DFS Alerts
Overlooked Value Play
There are a handful of elite value plays in this slate, but the one that is getting the most attention tonight is Tyrone Wallace. This will naturally lower the ownership on Jawun Evans, even though he has been the more consistent performer of the two. Rather than having to decide between one or the other, why not play both in a favorable matchup against the Kings? I project both to play minutes in the 30s, assuming Milos Teodosic is ruled out again (which I expect to be the case).
Have Some Chalk!
Wright will be one of the highest owned players on this slate, but I will eat that chalk, even in tournament formats. The point guard position has absolutely nothing up top tonight, so this is a great place to find some value. Wright played 29 minutes and scored over 30 fantasy points in Kyle Lowry’s absence the other night, and he has been a solid per-minute contributor all season. Now that the minutes are there, Wright is a solid option in all formats. Despite a price boost after the last game, there’s still plenty of value in this current tag. Play him with confidence on a short slate.
Elite Play on a Three Game Slate
Kyle Lowry has already been ruled out again for tonight, which means it should be the DeMar DeRozan show in a fun matchup between the Raptors and Cavs. This should be a close, high scoring game between these two squads, and DeRozan sees a usage bump of more than 10% with Lowry off the floor. Even though he wasn’t spectacular the other night with Lowry out, I would expect DeRozan to turn in a better performance this time around.
A Top Value on a Thursday
This is largely contingent on whether or not Milos Teodosic plays, but I will likely have plenty of Wallace in any case. The Clippers are woefully thin in the backcourt right now, and they lost C.J. Williams last night. Wallace responded with a 22/6/4 line in 34 minutes in a surprising win over the Warriors, and he has been playing well off the bench for the Clippers. Fire him up as a top value on this slate.
Plenty of Value Available to Make Room for this Superstar
This might be the most value-loaded three game slate I have ever seen. There are at least seven players that I would consider to be elite value plays, which gives us a lot of cap space flexibility. The one player that we can afford to anchor our lineups with is LeBron James. He is matchup-proof and should see 38-40 minutes in a game against the Raptors that features a spread of only three points. I also like the idea of paying up for DeMar DeRozan with all of the value available, we can afford to play them both.
Amir Johnson (gastroenteritis) ruled out Thursday
Johnson has didn’t attend Wednesday’s practice and has officially been ruled out for this afternoon’s game in London against the Boston Celtics after previously being considered questionable on the Philadelphia 76ers’ injury report with gastroenteritis. Since Joel Embiid will be playing in Thursday’s contest, Johnson’s absence doesn’t do much to affect the rest of the Sixers rotation, though Richaun Holmes will now serve as the primary backup center behind Embiid, and a few extra minutes may filter to Trevor Booker but not enough for him to become relevant in daily fantasy formats. If playing the two-game early slates, Holmes could be worth a dart throw in large field tournaments given his typical per minute production and the likelihood of him approaching the ballpark of 18-20 minutes this afternoon.
As reported by: Keith Pompey via Twitter
Tyler Johnson (shoulder strain) now available to play Wednesday
Johnson was previously ruled out, but he will now “try to play” and is available off the bench for tonight’s game against the Indiana Pacers after originally being listed as questionable on the Miami Heat’s injury report with a strained left shoulder that had forced him to miss one game. Additionally, James Johnson will serve his one-game suspension imposed by the NBA after his altercation during Tuesday’s contest with Serge Ibaka, effectively ruling him out for tonight’s game. Miami is still without Dion Waiters and Justise Winslow and recently recalled Derrick Walton Jr. from his G-League assignment to absorb some playing time on the wing with the second unit. Wayne Ellington has consistently been seeing minutes in the low-to-mid-30s with Waiters and Winslow sidelined and figures to do so once again, even though Derrick Jones Jr. will draw his second start in as many games at the shooting guard spot. With James Johnson and the other aforementioned players off the court this season, Goran Dragic and Josh Richardson have been the main beneficiaries and each own at least a +3.1% usage rate differential, while Richardson’s production spikes to 0.92 fantasy points per minute on DraftKings and FanDuel in this scenario as well.
As reported by: Manny Navarro via Twitter Damian Lillard (calf strain) will play Wednesday
Lillard has been cleared to play and will suit up for tonight’s game against the Houston Rockets after previously being listed as questionable on the Portland Trail Blazers’ injury report with a strained left calf that had forced him to miss two consecutive games. Lillard will almost certainly displace Shabazz Napier from the starting lineup and send him back to a bench role, but head coach Terry Stotts did mention to reporters during his pregame media availability that Lillard will likely be subject to a minute restriction. Napier had been the main beneficiary of Lillard’s absence and averaged nearly 36 minutes per game in the seven instances Lillard was sidelined this season. Lillard told reporters prior to Monday’s contest that he was feeling better, so there was always some optimism that he’d be able to make a return from his most recent two-game hiatus this evening. That said, it’s difficult to get behind either Lillard or Napier in any daily fantasy format given the uncertainty surrounding his potential playing time.
As reported by: Joe Freeman via Twitter Anthony Davis (ankle) officially ruled out Wednesday; Dante Cunningham will start
Davis has officially been ruled out and won’t play in tonight’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies after previously being listed as doubtful on the New Orleans Pelicans’ injury report and considered unlikely to play with a sprained right ankle during Monday’s loss. The team is still optimistic that there is no structural damage to the ankle after performing X-rays following the game that came back negative, though there has been no timetable established for Davis potential absence. With Davis now unavailable, Dante Cunningham will draw the start at power forward and has been serviceable in the previous games Davis has been sidelined this season. It also should allow Omer Asik to enter the frontcourt rotation as the backup center in a minimal capacity and has yet to log more than 13 minutes in a game all year. DeMarcus Cousins becomes the clear beneficiary with Davis off the court and owns a +5.2% usage rate differential, equating to a 38.6% usage rate overall. On top of that, he has averaged 1.60 fantasy points per minute on DraftKings and 1.57 on FanDuel in this scenario, setting him up as one the top plays on Wednesday’s slate at any position.
As reported by: Will Guillory via Twitter Nikola Mirotic (stomach virus) officially ruled out Wednesday
Mirotic has officially been ruled out and won’t play in tonight’s game against the New York Knicks after previously being listed as doubtful on the Chicago Bulls’ injury report with a stomach virus that has now forced him to miss two consecutive games. His absence is a huge blow to this Bulls squad from a real-life perspective and will allow Lauri Markkanen and Bobby Portis to handle nearly all of the available power forward minutes, as each logged at least 33 minutes in Monday’s loss, while Robin Lopez theoretically, should also see some extended playing time in a matchup with the Knicks frontcourt duo of Kristaps Poraingis and Enes Kanter as the starting center. Over the last month, since Mirotic returned from a facial fracture, Kris Dunn has led the Bulls with a 28.6% usage rate with him off the court, while Portis has averaged 1.20 fantasy points per minute on DraftKings and 1.16 on FanDuel in this scenario, making him the top option among the Bulls’ big men when taking price tag, usage, and increased playing time into account.
As reported by: K.C. Johnson via Twitter Michael Beasley (ankle sprain) will play Wednesday
Beasley has been cleared to play and will be available off the bench in tonight’s game against the Chicago Bulls after previously being listed as questionable on the New York Knicks’ injury report with a sprained right ankle that had forced him to miss one game. Beasley didn’t participate in Tuesday’s scrimmage but did partake in some contact portions of practice, which provided optimism for his availability this evening. Beasley has become a key cog in the Knicks rotation and has really siphoned playing time away from Enes Kanter of late, as head coach Jeff Hornacek has been utilizing more lineups with Kristaps Porzingis manning the center spot in “small” lineups. The previous time the Knicks squared off with the Bulls, it was Doug McDermott that started at small forward in place of Lance Thomas to better matchup with Nikola Mirotic defensively off the Bulls bench, but that’s unlikely to happen again with Mirotic unavailable for Chicago due to an illness.
As reported by: Al Iannazzone via Twitter Derrick Favors (ankle sprain) ruled out Wednesday
Favors has been ruled out and won’t play in tonight’s game against the Washington Wizards despite previously being listed as probable on the Utah Jazz’ injury report and participating in portions of Monday’s practice with a sprained right ankle he sustained during Sunday’s loss. The Jazz is still without Rudy Gobert and Raul Neto, so in Favors’ absence, Ekpe Udoh will be inserted into the starting lineup at the center spot and has flashed immense upside in approximately 30 minutes per start in the two games both Favors and Gobert have been jointly sidelined. Rodney Hood has settled into a low-30s minutes bench role in the Jazz rotation and is now an intriguing tournament target on Wednesday’s slate, as he owns a +7.3% usage rate differential with Favors, Gobert, and Neto off the court this season, equating to a 36.1% usage rate overall. On top of that, his production has also spiked in this scenario, averaging 1.08 fantasy points per minute on DraftKings and 1.02 on FanDuel.
As reported by: David Locke via Twitter Allen Crabbe (shin) and Nik Stauskas (ankle) available to play Wednesday
Crabbe has been cleared to play and will suit up for tonight’s game against the Detroit Pistons despite previously being listed as doubtful on the Brooklyn Nets’ injury report with a sore left shin, while Nik Stauskas will also be available to play following his earlier questionable designation due to a sprained left ankle that had forced him to miss one game. This is great news for the Nets depth at the wing positions, as DeMarre Carroll was already ruled out with a sprained right knee for the second consecutive game. Joe Harris will likely remain in the starting lineup alongside Allen Crabbe on the wing for the second time in as many games after logging 37 minutes in Monday’s contest sans Caroll and Stauskas, though his fantasy performance was far from inspiring given the minute workload. There will still be some extended minutes available for Stauskas and Caris LeVert on Wednesday since Carroll has led the Nets with an average of nearly 29 minutes per game this season. However, the main beneficiary of his unavailability in terms of production appears to be Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, as he owns a 24.9% usage rate with Carroll off the court this season and has averaged 1.17 fantasy points per minute on DraftKings and 1.18 on FanDuel in this scenario.
James Johnson (suspension) ruled out Wednesday
Johnson and Serge Ibaka have each been suspended by the NBA for one game after their altercation during Tuesday’s contest, and Johnson will serve his suspension for tonight’s game against the Indiana Pacers, effectively ruling him out for tonight’s game. Meanwhile, Tyler Johnson remains questionable with a strained left shoulder that has already forced him to miss one game. Miami is still without Dion Waiters and Justise Winslow and recently recalled Derrick Walton Jr. from his G-League assignment to absorb some playing time on the wing with the second unit. Wayne Ellington has consistently been seeing minutes in the low-to-mid-30s with Waiters and Winslow sidelined and figures to do so once again, even though Derrick Jones Jr. may draw his second start in as many games at the shooting guard spot. With James Johnson and the other aforementioned players off the court this season, Goran Dragic and Josh Richardson have been the main beneficiaries and each own at least a +3.1% usage rate differential, while Richardson’s production spikes to 0.92 fantasy points per minute on DraftKings and FanDuel in this scenario.
As reported by: Scott Agness via Twitter Eat the Chalk at Power Forward
Nikola Mirotic has been downgraded to doubtful for tonight’s game. If and when he is ruled out, we should be loading up on Bobby Portis shares. With Mirotic out on Monday, Portis played 33 minutes and scored 29 fantasy points. He’s always been productive on a per-minute basis and he should have plenty of opportunity tonight against the Knicks. The best part is that his price is still under $5,000 on both FanDuel and DraftKings.