DFS Alerts
Revenge Narrative!
I like the fact that there are a number of different ways to go to build rosters on the night slate. There are a ton of studs to pay up for, even just at the point guard position with Westbrook, Paul, and Curry. We currently have all these guys at similar projected ownership, and Paul draws a decent matchup against his former team, the Clippers. Even though it has been rocky at times, CourtIQ tells us that Paul sees nearly a 6% boost in usage and scores ten additional fantasy points per 36 minutes with Harden off the floor. I love his upside, and personally I think people will gravitate more toward the safety of Westbrook. Take that leverage into account for your GPP lineup builds.
Kyle Lowry (bruised tailbone) will start Monday, as expected
Lowry has officially been cleared to play and will start in today’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers after previously being listed as questionable on the Toronto Raptors’ injury report with a bruised tailbone that had forced him to miss three consecutive games. His presence in the starting lineup will demote Delon Wright to the backup point guard spot and send him back to the bench to resume his normal reserve role. Wright experienced some mixed results as a starter from a fantasy perspective and essentially split the point guard minutes with Fred VanVleet sans Lowry, while Norman Powell ended up finding his way back into head coach Dwane Casey’s rotation. Now that Lowry available this afternoon, the aforementioned trio will likely see their playing time and roles in the rotation reduced to their typical levels. DeMar DeRozan is the starter that will be most impacted by Lowry’s availability given his inflated price tag across the industry, and he owns a -2.5% usage rate with Lowry on the court this season, equating to a 29.3% usage rate overall in this scenario.
As reported by: Blake Murphy via Twitter
Richaun Holmes (illness) ruled out Monday
Holmes is a late-addition to the Philadelphia 76ers’ injury report and has officially been ruled out for today’s game against the Toronto Raptors due to gastroenteritis. Amir Johnson missed Thursday’s loss to the Boston Celtics for the same reason, and though there’s been no official update on his status, he’ll more than likely be available off the bench given the three full days between games for this Sixers squad. Holmes’ playing time will be absorbed exclusively by Johnson and Trevor Booker, who has recently seen his role in the rotation reduced with Justin Anderson finally returning from a bout with shin splints. Johnson could be worth a dart throw in large field tournaments on this abbreviated slate since he is likely to approach the 20-minute mark this afternoon and remains relatively inexpensive across the industry.
As reported by: Jessica Camerato via Twitter BvP in Basketball?
Otto Porter has some tremendous BvP against Giannis Antetokounmpo. In their last three meetings, Porter has played at least 39 minutes in every game and has averaged 43 fantasy points during that stretch. His minutes have slowly been trending upward and this appears to be one of the most favorable game environments to target in the early slate.
Nice Matchup at Home
Spencer Dinwiddie had that one bad outing against the Pistons, but has otherwise been very consistent this season. He’s also shown a higher floor recently thanks to an increase in playing time. In four of his last six games, he has played at least 36 minutes. He draws an exploitable matchup today against the Knicks, who are ranked 24th in efficiency and 26th in DvP against point guards this season.
Risk/Reward Upside
We all know the risk with Enes Kanter. There are games where his minutes simply go in the tank, especially when he isn’t playing well defensively. However, he has been playing solid basketball of late with three double-doubles over his last four games. The Knicks draw a favorable matchup against Brooklyn’s rotating big men today, and Kanter has massive upside in this one. He’s a great GPP option at center on the short early slate.
Kyle Lowry (bruised tailbone) intends to play Monday
Lowry confirmed with reporters this morning that he plans to play in today’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers after previously being listed as questionable on the Toronto Raptors’ injury report with a bruised tailbone that had forced him to miss three consecutive games. His likely presence in the starting lineup will demote Delon Wright to the backup point guard spot and send him back to the bench to resume his normal reserve role. He experienced some mixed results as a starter from a fantasy perspective and essentially split the point guard minutes with Fred VanVleet sans Lowry, while Norman Powell ended up finding his way back into head coach Dwane Casey’s rotation. Now that Lowry is on track to return this afternoon, the aforementioned trio will likely see their playing time and roles in the rotation reduced to typical levels. DeMar DeRozan is the starter that will be most impacted by Lowry’s availability given his inflated price tag across the industry, and he owns a -2.5% usage rate with Lowry on the court this season, equating to a 29.3% usage rate overall in this scenario.
As reported by: Keith Pompey via Twitter Ready to Thrive Again?
Ever since the news came out that Kristaps Porzingis was “tired,” DFS players (myself included) have been hesitant to play him. Well, it appears that fatigue is in the rear view mirror now, as Porzingis is coming off a fantastic effort in yesterday’s overtime game against the Pelicans. He had a 25/6/3 line and chipped in with five steals and two blocks, which is a huge boost to a player’s fantasy upside. The minutes have also not been a concern, and Porzingis will likely find himself with more room to operate now that Tim Hardaway Jr. is back from injury. I am somewhat concerned about this being the tail end of a back-to-back after an overtime game, but the upside is still intact. At his still discounted price point, Porzingis is a great GPP target on this small afternoon slate.
Value on a Short Slate
The Bucks got manhandled by the Heat yesterday, but that allowed them to take it easy on their starters a little bit. I would expect a more focused performance today in a MLK Day matinee against the Wizards. On a short early slate, value is somewhat hard to come by, but Malcolm Brogdon still has a very attractive price across the DFS landscape. He has entered the starting lineup for Tony Snell and has been playing heavy minutes in close games. Brogdon is logging 35 minutes per game in the month of January and is averaging a decent 15/5/3 line on a per-game basis. He’s a solid bet for around 25 fantasy points with some upside to boot. I’ll gladly take that value on this slate.
Back in Top Form
John Wall appears to finally be recovered from his nagging injuries, and it is showing in his results. He has scored at least 43 fantasy points in seven straight games, and he has massive upside every time he takes the court. I will prioritize him as a top play on the early slate, especially since there isn’t a lot to love at the point guard position in those five early games. Milwaukee does a solid job at defending point guards, but Wall is as matchup-proof as they come. Lock and load him in as a top play in all formats.
T.J. Warren (sore back) ruled out Sunday; Josh Jackson (hip) will start
Warren is a late addition to the Phoenix Suns’ injury report and has been ruled out for tonight’s game against the Indiana Pacers due to lower back soreness, while Marquese Chriss will also be unavailable following his earlier doubtful designation on the injury report with a strained right hip that has now forced him to miss two consecutive games. Additionally, Josh Jackson and Isaiah Canaan are available to play after their status was originally categorized as “hopeful” by interim head coach Jay Triano following Saturday’s practice, and Jackson will start at small forward in Warren’s place. Davon Reed has also been recalled from the G-League and will play, according to Triano, depending on the Suns’ rotation, though he is still unlikely to see a substantial amount of minutes. In Chriss’ absence, Dragan Bender will draw the start at power forward for the second time in as many games and is coming off of a stellar performance where he easily exceeded salary-based expectations in 32 minutes of action. Devin Booker will concede some of his newly-acquired ball-handling responsibilities to Canaan but still remains a solid option for all formats, along with Bender and Jackson, on Sunday’s minuscule two-game main slate.
As reported by: Craig Grialou via Twitter Other tagged players: Josh Jackson Domantas Sabonis (shoulder) will start Sunday; Myles Turner (elbow) remains out at least two more games
Sabonis has been cleared to play and will start in tonight’s game against the Phoenix Suns after previously being listed as questionable on the Indiana Pacers’ injury report with a sore left shoulder. Meanwhile, Myles Turner was ruled out in advance of Sunday and Monday’s contests due to a sore right elbow that will now keep him sidelined for a minimum of four consecutive games. Turner is traveling with the team on their five-game road trip, but head coach Nate McMillan declined to provide any additional information on Turner’s possible return date. Sabonis continues to be a viable option in daily fantasy formats, despite his rising price tag across the industry and exceeded salary-based expectations in just 28 minutes of action in Friday’s win. Sabonis trails only Victor Oladipo for the team lead with a 24.7% usage rate with Turner off the court this season and is averaging 1.10 fantasy points per minute on DraftKings and 1.08 on FanDuel in this scenario.
As reported by: the Indiana Pacers via Twitter Other tagged players: Myles Turner Marquese Chriss (hip) ruled out Sunday; Josh Jackson (hip) and Isaiah Canaan (adductor) available to play
Chriss has officially been ruled out and won’t play in tonight’s game against the Indiana Pacers after previously being listed as doubtful on the Phoenix Suns’ injury report with a strained right hip that has now forced him to miss two consecutive games, while Josh Jackson and Isaiah Canaan are available to play off the bench after their status was originally categorized as “hopeful” by interim head coach Jay Triano following Saturday’s practice. Additionally, Davon Reed has been recalled from the G-League and will play, according to Triano, depending on the Suns’ rotation, though he is still unlikely to see a substantial amount of minutes. In Chriss’ absence, Dragan Bender will draw the start at power forward for the second time in as many games and is coming off of a stellar performance where he easily exceeded salary-based expectations in 32 minutes of action. Devin Booker will concede some of his newly-acquired ball-handling responsibilities to Canaan but still remains a solid option for all formats, along with Bender, on Sunday’s minuscule two-game main slate.
As reported by: Jon Bloom via Twitter Other tagged players: Josh Jackson, Isaiah Canaan Mike James available to make to make New Orleans Pelicans debut Sunday
The New Orleans Pelicans have announced that the team has officially signed free agent guard Mike James to a two-way contract, and he will be available to play in today’s game against the New York Knicks to provide depth in the backcourt with Jameer Nelson and Tony Allen sidelined. Nelson was ruled out earlier in the day due to personal reasons, despite never appearing on the injury report at any point prior to the news of his unavailability. Nelson had recently been passed by Ian Clark in the rotation as the team’s primary backup point guard behind Rajon Rondo and Jrue Holiday, so his absence won’t do much, if anything, to alter head coach Alvin Gentry’s backcourt rotation. Nelson’s nominal playing time will likely just be absorbed by the trio of Clark, Rondo, and Holiday, but the changes in their projected value for daily fantasy formats will be minimal, at best.
As reported by: Daniel Sallerson via Twitter Evan Turner (illness) will start Sunday
Turner has been cleared to play and will start in tonight’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, according to head coach Terry Stotts, after previously being listed as questionable on the Portland Trail Blazers’ injury report with an illness that had forced him to miss one game. Shabazz Napier surprisingly drew the start in Turner’s place on Friday given the matchup with the New Orleans Pelicans three-guard starting lineup, but he’ll head back to the bench to resume his normal reserve role after logging 35 minutes and easily exceeding salary-based expectations in his spot start. Maurice Harkless saw a slight uptick in playing time as the backup small forward but seems to have fallen out of Stotts’ regular wing rotation and recorded just seven minutes in the Trail Blazers previous game with both Turner and Damian Lillard available.
As reported by: Peter Socotch via Twitter