DFS Alerts
Goran Dragic (bruised knee) will play Thursday
Dragic has officially been cleared to play and will suit up for tonight’s game against the Sacramento Kings after previously being listed as probable on the Miami Heat’s injury report with a bruised left that had forced him to miss two consecutive games. Meanwhile, Tyler Johnson did go through shootaround this morning but will remain sidelined for the fifth consecutive game due to a sprained left ankle, despite originally being listed as probable on the injury report. Dragic’s return will likely send Wayne Ellington back to the bench to resume his normal reserve, allowing Derrick Jones Jr. to remain at the starting shooting guard spot in place of Johnson and the injured Dion Waiters, who just recently underwent season-ending surgery. With that aforementioned duo off the court this season, Dragic, Hassan Whiteside, and Kelly Olynyk each own at least a +3.1% usage rate differential, while Whiteside is averaging 1.50 fantasy points per minute on DraftKings and 1.57 on FanDuel in this scenario and has logged at least 30 minutes in three of the last four games.
As reported by: Ira Winderman via Twitter
Jimmy Butler (knee) questionable Thursday; Jamal Crawford (toe) probable
Butler has officially been listed as questionable on the Minnesota Timberwolves’ injury report for tonight’s game against the Golden State Warriors due a sore right knee that has already forced him to miss three consecutive games, while Jamal Crawford is probable with a sprained left toe despite returning from a two-game absence Wednesday and logging 20 minutes off the bench. If Butler is ruled out closer to tipoff, Nemanja Bjelica would draw the start at small forward for the fourth time in as many games after posting three-straight solid fantasy performances while averaging just under 32 minutes per game as a starter over that stretch. This change would also slide Andrew Wiggins over to the shooting guard position, and he and Jeff Teague continue to be the most noteworthy beneficiaries of Butler’s absence, as each own at least a +5.2% usage rate differential with them off the court this season, while Wiggins has also averaged 0.94 fantasy points per minute on DraftKings and 0.93 on FanDuel in this scenario.
As reported by: Jerry Zgoda via Twitter Patrick McCaw (back strain) ruled out Thursday
Mccaw has been ruled out and won’t play in tonight’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves after previously being listed as questionable on the Golden State Warriors’ injury report with a strained mid back. Meanwhile, there’s yet to be an official update on Klay Thompson, and he remains probable due to a left glute contusion. In McCaw’s absence, Omri Casspi will likely re-enter the rotation in at least a limited fashion, while Nick Young and Shaun Livingston should be expected to absorb any additional minutes that McCaw would have seen this evening. That said, given his sporadic role in the second unit, none of Casspi, Young, or Livingston are likely to receive a quantifiable boost to their projected fantasy value on Thursday’s slate.
As reported by: Mark Medina via Twitter Kristaps Porzingis (knee irritation) expects to play Thursday
Porzingis will go through shootaround and expects to play, barring a setback, in tonight’s game against the Denver Nuggets after originally being listed as questionable on the New York Knicks’ injury report with left knee irritation that had forced him to miss one game. Meanwhile, Kyle O’Quinn remains questionable due to a left calf contusion that also kept him sidelined for Tuesday’s loss. The likely return of Porzingis will send Michael Beasley back to the bench to resume his normal reserve role, and he has seen his playing time fluctuate game-to-game ever since Tim Hardaway Jr. returned from his extended absence due to a left leg stress reaction. If O’Quinn is ruled out closer to tipoff, Guillermo Hernangomez would remain in the rotation and serve as the backup center behind Enes Kanter and logged 17 minutes off the bench with him and Porzingis both unavailable for Tuesday’s contest.
As reported by: Steve Popper via Twitter De'Aaron Fox (abdominal), Skal Labissiere (shoulder), and Zach Randolph (knee) probable Thursday
Fox and Labissiere have officially been listed as probable on the Sacramento Kings’ injury report for tonight’s game against the Miami Heat due to their respective ailments, and Fox was limited to only 10 minutes in Tuesday’s win with a tight abdominal, while Zach Randolph has been upgraded to probable after missing that game with a sore left knee. Labissiere and Randolph continue to alternate starts at the power forward spot, but Labissiere continues to log more playing time no matter which role he assumes in a given game. There has yet to be a detectable pattern to which Kings veterans will be rested on a nightly basis, but Randolph certainly appears poised to be in the rotation Thursday, assuming healthy, as each was a DNP in Monday’s contest. In the four games since the Kings announced their plans to rest two or three veterans each game, Labissiere, Willie Cauley-Stein, De’Aaron Fox, and Bogdan Bogdanovic have been the only players to receive consistent playing time, and they all have averaged at least 29 minutes per game over that span.
As reported by: Jason Jones via Twitter Other tagged players: Skal Labissiere, Zach Randolph Patrick Patterson (sore wrist) uncertain Thursday
Patterson went through shootaround this morning but his playing status for tonight’s game against the Washington Wizards remains unclear due to a sore right wrist. He hasn’t been given an official designation on the Oklahoma City Thunder’s injury report but is shaping up to be a game-time decision this evening. Patterson has been playing in the range of 16-20 minutes on a nightly basis of late, so his absence won’t have too much of an effect on the rest of the Thunder frontcourt rotation. However, if he’s unable to suit up, Jerami Grant would likely step into a larger role off the bench at power forward, while Nick Collison could enter the rotation and into a nominal role behind Steven Adams at center with Dakari Johnson currently on a G-League assignment.
As reported by: Brett Dawson via Twitter Time to Drop the Hammer
Hassan Whiteside has played at least 30 minutes in three of his last four games and has averaged 47 fantasy points during that stretch. If he plays 30+ minutes against the Kings, I like his chances to post a 20-20 game against the Kings, who are ranked 29th in efficiency against centers and 28th in rebounding differential this season.
Goran Dragic (knee) intends to play Thursday; Tyler Johnson (ankle) remains out
Dragic remains listed as probable on the Miami Heat’s injury report and will warm up with the intention of playing in tonight’s game against the Sacramento Kings after missing two consecutive games with a bruised left knee. Meanwhile, Tyler Johnson went through shootaround but will remain sidelined for the fifth consecutive game due to a sprained left ankle, despite previously being listed as probable on the injury report. Dragic’s likely return will likely send Wayne Ellington back to the bench to resume his normal reserve, allowing Derrick Jones Jr. to remain at the starting shooting guard spot in place of Johnson and the injured Dion Waiters, who just recently underwent season-ending surgery. With that aforementioned duo off the court this season, Dragic, Hassan Whiteside, and Kelly Olynyk each own at least a +3.1% usage rate differential, while Whiteside is averaging 1.50 fantasy points per minute on DraftKings and 1.57 on FanDuel in this scenario and has logged at least 30 minutes in three of the last four games.
As reported by: the Miami Heat via Twitter Other tagged players: Tyler Johnson Safe Target at Power Forward
Taj Gibson is one of those players that we never get excited to roster, but that always makes sense in cash games. He should be locked into 35+ minutes in an uptempo game against the Warriors. His price is reasonable across the industry and power forward is always one of the toughest positions to fill out in our lineups.
Enjoying a Mid-Season Breakout
Enes Kanter has been playing well again for the Knicks, as he has topped 30 fantasy points (DK scoring) in four straight games. The Knicks have no choice but to play him heavy minutes if Porzingis is out again tonight, so keep a close eye on that. Size on the interior will definitely be needed against the Nuggets. Kanter always carries plenty of risk, as we never know when the bottom will fall out, but I feel a lot better about him if Porzingis is sidelined. Keep an eye on the news as we get closer to lineup lock, and be ready to pounce with some Kanter exposure in GPP formats.
Monitor Jimmy Butler's Status
Keep a close eye on Jimmy Butler’s status for tonight. If he is out again, we can look to Andrew Wiggins despite a recent price bump. Over the last three games, Wiggins is 38 for 66 from the floor (58% shooting), and he clearly feels more comfortable when he doesn’t have to share the floor with another volume shooting wing player. This will also be a pace up game against the Warriors, so Wiggins will definitely need to score if the Wolves are going to hang in this game. We know the minutes will be there, and there’s plenty of potential here if Butler is sidelined again tonight.
A Friendly Matchup Could Yield Big Results
The Wizards have solid defensive marks against almost every position, but they have really had trouble defending wing players that can score. LeBron James has abused them, and this could be a spot for a ceiling game from Paul George. It has been a frustrating up and down year for him as a new member of a team with plenty of ball dominant players, but he looks more comfortable at this stage of the season and has looked better of late. I like him as a contrarian pick tonight.
Very Few Value Targets Tonight
There are only four games on the schedule tonight and as is often the case, we are lacking some serious value. One player that offers both a high floor and a low price tag is Jarrett Jack. He is priced under $5,000 on both FanDuel and DraftKings and he gets to face a Nuggets’ defense that is ranked 27th in both efficiency and DvP against point guards this season.
A Great GPP Leverage Spot
John Wall tends to get up for big games against other top point guards, and I expect him to be ready to rock against Russell Westbrook and company tonight. The Wizards should be seething after scoring just 75 points in their last game, and Wall averaged 14.5 assists per game in the two meetings between these teams a year ago. His price isn’t outrageous, and I like him better on a point per dollar basis than both Westbrook and Curry at point guard on this slate, and the other two will likely command higher ownership. Hello, GPP potential!
Tyreke Evans (illness) and Jarell Martin (knee, ankle) ruled out Wednesday
Evans has officially been ruled out and won’t play in tonight’s game against the San Antonio Spurs after previously being a late addition to the Memphis Grizzlies’ injury report with an illness, while Jarell Martin has also been deemed unavailable with separate left knee and left ankle injuries following his earlier questionable designation. The Grizzlies are also without JaMychal Green, James Ennis, Chandler Parsons, and Mike Conley due to their respective ailments, leaving them shorthanded at essentially every position. Wayne Selden will replace Evans in the starting lineup alongside Andrew Harrison in the backcourt, but there has yet to be any confirmation on who will start at power forward in place of Martin, who was already starting in place Green in the Memphis frontcourt. Additionally, Kobi Simmons is with the team and is available to play off the bench Wednesday evening. There is obviously almost no sample size with the aforementioned players off the court, but Selden, Harrison, Mario Chalmers, and Dillon Brooks figure to benefit the most from a minutes and usage perspective.
As reported by: Michael Wallace via Twitter Other tagged players: Jarell Martin