DFS Alerts
Marc Gasol (hip) doubtful for Saturday
Gasol has been listed as doubtful on the Memphis Grizzlies’ injury report for tomorrow’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers due to a left hip issue. The Grizzlies are still without Mike Conley and Wayne Selden, but Brandan Wight recently returned to the rotation and managed to log 19 minutes off the bench in Thursday’s contest, making him the leading candidate to replace Gasol in the starting lineup at center. This leaves Tyreke Evans to shoulder a large majority of the offensive playmaking responsibilities with Gasol (likely) and Conley unavailable. On top of that, he, Wright, and JaMychal Green each own at least a +3.0% usage rate differential with the aforementioned players off the court this season while Evans leads the way with a rate of 1.27 fantasy points per minute on DraftKings and 1.21 on FanDuel in this scenario.
As reported by: Grizzlies PR via Twitter
Clint Capela (heel) officially ruled out Friday; Nene will start in his place
Capela has officially been ruled out and won’t play in tonight’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers after previously being listed as doubtful on the Houston Rockets’ injury report with a left heel contusion that has now forced him to miss three of the last four games. With Chris Paul also unavailable, Eric Gordon will be inserted into the starting lineup at shooting guard, sliding James Harden over to the point guard spot, and will immediately become an elite option on Friday’s slate given his reasonable expectation of mid-30s minutes as a starter. Nene drew the start at center in Wednesday’s loss and played a season-high 26 minutes, but he was eventually replaced by P.J. Tucker to begin the second half, meaning that situation could play out for the second straight game with Nene starting at center once again. With Paul, Capela, and Luc Mbah a Moute off the court this season, James Harden owns a +6.1% usage rate differential and continues to lead the Rockets with a massive 44.2% usage rate in this scenario, maintaining his status as an elite option for all formats Friday evening.
As reported by: Craig Ackerman via Twitter Other tagged players: Nene Hilario Jonathan Isaac (ankle) ruled out Friday; Marreese Speights will start at PF
Isaac has been ruled out and won’t play in tonight’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans after previously being listed as questionable on the Orlando Magic’s injury report with a sore right ankle, while Aaron Gordon and Evan Fournier both remain sidelined with their respective ailments, as expected, following their brief status upgrade to doubtful. Marreese Speights will be inserted into the starting lineup at power forward to matchup better with Anthony Davis on the defensive end, sending Mario Hezonja back to the bench for at least one game, while D.J. Augustin will replace Wesley Iwundu at the shooting guard spot. As long as Speights stays out of foul trouble, a tall task against Davis and DeMarcus Cousins, he’ll be an elite option in tournaments and smashed his salary-based expectations in 21 minutes in Orlando’s earlier matchup with New Orleans this season. The other starters that stand to continue benefiting the most from Gordon and Fournier’s absences are Jonathon Simmons and Nikola Vucevic, as each own at least a +3.9% usage rate differential and have seen substantial increases to their per minute production in this scenario.
Other tagged players: Marreese Speights Gary Harris (elbow) expected to play Friday; Emmanuel Mudiay (ankle) likely out
Harris remains listed as questionable on the Denver Nuggets’ injury report for tonight’s game against the Portland Trail Blazers due to a right elbow contusion that has forced him to miss one game but, according to head coach Mike Malone, is expected to play Friday evening. Meanwhile, Emmanuel Mudiay remains questionable with a sprained right ankle but appears likely to miss his third consecutive game. Head coach Mike Malone opted to utilize an unconventional starting lineup in the previous game with Nikola Jokic and Mason Plumlee starting alongside each other in the frontcourt, but with Harris on track to return, Plumlee will likely head back to the bench to resume a reserve role while Wilson Chandler and Torrey Craig hold down the forward positions. Jokic finally saw his minute workload increase in Wednesday’s contest, logging 36 minutes, and he is prime position to exceed his salary-based expectations given his suppressed price tag across the industry. On top of that, he owns a +3.9% usage rate differential with Mudiay and Paul Millsap off the court this season and leads the Nuggets with a 27.1% usage rate and a rate of 1.34 fantasy points per minute on DraftKings and 1.31 on FanDuel in this scenario.
As reported by: Chris Dempsey via Twitter Other tagged players: Emmanuel Mudiay Zaza Pachulia (shoulder) and Shaun Livingston (knee) questionable Friday; Andre Iguodala (illness) now probable
Pachulia remains listed as questionable on the Golden State Warriors’ injury report for tonight’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers due to a sore left shoulder that has already forced him to miss five consecutive games, while Shaun Livingston has been upgraded to questionable from doubtful and Andre Iguodala has been upgraded to probable from questionable on the injury report with their respective ailments. Additionally, Draymond Green has been cleared to return following a four-game absence due to a sore right shoulder, and head coach Steve Kerr’s starting lineup depends heavily on the availability of Pachulia, but if he’s unable to suit up, Green will displace either JaVale McGee or Jordan Bell from the starting unit at either power forward or center. Stephen Curry was held out of Thursday’s practice and will miss his seventh consecutive game with a sprained right ankle, and with him off the floor, both Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson own at least a +3.3% usage rate differential while Durant paces the way with a rate of 1.52 fantasy points per minute on DraftKings and 1.49 on FanDuel in this scenario.
As reported by: Anthony Slater via Twitter Other tagged players: Shaun Livingston, Andre Iguodala A New Star in L.A.?
With Brook Lopez sidelined for the next few weeks, we have some clear winners in the Lakers’ frontcourt. It also appears that Julius Randle is in the doghouse right now, so gear up for heavy usage and minutes for Kyle Kuzma. He played 40 minutes and logged a very impressive 38/7/4 line against the Rockets in Wednesday night’s upset victory, and the sky is the limit for Kuzma. His ownership might be suppressed tonight with his price now sitting at a heftier mark, but that is not high enough to scare me away. This will be a fast-paced, high-scoring game between the Lakers and Warriors, and the only major risk is whether or not the game stays close. Assuming we get a good game, Kuzma is an elite GPP option.
High Upside at a Reasonable Cost
While Harden obviously carries an immense usage rate with Chris Paul on the shelf, Eric Gordon also sees his usage rise to over 30%. In addition, Gordon will likely see quite a few extra minutes upon insertion into the starting lineup. The matchup isn’t a bad one against a poor Clippers team, so Houston should still be able to score plenty of points even without two of its better players on the floor. Gordon is reasonably priced, and even though he will be popular, he’s a fine option in GPP formats.
Draymond Green (sore shoulder) will play Friday
Green has been cleared to play and will suit up for tonight’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers, according to ESPN’s Marc J. Spears, after previously being listed as questionable on the Golden State Warriors’ injury report with a sore right shoulder that had forced him to miss four consecutive games. Meanwhile, Zaza Pachulia and Andre Iguodala remain questionable with their respective ailments and Shaun Livingston is still doubtful due to a sore right knee. Head coach Steve Kerr’s starting lineup depends heavily on the availability of Pachulia, but if he’s unable to suit up, Green will displace either JaVale McGee or Jordan Bell from the starting unit at either power forward or center. Stephen Curry was held out of Thursday’s practice and will miss his seventh consecutive game with a sprained right ankle, and with him off the floor, both Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson own at least a +3.3% usage rate differential while Durant paces the way with a rate of 1.52 fantasy points per minute on DraftKings and 1.49 on FanDuel in this scenario.
As reported by: Marc J. Spears via Twitter Take the Value and Move on
Nene Hilario is expected to draw another start tonight, as the Rockets host the Clippers. Nene hasn’t played a ton of minutes this season, but he may have to play 25+ tonight. Clint Capela has already been ruled out and the Rockets will need Nene’s size down low to keep DeAndre Jordan off the glass. Nene is close to minimum salary on both FanDuel and DraftKings and has a good chance of scoring 20+ fantasy points tonight.
Blowup Spot Thanks to an Injury
Damian Lillard has been ruled out of tonight’s game, which opens the door for a number of plays on Portland. Shabazz Napier and Evan Turner are two of the best values on the board. C.J. McCollum is also an elite play. Since the start of last season, McCollum is averaging 33 fantasy points per game playing next to Lillard and 45 fantasy points when Lillard is out. He would also see a boost if Gary Harris (excellent defender) is unable to suit up.
Milos Teodosic (rest) ruled out Friday, will play Saturday
Teodosic has been added to the Los Angeles Clippers’ injury report and has been ruled out for tonight’s game against the Houston Rockets due to rest purposes, as he has yet to be cleared to play back-to-back days and will suit up for Saturday’s matchup with the Memphis Grizzlies instead. The last time Teodosic was unavailable due to rest, Sindarius Thornwell ended up drawing the start in his place, but Jawun Evans essentially doubled him up in playing time and logged 40 minutes off the bench. That said, Austin Rivers was sidelined with a concussion for that game so it shouldn’t be expected for Evans to see that type of minute workload again in Friday’s contest. Thornwell, Evans, and Lou Williams are all candidates to draw the start at one of the guard positions this evening, but regardless of starting lineup, Rivers, Williams, and Evans should absorb a large majority of the minutes in the backcourt. In fact, with Teodosic, Wesley Johnson, Danilo Gallinari, Blake Griffin, and Patrick Beverley all off the court this season, Williams owns a +7.2% usage rate differential and leads the Clippers by a wide margin with a 37.2% usage rate.
As reported by: Brad Turner via Twitter Time for a Bounce Back
Lou Williams was one of the biggest fantasy busts the other night, as he couldn’t get anything to drop in a dream matchup against the Suns. Tonight sets up as a perfect bounce back opportunity. Wesley Johnson, Danilo Gallinari, and Milos Teodosic have all been ruled out, so Williams should see minutes in the mid-30s. His price has come down across the industry and he should benefit from Chris Paul (excellent defender) being out. Don’t jump off the Sweet Lou bandwagon just yet.
Goran Dragic (elbow) and Justise Winslow (knee) ruled out Friday, unlikely to play Saturday
Dragic has been ruled out and won’t play in tonight’s game against the Dallas Mavericks due to an elbow issue that has now forced him to miss three consecutive games, while Justise Winslow will also remain sidelined with a strained left knee and, according to head coach Erik Spoelstra, both players are likely out for Saturday’s contest as well. This means that Tyler Johnson will remain in the starting lineup at point guard for the third time in as many games and has averaged 36 minutes in his previous two starts en route to exceeding salary-based expectations on both occasions. Miami is also still without James Johnson and Hassan Whiteside, meaning Bam Adebayo is slated to start power forward once again, but Jordan Mickey has been the more consistent producer from a fantasy standpoint and even logged more minutes than Adebayo in the Heat’s previous game. Josh Richardson has averaged a team-high 39 minutes per game sans Dragic and James Johnson and owns a +7.7% usage rate differential with the aforementioned players off the court this season while seeing his per minute production skyrocket to 1.05 fantasy points on DraftKings and 1.08 on FanDuel in this scenario.
As reported by: Tom D'Angelo via Twitter Other tagged players: Justise Winslow Everyone Gets A Usage Bump
I’m not a big fan of playing Evan Turner, but I love his spot tonight. There are 37 minutes to go around for the Trail Blazers with Lillard out tonight. McCollum receives the biggest usage bump without Lillard on the floor, but Turner also receives a nice bump. He’s not a high usage player, but has a 21% usage rate without Lillard on the floor this season. He’s only averaging .71 fantasy points per minute, but if he plays 30+ minutes, he could hit value because of his cheap salary. We have a lot of value tonight, but we have a lot of studs to pay up for as well.
Joel Embiid (sore back) ruled out Thursday
Embiid has surprisingly been ruled out and won’t play in tonight’s game against Toronto Raptors after previously being upgraded to probable from questionable on the Philadelphia 76ers’ injury report with a sore back that has now forced him to miss three consecutive games. Meanwhile, Trevor Booker is expected to play, according to head coach Brett Brown, following his prior questionable designation due to gastroenteritis, and J.J. Redick was ruled out earlier with right hamstring tightness and is preemptively considered doubtful for Saturday’s contest. In Embiid’s absence, Amir Johnson will start at center but has served as second fiddle to Richaun Holmes in terms of playing time the last two games. With Redick unavailable, Jerryd Bayless will draw the start at the shooting guard spot alongside Ben Simmons in the backcourt, though in the previous game Redick was sidelined T.J. McConnell was the more productive guard and logged nearly 29 minutes off the bench. The starters that stand to benefit the most from Embiid and Redick’s absence are Simmons, Robert Covington, and Dario Saric, as each own at least a +4.7% usage rate differential with them off the court this season, and Covington has seen his production increase to 1.14 fantasy points per minute on DraftKings and 1.09 on FanDuel in this scenario.
As reported by: Keith Pompey via Twitter