DFS Alerts
Big Man In A Big Spot
If I’m not getting my exposure to the Rockets via James Harden, I will likely do it through Clint Capela. Capela gets to face a Lakers team who are allowing the 5th most fantasy points to opposing centers. Capela only averages 25.5 minutes per game, so that’s one knock on him, but that should be enough time to do damage against Brook Lopez, Julius Randle, Kyle Kuzma, Larry Nance and whatever living bodies the Lakers decide to throw at him. The center position is also somewhat thin on this short four-game slate, so I don’t mind locking in Capela as my center option.
Andre Iguodala (knee) ruled out Sunday; Kevin Durant (ankle) and Stephen Curry (hand) will play
Iguodala has been ruled out and won’t play in tonight’s game against the Miami Heat after previously being listed as questionable on the Golden State Warriors’ injury report with a sore left knee that has now forced him to miss two consecutive games, while Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry will play following their prior probable designations due to a sprained right ankle and right-hand contusion. Considering Durant and Curry were able to play through their aforementioned injuries in Friday’s win over the Orlando Magic, they were considered more than likely to suit up on Sunday night, so this news is far from surprising. Before Friday, in the games Iguodala has missed due to rest or injury, it was Nick Young who benefited the most from additional playing time, while Omri Casspi barely saw the court, but the roles were reversed in the previous game and Casspi ended up seeing 20 minutes of playing time. That said, given how sporadic head coach Steve Kerr’s reserve rotation can be, there are likely to be better on-paper punt options available on Sunday’s slate than Casspi or Young and the latter relies solely on his ability to get hot from three-point range to make and exceed salary-based expectations.
As reported by: Anthony Slater via Twitter Other tagged players: Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry
Kyle Kuzma (back spasms) available to play Saturday
Kuzma was able to participate in the Loa Angeles Lakers’ morning shootaround and will be available to play off the bench in tonight’s game against the Denver Nuggets after previously being upgraded to probable from questionable on the injury report with back spasms that had forced him to be a late scratch from the lineup for Wednesday’s loss. Kuzma was recently relegated to the bench in favor of Larry Nance and saw just 19 minutes of action in the one game both forwards were active and available to play since Nance’s return from a fractured left hand, meaning he can easily be avoided in all formats until either his price tag or role changes with Nance now in the frontcourt rotation. Kuzma’s availability will also make Julius Randle a less appealing target after he exceeded salary-based expectations in 31 minutes of action on Wednesday night.
As reported by: Ally Sturm via Twitter Marc Gasol (foot) will play Saturday
Gasol has been cleared to play and will suit up for tonight’s game against the Cleveland Cavaliers after previously being a late addition to the Memphis Grizzlies’ injury report with a left foot injury, while Brandan Wright and Chandler Parsons were ruled out in advance, the latter has also been ruled out for Monday’s contest with a sore right ankle and knee. Even with Mario Chalmers available on Friday night, Tyreke Evans and Ben McLemore remained in interim head coach J.B. Bickerstaff’s starting lineup and will continue starting for the foreseeable future, according to Bickerstaff, though Evans minutes have not been affected in any way and has seen basically the same amount of playing time in his previous starts as he normally does off the bench. With Mike Conley still sidelined with a sore left Achilles, Evans will continue to benefit from a usage standpoint, as he owns a +2.0% usage rate differential with Conley off the court this season and continues to trail only Gasol for the Grizzlies’ lead with a rate of 1.10 fantasy points per minute in the aforementioned scenario.
As reported by: Grizzlies PR via Twitter Andre Iguodala (knee) questionable for Sunday; Kevin Durant (ankle) and Stephen Curry (hand) probable
Iguodala has been listed as questionable on the Golden State Warriors’ injury report for tomorrow’s game against the Miami Heat with a sore left knee that has already forced him to miss one game, while Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry have each been listed as probable with a sprained right ankle and right-hand contusion. Considering Durant and Curry were able to play through their aforementioned injuries in Friday’s win over the Orlando Magic, they should be considered likely to suit up on Sunday night. Before yesterday, in the games Iguodala has missed due to rest or injury, it was Nick Young who benefited the most from additional playing time, while Omri Casspi barely saw the court, but the roles were reversed on Friday and Casspi ended up seeing 20 minutes of playing time. That said, given how sporadic head coach Steve Kerr’s reserve rotation can be, there are likely to be better on-paper punt options available on Sunday’s slate than Casspi or Young and the latter relies solely on his ability to get hot from three-point range to make and exceed salary-based expectations.
As reported by: Warriors PR via Twitter Other tagged players: Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry Kyle Kuzma (back spasms) upgraded to probable Saturday
Kuzma was able to participate in the Loa Angeles Lakers’ morning shootaround and has been upgraded to probable from questionable on the injury report for tonight’s game against the Denver Nuggets with back spasms that had forced him to be a late scratch from the lineup in Wednesday’s loss. Kuzma was recently relegated to the bench in favor of Larry Nance and saw just 19 minutes of action in the one game both forwards were active and available to play, meaning he can easily be avoided in all formats until either his price tag or role changes with Nance in the frontcourt rotation. Kuzma’s availability will also make Julius Randle a less appealing target after he exceeded salary-based expectations in 31 minutes of action on Wednesday night.
As reported by: Harrison Wind via Twitter Anthony Davis (groin) officially ruled out Saturday
Davis has been ruled out and won’t play in tonight’s game against the Portland Trail Blazers after previously being listed as doubtful on the New Orleans Pelicans’ injury report with an injury to his left groin and pelvis area he sustained during Friday’s loss. In the only other game, Davis has missed this season, head coach Alvin Gentry opted to start Dante Cunningham and Darius Miller at the forward spots and Miller appears to be the leading candidate to draw the start once again after playing the entire fourth quarter on Friday night following Davis’ exit due to injury. Even with Davis active, Miller has been a solid contributor and has consistently seen minutes in the mid-20s, making him an intriguing punt option in tournaments given his expected bump in playing time. Now that Davis is officially unavailable, DeMarcus Cousins becomes an obvious play for daily fantasy formats and owns a +3.8% usage rate differential and leads the Pelicans in per minute production by a wide margin at 1.63 fantasy points on DraftKings and 1.59 on FanDuel with Davis off the court this season.
As reported by: Mike Richman via Twitter Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (ankle) and Allen Crabbe (back) available to play Saturday
Hollis-Jefferson has been cleared to play and will suit up for today’s game against the Atlanta Hawks after previously being listed as probable on the Brooklyn Nets’ injury report with a sprained right ankle that had forced him to miss two consecutive games, while Allen Crabbe will join him on the active roster following his probable designation and is set to return from a three-game absence due to a sore lower back. With both forwards officially available play, Joe Harris and Tyler Zeller or Trevor Booker will likely be sent back to the bench to resume their typical reserve roles, though with Atlanta without three of their key rotational big men in John Collins, Dewayne Dedmon, and Mike Muscala, Booker seems much more likely to stick with starting unit considering the likelihood this game goes small. With D’Angelo Russell and Jeremy Lin off the court this season, Crabbe and DeMarre Carroll continue to benefit in their new roles, as each own at least a +2.7% usage rate differential and have consistently seen playing time in the 30-35 minute range, a rarity for players in head coach Kenny Atkinson’s typically deep rotations.
As reported by: Anthony Puccio via Twitter Other tagged players: Allen Crabbe Marc Gasol (foot) questionable Saturday; Chandler Parsons (knee, ankle) and Brandan Wright (groin) ruled out
Gasol has been added to the Memphis Grizzlies’ injury report and is listed as questionable for tonight’s game against the Cleveland Cavaliers with a left foot injury, while Brandan Wright and Chandler Parsons have been ruled out, the latter also being ruled out for Monday’s contest with a sore right ankle and knee. Even with Mario Chalmers available on Friday night, Tyreke Evans and Ben McLemore remained in interim head coach J.B. Bickerstaff’s starting lineup and are expected to continue starting for the foreseeable future, though Evans minutes have not been affected in any way as he has seen the same amount of playing time in his previous starts as he normally does off the bench. Should Gasol be ruled out, Evans figures to be an elite option on Saturday’s main slate, as both he and James Ennis own at least a +7.7% usage rate differential with Gasol, Parsons, and Mike Conley off the court this season, while Evans also leads the Grizzlies with a 35.6% usage rate.
As reported by: Grizzlies PR via Twitter Other tagged players: Chandler Parsons, Brandan Wright Look to Denver for Cash Game Value
With both Nikola Jokic and Paul Millsap out, Faried should draw the start at power forward. He started last game, but only saw 22 minutes of court time. Hopefully we’ll get more out of him tonight in a pristine matchup against the Lakers. He’s a strong per minute producer when he’s on the court, and the projected fast pace of this game plays perfectly to his strengths. Lock him into your cash game lineups as one of the best per dollar value plays on the slate.
Pay Up at Shooting Guard
Barton is sporting a 23.6% usage rate while producing 1.07 fantasy points per minute on FanDuel with both Paul Millsap and Nikola Jokic off the floor. Denver will be without their starting big men tonight, which means they should lean heavily on Barton in a terrific match against the fast-paced, fantasy-friendly Lakers. Barton has massive upside when he’s on, and I love his floor in a game where he’s likely to play 35 or more minutes. Lock him into your cash game lineups.
T.J. McConnell (shoulder sprain) remains out Saturday
McConnell has been ruled out and won’t suit up for tonight’s game against the Detroit Pistons due to a sprained left shoulder AC joint that has now forced him to miss two consecutive games. In the previous game McConnell missed, Jerryd Bayless ended up seeing 32 minutes as the primary guard off the bench while Nik Stauskas entered the rotation for the first time since returning from a sprained right ankle and saw 10 minutes of action. 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 two games played. Simmons trails only Joel Embiid on this Sixers squad with a 25.6% usage rate and a rate of 1.27 fantasy points per minute, keeping him in play for all formats on nearly a nightly basis.
As reported by: Jessica Camerato via Twitter Injury Opens Up Opportunity For This Center
Nikola Jokic suffered a scary sprained ankle in the Nuggets’ last game and beat writer Harrison Wind expects Mason Plumlee to get the start against the Lakers on Saturday. Plumlee is working through his own injury (strained core) but makes for an interesting punt play at a cheap salary. The Lakers have allowed the third most fantasy points to opposing centers and are a dream matchup for Plumlee. Plumlee has only averaged 16.5 minutes per game this season but he did play 30 minutes once this season, and coincidentally it was against these same Los Angeles Lakers when Malone and Jokic got ejected. Overall, I think the starting role, nice matchup and price are enough to make Plumlee a core play for me.
Expect More From This Guard
We finally saw the big Rondo game on Friday night, where he played 29 minutes and finished with 13 points, 11 assists and 8 rebounds. Rondo is still affordably priced and with Anthony Davis looking doubtful, Rondo’s usage rate should increase as he’s leaned upon more heavily in the Pelicans’ offense. The 29 minutes are the second highest total he’s played this season as he’s still working his way back from his sports hernia, but he did play in last week’s back-to-back against the Suns (25 minutes) and the Warriors (27 minutes), so I think it’s likely we see Rondo out there again on Saturday with a decent workload.
Tyreke Evans and Ben McLemore expected to remain in starting lineup Friday
Mario Chalmers, Chandler Parsons, and Brandan Wright have all been cleared to play and will suit up for tonight’s game against the San Antonio Spurs after previously being listed as questionable on Memphis Grizzlies’ injury report with their respective injuries that had forced them to miss Wednesday’s contest, while Wright will be available to make his return following a five-game absence. Even with Chalmers and Parsons available, Tyreke Evans and Ben McLemore are expected to remain in interim head coach J.B. Bickerstaff’s starting lineup for at least one additional game, though Evans minutes should not be expected to be affected in any way as he saw the same amount of playing time in his previous start as he normally does off the bench. With Mike Conley still sidelined with a sore left Achilles, Evans will continue to benefit from a usage standpoint, as he owns a +2.3% usage rate differential with Conley off the court this season and continues to lead the Grizzlies with a rate of 1.15 fantasy points per minute in the aforementioned scenario.
As reported by: Chris Herrington via Twitter Other tagged players: Ben McLemore