftKings price.
The Right Matchup
James Johnson is a tough guy to figure out, but Miami usually gives him more minutes in matchups that suit his skill set. Well, the Heat are going to need him tonight, and he should play a lot of minutes trying to guard Anthony Davis. When given minutes, Johnson is a guy that can fill up the stat sheet. Miami receives the second-highest bump in pace tonight, and the team’s implied team total is 5.5 points higher than their season average.
Increased Minutes Tonight
With Tyson Chandler doubtful, I’m expecting Alex Len to draw another start tonight. He drew the start against Utah right before the All-Star break and finished the game with 37 minutes. That was a tough matchup against Rudy Gobert, but Len still filled up the stat sheet for 46.4 FD points and 38.75 DK points. The Clippers rank 22nd in defensive efficiency against centers this season, so Len should have no problem hitting value if he draws another start tonight.
Garrett Temple starting in place of De'Aaron Fox
With Fox and all inactive/non-rotation members off the floor, Garrett Temple actually gets the biggest bump in FPPM with a 0.08 increase while also picking up +1.6% in usage rate. He’s a very solid value play on the late slate and certainly has an avenue to 30 minutes of court time. It’s unclear what Frank Mason’s limitations will be, but it’s certainly possible he’s eased in after missing 21 straight games before the break.
As reported by: Sean Cunningham
For those who may not have received our last alert due to technical issues: Milos Teodosic - and not Tyrone Wallace - will start in place of Avery Bradley
Wallace was reportedly set to get the nod at SG, but Teodosic will draw the start instead at PG with Austin Rivers sliding over to SG. Teodosic is a viable punt play on the late-slate given his increased role and path to minutes with Bradley out, but Lou Williams is still very likely to be the most productive guard on the LAC side. All three options are in play, with Williams offering the highest upside and Rivers offering a solid ceiling considering his price.
As reported by: Brad Turner Other tagged players: Tyrone Wallace, Avery Bradley Milos Teodosic to start for the Clippers Thursday
Wallace was reportedly set to get the nod at SG, but Teodosic will draw the start instead at PG with Austin Rivers sliding over to SG. Teodosic is a viable punt play on the late-slate given his increased role and path to minutes with Bradley out, but Lou Williams is still very likely to be the most productive guard on the LAC side. All three options are in play, with Williams offering the highest upside and Rivers offering a solid ceiling considering his price.
Josh Huestis starting at shooting guard for the Thunder Thursday
The Oklahoma City Thunder have elected to start Josh Huestis at shooting guard for tonights matchup against the Sacramento Kings. The Thunder will go with a much longer and lengthier lineup tonight with Huestis in the starting lineup. It’s unknown what the exact reason for the starting lineup switch may be but it could have a lot to do with the hip injury Alex Abrines suffered before the all star break. Huestis isn’t a usuable option in DFS tournaments tonight.