DFS Alerts
Channing Frye (personal) ruled out Thursday
Frye currently not with the team and has officially been ruled out for Thursday’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves as he tends to a personal matter. Frye was not originally listed on the Los Angeles Lakers’ injury report and his status was not previously known since the Lakers did not hold a shootaround this morning on the second night of a back-to-back set. Frye finally made his Lakers debut in Wednesday’s loss but was only the beneficiary of 11 minutes in the frontcourt due to the blowout loss. So, needless to say, his absence won’t have any effect on head coach Luke Walton’s recent rotations, and he figures to continue utilizing the same eight-man rotation that features Isaiah Thomas, Kyle Kuzma, and Corey Brewer off the bench.
As reported by: Mike Trudell via Twitter
Gary Harris (bruised foot) probable Thursday
Harris has been added to the Denver Nuggets’ injury report and is listed as probable for Thursday’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks due to a bruised right foot. Meanwhile, Jamal Murray has been removed from the injury report and will start following his initial probable designation due to a sore chest. Murray was listed as questionable prior to Tuesday’s win with the same ailment and was able to log 37 minutes, so the team was more than likely just taking a cautious approach by listing him as probable on Wednesday’s original injury report. The Nuggets will have also have shorter bench than normal for tonight’s contest, as Torrey Craig, Kenneth Faried, and Richard Jefferson did not travel with the team to Milwaukee and have effectively been ruled out. However, their absences won’t have any impact on head coach Mike Malone’s rotation since the aforementioned trio are typically DNP-CDs on most nights.
As reported by: Harrison Wind via Twitter Paying a Slight Premium for an Elite Matchup
In a bigger slate, I would take an easy pass on Eric Bledsoe on FanDuel ($8,000). His price is much more palatable on DraftKings ($7,100), but I’m going to end up firing him up on both sites. Bledsoe gets to face Jamal Murray and the Nuggets, who are one of the worst teams in basketball at defending the point guard position. Bledsoe should log minutes in the low to mid-30s with Malcolm Brogdon out and I like the fact that the Bucks are playing at home.
My Go-To Power Forward in Cash Games
My goal tonight is to get as much exposure to the Wolves as possible, as they have the highest implied total and the highest projected point differential. Taj Gibson has long been a favorite target of mine when it comes to fantasy basketball, dating back to his days with the Bulls. Gibson is a safe bet to play 32+ minutes against a Lakers’ team that struggles to defend the paint and power forwards in general.
Simplify Your Process in a Two-Game Slate
The smaller the slate, the more you should simplify your process in cash games. There is no need to take unnecessary risks. Target the best plays regardless of ownership. Jimmy Butler is my favorite play on the board, as he’ll log close to 40 minutes against the Lakers, who are one of the worst defensive teams in the NBA. With value available at the other positions, it makes sense to pay up at small forward.
Top Plays of the Day
We know the minutes will be there for the Minnesota starters, and they draw a fine matchup against the up tempo Lakers. Virtually all of my lineups will contain Butler, Towns, or both if they can be crammed in there. Towns draws a fine matchup against Brook Lopez and company, and Towns is a tough matchup on the interior for the Lakers. He can also thrive in a game that’s played at a fast pace, and he could play 36 minutes if the game is close. With the All Star break looming, there is no reason for the coaches to pull back on the throttle.
Thriving as the Sixth Man
With Larry Nance out of the equation and Jordan Clarkson no longer around, it appears that Kuzma is going to grab a stranglehold on the sixth man role for the Lakers. You never know how things will go with Luke Walton at the helm, but it’s a reasonable assumption. Kuzma has logged 30+ fantasy points in three straight games, and he took 20 shots in just 26 minutes last night against the Pelicans. He should continue to have a major role, and I don’t mind the fact that he comes off the bench. He can lead that second unit, and he will also see more time on the court with the opposing reserves. Kuzma is a great mid-range GPP play tonight, and I think you can even make a case to use him in cash games.
A Frisky Value on a Two Game Slate
Sometimes, in order to win a GPP on a short slate like this one, you have to take some chances. Devin Harris appears like he will be utilized as the primary guard off the bench for the Nuggets right now, so I’ll hop aboard for some shares in tournaments. We know that Mike Malone will ride the hot hand at times, so perhaps we see Harris log 25+ minutes in this game if he is playing well. The price tag is cheap, and we need some value on a short slate, so give Harris a look here.
Jusuf Nurkic (back, calf, oblique) will start Wednesday
Nurkic has officially been cleared to play and will suit up for Wednesday’s game against the Golden State Warriors, according to head coach Terry Stotts, after previously being listed as questionable on the Portland Trail Blazers’ injury report with a sore lower back, strained right calf, and right oblique injury that forced him to exit Sunday’s loss in the third quarter. Nurkic managed to log just 13 minutes in that contest, which enabled Ed Davis to see 28 minutes off the bench and easily exceed salary-based expectations in the process. If Nurkic ends up being limited, Davis could find himself in the same ballpark in terms of minutes once again, while Zach Collins and Meyers Leonard could step into extended roles off the bench, though neither will see a big enough increase in playing time to become relevant for daily fantasy formats.
As reported by: Kerry Eggers via Twitter Devin Booker (hip pointer) will play Wednesday
Booker has officially been cleared to play and will start in Wednesday’s game against the Utah Jazz after originally being listed as questionable on the Phoenix Suns’ injury report with a left hip pointer the had forced him to miss four consecutive games, while Troy Daniels confirmed with reporters earlier in the day that he will also be available to play following his questionable designation due to a sprained right finger. On the other hand, Tyson Chandler was ruled out with a sore neck that has ailed him in recent weeks, which will allow Alex Len to start at center and enable Dragan Bender to start at his normal power forward spot. As late as Monday, Booker reportedly still couldn’t make NBA-level cuts at practice, but Triano sounded optimistic that Booker could play for the first time in a while during his post-shootaround interview with media members, hinting at some possible improvement in Booker’s mobility. That said, with the All-Star break on the horizon and the nature of his injury, it’d be far from surprising if Booker is subject to a minute restriction in tonight’s contest, though one has yet to be confirmed.
As reported by: Scott Bordow via Twitter JaMychal Green (illness) will start Wednesday
Green has officially been cleared to play and will start in Wednesday’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder after previously being listed as questionable on the Memphis Grizzlies’ injury report with an illness, while Chandler Parsons remains listed as questionable with a sore right knee and there still hasn’t been an update from the team or interim head coach JB Bickerstaff on his status for tonight’s contest. The Grizzlies will be without Wayne Selden and Mike Conley, but they will have some reinforcements in the frontcourt with Deyonta Davis no longer being listed on the injury report and available to make his return from a three-game absence due to sore knees. As for Green, he’ll slot into his typical starting power forward spot and has logged at least 30 minutes in each of the last two games en route to exceeding salary-based expectations on both occasions.
As reported by: the Memphis Grizzlies via Twitter Eric Gordon (knee contusion) ruled out Wednesday
Gordon has officially been ruled out and won’t play in Wednesday’s game against the Sacramento Kings after previously being listed as questionable on the Houston Rockets’ injury report with a right knee contusion, while Nene will also be unavailable due to rest purposes on the second night of a back-to-back set. Newly-signed Brandan Wright may be active for the first time as a member of the Rockets, according to head coach Mike D’Antoni, but he remains unlikely to play, which means that Tarik Black will be relied upon to handle the backup center duties with Nene sidelined. Gerald Green played 26 minutes in the most recent game Gordon was sidelined with a back injury, but with Joe Johnson available to make his Rockets debut, he will likely cut into some of Green, Luc Mbah a Moute, and possibly P.J. Tucker’s playing time at the forward positions.
As reported by: Craig Ackerman via Twitter Jahlil Okafor (tight calf) ruled out Wednesday
Okafor is a surprise late scratch and has officially been ruled out of Wednesday’s game against the Indiana Pacers due to a left calf tightness despite never appearing on the Brooklyn Nets’ injury report at any point throughout the day. Okafor has been serving as the primary backup center behind Jarrett Allen, so his absence may allow Timofey Mozgov to the reenter the rotation in a limited capacity. That said, Quincy Acy is still likely to absorb a majority of the backup center minutes, which should allow Dante Cunningham some extended run as the backup power forward when Acy is manning the center spot. With Okafor, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, and Caris LeVert off the court this season, Spencer Dinwiddie is still leading the way with a +3.3% usage rate differential and has averaged 1.10 fantasy points per minute on DraftKings and 1.07 on FanDuel in this scenario as well.
As reported by: Brian Lewis via Twitter Joel Embiid (sore ankle) ruled out Wednesday
Embiid 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 Philadelphia 76ers’ injury report with a sore right ankle. This is the third time in the last four games that Embiid has been included on the injury report, but it is the first time he’s gone through pregame warmups and been deemed unable to play. Meanwhile, Justin Anderson was diagnosed with a high right ankle sprain and won’t be re-evaluated for 7-10 days, meaning newly-signed Marco Belinelli will step into his vacated role in the second unit, while either Jerryd Bayless or Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot could enter the rotation and absorb nominal playing time on the wing. There’s a decent sample size with Embiid off the court this season, and Dario Saric, J.J. Redick, and Robert Covington have been the clear beneficiaries in terms of usage, as each own at least a +3.0% usage rate in this scenario. However, Saric has been the most productive with his added usage to this point and has averaged 1.19 fantasy points per minute on DraftKings and 1.14 on FanDuel, a noteworthy increase over his season averages.
As reported by: Jessica Camerato via Twitter Alex Len will start for Tyson Chandler (neck) on Wednesday
Chandler has officially been ruled out and won’t play in Wednesday’s game against the Utah Jazz after previously being listed as questionable on the Phoenix Suns’ injury report with a sore neck. Meanwhile, Devin Booker will attempt to play but is a game-time decision with a left hip pointer that has forced him to miss four consecutive games, and Troy Daniels has already confirmed with reporters that he will be available to play following his original questionable designation due to a sprained right finger. The absence of Chandler will allow Alex Len to start at center and keep Dragan Bender at power forward, despite initial reports that he would start at center this evening. As late as Monday, Booker reportedly still couldn’t make NBA-level cuts at practice, but Triano did sound optimistic that Booker could play for the first time in a while during his post-shootaround interview with media members, hinting at some possible improvement in Booker’s mobility. That said, with the All-Star break on the horizon and the nature of his injury, it’d be far from surprising if Booker is subject to a minute restriction should he be available to play.
As reported by: Scott Bordow via Twitter