DFS Alerts
Trevor Booker (back) questionable Friday; Jarrett Allen (foot) ruled out
Booker is a late addition to the Brooklyn Nets’ injury report and has been listed as questionable for tonight’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers due to a sore lower back. Meanwhile, Jarrett Allen has been ruled out with a strained left foot and will now miss his second consecutive game. Quincy Acy will also remain sidelined for the third time in as many games with a strained left groin, leaving Brooklyn relatively thin in the frontcourt even before Booker’s status is determined. Tyler Zeller will remain in the rotation and see a portion of the backup center minutes behind Timofey Mozgov with Acy and Allen both unavailable. Should Booker be unable to give it a go, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and DeMarre Carroll would become virtual locks to eclipse the 30-minute plateau, and both could possibly flirt with minutes in the mid-30s, which would elevate each forward to elite cash and tournaments options in a solid matchup with the Lakers and their subpar defensive efficiency as a unit.
As reported by: Brian Lewis via Twitter Other tagged players: Jarrett Allen
Overlooked In A Plus Matchup
Everyone is talking about the Brooklyn and Lakers tonight, but I’m not hearing a lot of talk about Carroll. He hurt his ankle in the New York game, and that was the only game out of the last six that he didn’t go for at least 30 fantasy points. He’s been filling the stat sheet all season, and has been crushing value on FD because of his defense. He played 32 minutes in his return to the lineup, and will be facing a Lakers team on a back-to-back. I think he has a lot of upside because of his defense, and he’s still under priced on FD and DK.
My Production Is Up With The New Coach
TJ Warren is a little expensive on FD, but he’s a great value on DK tonight. He has at least 12 shot attempts in four straight games, and over 34 fantasy points in three of those four games. He’s coming off a career high 40-point game against Washington. I’m not looking for 61.5 DK points again, but I do think 35+ is within reason against the Knicks defense. Tim Hardaway has a -1.35 DRPM, which make it a favorable matchup for Warren.
Halloween may be Over, but Revenge Lives on
The revenge narrative is overplayed often in DFS. Personally, I look at the player’s character and try to imagine if they are someone that is going to hold a grudge. In the case of D’Angelo Russell, that answer is a resounding yes. He and the Lakers did not part on good terms and his former teammate, Jordan Clarkson, said that he expects Russell to be very motivated tonight. The Nets’ rotation has been frustrating, but Russell is going to be firing at every chance he gets tonight.
The King Needs to Stop the Bleeding
The Cavaliers have lost four games in a row and are going to be short-handed tonight against the Wizards. Both of these teams have struggled defensively and the total for the game is one of the highest of the slate. I’m expecting a shootout here, so as long as the game stays close, LeBron James should be right in the thick of things. He’s one of my favorite cash game targets on the board tonight, as it is shaping up to be a stars and scrubs type of slate with all of the value out there.
Don't be Late to this Party
I’m known for showing up late and it drives my friends and family crazy. One party that I will be showing up for on time and with a bottle of (insert your favorite alcohol) is the breakout party for Julius Randle. Larry Nance fractured his hand and is going to miss an extended period of time. This is the opening that Randle has been waiting for. He has been very effective while on the floor (1.18 FP/min) this season and should step into a larger role with Nance out. Even if he only plays 25 minutes tonight, he should be able to crush against the Nets, who are ranked dead last in points allowed per game.
Wait To See The Starting Lineup
Fred Hoiberg moved Zipser to the bench, and started David Nwaba in their last game. If they decide to do this again, I really like Nwaba for tournaments. We don’t have a ton of value, and I want all the studs on the slate. He played 29 minutes in his start against the Heat, and he played 16 and 23 minutes in the two games before that. There is a lot of risk with this pick, but I don’t expect a lot of people to play him tonight, which makes him a good value GPP play.
There Isn't Another Point Guard
With the news of Payton ruled out tonight, the Magic will be without they’re top two point guards tonight. He becomes a top value play for me on DraftKings. With Payton and Augustin off the floor, Mack has played 132.7 minutes this season, and he’s averaging .79 fantasy points per minute. It’s a very small sample size of him with the starters, but it’s right around the same production. He’s the last real point guard on the roster, and I just see him playing 25+ minutes in this game.
C.J. Miles (illness) now questionable Friday
Miles missed the team’s morning shootaround and has officially been listed as questionable on the Toronto Raptors’ injury report for tonight’s game against the Utah Jazz after previously being listed as doubtful due to flu-like symptoms. Despite the ominous doubtful designation originally, head coach Dwane Casey told the media following shootaround in typical Dwane Casey fashion that Miles “could possibly play” on Friday evening. With all due respect to Casey, we’re still going to operate under the assumption that Miles will most likely be unavailable for tonight’s contest, despite the upgrade to questionable, meaning that Norman Powell and OG Anunoby should see increased playing time to compensate for the usual 20 minutes Miles sees on a night-in-night-out basis with the Raptors second unit. If Miles does somehow suit up, we should proceed as we normally would prior to this news since Miles will remain out of the conversation for daily fantasy formats on a full 12-game NBA slate most nights, barring an injury to one of the Toronto starters on the wing.
As reported by: Laura Armstrong via Twitter Marcus Morris (sore knee) will play Friday, as expected
Morris has officially been cleared to play in tonight’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder after previously being upgraded to probable on the Boston Celtics’ injury report with a sore right knee that has forced him to miss the first eight games of the season. The team did announce that he will be limited to around 20 minutes of action in his season debut on Friday and it does remain unclear if Morris will immediately enter the Celtics starting lineup. Once Morris is up to speed, head coach Brad Stevens will likely alter the starting lineup based on matchup, rotating between Morris and Aron Baynes as the fifth and final starter, but the presence of Morris in the rotation will now definitely eat into the playing time of Daniel Theis and Semi Ojeleye in the Boston frontcourt.
As reported by: A. Sherrod Blakely via Twitter Myles Turner (concussion) upgraded to questionable Friday
Turner has officially been upgraded to questionable from doubtful on the Indiana Pacers’ injury report for tonight’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers due to lingering concussion symptoms. He’s still expected to be a game-time decision, and if Turner is able to suit up, head coach Nate McMillan opted not to commit to starting him in his first game back. Most of that decision is likely based on the resounding success Domantas Sabonis has had as the starting center in Turner’s absence, and McMillan probably feels there’s no need to rush Turner back into heavy minutes right out of the gate. That said, if Turner is available and expected to see any semblance of a minute workload, Sabonis’ fantasy value would take a huge hit on Friday’s slate, even at his manageable price tag across the industry.
As reported by: the Indiana Pacers via Twitter Michael Carter-Williams (knee) available to play Friday
Carter-Williams will be available to play in tonight’s game against the San Antonio Spurs after previously being upgraded to questionable on the Charlotte Hornets’ injury report with knee soreness stemming from PRP injections he received in the offseason and had forced him to miss every game this season to this point. The team has announced that Carter-Williams will only see limited playing time on Friday, if he plays at all, and is expected to be eased back into action as the primary backup point guard behind Kemba Walker eventually. Given this perceived strict limitation, Malik Monk will continue to act the as the primary backup point guard with Julyan Stone still sidelined with an injury.
As reported by: Charlotte Hornets PR via Twitter Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (personal) ruled out Friday
Kidd-Gilchrist didn’t travel with the teams and will not play in tonight’s game against the San Antonio Spurs as he deals with a personal matter. He has missed three games this season and in all three, Dwayne Bacon has drawn the start at shooting guard, sliding Jeremy Lamb to small forward. However, in those contests, Bacon has averaged roughly 21 minutes per game, limiting his overall floor and ceiling as an option in daily fantasy formats.In his absence, Treveon Graham will continue to see significant run off the bench, though he has eclipsed 12 fantasy points just once this season, despite playing 20 minutes or more on several occasions, essentially eliminating him from consideration on Friday’s slate. Instead, Jeremy Lamb sets up as a viable cash game option given his overall consistency and likelihood of approaching 30 minutes or more sans Kidd-Gilchrist tonight, though the matchup is certainly far from ideal.
As reported by: Charlotte Hornets PR via Twitter Manu Ginobili (rest) now questionable Friday but unlikely to play
Ginobili has officially been listed as questionable on the San Antonio Spurs injury report for tonight’s game against the Charlotte Hornets after previously being reported as out by the team’s official Twitter account. However, despite the questionable tag, Ginobili is still considered unlikely to play and we should proceed as if there won’t be a confirmed status update from head coach Gregg Popovich prior to game time. Ginobili will now presumably join Kawhi Leonard, Tony Parker, and Joffrey Lauvergne among the Spurs inactive players, all of whom are still sidelined with their respective injuries. In the first back-to-back set when Ginobili was rested, Brandon Paul was the clear beneficiary in terms of playing time, racking up nearly 30 minutes of action in Ginobili’s absence. So with the point guard carousel of Patty Mills and Dejounte Murray being so volatile game-to-game, Paul could end up being the best tournament option of the three and will likely be a primary scoring option in the second unit sans Ginobili.
As reported by: the San Antonio Spurs via Twitter Jon Leuer (ankle) officially ruled out Friday, doubtful for Saturday
Leuer has been ruled out and won’t play in tonight’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks after previously being considered unlikely to play by Detroit Pistons head coach Stan Vaan Gundy with a sprained left ankle. Additionally, Leuer will be listed as doubtful for tomorrow’s matchup with the Sacramento Kings, essentially meaning he is likely to miss at least two games. Leuer had been serving as the primary backup center behind Andre Drummond, but Drummond has consistently played around 35 minutes or more per game this season, leaving minimal playing time for either Eric Moreland or Boban Marjanovic with Leuer sidelined. The Bucks are still without Greg Monroe this evening, which is not good news for their already horrid rebounding rate, ranking fourth-worst in the entire NBA coming into tonight. This all sets up Drummond as an elite option at center on Friday’s slate and he possesses legit 20-20 upside in this spot.
As reported by: Rod Beard via Twitter