DFS Alerts
I Continue To Have A High Floor
With Damian Lillard ruled out for tonight, it’s hard not to lock Shabazz Napier into all my lineups. He has started six of the last eight games for the Trail Blazers, and he has has at least 29 fantasy points in each of those games. It’s a tough matchup against the Thunder, but he just went for 37.5 fantasy points against the Spurs. He has a 23.2% usage without Lillard on the floor this season, which is a 2% increase for him.
Upside without Lowry
Kyle Lowry probably will not play tonight after being carried off the court in overtime on Monday. That should open up more minutes for Delon Wright, who has put up useful fantasy lines in games where he has gotten consistent playing time. There isn’t a lot of obvious value on this four game slate, so guys like Wright and Shabazz Napier are lock and load plays for me thanks to the injuries to the respective starting point guards on their teams.
Nik Stauskas (ankle sprain) ruled out Monday
Stauskas has been ruled out and won’t play tonight’s game against the Toronto Raptors after previously being listed as questionable on the Brooklyn Nets’ injury report with a sprained left ankle. His absence carries a bit more significance than normal, as DeMarre Carroll has already been ruled out with a right knee injury he sustained during Saturday’s loss, leaving the Nets relatively thin at the wing positions. Caris LeVert did confirm with reporters following shootaround this morning that he’ll be ready to go for Monday’s contest following a two-game absence due to a strained left groin, but Joe Harris will enter the starting lineup alongside Allen Crabbe on the wing. There will be some extended minutes available for LeVert and other ancillary bench players 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 usage and production appears to be Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, as he owns a +2.8% usage rate differential with Carroll off the court this season and has averaged 1.13 fantasy points per minute on DraftKings and 1.15 on FanDuel in this scenario, as well.
As reported by: Anthony Puccio via Twitter
Nikola Mirotic (stomach virus) officially ruled out Monday
Mirotic was absent from shootaround this morning and has officially been ruled out for tonight’s game against the Houston Rockets after previously being listed as doubtful on the Chicago Bulls’ injury report with a stomach virus. His absence is a huge blow to this Bulls squad from a real life and fantasy perspective and will allow Lauri Markkanen and Bobby Portis to handle nearly all of the available power forward minutes, while Robin Lopez can also be expected to see extended playing time as the starting center. Over the last month, since Mirotic returned from a facial fracture, Kris Dunn has led the Bulls with a 28.3% usage rate with him off the court, while Portis leads the way with a rate of 1.31 fantasy points per minute on DraftKings and 1.27 on FanDuel in this scenario, making him likely the best tournament 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 Bojan Bogdanovic (ankle sprain) will play Monday
Bogdanovic has officially been cleared to play and will suit up for tonight’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks after previously being expected to play following a one-game absence due to a sprained left ankle. Damien Wilkins ended up drawing the start at small forward on Saturday and logged 22 minutes en route to a respectable fantasy performance, but he was later waived on Sunday afternoon to make room on the roster for Glenn Robinson, who appears on track to make his season debut in the near future after undergoing offseason ankle surgery. The Pacers were without Victor Oladipo in their previous matchup with the Bucks, so the game got out of hand quickly, but Bogdanovic was still productive in his 29.1 minutes in that contest and recorded a 22.4% usage rate that trailed only Myles Turner and Darren Collison among the Pacers starting unit.
As reported by: the Indiana Pacers via Twitter Dewayne Dedmon (tibia stress fracture) upgraded to probable Monday
Dedmon has been upgraded to probable on the Atlanta Hawks’ injury report for tonight’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers due to a left tibia stress fracture that has kept him sidelined since November 25th. There is currently no word on if he’ll be subject to a minute restriction in his likely first game back or if he’ll displace Miles Plumlee from the starting center spot right out of the gate. Either way, Dedmon’s presence in the rotation could eventually cap the ceiling of Ersan Ilyasova and John Collins on a nightly basis, and Plumlee figures to be the odd man out of the rotation once Dedmon is back to full strength. Taurean Prince and Mike Muscala are both listed as probable as well, but Muscala has been deemed “probable” with a sprained left ankle each of the last two games and was ultimately available off the bench on both occasions, while Prince was able to return to Sunday’s contest after suffering a dislocated right ring finger, cementing the likelihood of both their availabilities this evening.
As reported by: Michael Cunningham via Twitter Kevin Durant (calf) ruled out Monday; All other Warriors available to play, as expected
Durant has been ruled out and won’t play in tonight’s game against the Denver Nuggets after previously being listed as questionable on the Golden State Warriors’ injury report with a sprained right ankle that has now forced him to miss three consecutive games. Meanwhile, Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Andre Iguodala, Omri Casspi, and Shaun Livingston are all available to play following their prior probable designations on the injury report. Casspi is still a candidate to start at small forward in place of Durant, even though Iguodala has received the starting nod on both occasions and has exceeded salary-based expectations in 26 minutes on average. Stephen Curry managed to log 29 minutes in the previous contest and appears to have put any concern of a possible minute restriction behind him, as he averaged a whopping 35 minutes per game in the Warriors back-to-back set last week. This means he immediately becomes one of the top options on Monday’s slate at any position, as he owns a +8.1% usage rate differential with Durant off the court this season, and he leads the Warriors with a 40.0% usage rate while averaging 1.80 fantasy points per minute on DraftKings and 1.72 on FanDuel in this scenario.
As reported by: Warriors PR via Twitter A Solid Mid-Range Play
Nobody ever likes to play Gary Harris, and he was just 3% owned in a lot of contests over the weekend. I’m not sure why there is so little love for him. He always plays a pile of minutes, and his defensive presence will be even more valuable against the Warriors tonight. There is certainly some blowout risk in this game, but if you expect it to stay close, it’s a very stackable contest in GPP formats. Harris always plays minutes in the mid to upper 30’s in close games, and I like his potential for a good night at low ownership.
Nik Stauskas (ankle sprain) questionable Monday
Stauskas has been added to the Brooklyn Nets’ injury report and is questionable for tonight’s game against the Toronto Raptors due to a sprained left ankle. His possible absence carries a bit more significance than normal, as DeMarre Carroll has already been ruled out with a right knee injury he sustained during Saturday’s loss, leaving the Nets relatively thin at the wing positions should Stauskas be ruled out closer to tipoff. Caris LeVert did confirm with reporters following shootaround this morning that he’ll be ready to go for Monday’s contest following a two-game absence due to a strained left groin, but he is still unlikely to start in Carroll’s place, and Joe Harris should enter the starting lineup alongside Allen Crabbe on the wing. There will be some extended minutes available for LeVert and Stauskas, if he plays, 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 usage and production appears to be Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, as he owns a +2.8% usage rate differential with Carroll off the court this season and has averaged 1.13 fantasy points per minute on DraftKings and 1.15 on FanDuel in this scenario, as well.
As reported by: Brian Lewis via Twitter George Hill (personal) ruled out Monday; Zach Randolph (dental) probable
Hill has been ruled out and won’t play in tonight’s game against the San Antonio Spurs as he continues to tend to a personal matter that has now forced him to miss two consecutive games, while Zach Randolph has been upgraded to probable on the Sacramento Kings’ injury report due to oral surgery that has kept him sidelined for one game. The Kings are still without Frank Mason and there are several ways head coach Dave Joerger could go with his starting lineup sans Hill, but Buddy Hield and Bogdan Bogdanovic should all be in line for increased playing time on the wing, even though Malachi Richardson could draw the start at small forward for the second time in as many games. De’Aaron Fox is essentially the only point guard on the Kings active roster and this is one of the few times we can feel confident in his minute workload after he logged 35 minutes in Saturday’s contest with Hill sidelined. Over the last month, with Hill and Mason off the court, Fox and Willies Cauley-Stein have been the main beneficiaries from a usage standpoint, as each own at least a +3.2% usage rate differential, while Cauley-Stein leads the team with a rate of 1.23 fantasy points per minute on DraftKings and 1.35 on FanDuel in this scenario.
As reported by: Sean Cunningham via Twitter Other tagged players: Zach Randolph Kawhi Leonard (shoulder), Danny Green (groin), and Manu Ginobili (rest) ruled out Monday
Leonard and Green have been ruled out and won’t play in tonight’s game against the Sacramento Kings due to a strained right shoulder and left groin tightness, respectively, while Manu Ginobili has been ruled out for rest purposes on the second leg of a back-to-back set. Tony Parker was not included in the latest version of the San Antonio Spurs’ injury report and will be available to play after being rested in Sunday’s loss. Kyle Anderson and Bryn Forbes have typically started in games that Leonard and Green have been unavailable, and they’ll likely do so once again this evening. Anderson has been the more consistent fantasy producer of the two and has a sizable minute floor in the mid-30s with Leonard, Green, and Rudy Gay all sidelined. With the aforementioned players of the court this season, Parker owns the largest usage rate differential at +6.9% in only 35.4 minutes, while LaMarcus Aldridge leads the Spurs with a 31.3% usage rate overall and has averaged 1.22 fantasy points per minute on DraftKings and 1.20 on FanDuel in this scenario.
As reported by: Paul Garcia via Twitter Other tagged players: Danny Green, Manu Ginobili Cheap Play at Center
I never love the idea of targeting Robin Lopez in DFS, especially in a pace-up game. However, Nikola Mirotic is not expected to play tonight against the Rockets, which opens up 25 minutes in the frontcourt. This will likely be distributed to a few different players, but we can project Lopez to play 26-28 minutes instead of 22-24. They will need his size against Clint Capela and his price point is awfully enticing. Lopez is only $4,400 on FanDuel and $4,500 on DraftKings.
Superstar Point Guard in an Elite Matchup
Stephen Curry has been on an absolute tear since returning from injury, averaging a ridiculous 1.65 fantasy points per minute over his last four games. He should see a full complement of minutes tonight, as the Warriors host the Nuggets in a game that features the highest total on the board. Curry draws an elite matchup against a Denver defense that is one of the worst in basketball against point guards. There’s a chance that Curry sees some of Gary Harris, but I’m not overly concerned because they can’t put Jamal Murray on Klay Thompson for very long.
Great Matchup and Potentially Low Ownership
I treat minutes like gold when it comes to NBA DFS. I love targeting players that have the potential to see 40 minutes because their upside is massive. Jimmy Butler is near the top of the league in minutes per game and he should see more than his season average tonight, as the Wolves host the visiting Cavaliers. This game has a total of 222 points and the Wolves are projected to score 3.5 points more than their season average. We tend to think of LeBron James as a good defender, but the Cavaliers have been one of the worst teams in the NBA at defending small forwards.
Nikola Mirotic (stomach virus) doubtful Monday
Mirotic was absent from shootaround this morning and has officially been listed as doubtful on the Chicago Bulls’ injury report for tonight’s game against the Houston Rockets due to a stomach virus. His likely absence will allow Lauri Markkanen and Bobby Portis to handle nearly all of the available power forward minutes, while Robin Lopez can also be expected to see extended playing time as the starting center. Over the last month, since Mirotic returned from a facial fracture, Kris Dunn has led the Bulls with a 28.3% usage rate with him off the court, while Portis leads the way with a rate of 1.31 fantasy points per minute on DraftKings and 1.27 on FanDuel in this scenario, making him likely the best tournament 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