DFS Alerts
Clarification: Ben Simmons (illness) won't have a minute restriction but will be monitored Monday
Simmons is dealing with a bout of the flu but will suit up and play in tonight’s game against the Phoenix Suns despite never receiving an injury designation on the Philadelphia 76ers’ injury report prior to now. He won’t be subject to set minute restriction, but head coach Brett Brown did tell reporters that he will monitor how Simmons is playing and base his playing time on how well he is coping with the illness. Simmons isn’t quite the per minute producer at this point in his young career that Joel Embiid is, so he does rely on his massive minute floor to consistently provide value in daily fantasy formats. That fact alone does make him an interesting fade in tournaments, even in a great pace-up matchup with Phoenix, if there’s a chance that he doesn’t approach the typical 38-40 minutes of playing time he’s been seeing on a nightly basis.
As reported by: Jessica Camerato via Twitter
Wilson Chandler (back pain) available to play Monday
Chandler has been cleared to play and will suit up for tonight’s game against the Dallas Mavericks after previously being listed as questionable on the Denver Nuggets’ injury report with low back pain that had forced him to miss three consecutive games. Meanwhile, Nikola Jokic will remain sidelined with a sprained right ankle but the team is hopeful he can return at some point during their upcoming six-game road trip. With Chandler available and likely to start, Juan Hernangomez will head back to the bench to resume his normal reserve and was largely unproductive in the 25 minutes of playing he averaged during his three-start stretch. Will Barton will remain in his customary sixth-role off the bench but does now have an extra body absorbing minutes on the wing, though head coach Mike Malone can be expected to utilize plenty of small ball lineups with Chandler at the four. That said, with Jokic and Paul Millsap off the court this season, Gary Harris and Jamal Murray have been huge beneficiaries in a limited sample, as they each own a +5.4% usage rate differential, while Murray leads the Nuggets with a 31.3% usage rate and Harris paces the way with a rate of 1.09 fantasy points per minute on DraftKings and 1.13 on FanDuel to also lead the team.
As reported by: Harrison Wind via Twitter T.J. McConnell (shoulder) remains out Monday
McConnell has officially been ruled out and won’t play in tonight’s game against the Phoenix Suns after previously being listed as questionable on the Philadelphia 76ers’ game notes with a sprained left shoulder AC joint that has now forced him to miss three consecutive games. In the previous games McConnell missed, Jerryd Bayless ended up seeing 32 and 25 minutes 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 nearly 40 minutes per game in his last three games played. Simmons trails only Joel Embiid on this Sixers squad with a 24.9% 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: Kyle Neubeck via Twitter Shaun Livingston suspended one game, will serve suspension on Monday
Livingston has officially been suspended one game for his involvement in Sunday’s altercation with referee Courtney Kirkland and will serve the suspension in tonight’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans, even though he had already been ruled out for rest by Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr in his postgame press conference last night. His absence will open up some additional minutes for Patrick McCaw and Nick Young off the bench, though neither guard is likely to see enough playing time or usage to become viable on a massive 11-game slate with Andre Iguodala and all of the Warriors starters set to be active and available to play.
As reported by: Anthony Slater via Twitter Kyle Anderson (knee) ruled out Monday; Rudy Gay (heel) and Joffrey Lauvergne (finger) probable
Anderson has been ruled out and won’t play in tonight’s game against the Detroit Pistons due to what’s been diagnosed as a sprained left MCL and is expected to miss two-to-three weeks. Additionally, both Rudy Gay and Joffrey Lauvergne have been listed as probable on the San Antonio Spurs’ injury report, and Gay appears to be set to make his return from a brief one-game absence. Gay may finally end up finding his way into the starting lineup for Monday’s contest in Anderson’s place, though that wouldn’t necessarily lock him into big minutes as he has yet to play more than 26 minutes in any game this season. With LaMarcus Aldridge and Tony Parker expected back after being rested on Sunday, Dejounte Murray will head to the bench to resume his normal reserve role after playing a whopping 39 minutes in his spot start. However, there is still a possibility that Brandon Paul remains in the starting unit for Anderson, if Gay doesn’t start, and was more than serviceable in 33 minutes of action Sunday night, though that total is likely inflated by Manu Ginobili’s surprise and unannounced DNP-CD.
As reported by: Michael C. Wright via Twitter Other tagged players: Rudy Gay, Joffrey Lauvergne Freedom!
It looks like Tyreke Evans is positioned to thrive as the leader of the Grizzlies offense, at least while Mike Conley remains sidelined. The new coaching staff is letting him run the point often, and Evans is coming off a massive 31/7/12 game against the Cavaliers. Fire him up as an elite mid-range GPP option, even though tonight’s matchup isn’t as ideal as we would normally look for.
Lots of GPP Potential
The Knicks are another team that is barren as a result of injuries, and there is tons of usage available in the frontcourt with both Tim Hardaway Jr. and Kristaps Porzingis sidelined. Enes Kanter should be a primary beneficiary of this, and he has put up 22 points and 14 rebounds and 18 points and 16 rebounds in the two games since his return. Kanter sees some extra usage and a few extra minutes in these situations, and I love him as a GPP option tonight.
Upside Plus Lack of Depth
The Hawks are going to be barren on the interior tonight, as they have been dealing with injuries for a while. Now they will also be without John Collins and Dewayne Dedmon, which opens up a healthy dose of minutes. Ersan Ilyasova has re-entered the starting lineup and has looked solid over the last two games. He should be in line for around 30 minutes again tonight, and we know he brings upside to the table. In a matchup against the Nets, I’m on board.
Zaza Pachulia (shoulder) questionable Monday; Stephen Curry (hand) and Andre Iguodala (knee) probable
Pachulia has officially been listed as questionable on the Golden State Warriors’ injury report for tonight’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans with a sore right shoulder, while both Stephen Curry and Andre Iguodala have been listed as probable with their respective ailments, but Curry has already said he is good to go and head coach Steve Kerr already told reporters that he planned to play Iguodala after sitting him for Sunday’s contest with a nagging sore knee, so both he and Curry should fully be expected to suit up. Considering Pachulia typically only sees minutes in the mid-teens, his potential absence would not do much to alter the playing time of the ancillary Warriors frontcourt players like JaVale McGee, Jordan Bell, and David West since Kerr is more likely to just spread his playing time around than defer it to one player. That said, McGee would likely draw the start at center should Pachulia eventually be ruled out.
As reported by: Mark Medina via Twitter Other tagged players: Stephen Curry, Andre Iguodala Rudy Gobert (knee) and Raul Neto (hamstring) available to play Monday; Rodney Hood (ankle) remains out
Gobert has been cleared to play and will suit up for tonight’s game against the Washington Wizards after previously being listed as questionable on the Utah Jazz’ injury report with a right knee contusion, while Raul Neto will be available to play off the bench, as expected, following his prior probable designation. Additionally, Rodney Hood will remain sidelined for the fourth consecutive game with a sore right ankle. Gobert will be subject to a minute restriction in his return to action and, though the exact limit wasn’t disclosed by head coach Quin Snyder, it’d be difficult to imagine the Jazz pushing him too hard in his first game back. Now that Hood has been confirmed out, Donovan Mitchell will continue to see a heavy minute workload in Monday’s contest, as he will remain the starting shooting guard and also see time at the point guard spot when Ricky Rubio is off the floor. Alec Burks will also serve as the primary guard off the bench for Utah and has consistently seen 20-25 minutes of action on a nightly basis, even with Hood active, putting him firmly in play for tournaments. In fact, Mitchell and Burks lead the Jazz in per minute fantasy production with Hood and Joe Johnson off the court this season, though it should be noted that Neto’s availability could eat into the guard duo’s playing time.ever-so-slightly.
As reported by: David Locke via Twitter Other tagged players: Raul Neto, Rodney Hood Blowup Spot for this Shooting Guard
Jrue Holiday has seen a major decline in usage playing next to Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins. To make matters worse, Rajon Rondo has come in and taken control of most of the ball-handling duties. It’s been tough sledding for Holiday, but he’s poised to breakout tonight against the Warriors. Davis has already been ruled out and Holiday sees a 2% usage bump with him off the floor. Add in a pace-up matchup against the Warriors and the fact that he should play 36-38 minutes, he stands out as one of the top point-per-dollar play on the board.
Forgotten Man in New York?
Courtney Lee has played well all season and now gets to lead a short-handed Knicks’ team that is without their two best scorers (Kristaps Porzingis and Tim Hardaway). Lee has scored at least 26 fantasy points in six of his last seven games and should benefit from a pace-up matchup against the Pacers. His usage should be up, his minutes could be up, and his price is still affordable on both FanDuel and DraftKings.
Good Value in an Uptempo Game
There are a lot of injuries across the NBA, which should lead to a stars and scrubs approach for a lot of lineups. One of my favorite values is one that could fly under the radar a bit. Anthony Davis being out doesn’t directly impact E’Twaun Moore, but it opens up usage in the offense and it’s more likely that the Pelicans decide to play small. Moore could see well north of 30 minutes tonight in an uptempo game against the Warriors. If this game stays close, it will be full of fantasy goodness.
Kemba Walker (shoulder) will play Monday
Walker was a full participant in the Charlotte Hornets’ practice on Sunday and confirmed to reporters that he will play in tonight’s game against the Orlando Magic after previously being listed as probable on the injury report with a left shoulder AC contusion that had forced him to miss two consecutive games. Meanwhile, Frank Kaminsky remains probable with a sprained right foot and Julyan Stone is still listed as questionable with an illness but hasn’t played in a game since mid-October, making his status irrelevant. With Walker officially available, Michael Carter-Williams will be relegated back to the bench to resume his normal reserve role following inconsistent performances in his two spot starts. Walker won’t be subject to a minute restriction on Monday night, so he’ll find himself in a plus matchup against a Magic squad that ranks dead-last in the NBA with a 111.2 Defensive Rating and continues to lead the Hornets with a 28.4% usage rate on the year.
As reported by: the Charlotte Hornets via Twitter Injury Has Created Opportunity For Me
After playing nine and three minutes in his first two games of the season, Miles Plumlee played 19 minutes against Brooklyn on Saturday. He drew the start at center, and I would expect him to start again tonight against the same team. With the injuries to Muscala, Dedmon, and Collins; Plumlee should be a nice punt option tonight. He picked up quick fouls on Saturday, and if he can stay out of foul trouble here, I would expect him to play 20+ minutes tonight.
