DFS Alerts
Kyle O'Quinn will start for Enes Kanter (back) on Friday
Kanter has been ruled out and won’t suit up for tonight’s game against the Atlanta Hawks due to back spasms despite never appearing on the New York Knicks’ injury report at any point during the day. Head coach Jeff Hornacek declined to initially name his replacement in the starting lineup but Kyle O’Quinn is expected to draw the start, based on most recent reports. This means that Guillermo Hernangomez will serve as the primary backup center with Joakim Noah unavailable with an illness, and Kristaps Porzingis will spend more time at the five than normal in small-ball lineups. That said, Tim Hardaway Jr. has been the clear beneficiary with Kanter off the court this season, as he owns a +3.8% usage rate differential in the aforementioned scenario while averaging a solid 1.19 fantasy points per minute on DraftKings and 1.14 on Fanduel.
As reported by: Marc Berman via Twitter
Enes Kanter (back spasms) ruled out Friday
Kanter has been ruled out and won’t suit up for tonight’s game against the Atlanta Hawks due to back spasms despite never appearing on the New York Knicks’ injury report at any point during the day. Head coach Jeff Hornacek has yet to name his replacement in the starting lineup but there are a number of different ways he can go with Kristaps Porzingis possibly starting at the five in a small-ball lineup, or he could opt to roll with a more traditional big man like Guillermo Hernangomez or Kyle O’Quinn at center. Obviously, whoever draws the start will see an uptick in minutes, making them a viable punt option, but Tim Hardaway Jr. has been the clear beneficiary with Kanter off the court this season, as he owns a +3.8% usage rate differential in the aforementioned scenario while averaging a solid 1.19 fantasy points per minute on DraftKings and 1.14 on Fanduel.
As reported by: NY_KnicksPR via Twitter Ben Simmons (elbow) ruled out for Saturday
Simmons has been ruled out and won’t suit up for tomorrow’s game against the Orlando Magic due to what’s being reported as an elbow issue. In his absence, Philadelphia 76ers head coach Brett Brown will be forced to utilize a more traditional starting lineup with Jerryd Bayless of T.J. McConnell likely manning the point guard spot. Simmons has been the Sixers primary playmaker and distributor on offense, so whoever draws the start at the point will have big shoes to fill along with Joel Embiid, who now becomes their de facto number one scoring option, if he wasn’t already. In fact, with Simmons off the court this season, Embiid has seen a significant +4.1% usage rate differential and leads the Sixers by a wide margin with a 38.7% usage rate in the aforementioned scenario while averaging an insane 1.60 fantasy points per minute, which puts him on a per 36-minute pace of 57 fantasy points. So, needless to say, Embiid will be an elite option at the center position on Saturday’s slate regardless of price tag.
As reported by: David Aldridge via Twitter John Wall (sore knee) questionable for Saturday
Wall missed practice on Friday and has officially been listed as questionable on the Washington Wizards’ injury report for tomorrow’s game against the Portland Trail Blazers with a sore left knee. Wall underwent an MRI on his sore knee on Friday as well, so there is clearly some concern from the team in regards to the injury, though they are still awaiting results. If Wall is eventually ruled out, Tim Frazier will draw the start at point guard and put up a usable performance from a fantasy perspective in the previous game Wall was sidelined. That said, any time Wall is unavailable, the remaining Wizards starters typically see an uptick in production, though Bradley Beal and Otto Porter have been the primary beneficiaries, as each owns at least a +5.3% usage rated differential with Wall of the floor this season. Beal is coming off a rough shooting performance his last time out but leads the Wizards by the large margin with a 37.1% usage rate sans Wall and sets up as an elite option on Saturday’s slate if Wall is unable to suit up.
As reported by: Chase Hughes via Twitter Kevin Durant (ankle) and Draymond Green (rest) ruled out Friday
Durant has been ruled out and won’t suit up for tonight’s game against the Chicago Bulls with a sprained left ankle that has now forced him to miss two of the last three games, while Draymond Green will be rested on the Golden State Warriors’ first leg of a home back-to-back set and has also been ruled out. Head coach Steve Kerr has yet to announce their replacements in the starting lineup, but Omri Casspi is likely to claim one of the starting spots no matter if Kerr decides to go “small” or roll with a more traditional starting lineup with Kevon Looney at the four spot. If the Warriors go with a small-ball starting lineup both Casspi and Andre Iguodala could each start, though Kerr seems to prefer keeping Iguodala as a main playmaker with the second unit if he can help it. There is almost no sample size with both Durant and Green off the court together this season, but Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson both figures to be the clear-cut beneficiaries of their absences and will need to shoulder a majority of the scoring and playmaking responsibilities in the starting unit, making each guard an elite option on Friday’s slate.
As reported by: Logan Murdock via Twitter Other tagged players: Draymond Green Nikola Jokic (ankle) and Wilson Chandler (back) probable Friday
Jokic went through the team’s morning shootaround but has officially been listed as probable on the Denver Nuggets’ injury report for tonight’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies due to a sore ankle, while Wilson Chandler has also been listed as probable with a sore lower back that had kept him sidelined for a game earlier this week. The Nuggets are known for being ultra-conservative with their injury reporting so considering Jokic participated in shootaround and Chandler was able to play 27 minutes in his return Wednesday, both players should be fully expected to suit up and be a full go, despite the designations, Friday evening. Head coach Mike Malone has yet to confirm his starting lineup for tonight’s game, but Will Barton will likely remain at small forward in the Nuggets’ new-look, small-ball starting lineup with Paul Millsap sidelined and has greatly exceeded salary-based expectations in both games Millsap has missed thus far while averaging nearly 36 minutes of action in said contests.
As reported by: Harrison Wind via Twitter Best Game of the Season Incoming?
Rajon Rondo is the third or fourth option offensively while on the floor, but he’s never been a player that we’ve relied on for scoring. He racks up fantasy points by getting rebounds, assists, and steals. We’ve seen him top 30 minutes once this season and he should see close to that tonight against the Suns, who are ranked dead last in fantasy points allowed to point guards.
Elite Value at Shooting Guard
Jeremy Lamb is averaging over a fantasy point per minute this season, which can only be said of five other shooting guards in the entire slate. He draws an elite matchup against the Cavaliers, who are one of the worst defensive teams in basketball. He would have been viable before the news came out that Nicolas Batum was ruled out. He is an elite value in all formats and on all sites.
Trevor Booker (ankle sprain) available to play Friday
Booker has been cleared to play and will be available for today’s game against the Portland Trail Blazers after previously being listed as probable on the Brooklyn Nets’ injury report with a sprained left ankle that had forced him to miss one game. Despite his availability, Booker will come off the bench in his return, a lineup change that will Tyler Zeller to remain in the starting unit at center for the second time in as many games. Zeller saw 21 minutes in Booker’s absence on Wednesday, but he will likely see his playing time dip back into the mid-teens with Booker back and presumably healthy. That said, both big men are thin tournament options at best on Friday’s early slate given head coach Kenny Atkinson’s propensity to roll with a deep rotation, especially in the frontcourt.
As reported by: Michael Gallagher via Twitter Nicolas Batum (elbow) ruled out Friday; Jeremy Lamb will start in his place
Batum has been ruled out and won’t suit up for tonight’s game against the Cleveland Cavaliers after previously being listed as questionable on the Charlotte Hornets with an ulnar nerve contusion he sustained in Wednesday’s win. Batum did participate in the team’s morning shootaround on Friday, so it certainly appears that this injury will not keep him sidelined for long. In his absence, Jeremy Lamb will draw the start at shooting guard and was extremely productive filling in for Batum in the early part of the season. Not only that, but Lamb has seen his price tag come down a bit across the industry since Batum returned from injury and should now see somewhere in the range of 30 minutes Friday night, leaving room for some upside in this matchup. While no particular player has seen a major uptick in usage without Batum on the court, Lamb, along with Dwayne Bacon and Malik Monk should see some extended minutes, though the Hornets rookies are particularly thin punt options considering each is unlikely to eclipse the 20-minute plateau off the bench.
As reported by: Charlotte Hornets PR via Twitter Other tagged players: Jeremy Lamb C.J. Miles (personal) officially ruled out Friday
Miles didn’t travel with the team to Indiana and has been ruled out for tonight’s game against the Indiana Pacers due to the birth of his child. His absence will afford Norman Powell more playing time with the second unit, assuming Toronto Raptors head coach Dwane Casey continues to start OG Anunoby at small forward. Even with Anunoby starting, Powell saw 23 minutes in his return from a four-game absence and will remain the preferred player of the two to target in tournaments given his increased efficiency as the primary scoring option in the second unit without DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry soaking up his usage as frequently. Additionally, Miles leads all Raptors’ bench players with a 22.5% usage rate, opening up plenty of opportunities for Powell to smash his depressed price tag across the industry on Friday evening.
As reported by: Eric Smith via Twitter The Top Center Play
The Memphis offense revolves around Tyreke Evans and Marc Gasol with Mike Conley on the shelf, and that is not going to change anytime soon. Gasol brings a nice combination of floor and upside to the table, as he has logged at least 30 fantasy points in every game since Conley went down. He also showed off his upside on a few occasions with a 70 fantasy point outburst against Indiana and a 19/12/7 line against the Blazers. He will need to be a force on the interior against Nikola Jokic, and this should be a fun matchup. Gasol is locked in as a top play at center again tonight. The floor/upside combination is very appealing in all contest formats.
Breaking out of a Funk
This one is very risky, but sometimes you have to be a little frisky in order to win a tournament. Please keep in mind that this play is definitely not a safe one, so I am strictly talking GPP here. Josh Richardson continues to start for the Heat, but he did not make a basket in 30 minutes of playing time in the last contest. The good news is that the minutes still seem to be there. The bad news is that the floor is very low. However, there isn’t a lot of slam dunk value on tonight’s slate at first glance, so everyone will likely be taking some risk with their value selections. In those instances, I like to rely on minutes and upside, and Richardson does have a handle on both of those elements. Hopefully, the poor game the other night will wake him up, and his presence will be needed against the solid wings for Minnesota. All he needs is about 20-25 fantasy points to pay off this price tag, and I think he can get there in this one.
Trending Upward
Kemba Walker is enjoying a fine season for the Hornets, and there’s nothing to indicate that he will slow down tonight. Nicolas Batum is questionable for this game, so Walker might be tasked with controlling the offense even more. Walker leads the team in usage, and he has posted a lot of solid games in the process. Cleveland ranks near the bottom of the league in point guard defense, and Walker also ranks 16th in the NBA in minutes per game. He is a lock and load as one of the highest upside options at point guard this evening.
All-Around Upside
Will Barton has done a little bit of everything for the Nuggets this year. He has run the point at times. He has played the two guard position at times. He has played small forward in lineups where the Nuggets go small. That scenario might happen a little more often now that Paul Millsap is going to be sidelined for an extended period, so Barton should continue to see 30+ minutes on a regular basis. He generally puts up solid numbers when given the opportunity, and I would not expect that to change tonight despite a generally difficult matchup against the Grizzlies. Fire him up with confidence.