DFS Alerts
J.J. Barea (groin strain) available to play Saturday
Barea has been cleared to play and will suit up for tonight’s game against the Portland Trail Blazers after previously being listed as questionable on the Dallas Mavericks’ injury report with a strained left groin that had forced him to miss one game. Head coach Rick Carlisle actually opted to shake up the starting lineup in the previous game by reinserting Maxi Kleber at the power forward spot, sliding Wesley Matthews and Harrison Barnes over to the shooting guard and small forward positions, respectively, though he logged just 17 minutes in his start while Yogi Ferrell still saw 35 minutes off the bench. It remains to be seen if Carlisle adjusts the starting lineup once again, but either way, Barea’s return will eat into the playing time of Ferrell, and Kyle Collinsworth will likely be relegated from the rotation altogether.
As reported by: Eddie Sefko via Twitter
Andre Iguodala (calf contusion) ruled out Saturday
Iguodala 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 Golden State Warriors’ injury report with a left calf contusion. Iguodala was the only Warrior listed on the injury report other than Jordan Bell, who will be sidelined for at least two weeks with left ankle inflammation, and as of now are the only two players unavailable for Golden State this evening. Iguodala typically sees minutes in the mid-to-upper-20s depending on the matchup, and his playing time will mostly be absorbed by Omri Casspi and Patrick McCaw on the wing. Prior to Draymond Green’s most recent injury absence, Kevon Looney had been playing ahead of Bell in the frontcourt rotation, and he’ll be the beneficiary of any minutes Bell may have seen.
As reported by: Warriors PR via Twitter Memphis Grizzlies Injury Report for Saturday
The Memphis Grizzlies have released their latest injury report for tonight’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans and have listed Andrew Harrison, Mario Chalmers, and Ben McLemore as questionable due to their respective ailments, while Chandler Parsons, James Ennis, and Brandan Wright remain sidelined and will join Mike Conley among the Grizzlies inactives for Saturday’s contest. With Wright unavailable, Deyonta Davis will be locked in as the team’s primary backup behind Gasol at center, though he had seemingly surpassed Wright in the rotation anyway, and Jarell Martin will absorb any remaining minutes Wright would have played. There could also potentially be a plethora of playing time available on the wing for Dillon Brooks and Wayne Selden, especially if one, or any combination, of McLemore, Harrison, or Chalmers are unable to suit up this evening.
As reported by: Grizzlies PR via Twitter Other tagged players: Mario Chalmers, Ben McLemore, James Ennis III, Brandan Wright, Chandler Parsons Jerryd Bayless (sore wrist) ruled out Saturday
Bayless is a new addition to the Philadelphia 76ers’ injury report and has officially been ruled out for tonight’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks due to a sore left wrist. He’ll join J.J. Redick and Markelle Fultz among the Sixers inactives, leaving them extremely thin at the guard positions for Saturday’s contest, though Richaun Holmes will rejoin the frontcourt rotation following a two-game absence due to an illness. In Bayless and Redick’s absences, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot will be called upon to start at the shooting guard spot and should be in line for a substantial minute workload given the Sixers current lack of guard depth. That said, T.J. McConnell remains the preferred guard to target in all formats, despite coming off the bench, and will more than likely see the most playing time alongside Ben Simmons in the backcourt. On top of that, he is a much more efficient fantasy producer on a per minute basis than Luwawu-Cabarrot and has averaged 0.85 fantasy points per minute this season, making McConnell worth the higher price tag of the two across the industry. With the aforementioned players off the court this season, Joel Embiid owns a +5.3% usage rate differential, equating to a 39.7% usage rate overall, albeit, in a limited sample size, and he has averaged 1.61 fantasy points per minute on DraftKings and 1.57 on FanDuel in this scenario.
As reported by: Jessica Camerato via Twitter Heavy Minutes & Usage Increase For This Player
Middleton sees a massive usage rate bump with Giannis and Brogdon off the court, as it shoots up to 36.8%. He also averages roughly .9 fantasy points per minute when they aren’t on the court, which is significant given he averages 37.1 minutes per game and has logged the 4th most total minutes in the NBA this season behind Andrew Wiggins, KAT and Jimmy Butler. The 76ers are a solid defensive team so this isn’t a cupcake matchup. Still, I think the offense flows through Middleton and Eric Bledsoe tonight, making him a fine core play.
Injuries Opening Up Massive Usage For This Guard
With both Giannis Antetokounmpo and Malcolm Brogdon out for Saturday’s game, Eric Bledsoe is going to have to carry this team. Tony Snell and D.J. Wilson are listed as tentative starters, and neither have a usage rate over 13%. Per CourtIQ, when Giannis and Brogdon are off the court, Bledsoe leads the team with a 37.3% usage rate and 1.4 fantasy points per minute. The one caveat is that the Bucks play the Philadelphia 76ers, who currently rank 4th in defensive efficiency. I love Bledsoe the player, but don’t love the matchup against this tough defense. Still, I think you play Bledsoe here and hope he carries the team on his shoulders.
Giannis Antetokounmpo (sore knee) will miss the next two games
Antetokounmpo has officially been ruled out for tonight’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers after previously being listed as out in the Milwaukee Bucks’ game notes with a sore right knee. On top of missing Saturday’s contest, Antetokounmpo will also sit for Monday’s matchup with the Phoenix Suns to help manage the soreness in his knee. Meanwhile, there was never an official update from the team on Malcolm Brogdon, but he is listed as out in the game notes due personal reasons. In his and Antetokounmpo’s absences, Sterling Brown and Tony Snell will be inserted into the starting lineup at shooting guard and power forward, respectively. Snell is still typically an inefficient fantasy producer on a per minute basis, but he can be comfortably projected to see between 30-35 minutes this evening, putting him in play as a punt option in tournaments, while Brown should check-in somewhere around the low-20s, ultimately limiting his overall floor and ceiling combination. That said the main beneficiaries with Antetokounmpo and Brogdon off the court this season is clearly Khris Middleton and Eric Bledsoe, as each own at least a massive +10.6% usage differential, albeit, in an abbreviated sample size, and Bledsoe has averaged 1.40 fantasy points on DraftKings and 1.45 on Fanduel in this scenario as well.
As reported by: Matt Velazquez via Twitter Marc Gasol (illness) will play Friday
Gasol participated in shootaround this morning and will play in tonight’s game against the Sacramento Kings, as expected, after originally being listed as questionable on the Memphis Grizzlies’ injury report with an illness that had forced him to miss one game. Meanwhile, Brandan Wright was not present at shootaround and remains likely doubtful to suit up for Friday’s contest, despite his current questionable designation on the injury report. The Grizzlies are already without Mike Conley, Chandler Parsons, and James Ennis, and with Wright looking unlikely to play, Deyonta Davis will be locked in as the team’s primary backup behind Gasol at center, though he had seemingly surpassed Wright in the rotation anyway. Memphis has yet to provide an update on Andrew Harrison, who remains questionable with a left shoulder injury, and if he were to be ruled out, there would be a plethora of playing time available on the wing for Dillon Brooks and Wayne Selden, while Ben McLemore would likely absorb some of the unclaimed minutes as well.
As reported by: Clay Bailey via Twitter Avery Bradley (groin), Reggie Bullock (illness), Luke Kennard (thumb), and Stanley Johnson (hip) available to play Friday
Bradley, Kennard, and Johnson went through shootaround this morning and are officially available to play in tonight’s game against the Washington Wizards after previously being considered “50/50” to suit up, according to head coach Stan Van Gundy, and all three were originally listed as questionable on the Detroit Pistons’ injury report with their respective ailments. Meanwhile, Reggie Bullock was not present at Friday’s shootaround, but will still be available, despite his bout with bronchitis. While all four wing players are dressed and available to play, it remains to be seen if they all log minutes on the court, as Kennard was a DNP-CD on Wednesday, despite being active, and Johnson has been sidelined for eight of the last nine games with a strained right hip flexor. Johnson and Reggie Jackson had jointly missed eight games, and in those contests, Kennard and Anthony Tolliver both averaged north of 20 minutes per game, though they appear to be in line for a reduction in minutes with everyone presumably healthy enough to play, while Dwight Buycks has displaced Langston Galloway as the primary backup behind Ish Smith at point guard.
As reported by: James Edwards III via Twitter Other tagged players: Reggie Bullock, Luke Kennard, Stanley Johnson Skal Labissiere (shoulder strain) probable Friday
Labissiere has officially been upgraded to probable on the Sacramento Kings’ injury report for tonight’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies after previously being listed as questionable with a strained left shoulder that has forced him to miss one game. Labissiere ended up displacing Zach Randolph from the starting lineup for Monday’s contest and logged 28 minutes while Randolph was a DNP-CD, a lineup decision that appears will be a trend moving forward for veteran players with the Kings fully embracing a youth movement and planning on resting at least two veterans every game for the rest of the season. It’ll be safe to assume that Randolph will be immune from the DNP-CD in Friday’s contest given the matchup with his former team, but George Hill, Garrett Temple, Vince Carter, and Kosta Koufos remain the other possible candidates, and neither head coach Dave Joerger or the Kings have opted to notify media members on which veterans will be “resting” prior to tipoff for either game since announcing this decision.
As reported by: Sean Cunningham via Twitter Kyle Kuzma (hand) will play Friday; Brandon Ingram (ankle) a game-time decision
Kuzma has been cleared to play and will suit up for tonight’s game against the Indiana Pacers after previously being listed as questionable on the Los Angeles Lakers’ injury report with a sprained left hand he sustained during Wednesday’s loss, while Brandon Ingram did not participate in shootaround and will be a game-time decision following his original questionable designation due to a sprained left ankle. Additionally, Julius Randle is expected to play despite suffering a mallet fracture in his right ring finger in the Lakers’ previous game. Los Angeles will be without Lonzo Ball and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, which will likely allow Tyler Ennis and Josh Hart to start in the backcourt at the point guard and shooting guard positions, respectively. Should Ingram be ruled out closer to tipoff, Jordan Clarkson could find his way into the starting lineup at the two-spot. Even though Clarkson has seemingly been surpassed by Hart in the rotation of late, he still leads the Lakers with a 30.7% usage rate with Ball and Caldwell-Pope off the court this season. That said, Randle still owns a respectable 27.6% usage rate in this scenario, good for second on the team, and has averaged 1.16 fantasy points per minute on DraftKings and 1.13 on FanDuel.
As reported by: Ohm Youngmisuk via Twitter Other tagged players: Brandon Ingram Rudy Gobert (knee) available to play Friday; Jonas Jerebko (back) questionable
Gobert has officially been cleared to play and will suit up for tonight’s game against the New York Knicks after previously being listed as probable on the Utah Jazz’ injury report with a sprained left PCL and left tibia bone bruise that had kept him sidelined for 15 consecutive games. Meanwhile, Jonas Jerebko remains questionable due to back spasms and will potentially be a game-time decision this evening. Gobert will be subject to an unspecified minute restriction in his first game back, and head coach Quin Snyder was noncommittal when asked by reporters if Gobert would reenter the starting lineup on Friday night. For reference, Gobert managed to record 21 minutes in his return from an extended injury absence earlier in the season and did start at center. Assuming Gobert does start, his presence in the lineup will slide Derrick Favors over to his normal power forward spot, limiting his floor and ceiling to some extent.
As reported by: Eric Woodyard via Twitter Jamal Murray (concussion) upgraded to questionable Friday
Murray has officially been upgraded to questionable on the Denver Nuggets’ injury report for tonight’s game against the Phoenix Suns after previously being considered unlikely to play due to a concussion that has already forced him to miss one game and remain in the league-mandated protocol. He participated in shootaround this morning but still has to make it through pregame warmups without any symptoms before an official determination is made on his availability for this evening. Will Barton displaced Mason Plumlee from the starting lineup in the last game Murray was active and he’ll remain there if Murray is ruled out closer to tipoff. There are still definitely a number of different lineup combinations head coach Mike Malone can go with to replace Murray in the starting lineup, and he was noncommittal on a starting power forward for Friday’s contest, stating that he may opt to go with Plumlee, Wilson Chandler, or Trey Lyles depending on matchup for the remaining duration of Paul Millsap’s absence. One thing is certain, however, that Barton will be locked into a heavy minute workload if Murray is unavailable, regardless of starting lineup, and Emmanuel Mudiay would remain in the rotation at backup point guard after logging 15 minutes off the bench in the Nuggets’ previous game.
As reported by: Harrison Wind via Twitter Finally Breaking out of a Slump
Thaddeus Young went nearly an entire month without having a great fantasy outing, but he has now scored at least 29 fantasy points in three of his last five games. Myles Turner has already been ruled out of tonight’s game, so Young should be locked into 35+ minutes once again. The best part is that he draws a matchup against the Lakers, who have one of the worst interior defenses in the NBA. I’m not overly concerned about the back-to-back, as Young is used to logging heavy minutes.
Great Matchup and Potentially Low Ownership
Jamal Murray has been upgraded to questionable and it sounds like he is actually closer to probable for tonight’s game against the Suns. While that would cut into the minutes of Will Barton, Gary Harris should still play 35-38 minutes if this game stays close. As far as his matchup goes, you can’t really ask for a better one than the Suns. On the season, Phoenix is ranked dead last in fantasy points allowed to shooting guards.