DFS Alerts
Jonathon Simmons (ankle) expected to play Thursday; Aaron Gordon (hip) and Nikola Vucevic (hand) remain out
Simmons was a limited participant in Thursday’s shootaround, according to head coach Frank Vogel, but is still expected to play in tonight’s game against the Atlanta Hawks after previously being listed as questionable on the Orlando Magic’s injury report with a sore right ankle. Meanwhile, Aaron Gordon and Nikola Vucevic will remain sidelined due to their respective ailments, the latter needing to go through a few more practices before he’s cleared to return from a fractured index metacarpal in his left hand. In Aaron Gordon’s absence, Mario Hezonja and Marreese Speights have alternated starts at power forward over the last five games, but regardless of starter, Hezonja has logged the most playing time of the two, eclipsing 25 minutes in every game. Therefore, Hezonja will remain the preferred tournament option over Speights since he is seemingly putting some distance between himself and Speights in head coach Frank Vogel’s rotation That said, the starters that still stand to benefit the most with Gordon sidelined are Simmons and Elfrid Payton, as each owns at least a +2.1% usage rate differential with him off the court this season, and Payton has averaged 1.18 fantasy points per minute on DraftKings and 1.24 on FanDuel in this scenario as well.
As reported by: Josh Robbins via Twitter Other tagged players: Aaron Gordon, Nikola Vucevic
Will People Forget About Me?
Kyle Kuzma is one of my favorite plays tonight, and I love his price on FanDuel especially. Earlier this morning the Lakers moved Clarkson and Nance to the Cavs, and if this doesn’t free up more minutes for Kuzma, I don’t know what will. With Nance, Clarkson, and Ball off the floor this season, Kuzma has a 26.6% usage rate and is averaging .82 fantasy points per minute. If he gets 30+ minutes in this game, he’s simply too cheap for his upside.
An Intriguing GPP Selection
I will admit that it has been a lot of “miss” and not a lot of “hit” with Klay Thompson lately, but that’s part of the package when you are dealing with a guy who is largely dependent on scoring. He will get completely over-looked tonight with his struggles and an underwhelming matchup against Dallas, but the Warriors still hold an implied team total of 116 points. Thompson’s price is also as cheap as it has been in quite some time. This just might be the spot to buy in GPP formats.
Tonight's Free Square
This is your free square tonight. Period. Both Porzingis and Kanter are out for the Knicks, and Beasley sees a 3% jump in usage and scores about five additional fantasy points per 36 minutes with those two off the floor. More importantly, the minutes will be very secure. When you combine the increase in playing time with the increased production per minute, you have an obvious play. Even though his price got inflated on most sites, Beasley is a lock and load play for me in both cash games and tournaments on this Thursday slate.
Massive Upside with Injury Questions Abound
Paul George is averaging 38 fantasy points per 36 minutes on the season, but that has ticked up to 43 fantasy points per 36 minutes over the last two weeks, according to our CourtIQ tool. He looks more comfortable now and could be asked to lead the team tonight with both Westbrook and Anthony questionable. It wouldn’t surprise me to see one or both of those players held out as a precaution in a very winnable game. George was fantastic against the Warriors the other night with 38 points and six steals, and I am more than willing to fire him up as a great upside play this evening against the up tempo Lakers.
Might Be The Last Time To Play Me
Tyler Dorsey moved into the Marco Belinelli role against Memphis last time, and with Belinelli already ruled out for tonight’s game, I think Dorsey is a great tournament play. It’s an extremely risky play, but Dorsey was well on his way to 26 minutes before the blowout the other night against Memphis. There is a lot of value options on this slate, and I think Dorsey will be under 5% owned. Orlando is 27th in defensive efficiency this season.
Eric Gordon (back) and Ryan Anderson (ankle) ruled out Wednesday
Gordon has officially been ruled out and won’t play in Wednesday’s game against the Miami Heat after briefly being listed as doubtful on the Houston Rockets’ injury report with a tight back that has now forced him to miss two of the last three games, while Ryan Anderson has also been downgraded to out on the injury report due to a sprained right ankle he sustained during Tuesday’s win. Gordon made his return from a two-game absence in yesterday’s contest and logged 28 minutes, but his back has reportedly tightened up on him throughout the day today, leading to his aforementioned doubtful unavailability. Additionally, there’s still no specific timetable for Trevor Ariza to return from his strained left hamstring and will remain sidelined for at least one additional game. In his absence, Luc Mbah a Moute will continue to start at small forward but remains a low-ceiling option for daily fantasy formats, despite logging plenty of minutes on a nightly basis. With Anderson unable to suit up, head coach Mike D’Antoni will likely turn to P.J. Tucker at power forward, as Tucker started the second half in Anderson’s place on Tuesday and accumulated 33 minutes in relief following his exit.
As reported by: Jonathan Feigen via Twitter Other tagged players: Ryan Anderson Wayne Ellington (shoulder) officially ruled out Wednesday
Ellington has officially been ruled out and won’t play in Wednesday’s game against the Houston Rockets after previously being downgraded to doubtful from questionable on the Miami Heat’s injury report with a right shoulder injury. Meanwhile, Kelly Olynyk was also ruled out due to a strained left shoulder, and Justise Winslow will play through an illness following his initial questionable designation on the injury report. Head coach Erik Spoelstra made some interesting comments to reporters following Tuesday’s practice, stating that he will consider playing Bam Adebayo and Hassan Whiteside alongside each other in the frontcourt more often, which would likely eat into James Johnson’s playing time at power forward when the Heat are at full strength. So, even though Johnson is likely to draw the start in Olynyk’s place this evening, Adebayo may end up being the preferred target in tournament formats given his immense upside. That said, Whiteside and Goran Dragic each own at least a +2.2% usage rate differential with Olynyk and Dion Waiters off the court this season, making them intriguing targets in tournaments as well, even with Winslow being given the all clear to suit up for Wednesday’s matchup.
As reported by: the Miami Heat via Twitter DeAndre Liggins will start ahead of Rajon Rondo on Wednesday
In a surprising move, New Orleans Pelicans head coach Alvin Gentry told reporters during his pregame media availability that DeAndre Liggins will replace Rajon Rondo in the starting lineup for Wednesday’s game against the Indiana Pacers in order for Rondo to “provide a spark” off the bench. This change will also slide Jrue Holiday over to point guard and allow him to operate as the sole ball-handler in the starting unit with Liggins lining up at the shooting guard spot to hopefully improve the Pelicans performance on the defensive end of the floor. Liggins saw just 13 minutes off the bench in Monday’s contest following a string of DNP-CDs, so he shouldn’t just be expected to step right into a full starters’ minute allotment, as this lineup change appears to be more strategic than an actual demotion for Rondo, and he’ll likely still fall somewhere in the range of 24-30 minutes he sees on most nights in a newly-acquired sixth-man role.
As reported by: Will Guillory via Twitter Other tagged players: Rajon Rondo Dwyane Wade (rest) ruled out Wednesday
Wade has officially been ruled out and won’t play in Wednesday’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves after previously being considered doubtful on the Cleveland Cavaliers’ injury report due to planned rest on the second night of a road back-to-back set. Head coach Tyronn Lue mentioned to reporters at Tuesday morning’s shootaround that the team was planning on resting Wade tonight, so his unavailability is anything but surprising after logging 22 minutes in yesterday’s loss. Wade’s minutes have been a bit inconsistent since Isaiah Thomas and Derrick Rose returned to the Cleveland lineup following their respective injury absences, so with him unavailable, expect Rose and Jeff Green to some a bump in playing time in the second unit. In fact, with Wade and Kevin Love off the court this season, both Rose and Green have been the main beneficiaries and each own at least a +4.0% usage rate differential. Rose’s playing time is definitely less secure than Green’s, but he has averaged 1.16 fantasy points per minute on DraftKings and FanDuel in a limited sample size in this scenario.
As reported by: Tom Withers via Twitter Eric Gordon (back) doubtful Wednesday; Ryan Anderson (ankle) will be a game-time decision
Gordon is a late addition to the Houston Rockets’ injury report and has been listed as doubtful for tonight’s game against the Miami Heat due to a tight back that has forced him to miss two of the last three games. Meanwhile, Ryan Anderson remains questionable with a sprained right ankle he sustained during Tuesday’s win and, according to head coach Mike D’Antoni will be a game-time decision. Gordon made his return from a two-game absence in yesterday’s contest and logged 28 minutes, but his back has reportedly tightened up on him throughout the day today, leading to his aforementioned doubtful designation. Additionally, there’s still no specific timetable for Trevor Ariza to return from his strained left hamstring and will remain sidelined for at least one additional game this evening. In his absence, Luc Mbah a Moute will continue to start at small forward but remains a low-ceiling option for daily fantasy formats, despite logging plenty of minutes on a nightly basis. If Anderson is ruled out closer to tipoff, D’Antoni would likely turn to P.J. Tucker at power forward, as Tucker started the second half in Anderson’s place on Tuesday and accumulated 33 minutes in relief.
As reported by: Jonathan Feigen via Twitter Other tagged players: Ryan Anderson Kelly Olynyk (shoulder) ruled out Wednesday; Wayne Ellington (shoulder) now doubtful; Justise Winslow (illness) will play
Olynyk has officially been ruled out and won’t play in tonight’s game against the Houston Rockets after previously being listed as doubtful on the Miami Heat’s injury report with a strained left shoulder. Meanwhile, Wayne Ellington has been downgraded to doubtful from questionable due to a right shoulder injury, and Justise Winslow will play through an illness following his initial questionable designation on the injury report. Head coach Erik Spoelstra made some interesting comments to reporters following Tuesday’s practice, stating that he will consider playing Bam Adebayo and Hassan Whiteside alongside each other in the frontcourt more often, which would likely eat into James Johnson’s playing time at power forward when the Heat are at full strength. So, even though Johnson is likely to draw the start in Olynyk’s place this evening, Adebayo may end up being the preferred target in tournament formats given his immense upside. That said, Whiteside and Goran Dragic each own at least a +2.2% usage rate differential with Olynyk and Dion Waiters off the court this season, making them intriguing targets in tournaments as well, even with Winslow being given the all clear to suit up for Wednesday’s matchup.
As reported by: Manny Navarro via Twitter Other tagged players: Wayne Ellington, Justise Winslow Quincy Acy (finger sprain) ruled out Wednesday
Acy has officially been ruled out and won’t play in Wednesday’s game against the Detroit Pistons after previously being listed as questionable on the Brooklyn Nets’ injury report with a sprained right middle finger that has now forced him to miss two consecutive games. The Nets will also be without Caris LeVert and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson due to their respective ailments, and the latter will remain sidelined for the seventh straight game with a strained right groin. Acy had started at power forward in place of Hollis-Jefferson for five consecutive contests prior to his injury, so the Nets will be relatively thin in the frontcourt once again with Tyler Zeller now in Milwaukee, and that lack of depth will force DeMarre Carroll to start at the four spot for the second time in as many days and allow Joe Harris to remain the starting lineup alongside Allen Crabbe on the wing. Additionally, Jahlil Okafor will remain locked in as the Nets primary backup center and logged 24 minutes in Acy’s absence on Tuesday evening. That said, the main beneficiary with LeVert and Hollis-Jefferson off the court this season has been Spencer Dinwiddie, as he owns a +4.7% usage rate differential and has averaged 1.10 fantasy points per minute on DraftKings and 1.08 on FanDuel in this scenario.
As reported by: Brian Lewis via Twitter Devin Booker (hip pointer) officially ruled out Wednesday
Booker has officially been ruled out and won’t play in Wednesday’s game against the San Antonio Spurs due to a left hip pointer that has now forced him to miss two consecutive games. Meanwhile, the Suns have yet to provide an update on the status of Tyson Chandler, who typically sits for planned rest on the second night of back-to-back sets and logged 30 minutes in Tuesday’s loss. Interim head coach Jay Triano did hint following yesterday’s contest that he may use Chandler for the first time in a quite a while in back-to-back days, but unfortunately, it seems unlikely there will be any clarity on Chandler or the starting center position before lock on the main or possibly even late slates. As for Booker, his replacement in the starting lineup has yet to be confirmed, but Tyler Ulis is likely to start at point guard for the second time in as many games after an underwhelming fantasy performance in 29 minutes Tuesday evening. That said, he’ll be an interesting bounce-back candidate on Wednesday’s slate, as both he and Josh Jackson own at least a +5.5% usage rate differential with Booker, Chandler, and Isaiah Canaan off the court this season, though Jackson has been the more consistent option and averages 1.09 fantasy points per minute on DraftKings and 1.05 on FanDuel in this scenario.
As reported by: Scott Bordow via Twitter Deyonta Davis (sore knees) remains out Wednesday
Davis has officially been ruled out and won’t play in Wednesday’s game against the Utah Jazz due to the sore left and right knees that have now forced him to miss two consecutive games, while Chandler Parsons will remain sidelined for the 19th consecutive game with a sore right knee. Wayne Selden has started the last seven games in place of Tyreke Evans, who is still away from the team while the Grizzlies front office attempts to finalize a trade to a contender, and has averaged right around 30 minutes per game in those starts, making him a viable tournament target on tonight’s slate. That said, the players that have benefitted the most with the aforementioned players and Mike Conley off the court this season have been Andrew Harrison and Dillon Brooks, as each own at least a +4.8% usage rate differential and have seen noteworthy spikes in their per minute production in this scenario.
As reported by: Grizzlies PR via Twitter