DFS Alerts
Tony Allen (knee) questionable for Wednesday; Rajon Rondo (sports hernia) could play 14-16 minutes
Allen is considered as questionable and will be listed as such on the New Orleans Pelicans’ injury report for tomorrow’s game against the Toronto Raptors with left knee inflammation that has already forced him to miss two consecutive games. Meanwhile, Rajon Rondo is expected to suit up for his second game of the season after being a surprise late-addition to the Pelicans active roster on Monday night and, according to head coach Alvin Gentry, could see somewhere around 14-16 minutes of action on Wednesday evening. Somewhat surprisingly, Cheick Diallo has entered the Pelicans rotation in Allen’s absence, though E’Twaun Moore has been the main beneficiary of extended run over his normal minute workload and will continue to be on the radar for daily fantasy formats as long as Allen is sidelined, though the return of Rondo douses some of that intrigue as he continues to work his way back from sports hernia surgery.
As reported by: Daniel Sallerson via Twitter Other tagged players: Rajon Rondo
GPP Value Pivot
I think Barea is a good play tonight, and I will have some exposure to him. I think Ferrell is an excellent pivot off him and the rest of the chalk tonight. Ferrell has started the last three games for Dallas at shooting guard, and he’s played 29, 36 and 34 minutes in those three games. With Harris ruled out for tonight, Ferrell should see 30+ minutes again. Without Kawhi, the Spurs have really struggled with the 2 and 3 this season. If Ferrell can hit some shots tonight, we could be looking at a top value play on this slate.
Norman Powell (hip pointer) officially ruled out Tuesday
Powell has officially been ruled out and won’t play in tonight’s game against the Houston Rockets after previously being listed as doubtful on the Toronto Raptor’s injury report with a right hip pointer he sustained in Sunday’s loss to the Boston Celtics and forced him to miss Monday’s practice. OG Anunoby ended up replacing Powell in the starting lineup for the second half of yesterday’s contest and saw 22 minutes of action, meaning he likely is the leading candidate to draw the start at small forward on Tuesday night with Casey seemingly preferring to keep C.J. Miles as the primary scoring option in the second unit. Somewhat surprisingly, DeMar DeRozan sees a substantial +7.3% usage rate differential with Powell off the court this season while averaging a lofty 48 fantasy points per 36 minutes, which makes him an elite option for all formats at his price tag in a great matchup with the Rockets backcourt “defense”.
As reported by: RaptorsMR via Twitter Danny Green (hamstring) will play Tuesday; Joffrey Lauvergne (ankle) ruled out
Green will suit up and play in tonight’s game against the Dallas Mavericks, according to San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich, after previously being listed as questionable on the injury report with right hamstring tightness that had forced him to miss Saturday’s contest. Meanwhile, Lauvergne has been ruled out following his upgrade to questionable on the Spurs’ injury report and will now miss his 11th consecutive game with a sprained right ankle. The absence of Green had enabled Bryn Forbes to start at the shooting guard spot alongside Patty Mills but he will in all likelihood return to the bench with Green officially available to play. Dejounte Murray finally broke out of his slump sans Green in just over 24 minutes of action off the bench but should probably be avoided until he begins receiving more consistent playing time when Green is healthy and in the Spurs active rotation.
As reported by: Tom Orsborn via Twitter Other tagged players: Joffrey Lauvergne Devin Harris (ribs) ruled out Tuesday; Dorian Finney-Smith (quad) out indefinitely
Harris has been ruled out and won’t play in tonight’s game against the San Antonio Spurs after previously being listed as questionable in the Dallas Mavericks’ game notes with bruised ribs that have now forced him to miss two consecutive games. Meanwhile, Finney-Smith has also been ruled out and will “be out awhile”, according to head coach Rick Carlisle, with left knee quadriceps tendinitis.Finney-Smith has been a fringe rotation player for Dallas this season, so his absence will do very little outside of allowing Maxi Kleber to see minimal playing time at either of the forward positions. The absence of Harris, however, will enable J.J. Barea to serve as the primary backup point guard behind Dennis Smith Jr. and will be in consideration for tournaments on Tuesday’s abbreviated three-game slate despite the difficult matchup with San Antonio’s sixth-ranked defensive unit.
As reported by: Earl K. Sneed via Twitter Other tagged players: Dorian Finney-Smith Justin Holiday (personal) ruled out for Wednesday
Holiday didn’t travel with the team to Oklahoma City and has been ruled out for tomorrow’s game against the Thunder due to the birth of his child. In his absence, Chicago Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg is leaning on starting Kris Dunn at shooting guard alongside Jerian Grant in the backcourt. Interestingly enough, Hoiberg was noncommittal on who would start at small forward, which could be bad news for Paul Zipser, who is currently the team’s starting forward on the wing. Despite Lauri Markkanen suffering a sprained left ankle in Saturday’s loss, he plans to play on Wednesday after sitting out Monday’s practice, which should keep Bobby Portis in his normal bench role. However, if Markkanen is unable to suit up for some reason, Portis would become the likely chalk option at power forward following three consecutive impressive performances since returning from his suspension.
As reported by: K.C. Johnson via Twitter Nicolas Batum (torn elbow ligament) will start but play limited minutes on Wednesday
Batum will play and start in tomorrow’s game against the Cleveland Cavaliers after missing every game in the regular season to this point and most of the preseason with a torn left elbow ligament. Batum will have a minute restriction in his season debut, though to what extent has yet to be announced, and will likely displace Jeremy Lamb from the Charlotte Hornets’ starting lineup at the shooting guard spot. That said, Lamb will essentially serve as the Hornets sixth-man off the bench and isn’t expected to see his playing time drastically reduced. This will make Lamb an intriguing tournament option in a matchup with the Cavaliers leaky defensive unit, especially if Batum’s minute restriction on Wednesday ends up being…well, restrictive.
As reported by: the Charlotte Hornets via Twitter A Difficult Matchup Could Lower Ownership
Targeting players against the Spurs is not a strategy that I like to employ often, but there are only so many options in a three game slate. The Spurs have been tough on point guards as a whole, but Patty Mills has a DRPM of -1.70 this season. Meanwhile, Dennis Smith is averaging over 40 fantasy points per game in his last three outings. The minutes should be there and Smith is still underpriced across the industry.
Paying Up at Center
Clint Capela has basically improved in every aspect of his game this season. He is playing at a truly elite level, averaging 1.38 FP/min this season. His playing time has been trending upward recently and I expect that to continue tonight against Jonas Valanciunas and the Raptors, who have a traditional frontcourt. Capela is the top center option on the board and he’s actually a few hundred dollars cheaper than Al Horford.
Limited Choices at Power Forward
We have a tough three-game slate on our hands tonight. Paying up for James Harden makes a lot of sense, but it also limits what you can do with the rest of your lineup. If you want a more balanced approach, LaMarcus Aldridge is a great starting point. The Mavericks are ranked 28th against power forwards, they have the fourth worst rebounding differential of any team in basketball, and he’ll get to square off against Harrison Barnes and Dirk Nowitzki, which are two very winnable matchups. It helps that this game is in Dallas, as the spread is set at only 6.5 points.
Difference-Maker on a Short Slate
On short slates like tonight, sometimes you have to look for that risk/reward difference maker, and DeRozan is a logical pivot off of Harden if you are looking to take that route in a GPP format. DeRozan certainly has the capability to drop 40 points on any opponent, especially in a pace up game like this one. I really like the idea of going after him in tournaments tonight.
The Obvious Top Play
There’s no way around it – Harden is your top overall play on the board tonight. He’s miles ahead of everyone else in both production and price, and the fade is very risky on a three game slate. The Rockets have an implied team total of 113 points, and Harden has by far the safest floor and the highest ceiling tonight. There should be enough value out there to fit him in, so find a way to do it in all formats.
Returning to a Major Role?
Spencer Dinwiddie appears to be on track to return tonight, and he should slide right into the starting lineup with D’Angelo Russell sidelined. He has largely been productive this year on a per-minute basis and filled in competently for Russell earlier in the year. Assuming he has no limitations, Dinwiddie is a fine value tonight.
Value in Toronto, Part 2
With Norman Powell poised to miss tonight’s game, both O.G. Anunoby and C.J. Miles should step into increased roles. Anunoby started the second half in Powell’s absence the other night, but you should see 26+ minutes from both players tonight. In addition, both of them are basically minimum priced on every site and are a great way to help fit the likes of James Harden into your lineups. Anunoby brings defensive upside to the table and is a fine GPP selection..
Value in Toronto, Part 1
With Norman Powell poised to miss tonight’s game, both O.G. Anunoby and C.J. Miles should step into increased roles. Anunoby started the second half in Powell’s absence the other night, but you should see 26+ minutes from both players tonight. In addition, both of them are basically minimum priced on every site and are a great way to help fit the likes of James Harden into your lineups. Miles brings more offensive upside to the table and is a fine GPP selection.