DFS Alerts
Treveon Graham (back spasms) officially ruled out Monday
Graham has been ruled out and won’t be available to play in tonight’s game against the New York Knicks after previously being listed as doubtful on the Charlotte Hornets’ injury report due to back spasms. However, regardless of Graham’s availability, he was unlikely to see the court on Monday night, as associate head coach Stephen Silas had already confirmed that he planned to utilize the same eight-man rotation he employed for Saturday’s contest. This means that Jeremy Lamb, Michael Carter-Williams, and Frank Kaminsky will continue to absorb the available reserve minutes with Cody Zeller still sidelined indefinitely with a torn left medial meniscus.
As reported by: Rick Bonnell via Twitter
Clint Capela (heel contusion) upgraded to probable Monday
Capela has officially been listed as probable on the Houston Rockets’ injury report for tonight’s game against the Utah Jazz due to a left heel contusion that has forced him to miss one game. Unsurprisingly, James Harden was excluded from the injury report after logging a whopping 39 minutes of action in Saturday’s contest, showing no ill effects from a sore knee that had his status in question approaching lock. Assuming he plays, Capela is an interesting tournament option at the center position on Monday’s slate given the matchup with a Jazz team that will be without Rudy Gobert and Derrick Favors in the frontcourt, meaning Capela should have a much easier time matching up with likes of Ekpe Udoh on both ends of the floor. Even so, in the two prior meetings with Utah, he’s averaged 1.16 fantasy points per minute on DraftKings and 1.21 on FanDuel, exhibiting a solid floor in this matchup.
As reported by: Ben DuBose via Twitter Low Owned Value Play
With all the value today, it’s going to be hard to make your lineups different, and I’m going to take a couple shots in GPPs. Mike James was a DNP-CD last game, and Canaan actually played 26 minutes in his first action with the Suns. This could easily have been a wake up call for James, but I’m willing to roll the dice tonight on Canaan. They signed him, and instantly played him over James who has been struggling. He played 10 minutes in the first half, and nine minutes of the fourth quarter in a close game.
Embrace Your Warrior Spirit
Golden State is going to be without Stephen Curry, Shaun Livingston, Zaza Pachulia, and Draymond Green tonight. That opens up plenty of value, and Patrick McCaw should get some minutes at the point. This is also a favorable matchup against the Lakers, and this game should be played at the fastest pace of the night. Guys like McCaw, Casspi, Jordan Bell, and Andre Iguodala are solid values. I think you need to make sure you get at least one of these value pieces on each roster you make tonight.
Smart Value
I would never say my job is tough, but tonight we have a ton of value options, so deciding which value guys to write up is a little tough. Richardson is my favorite value play on the slate tonight, and it has a lot to do with him already being in a good role in the offense. He’s played at least 33 minutes in three straight games, and he has at least 27 fantasy points in three of the last four games. With Winslow/Johnson out, and Waiters/Dragic questionable, Richardson could play a season high in minutes tonight.
Myles Turner (thigh) questionable Monday
Turner has been added to the Indiana Pacers’ injury report for tonight’s game against the Boston Celtics and has been listed as questionable with a sore right thigh. He’s already dealt with a sore calf and a sore knee earlier in the season and, in both instances, ended up playing through his questionable designation. That, combined with the Pacers propensity to be conservative with their injury reporting, it appears that Turner is likelier to play than not. However, if he is unable to suit up, Domantas Sabonis would enter the starting lineup at center and has averaged 28 minutes per game in his previous spot starts, which would also allow Al Jefferson to assume the backup center duties. Additionally, with Turner off the court this season, Sabonis owns a 23.9% usage rate and has averaged 1.11 fantasy points per minute on DraftKings and 1.08 on FanDuel.
As reported by: the Indiana Pacers via Twitter Salary Savings out West
Golden State is going to be without Stephen Curry, Shaun Livingston, Zaza Pachulia, and Draymond Green tonight. That opens up plenty of value, and Patrick McCaw should get some minutes at the point. This is also a favorable matchup against the Lakers, and this game should be played at the fastest pace of the night. Guys like McCaw, Casspi, Jordan Bell, and Andre Iguodala are solid values. I think you need to make sure you get at least one of these value pieces on each roster you make tonight.
Upside on the Cheap
Derrick Favors has been ruled out again tonight, which should open the door for Udoh to start at center for the second straight game. He played 30 minutes in the last game and put up a magnificent overall line of nine points, seven rebounds, three steals, and six blocks. That’s not too shabby for a value play! There are plenty of salary savers out there tonight, but Udoh is certainly one of the top ones on the list. He is capable of racking up rebounds and blocks, and this will be a pace up game for the Jazz. I’m a GPP buyer here.
Derrick Favors (concussion) remains out Monday
Favors has been ruled out and won’t play in tonight’s game against the Houston Rockets due to a concussion that has prevented him from clearing the league’s concussion protocol and has now missed two consecutive games, while Raul Neto is also dealing with a concussion and will miss his fourth straight game. Obviously not Monday night, but moving forward, Favors figures to greatly benefit from his move to the center spot with Rudy Gobert sidelined for at least the next month with a sprained PCL, and he averaged 30 minutes per game during Gobert’s extended absence earlier in the season. In their absences, Ekpe Udoh and Joe Johnson were inserted into the starting lineup at center and power forward, respectively, and both played in the ballpark of 30 minutes, which makes Udoh one the best value options on Monday’s slate. With Favors, Gobert, and Neto off the court this season, Rodney Hood owns a +6.1% usage rate differential and has actually led the team with a 34.9% usage rate while averaging 1.12 fantasy points per minute on DraftKings and 1.05 on FanDuel in this scenario.
As reported by: Andy Larsen via Twitter Lauri Markkanen (back spasms) will start Monday
Markkanen has been cleared to play and will start in tonight’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers after previously being considered a game-time decision by Chicago Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg due to back spasms that had forced him to miss three consecutive games. His presence will displace Nikola Mirotic, who was fantastic in his three spot starts, from the starting lineup and Markkanen will slide in at power forward alongside Robin Lopez and Denzel Valentine in the frontcourt. The latter was replaced by David Nwaba to begin the second half of Friday’s contest in an attempt to slow down Giannis Antetokounmpo on the offensive end and it’s possible that Nwaba could end up seeing somewhere in the ballpark of the 35 minutes he logged in that matchup for the second straight game given the matchup with a lengthy Sixers squad and Ben Simmons.
As reported by: Vincent Goodwill via Twitter Taking Advantage of Injuries
Kevin Durant is one of the most talented basketball players in the world. He has had a great couple of seasons with the Warriors, although his individual production has taken a backseat to the team production. With Stephen Curry and Draymond Green out, Durant has taken full advantage. Over his last four games, he is averaging 64 fantasy points and a cool 1.75 FP/min. He has a dream matchup tonight against the Lakers and the spread is set at only 6.5 points.
Absolutely Love this Frontcourt
Joel Embiid is one of the best fantasy producers in the NBA. When he is forced to miss a game, it creates a huge opportunity for the rest of the Sixers’ frontcourt. You can honestly play Dario Saric, Richaun Holmes, and Amir Johnson in the same lineup and feel really good about it. Johnson has been named the starter, which makes him my favorite point per dollar play of the three. He averages just under a fantasy point per minute and should see a full complement of minutes against the Bulls, who don’t play a lot of small ball.
Big Minutes, High Shot Volume, Low Price Tag
The Mavericks have the best matchup of any team in the slate. The Suns are ranked second in pace of play and dead last in defensive efficiency. Dallas is projected to score nearly eight points more than their season average, so we can give this offense a boost as a whole. Add in the fact that Dennis Smith Jr. is not going to play and this backcourt is very intriguing. Wesley Matthews should play 35+ minutes and he’s priced under $5,000 on both FanDuel and DraftKings.
Jimmy Butler (back) will be a game-time decision Monday, but expected to play
Butler remains listed as questionable on the Minnesota Timberwolves’ injury report for tonight’s game against the Portland Trail Blazers with a sore back, but he was a full participant in this morning’s shootaround and, according to head coach Tom Thibodeau, is expected to play barring any setbacks in pregame warmups. It was clear that Butler’s injured back limited his effectiveness during the closing minutes of Saturday’s loss and will probably be better reserved as a tournament option on Monday’s slate in case the back begins acting up again midgame. Thibodeau has been set on sticking with an eight-man rotation with Nemanja Bjelica sidelined still sidelined at least another week with a sprained left foot, meaning Butler should be expected to still see his normal high-30s minute workload if he’s anywhere close to full strength this evening.
As reported by: Timberwolves PR via Twitter Emmanuel Mudiay (ankle sprain) doubtful Monday
Mudiay has officially been downgraded to doubtful from questionable on the Denver Nuggets’ injury report for tonight’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder due to a sprained right ankle he sustained in Friday’s win. Will Barton and Nikola Jokic weren’t included in the latest version of the injury report but it still remains to be seen when Jokic will reenter the starting lineup. Barton played 32 minutes off the bench in Friday’s overtime win and is likely to absorb some of the backup point guard minutes with Mudiay likely unavailable, though Malik Beasley figures to see some extended run as well. Jokic was still limited to just 22 minutes in the previous game as head coach Mike Malone appears to be approaching his rehabilitation from an injured ankle with extreme caution. With Torrey Craig drawing a random start at small forward on Friday, it would be far from surprising to see another change to the Nuggets starting lineup for Monday’s matchup with the Thunder, though it’s unlikely to change any projected fantasy values for the usual suspects of the Denver rotation.
As reported by: Chris Dempsey via Twitter