DFS Alerts
Better Than Everyone Thinks
I will continue to stick to my guns that Steven Adams is a better player than most people realize. He is very consistent and flashes the occasional upside game, too. He had 12 points, six boards, and three blocks last night against the Lakers in a game where the starters didn’t even have to see the floor in the fourth quarter. Adams is always a strong bet for a double-double, and the center position is limited on options on a two game slate. Everyone will gravitate toward Capela, making Adams a sneaky option in the mid-range.
Boban Marjanovic confirmed as starter for Andre Drummond (ribs) on Wednesday
Drummond has officially been ruled out and won’t play in tonight’s game against the Miami Heat after previously being considered unlikely to play and a game-time decision due to a rib contusion, despite never appearing on the Detroit Pistons’ injury report at any point throughout the day. In his absence, Boban Marjanovic will draw the start at center and immediately become one of, if not, the most popular value option on Wednesday’s slate. Meanwhile, Avery Bradley has been cleared to play and his return will displace the duo of Luke Kennard and Anthony Tolliver from starting lineup consideration, as head coach Stan Van Gundy has opted to alternate their starts based on the matchup in his absence. The Pistons will still be without Reggie Jackson for tomorrow’s game and with him, Drummond, Stanley Johnson, and Jon Leuer off the court this season, Bradley, Reggie Bullock, and Ish Smith each own at least a +4.8% usage rate differential while Marjanovic leads the team with a rate of 1.21 fantasy points per minute on DraftKings and 1.26 on FanDuel in this scenario.
As reported by: Rod Beard via Twitter
Andre Drummond (rib contusion) ruled out Wednesday
Drummond has officially been ruled out and won’t play in tonight’s game against the Miami Heat after previously being considered unlikely to play and a game-time decision due to a rib contusion, despite never appearing on the Detroit Pistons’ injury report at any point throughout the day. In his absence, Boban Marjanovic will draw the start at center and immediately become one of, if not, the most popular value option on Wednesday’s slate. Meanwhile, Avery Bradley has been cleared to play and his return will displace the duo of Luke Kennard and Anthony Tolliver from starting lineup consideration, as head coach Stan Van Gundy has opted to alternate their starts based on the matchup in his absence. The Pistons will still be without Reggie Jackson for tomorrow’s game and with him, Drummond, Stanley Johnson, and Jon Leuer off the court this season, Bradley, Reggie Bullock, and Ish Smith each own at least a +4.8% usage rate differential while Marjanovic leads the team with a rate of 1.21 fantasy points per minute on DraftKings and 1.26 on FanDuel in this scenario.
As reported by: Tom D'Angelo via Twitter Joel Embiid (hand sprain) now WILL play Wednesday
After originally being ruled out, Joel Embiid will suit up and play in tonight’s game against the San Antonio Spurs after originally being listed as doubtful on the Philadelphia 76ers injury report with a sprained right hand he sustained in the closing moments of Sunday’s win. His presence in the starting lineup will keep Amir Johnson in his normal reserve role, though the news of Embiid’s availability is still surprising given the pessimism about his ability to shoot the ball and his right thumb appears to still be swollen, making him a risky tournament option at best. The Sixers are still without Justin Anderson due to shin splints, so they’ll be plenty of playing time available on the wing for the likes of Robert Covington, J.J. Redick, and Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot.
As reported by: Tom Moore via Twitter Draymond Green (ankle) and Zaza Pachulia (illness) available to play Wednesday
Green and Pachulia have been cleared to play and will suit up for tonight’s game against the Dallas Mavericks after previously being listed as questionable on the Golden State Warriors’ injury report with a sprained left ankle and an illness, respectively. Greens’ status was realistically in doubt prior to this news as head coach Steve Kerr revealed following shootaround that he stepped on a teammate’s foot during Tuesday’s scrimmage. For the six games Green has been unavailable this season, Jordan Bell has been the main beneficiary in terms of minutes, though now that Green is presumably a full go, he’ll remain in his normal reserve role. With Andre Iguodala and Omri Casspi already ruled out due to their respective ailments, there are definitely some reserve minutes to be had for the likes of Nick Young and Patrick McCaw, putting them in play as longshot tournament options on Wednesday’s slate. Stephen Curry was stellar in his return to action on Saturday in just 26 minutes, but there has been no word on whether he’ll see that minute allotment increased for tonight’s matchup.
As reported by: Warriors PR via Twitter Other tagged players: Zaza Pachulia James Johnson (ankle bursitis) will play Wednesday
Johnson confirmed he has been cleared to play and will suit up for tonight’s game against the Detroit Pistons after previously being listed as questionable on the Miami Heat’s injury report with right ankle bursitis that had forced him to miss three consecutive. Meanwhile, Dion Waiters and Justise Winslow will remain sidelined with their respective ailments. Kelly Olynyk will continue to start at power forward alongside Hassan Whiteside, who finally saw his playing time spike to 29 minutes in Saturday’s contest and appears to be trending in the right direction in terms of minutes and fantasy production. It remains uncertain if Johnson will be subject to a minute restriction for his return, though he’ll certainly be a key cog in the frontcourt rotation either way. Tyler Johnson figures to remain as the starting shooting guard with Waiters still unavailable and has exceeded salary-based expectations in six of the past seven games. The players that have benefited the most with Waiters and Winslow off the court this season are Whiteside and Goran Dragic, as each own at least a +3.0% usage rate differential, while Whiteside leads the team with a rate of 1.41 fantasy points per minute in this scenario
As reported by: Ira Winderman via Twitter DeMarre Carroll (rib) will play Wednesday; Caris LeVert (groin) officially ruled out
Carroll has been cleared to play and will suit up for tonight’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves after previously being listed as questionable on the Brooklyn Nets’ injury report with a sore rib, while Caris LeVert has been officially ruled out due to a strained left groin following his earlier doubtful designation on the aforementioned injury report. LeVert has been great serving as the team’s primary backup and his absence will up open up additional minutes for Allen Crabbe and Nik Stauskas with the second unit. It’ll be interesting to see if the Nets end up recalling Isaiah Whitehead from his G-League assignment because, if not, Spencer Dinwiddie could be in line for a hefty minute workload, by head coach Kenny Atkinson’s standards, with LeVert unavailable off the bench. With LeVert off the court this season, Crabbe actually owns a +3.4% usage rate differential and trails only Rondae Hollis-Jefferson for the lead among the Nets starters with a 22.7% usage rate in this scenario.
As reported by: Brian Lewis via Twitter Other tagged players: Caris LeVert Will Barton (illness) questionable Wednesday
Barton has been added to the Denver Nuggets’ injury report for tonight’s game against the Phoenix Suns due to an illness. If Barton is cleared to play and is not limited in any way, he’ll be an intriguing tournament target given the probability of this matchup turning into a blowout and is typically one of, if not, the last regular rotation players to be pulled from the game, typically enabling him to rack up fantasy points in these situations. However, his potential absence could force head coach Mike Malone into reinserting Emmanuel Mudiay into the backcourt rotation as the backup point guard, while Torrey Craig would also likely see an increase in playing time on the wing. The main beneficiary in terms of usage with Barton and Paul Millsap off the court is clearly Gary Harris, as he owns a +5.3% usage rate differential and has averaged 0.95 fantasy points per minute in this scenario.
As reported by: Harrison Wind via Twitter Increased Role Tonight
The Spurs just officially ruled out Kawhi, Parker, Green, Ginobili, and Gay for tonight’s game. That makes the remaining Spurs very interesting tonight. In 54 minutes without those five guys on the floor, Anderson has a 23% usage rate and he’s averaging 1.2 fantasy points per minute. In a pace up game against the 76ers, I would expect Anderson to play 30+ minutes tonight, and he should crush value on all sites. I think he’s way under priced on FanDuel, but I think he’s in play on all sites tonight.
Andre Iguodala (back, hip) and Omri Casspi (back) ruled out Wednesday
Iguodala has been ruled out and won’t play in tonight’s game against the Dallas Mavericks after previously being listed as questionable on the Golden State Warriors’ injury report with a strained lower back and strained hip, while Omri Casspi has also been ruled out due to a strained back despite his earlier probable designation on the injury report. Draymond Green and Zaza Pachulia remain questionable with their respective ailments, and Greens’ status remains realistically in doubt as head coach Steve Kerr revealed that he stepped on a teammate’s foot during Tuesday’s scrimmage. For the six games Green has been unavailable this season, Jordan Bell has been the main beneficiary in terms of minutes, though in a majority of those contests Pachulia was also sidelined with a shoulder issue. With Iguodala and Casspi already ruled out, there are definitely some reserve minutes to be had for the likes of Nick Young and Patrick McCaw, putting them in play as longshot tournament options on Wednesday’s slate.
As reported by: Mark Medina via Twitter Other tagged players: Omri Casspi 100% Exposure? Why Not
I rarely go all in on a player, especially not one that is as inconsistent as Clint Capela. However, I am making an exception tonight. If we run CourtIQ with Chris Paul and Capela on the floor together and with James Harden off the floor (he’s out for the next two weeks), we can see that Capela averages 1.45 FP/min, which is a significant boost over his season average. Not only does he see a production boost, but he has played at least 29 minutes in each of the last two games and he draws a dream matchup against the Magic.
Kyle Kuzma (quad) and Brook Lopez (ankle) available to play Wednesday; Lonzo Ball (shoulder) remains out
Kuzma and Lopez have been cleared to play and will suit up for tonight’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder after previously being listed as questionable on the Los Angeles Lakers’ injury report due to their respective ailments, Lopez making his return from an eight-game absence due to a sprained right ankle. Meanwhile, Lonzo Ball will miss his sixth straight game with a sprained left shoulder following his earlier questionable designation. Head coach Luke Walton did say that he’s unsure if he’ll reinsert Lopez back into the starting lineup right away, but he does expect to continue starting Tyler Ennis at the point guard position in Ball’s absence, meaning that Josh Hart will head back to the bench to resume a reserve role with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope returning from his two-game absence due to a personal legal matter. No matter if Julius Randle remains in the starting unit or not, he’ll be a viable tournament option on Wednesday’s slate and owns a +3.0% usage rate differential with Ball off the court this season en route to a rate of 1.21 fantasy points per minute.
As reported by: the Los Angeles Lakers via Twitter Other tagged players: Brook Lopez, Lonzo Ball Nice Play at the Always Thin Power Forward Position
Derrick Favors has not played well with Rudy Gobert starting next to him this season, but he has averaged 34 fantasy points in the games that he has missed. The Jazz will need Favors’ size down low tonight, as they take on Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins. As long as he stays out of foul trouble, we could see 32+ minutes from Favors, which would be one of the highest marks of the season. His price is reasonable and he helps fill the power forward position that is awfully thin for a 12 game slate.
This Point Guard is an Auto-Play
The Spurs are playing in the second half of a back-to-back and in typical Greg Popovich fashion, he has ruled out Kawhi Leonard, Tony Parker, Rudy Gay, and Danny Green. The Spurs will be extremely short-handed tonight, especially at point guard and at the wing. Dejounte Murray has already been named the starter and there’s a good chance he ends up playing 30 minutes in a favorable matchup against the Sixers. We don’t need to overthink this one. We have a talented player that is going to see extended minutes in an efficient offense.
Kawhi Leonard (rest), Tony Parker (rest), Manu Ginobili (rest), and Danny Green (groin) ruled out Wednesday
Leonard, Parker, and Ginobili have all been added to the San Antonio Spurs’ injury report and have been ruled out for tonight’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers due to rest purposes, while Danny Green will also be unavailable after his playing status was previously undetermined due to left groin tightness. The Spurs will also be without Rudy Gay, who remains sidelined for at least two weeks with right heel bursitis, so Kyle Anderson, Dejounte Murray, and Bryn Forbes are the likeliest candidates to be inserted into the starting lineup at small forward, point guard, and shooting guard, respectively. Murray and Forbes’ playing time has been a bit sporadic in their spot starts, but Anderson appears to be locked into a heavy minute load with so many Spurs wing players unavailable this evening. That said, with the aforementioned players off the court this season, it’s been Murray and Anderson that have benefited the most, as each own at least a +7.2% usage rate differential and see their per minute production skyrocket to well over a fantasy point per minute a piece in this scenario.
As reported by: the San Antonio Spurs via Twitter Other tagged players: Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, Danny Green