DFS Alerts
Jaylen Brown (eye inflammation) ruled out Wednesday
Brown is a late addition to the Boston Celtics’ injury report for tonight’s game against the Dallas Mavericks due to an inflamed right eye that the team emphasized is not a basketball-related injury. The Celtics are already without Marcus Morris due to a planned management day as part of his left knee rehabilitation and Marcus Smart is likely to enter the starting lineup at shooting guard and see an increase in playing time. Morris has come off the bench for three consecutive games with Aron Baynes and Al Horford manning the center and power forward spots, and now with Morris unavailable, Baynes is virtually guaranteed to remain in the starting lineup for the fourth time in as many games. The starters that stand to benefit the most from Brown and Morris’ absences are Smart, Kyrie Irving, and Jayson Tatum, as each player owns at least a +2.0% usage rate differential with the aforementioned duo off the court this season, while Irving leads the team by a wide margin with a 35.4% usage rate.
As reported by: the Boston Celtics via Twitter
Devin Booker (adductor strain) expected to miss 2-3 weeks
According to Phoenix Suns general manager Ryan McDonough, guard Devin Booker is expected to miss the next two-to-three weeks with a left adductor strain he sustained in the fourth quarter of Tuesday’s loss. This is obviously a huge loss for a Suns squad that is looking to build on their young talent throughout the season, this may clear the way for the coaching staff to get a longer look at rookie Josh Jackson, who drew the start at the shooting guard spot in the only other game Booker was unavailable. Since Eric Bledsoe was traded, Mike James leads the Suns with a 32.9% usage rate, good for a +7.8% differential, with Booker off the court this season but is at risk of being permanently demoted to the G-League for the remainder of the year due to the terms of his two-way contract. There are rumblings among the Suns beat reporters that the team is planning to sign him to an actual contract, and if that’s the case, he’ll likely see an increased role in the backcourt rotation, along with Jackson, while T.J. Warren will assume the primary scoring option duties on the offensive side of the floor.
As reported by: John Gambadoro via Twitter Nene (corneal abrasion) questionable for Thursday; Ryan Anderson (back) probable
Nene has officially been listed as questionable on the Houston Rockets’ injury report for tomorrow’s game against the Utah Jazz due to a left corneal abrasion, while Ryan Anderson has been listed as probable with back tightness. Nene typically sees minutes in the mid-teens, depending on the matchup, and if he is unable to suit up for Wednesday’s contest, Tarik Black would enter the rotation and serve as the primary center behind Clint Capela in the frontcourt rotation. With Anderson looking likely to play, P.J. Tucker will remain in his normal role off the bench after starting the second half of Sunday’s game in Anderson’s place and logging 28 minutes of court time.
As reported by: Jonathan Feigen via Twitter Other tagged players: Ryan Anderson Great Matchup at Home
The Hornets have struggled on the road all season, but sport an 8-3 record at home. Tonight they draw a favorable matchup against the Warriors, who will be without Stephen Curry and potentially Draymond Green as well. Charlotte has a high implied total and should see a few extra possessions in an uptempo game. Kemba Walker is coming off of a strong outing in his first game back from injury and he should be able to carry that momentum into tonight’s contest.
Draymond Green (shoulder) upgraded to questionable Wednesday
Green has officially been upgraded to questionable from doubtful on the Golden State Warriors’ injury report for tonight’s game against the Charlotte Hornets due to a sore right shoulder. There were conflicting reports on Green’s injury designation this morning but it now appears as if the Warriors made a mistake listing him as doubtful when he was meant to be listed as questionable. If Green is eventually ruled out, Kevin Durant would likely slide over to the power forward spot and Omri Casspi would start at small forward in order to keep Andre Iguodala in his normal sixth-man role off the bench. Stephen Curry has already been ruled out for the next couple of weeks and, in his absence, two-way player Quinn Cook will draw the start this evening, signaling that Patrick McCaw likely is the team’s preferred starting point guard with Curry on the shelf once he is able to return from a nose contusion that will keep out for Wednesday’s contest. That said, the obvious beneficiaries of Curry and Green’s (possible) absences are Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant, as each own at least a +2.9% usage rate differential with them off the court this season, while Durant also leads the Warriors with a 33.2% usage rate and a rate of 1.35 fantasy points per minute in the aforementioned scenario.
As reported by: Connor Letourneau via Twitter T.J. McConnell (shoulder sprain) questionable for Thursday
McConnell has officially been listed as questionable for tomorrow’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers due to a sprained left shoulder AC joint that has already forced him to miss three consecutive games. In the previous games McConnell missed, Jerryd Bayless has averaged just over 25 minutes per game as the primary guard off the bench while Nik Stauskas has entered the rotation for the first time since returning from a sprained right ankle but has logged 10 minutes or less in each game. As long as McConnell and Markelle Fultz are sidelined with their respective injuries, Ben Simmons figures to maintain his massive minute floor and has averaged 38 minutes per game in his last three games played. Simmons trails only Joel Embiid on this Sixers squad with a 25.0% usage rate and a rate of 1.25 fantasy points per minute, keeping him in play for all formats on nearly a nightly basis.
As reported by: Jessica Camerato via Twitter What Team Does He Play For?
I talked about JaKarr Sampson on the podcast this morning, and I’ve seen multiple people on twitter ask what team he plays for now. With Willie Cauley-Stein out, and Skal Labissiere sent to the G-League, I have a hard time not seeing Sampson play minutes tonight. He played 24 minutes in the last game against the Bucks, and the coaching staff liked how much energy he brought with him. It’s a risky play, but I’m going all-in on him with my three teams tonight.
Quinn Cook will start for Stephen Curry (ankle) on Wednesday
Curry’s X-rays and MRI results didn’t reveal any structural damage to his sprained right ankle, but the former MVP is dealing with significant swelling and won’t be re-evaluated for “a couple of weeks”. Curry had already been ruled out in advance of tonight’s game against the Charlotte Hornets with the aforementioned ankle injury and will obviously miss much more time than that. In his absence, two-way player Quinn Cook will draw the start, signaling that Patrick McCaw is likely to be the team’s preferred starting point guard with Curry on the shelf once he is able to return from a nose contusion that will keep him out for Wednesday’s contest. With Draymond Green currently on the doubtful side of his questionable designation, if he is eventually ruled out, Kevin Durant would likely slide over to the power forward spot and Omri Casspi would start at small forward in order to keep Andre Iguodala in his normal sixth-man role off the bench. That said, the obvious beneficiaries of Green and Curry’s absences are Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant, as each own at least a +2.9% usage rate differential with them off the court this season, while Durant also leads the Warriors with a 33.2% usage rate and a rate of 1.35 fantasy points per minute in the aforementioned scenario.
As reported by: Connor Letourneau via Twitter Sneaky Usage Bump
Without Jokic and Millsap on the floor, Murray has a 30.1% usage rate, which is a 4.2% bump for him. He’s averaging 1.07 fantasy point per minute with the starters when those two guys are out. This is one of my favorite games on the slate, and Denver gets a nice bump in pace here. Murray has been frustrating at time this season, but he has 28 and 44 fantasy points in the last two games without Jokic.
I'm Averaging Over 7x In Two Games This Season
Avery Bradley is a core play for me tonight on FanDuel and DraftKings. He hasn’t been playing great lately, but he’s crushed in this matchup twice already this season. He’s way too cheap for this matchup tonight, and he’s averaging 38.5 DraftKings in two meetings this season. We love taking wings against the Bucks, and I’m going to run Bradley out for the third time in this matchup.
Danilo Gallinari (glute strain) will play Wednesday
Gallinari told reporters following shootaround that he 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 Los Angeles Clippers’ injury report with a strained left glute that has kept him sidelined for 13 consecutive games. Gallinari participated in the Clippers’ practice on Monday and told reporters that he is still less than 100% but his conditioning is at least up to speed. Now that Gallinari will officially make his return to the lineup this evening, he is expected to take over as the team’s starting power forward while Blake Griffin is sidelined, meaning Montrezl Harrell will head back to the bench to resume his normal reserve role after receiving sporadic playing time as a starter. Even with Gallinari available, Lou Williams and Austin Rivers will continue to be the primary playmakers in the offense with both Griffin and Patrick Beverley on the shelf, and each guard owns at least a +3.8% usage rate differential with the aforementioned duo off the court this season, while Williams continues to lead the Clippers with a 33.1% usage rate and has consistently been seeing minutes in the mid-to-upper-30s, elevating his floor and ceiling on a nightly basis.
As reported by: Brad Turner via Twitter Heavy Minutes in a Favorable Matchup
It’s hard to find a player that is involved in the offense, priced under $6,000, and is expected to play 35 minutes a night. Jonathon Simmons might be the only player on the slate to fit that description. With Terrence Ross out, Simmons is playing as many minutes as he can handle right now. The Magic draw a favorable matchup against a Hawks’ team that likes to push the pace. Simmons is one of the safest small forward targets on both FanDuel and DraftKings tonight.
Opportunity and Matchup are Both in this Point Guard's Corner
Rajon Rondo has scored at least 36 fantasy points in each of his last three games. We haven’t seen him crack the 30-minute mark for quite some time, but we should still play him as long as Anthony Davis is out. He has taken on a bigger role in the offense and he draws arguably the best possible matchup for a point guard. On the season, the Nuggets are ranked 28th in DvP and 27th in efficiency against the position. Jamal Murray and Emmanuel Mudiay have two of the worst DRPM grades of any point guards in basketball.
Marcus Morris (knee) ruled out Wednesday
Morris is a new addition to the Boston Celtics’ injury report and has been ruled out for tonight’s game against the Dallas Mavericks as part of his knee rehabilitation plan. Morris has come off the bench for three consecutive games with Aron Baynes and Al Horford manning the center and power forward spots, and now with Morris unavailable, Baynes is virtually guaranteed to remain in the starting lineup for the fourth time in as many games. Considering Morris has missed a large portion of this young season, there hasn’t really been anyone that sees a significant bump in usage or production from his absence from the lineup. That said, Jayson Tatum could end up being a tertiary beneficiary since he may absorb some additional playing time at the four in small-ball lineups.
As reported by: the Boston Celtics via Twitter Draymond Green (shoulder) doubtful Wednesday; Patrick McCaw (nose) ruled out; Zaza Pachulia (shoulder) will play
Green is a new addition to the Golden State Warriors’ injury report and has been listed as doubtful for tonight’s game against the Charlotte Hornets due to a sore right shoulder, while Patrick McCaw has been ruled out with a nose contusion and Zaza Pachulia will return from a one-game absence due to a sore left shoulder after both were previously listed as questionable on the injury report. When asked, head coach Steve Kerr was noncommittal on his starting lineup for Wednesday night with Green appearing unlikely to play and Stephen Curry already ruled out, but with McCaw unavailable, Shaun Livingston is the only realistic option to start at point guard considering Quinn Cook is on a two-way contract. If Green is eventually ruled out, Kevin Durant would likely slide over to the power forward spot and Omri Casspi would start at small forward in order to keep Andre Iguodala in his normal sixth-man role off the bench. That said, the obvious beneficiaries of Green and Curry’s absences are Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant, as each own at least a +2.9% usage rate differential with them off the court this season, while Durant also leads the Warriors with a 33.2% usage rate and a rate of 1.35 fantasy points per minute in the aforementioned scenario.
As reported by: Anthony Slater via Twitter Other tagged players: Patrick McCaw, Zaza Pachulia