DFS Alerts
Draymond Green (finger sprain) officially ruled out Monday; Patrick McCaw (thumb) questionable
Green has officially been ruled out and won’t play in Monday’s game against the Phoenix Suns after previously being listed as doubtful on the Golden State Warriors’ injury report with a sprained left index finger. Meanwhile, Patrick McCaw is a new addition to the injury report and is questionable due to a sprained left thumb. The Warriors are still without Jordan Bell, so either David West or Kevon Looney is seemingly the likeliest candidates to draw the start at power forward, though head coach Steve Kerr could definitely opt to go “small” and start Kevin Durant at power forward with one of Andre Iguodala, Omri Casspi, or Nick Young starting on the wing. JaVale McGee also may end up entering the frontcourt rotation in Green’s absence since Kerr will be unable to utilize lineup combinations with Green at the five spot like he typically does most nights. With Green off the court this season, both Durant and Stephen Curry own at least a +2.9% usage rate differential, while Curry also sees his production spike to 1.57 fantasy points per minute on DraftKings and 1.44 on FanDuel in this scenario as well.
As reported by: Connor Letourneau via Twitter Other tagged players: Patrick McCaw
Devin Booker (hip pointer) ruled out Monday
Booker has officially been ruled out and won’t play in Monday’s game against the Golden State Warriors after previously being listed as questionable on the Phoenix Suns’ injury report with a left hip pointer that has now forced him to miss four consecutive games. Booker reportedly still can’t make NBA-level cuts at practice, so even though he’s hopeful to play on Wednesday, it’s appearing more and more likely that Booker will be held out until after the upcoming All-Star break. Meanwhile, Tyson Chandler will make his return to the starting lineup following a two-game absence due to a sore neck, which will presumably send Troy Daniels back to the bench to resume a reserve role after a disappointing fantasy performance in 28 minutes Saturday evening. The presence of Elfrid Payton will continue to throw a bit of a wrench into the Suns’ recent usage dispersion with Booker sidelined, but Josh Jackson has still led the way with a +2.8% usage rate differential with Booker off the court this season and is averaging 0.97 fantasy points per minute on DraftKings and FanDuel in this scenario as well.
As reported by: Scott Bordow via Twitter Time for a Ceiling Game?
We haven’t seen the Spurs in action much lately, as they had just three games in the span of a week. That’s appetizing news for Pau Gasol, who often sees his minutes cut when the Spurs have back-to-back sets. He should be counted on more tonight, and his size will be needed against Rudy Gobert and the Jazz. It’s rare that I feel comfortable taking bigs against Utah, but both Gasol and Davis Bertans are very much in play this evening.
The Obvious Value Selection
Here is your no brainer value pick of the day. LaMarcus Aldridge has already been ruled out for tonight’s game for the Spurs, and we have seen Bertans fill in admirably when given the chance this season. I would expect his minutes to rise into the low to mid 30’s this evening. That’s hard to pass up for a player with his cheap price tag. There’s double-double and 10x salary potential here despite a matchup against the slow-paced Jazz.
Auto-Lock this Center into Cash Game Lineups
LaMarcus Aldridge has already been ruled out of tonight’s game against the Jazz, which is big for Pau Gasol for two reasons — he’ll see a sizable minute bump (he’ll prob play 28-30 tonight) and he sees a fantasy point per minute boost as well (+0.12). Gasol is priced affordably across the industry and grades out as the best point-per-dollar option at any position. You can make the case to fade him in tournaments, but he should be locked and loaded in your cash game lineups.
Hard to Pass on this Production at Small Forward
Michael Beasley has been one of the best per-minute producers in basketball this season, especially when you narrow it down to bench players. With Kristaps Porzingis out for the year, Beasley is going to have a huge role for the Knicks moving forward. With Porzingis off the floor this season, Beasley has a 31% usage rate while averaging 1.12 fantasy points per minute. He stands out as one of the top plays on the board tonight, as he squares off against the Sixers.
A Great Risk/Reward Play for his New Team
There is certainly some risk with Elfrid Payton, but the GPP upside is definitely appetizing. He is coming off a 19/6/9 performance in his Phoenix debut, and tonight’s game against the Warriors will undoubtedly be played at a fast pace. While Payton is always going to be a risky proposition, I like his odds of producing more consistently with a new team that likes to run. Fire him up with confidence in GPP formats.
Value off the Bench
The Clippers-Nets game has the highest total on the board, so it makes sense to get as much exposure to it as possible. D’Angelo Russell has had a roller coaster of a ride since returning from injury, but is coming off of a terrific fantasy outing where he scored 37 fantasy points in 31 minutes of action. While we shouldn’t expect him to play 30+ minutes tonight, he can certainly push for 26-28 with Caris LeVert out.
Milos Teodosic (sore foot) will play Monday
Teodosic has been cleared to play and will suit up for Monday’s game against the Brooklyn Nets, according to head coach Doc Rivers, after previously being listed as questionable on the Los Angeles Clippers’ injury report with a sore right foot that had forced him to miss two consecutive games. Rivers didn’t clarify with reporters whether Teodosic would start or come off the bench in his return to game action, but he still figures to be allotted the least amount of minutes among Lou Williams, Avery Bradley, and Austin Rivers in the backcourt rotation either way. Rivers surprisingly averaged 32 minutes in his first two games, including a back-to-back set, since returning from an 18-game absence due to a right ankle impingement. So, it’s safe to say that Rivers won’t be subject to a minute restriction moving forward. Additionally, the return of Teodosic will likely demote Tyrone Wallace to the fringe of the rotation and it would be far from surprising for him to be on the receiving end of a DNP-CD this evening.
As reported by: Brad Turner via Twitter Andrew Harrison (illness) will start Sunday
Harrison has officially been cleared to play and will start in Sunday’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder after previously being listed as questionable on the Memphis Grizzlies’ injury report due to an illness. He’ll join Tyreke Evans in the starting backcourt, who missed the previous five games before the trade deadline due to a precautionary organizational decision. The Grizzlies are still relatively shorthanded with Wayne Selden, Deyonta Davis, and Chandler Parsons already ruled out because of their respective ailments. Selden was the primary replacement in the starting lineup for Evans, and now that Harrison is available, Jarell Martin will head back to the bench to resume a reserve role after logging 30 minutes in a spot start in Wednesday’s loss. Unsurprisingly, Evans and Marc Gasol have led these new-look Grizzlies in usage by a wide margin with rates of 30.0% and 28.4%, respectively, and will continue to be the primary Grizzlies’ to target in daily fantasy formats on a near-nightly basis.
As reported by: the Memphis Grizzlies via Twitter Tyreke Evans will start Sunday, as expected
Evans is back with the Memphis Grizzlies and will start in Sunday’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, according to interim head coach JB Bickerstaff, after missing the previous five games before the trade deadline due to a precautionary organizational decision. Meanwhile, Andrew Harrison remains questionable with an illness, and his possible absence could leave the Grizzlies relatively shorthanded with Wayne Selden already ruled out because of a sore right knee. Selden was the primary replacement in the starting lineup for Evans, and if Harrison is eventually ruled out, Jarell Martin could remain in the starting unit for the second straight game after logging 30 minutes in Wednesday’s loss. Unsurprisingly, Evans and Marc Gasol have led these new-look Grizzlies in usage by a wide margin with rates of 30.0% and 28.4%, respectively, and will continue to be the primary Grizzlies’ to target in daily fantasy formats on a near-nightly basis.
As reported by: Grizzlies PR via Twitter Russell Westbrook (ankle) and Carmelo Anthony (ankle) ruled out Sunday
Westbrook has officially been ruled out and won’t play in Sunday’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies after previously being listed as questionable on the Oklahoma City Thunder’s injury report with a sprained left ankle that has now forced him to miss two consecutive games, while Carmelo Anthony will also be unavailable for the second straight game due to a sprained right ankle. Patrick Patterson ended up replacing Anthony at power forward Thursday but logged just 25 minutes compared to Jerami Grant’s run of 23 minutes off the bench. As for Westbrook’s absence, Raymond Felton will almost certainly start at point guard once again and should continue to be locked into a heavy minute workload as the only true point guard on the Thunder’s active roster. Unsurprisingly, with both Westbrook and Anthony off the court this season, Paul George owns a massive +14.9% usage rate differential, equating to a 42.6% usage rate overall, and he has averaged 1.30 fantasy points per minute on DraftKings and 1.25 on FanDuel in this scenario.
As reported by: Royce Young via Twitter Other tagged players: Carmelo Anthony Enes Kanter (dental) will play Sunday; Emmanuel Mudiay available to play
Kanter has reportedly been cleared to play and will suit up for Sunday’s game against the Indiana Pacers after previously telling reporters at Saturday’s practice that he expected to play in tonight’s contest following a one-game absence due to a dental procedure. Meanwhile, Emmanuel Mudiay is available to make his New York Knicks debut, according to head coach Jeff Hornacek, and figures to eat into Jarrett Jack’s role in the backcourt rotation. The return of Kanter will displace Kyle O’Quinn from the starting lineup, who was solid from a fantasy perspective in 25 minutes in his spot start, but he still figures to maintain a substantial role in the Knicks’ frontcourt rotation following the loss of Kristaps Porzingis for the remainder of the season due to an ACL tear. This also means that Luke Kornet is likely to serve as the third-string center and possibly split time as the backup power forward for the time being, which should drastically dimish the 22-minute workload he saw in his NBA debut Thursday evening.
As reported by: the New York Knicks via Twitter Other tagged players: Emmanuel Mudiay Dirk Nowitzki (ankle), Wesley Matthews (back), and J.J. Barea (rest) officially ruled out Sunday
Nowitzki, Matthews, and Barea did not travel with the team to Houston for Sunday’s second game of a back-to-back set against the Rockets due to their respective ailments, though Barea is reportedly only sitting for planned rest as he works his way back from a strained left oblique that recently forced him to miss some time. The Mavericks currently have Dwight Powell, Doug McDermott, and Yogi Ferrell listed as the aforementioned players’ replacements in the starting lineup at center, small forward, and the shooting guard spot, respectively, which means Harrison Barnes will remain at power forward for the second straight game. Unsurprisingly, with Nowitzki, Matthews, and Barea off the court, several Mavericks starters have experienced noteworthy increases in their usage rates, but Dennis Smith Jr. has been the biggest beneficiary by far, as he owns a +9.9% usage rate differential, albeit, a limited sample size, and has averaged 1.42 fantasy points per minute on DraftKings and 1.33 on FanDuel in this scenario.
As reported by: Chuck Cooperstein via Twitter Other tagged players: Wesley Matthews, J.J. Barea Rookie of the Year Candidate Coming On Strong
If Ricky Rubio gets ruled out, we could see more point-Mitchell, or at the very least more chances offensively for Mitchell. Per CourtIQ, when Rubio (and Rodney Hood since he’s no longer with the team) are off the court, Mitchell leads the team with a 36.6% usage rate. The Jazz also signed guard Nazareth Mitrou-Long to a 10-day contract, which gives them more flexibility should they decide to rest Rubio on Sunday.
