DFS Alerts
Victor Oladipo (illness) will play Wednesday
Oladipo has officially been cleared to play and will suit up for Wednesday’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans after previously being listed as questionable on the Indiana Pacers’ injury report with an illness that had forced him to miss one game. Meanwhile, Darren Collison and Glenn Robinson remain sidelined with their respective injuries, and Collison is still expected to miss at least two-to-three weeks following an arthroscopic procedure on his left knee earlier this week. The absence of Collison will continue to benefit bench players like Lance Stephenson, Cory Joseph, and Joe Young in terms of playing time, but it remains to be seen whether Joseph or Young start at point guard as head coach Nate McMillan has expressed his preference of keeping Joseph and Stephenson in lineups together, which is why they both started in Monday’s contest. That said, Oladipo still benefits the most from a usage standpoint with Collison off the floor, and he owns a +3.8% usage rate differential while averaging 1.29 fantasy points per minute on DraftKings and 1.28 on FanDuel in this scenario.
As reported by: the Indiana Pacers via Twitter
Caris LeVert (head, knee) ruled out Wednesday; Quincy Acy (finger) questionable
Levert has officially been ruled out and won’t play in Wednesday’s game against the Detroit Pistons due to a sprained right knee and a possible concussion he sustained during Tuesday’s loss, while Rondae Hollis-Jefferson will miss his seventh consecutive game with a strained right groin. Additionally, Quincy Acy is listed as questionable with a sprained right middle finger that has already forced him to miss one game. Acy had started at power forward in place of Hollis-Jefferson for five straight games, so the Nets could be relatively thin in the frontcourt once again with Tyler Zeller now in Milwaukee, and would likely force DeMarre Carroll to start at the four spot for the second time in as many games and allow Joe Harris to remain the starting lineup alongside Allen Crabbe on the wing. Additionally, Jahlil Okafor would remain locked in as the Nets primary backup center and logged 24 minutes in Acy’s absence on Tuesday evening.
As reported by: Alex Labidou via Twitter Other tagged players: Quincy Acy, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson Kick 'em While They are Down
It’s crazy to see the Cavaliers’ implosion, but like many train wrecks in life, it’s hard to look away. During this stretch of bad play, I’ve been loading up players against them. Cleveland is now ranked 25th or worse in points allowed per game, defensive efficiency, and rebounding differential. They don’t cover any single position well, especially point guards. Isaiah Thomas was the worst defender in basketball a year ago and not much has changed. Jeff Teague grades out as an elite option in both cash games and tournaments.
Kelly Olynyk (shoulder) doubtful Wednesday; Justise Winslow (illness) and Wayne Ellington (shoulder) questionable
Olynyk has officially been listed as doubtful on the Miami Heat’s injury report for Wednesday’s game against the Houston Rockets after originally being listed as questionable with a strained left shoulder. Meanwhile, Justise Winslow and Wayne Ellington are listed as questionable due to their respective ailments, and Winslow is expected to be a game-time decision because of an illness. 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 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 if Winslow and Ellington up being cleared to play.
As reported by: Anthony Chiang via Twitter Other tagged players: Justise Winslow, Wayne Ellington Flying Under the Radar
Has Myles Turner been consistent this season? Absolutely not, but we have seen some encouraging signs over the last four games. After posting back-to-back 40+ fantasy point outings, he came crashing back to earth with a combined 27 fantasy points in his next two games. Obviously, that’s not ideal, but the minutes have been trending upward. He only played 23 minutes the other night, but that was largely due to foul trouble. If he plays 30 minutes tonight against the Pelicans, he could be one of the top point-per-dollar producers at the center position.
Thriving Without Cousins
The Pelicans draw a much better matchup today against the Pacers after having a tough draw against the Jazz the other night. I would expect a better performance in what could be a close, high scoring game. The Pacers might be without Victor Oladipo again tonight, which would provide another boost to this matchup. We know that Holiday sees a massive spike in usage and opportunity with Cousins out, and while that will dip to some degree with the addition of Mirotic, I still like the potential. The price tag is also a bit cheaper than I would have expected, making Holiday one of my favorite mid-range plays on tonight’s slate.
Potentially Elite Value
Keep an eye on the news out of Phoenix tonight, as we could see Alex Len become a very popular value play. Greg Monroe is gone, so that leaves Chandler and Len to handle the center duties. Chandler also often rests on the tail end of back-to-back sets, and he played 30 minutes in last night’s game against the Lakers. Len could be pressed into a starting role and 30+ minutes tonight. Even though the matchup is less than ideal, the opportunity and value price would be too great to ignore. Monitor this as the day goes along.
Co-Existing with Drummond on a New Team
As of our current limited sample size, it seems like Blake Griffin is going to be able to thrive alongside Andre Drummond, as he has posted well-rounded lines in his first few games with his new squad. Griffin is coming off a 21/9/6 line in a blowout win over the Blazers, and I don’t mind tonight’s matchup against Charlotte. Drummond has the tougher draw here against Howard on the interior, while Griffin should thrive. I will be fading Drummond this evening and locking in Griffin as one of my favorite GPP plays.
Taking Some Risk in Cash Games
I typically only write-up the players that I feel the best about each slate, since I’m in charge of the cash game selections. However, every once in a while I don’t mind chasing upside in my cash games, especially in these smaller slates. Over his last three games, Rajon Rondo has averaged 28 minutes and 32 fantasy points per contest. He draws an exploitable matchup at home against the Pacers, who are missing their starting point guard (Darren Collison). Rondo is always a wildcard, but the upside might be worth the risk at this price point.
Reliable Value on an Ugly Slate
At first glance, tonight’s slate really isn’t all that appetizing, and it might be a struggle to find reliable value. As of now, Mbah a Moute is a guy I am looking at as one of the better options. His minutes are secure with Trevor Ariza on the sidelines, and he has comfortably been reaching the 20+ fantasy point mark. While his upside isn’t all that high and he isn’t a high usage player, there’s something to be said for the secure minutes. With value selections being hard to come by, Mbah a Moute is a guy I would feel comfortable using in all formats.
Ekpe Udoh (personal) ruled out Wednesday
Udoh was not present at shootaround Wednesday morning and has been ruled out for tonight’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies as he tends to a personal matter. This news is relatively unimportant for daily fantasy considering Udoh’s minutes have been minimal and inconsistent ever since Rudy Gobert and Derrick Favors made their returns from injury, and they’ll continue to absorb a large majority of the available center minutes on a nightly basis when healthy. That said, any minutes Udoh would have seen will now be dispersed to Jonas Jerebko, Joe Johnson, and Royce O’Neal, though none will see a substantial enough bump in playing time to alter their projected value in daily fantasy formats.
As reported by: Andy Larsen via Twitter Marco Belinelli ruled out Tuesday
Belinelli is a late scratch and has been ruled out of Tuesday’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies as the Atlanta Hawks have decided to hold him out of tonight’s contest with trade talks heating up with other teams around the league. Meanwhile, Ersan Ilyasova will return from a one-game absence due to an illness and will assume his normal starting power forward role, which will send Dewayne Dedmon back to the bench following a stellar fantasy performance for his price tag in 29 minutes in his spot start on Sunday afternoon. Belinelli typically averages minutes in the low-20s in this Hawks backcourt, so in his absence, Malcolm Delaney and Tyler Dorsey are likely to see a slight uptick in playing time, while Isaiah Taylor could also enter the rotation and log nominal minutes.
As reported by: Michael Cunningham via Twitter Eric Gordon (stiff back) will play Tuesday
Gordon has officially been cleared to play and will suit up for Tuesday’s game against the Brooklyn Nets after previously being listed as probable on the Houston Rockets’ injury report with a stiff lower back that had forced him to miss two consecutive games. Meanwhile, there’s still no specific timetable for Trevor Ariza to return from his strained left hamstring, but he will remain sidelined for at least two more games, including tonight’s contest. 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. As for Gordon, he’s likely to assume his normal role of backing up both James Harden and Chris Paul in the backcourt, while Gerald Green will continue filling in for Mbah a Moute of the bench for the duration of Ariza’s absence.
As reported by: Craig Ackerman via Twitter Wayne Selden (sore knee) will start Tuesday
Selden has officially been cleared to play and will start in Tuesday’s game against the Atlanta Hawks after previously being listed as questionable on the Memphis Grizzlies’ injury report with a sore right knee. Even with Selden available to play, the Grizzlies are still shorthanded and will be without Deyonta Davis and Chandler Parsons for tonight’s contest due to their respective ailments. Selden has started the last six 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 just over 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 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: Michael Wallace via Twitter Quincy Acy (finger sprain) ruled out Tuesday
Acy has officially been ruled out and won’t play in tonight’s game against the Houston Rockets after previously being listed as questionable on the Brooklyn Nets’ injury report with a sprained right middle finger, while Rondae Hollis-Jefferson remains sidelined with a strained right groin. Acy has started at power forward in place of Hollis-Jefferson for the last five games, so the Nets are going to be relatively thin in the frontcourt with Tyler Zeller now in Milwaukee, which will force DeMarre Carroll to start at the four spot and allow Joe Harris to enter the starting lineup alongside Allen Crabbe on the wing. With Zeller gone, Jahlil Okafor will be locked in as the Nets backup center while Timofey Mozgov may enter the rotation and log nominal minutes. Newly-promoted starter Jarrett Allen has seen his minutes creep into the upper-20s of late, and he owns a +2.7% usage rate differential with Acy and Hollis-Jefferson off the court this season, making him a fine play for tournament formats with rates of 0.97 fantasy points per minute on DraftKings and 1.01 on FanDuel in this scenario.
As reported by: Bryan Fonseca via Twitter