DFS Alerts
All Around Upside
Ball didn’t play in the fourth quarter against the Pistons the other night, but the Lakers had a double digit lead for the entire quarter, so it gave the team a good opportunity to limit his minutes. Assuming tonight’s game stays close, he should reach his usual 33-36 minutes in a prime time, nationally televised contest. The narrative of him facing off against Lillard will become nauseating on television, but Ball has the all around game to give you triple-double upside. That’s a difference maker, especially on a two game slate. If you want some sneaky potential here, pivot to Ball off of the obvious top plays of Lillard and Curry at the point guard spot.
Top Value Play
Kuzma has been extremely impressive for the Lakers this season, and he will continue to have a key role as the primary big man off the bench. Despite being questionable due to a hip injury, Kuzma poured in 16 points in just 20 minutes the other night against the Pistons, and he is definitely going to be a leading scorer in the second unit. He had previously been playing closer to 30 minutes per game, and he should approach that again as he gets back to full health. You need value options on a two game slate, and Kuzma is a solid value that also carries some GPP upside.
The Lonely Man at Center
Nurkic is the only strong play at the center position tonight, especially if you are playing on FanDuel without the positional flexibility. He draws a fine matchup against the Lakers, and Nurkic has enough athleticism to hang with Brook Lopez on the perimeter at times. He is coming off an impressive 19 point, 11 rebound, three block performance in a difficult matchup against the Jazz, and he logged 35 minutes in that game. Assuming he can stay out of foul trouble, which he should be able to in this matchup against a non-bruising big man, Nurkic is easily the top play at the position tonight. I’ll lock him in, even in GPP formats where he is sure to be highly owned.
Marc Gasol (left ankle) will play and start Wednesday
Gasol will play and start in tonight’s game against the Orlando Magic after previously being listed as questionable on the Memphis Grizzlies’ injury report and considered a game-time decision with a left ankle injury. The Grizzlies are already without Gasol’s running mate in the frontcourt, JaMychal Green, and would have likely been forced to deploy Jarell Martin and Brandan Wright in the starting lineup if Gasol was unable to suit up this evening. Given the likelihood that Memphis wouldn’t have allowed Gasol to play if he would be limited in any way, he should still be fired up in all formats with confidence. With Mike Conley unavailable, Mario Chalmers will draw the start at point guard immediately becomes one of the top value options on the entire slate given his projected minute floor and usage rate in the Memphis offense sans Conley.
As reported by: Grizzlies PR via Twitter
James Johnson (knee) not expected to play Wednesday but will be available
Johnson will be dressed and available off the bench but is not expected to play in tonight’s game against the Chicago Bulls due to right knee tendinitis, despite never appearing on Miami Heat’s injury report at any point prior to this report. While this news was entirely unexpected, Hassan Whiteside will play and start, as expected, after previously being listed as questionable on the Miami Heat’s injury report with a left knee bone bruise that had forced him to miss five consecutive games. The team has yet to announce a minute restriction for Whiteside but it remains highly unlikely he sees a full allotment of playing time in his first game back from a knee injury. With Whiteside available to play, Bam Adebayo will be sent back to the bench to resume his normal reserve role, while Okaro White will draw the start at power forward in Johnson’s absence in an effort to keep Kelly Olynyk in a scoring role with the second unit. Olynyk will have more usage and rebounding opportunities playing primarily with the second unit, making him an interesting daily fantasy tournament option on Wednesday’s slate with Whiteside limited and Johnson unavailable, as he has flashed the upside and has been relatively consistent while Whiteside has been sidelined with his injury
As reported by: Ira Winderman via Twitter Mike Conley (sore Achilles) ruled out Wednesday
Conley has been ruled out and won’t play in tonight’s game against the Orlando Magic after previously being listed on the Memphis Grizzlies’ injury report with a sore left Achilles, while Marc Gasol remains questionable with an ankle injury and will be a game-time decision once he goes through pregame warmups. The Grizzlies are already without Gasol’s running mate in the frontcourt, JaMychal Green, and will likely be forced to deploy Jarell Martin and Brandan Wright in the starting lineup if Gasol is unable to suit up, though he was able to play through a questionable tag with the same injury on Monday, shedding optimism on his possible availability. Memphis could also roll with their version of a small-ball lineup more often, utilizing James Ennis at power forward, allowing Dillon Brooks or Tyreke Evans more playing time with the starting unit at the small forward spot. With Conley unavailable, Mario Chalmers may not draw the start but will almost assuredly see starters’ minutes and immediately becomes one of the top value options on the entire slate given his projected minute floor and usage rate in the Memphis offense sans Conley and possibly Gasol.
As reported by: Peter Edmiston via Twitter Hassan Whiteside (knee bone bruise) expected to play and start Wednesday
Whiteside is expected to play and start in tonight’s game against the Chicago Bulls after previously being listed as questionable on the Miami Heat’s injury report with a left knee bone bruise that had forced him to miss five consecutive games. The team has yet to announce a minute restriction for Whiteside but it remains highly unlikely he sees a full allotment of playing time in his first game back from a knee injury. With Whiteside more than likely available to play, Bam Adebayo will be sent back to the bench to resume his normal reserve role, while James Johnson should be expected to join him, as Kelly Olynyk had been the Heat’s starting power forward when Whiteside was healthy to begin the year.
As reported by: Ira Winderman via Twitter J.J. Redick (back) will play Wednesday; Dario Saric remains in starting lineup
Redick will play in tonight’s game against the Atlanta Hawks, as expected, after previously being listed as probable on the Philadelphia 76ers’ injury report with lower back tightness that had forced him to miss two consecutive games. His return will surprisingly displace Jerryd Bayless from the Sixers starting lineup and send him to the bench to assume a reserve role. The presence of Redick will also cut into the playing time of Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot and Justin Anderson off the bench, while Robert Covington will move back to his normal small forward spot in the starting unit. T.J. McConnell has seen his price rise due to recent performance but he still remains in play for tournaments, as he has already flashed decent upside once before with Redick available and will likely now carry much lower ownership. With Markelle Fultz out indefinitely due to a shoulder injury, McConnell should still easily see minutes in the upper-20’s on a consistent basis even with Redick active, giving him a solid floor and ceiling at his current price tag across the industry.
As reported by: Derek Bodnar via Twitter Other tagged players: Dario Saric Otto Porter (illness) ruled out Wednesday; Jason Smith will start in his place
Porter has been ruled out and won’t play in tonight’s game against the Phoenix Suns after previously being listed in the Washington Wizards’ game notes as questionable with a stomach virus. In his absence, Jason Smith will start at power forward alongside Marcin Gortat, meaning Kelly Oubre will now primarily man the small forward position with Porter sidelined. With Markieff Morris serving his one-game suspension stemming from an incident in last Friday’s game against the Golden State Warriors and not set to make his season debut until Friday, the Wizards will be slightly thin at the four spot and Smith along with Mike Scott should be expected absorb a majority of Porter’s minutes this evening. Scott has actually been playing ahead of Smith in the rotation of late and may end up being a sneaky tournament option if the masses gravitate towards Smith as a value option, as they probably will.
As reported by: Candace Buckner via Twitter Other tagged players: Jason Smith David Nwaba will start ahead of Paul Zipser at small forward Wednesday
Nwaba will be inserted into the starting lineup at small forward, according to Chicago Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg, for tonight’s game against the Miami Heat, sending Paul Zipser to the bench to assume a reserve role. Nwaba has shown he can perform when given the minutes, so he now makes for an interesting tournament target as a salary saver at the shooting guard position on Wednesday’s slate, assuming he can come close or eclipse the 25-minute mark.
As reported by: the Chicago Bulls via Twitter Other tagged players: Paul Zipser I Will Go Down With This Ship
I’ve been playing Tim Hardaway Jr. all season, and I’m not going to stop now. He has attempted 30 three pointers over the last four games. He was one for ten in two of those games, but he’s 9 for 20 in his last two games. Shooters are streaky and I’m hoping we’re on a streak of being able to use Hardaway Jr. Houston has slowed down in pace this season, but we’re looking at a 213 total with a 5 point spread in this one. Porzingis and Hardaway Jr. are the offense on the Knicks, and like I said above, I’m going to keep playing him.
I Offer You A Pivot Off The Chalk
With Jack and James becoming popular plays tonight, I fully expect McConnell to be low owned. I like Jack and James, but if I’m playing multiple teams, I want a pivot off of them. In the three games without Fultz, McConnell is averaging 28.3 minutes per game. He has at least 29 FanDuel points in each of those games, and at least 28.75 DK points in each of those games. His price is starting to rise, but that should also lower his ownership tonight.
My Minutes Are Trending Up
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist played 10 and 13 minutes in his first two games back from injury, but he played 22 and 27 minutes on a back-to-back in his next two games. His minutes are starting to climb in the right direction, and he’s way too cheap for 25+ minutes a game. He won’t do much with assist, but he’s a four category stat guy, which gives him a ton of upside on a nightly basis. He’s still a little risky, but I think he has a nice floor at his price tag tonight.
Jonas Valanciunas (ankle) and Serge Ibaka (knee) will play Wednesday
Valanciunas and Ibaka both participated in the Toronto Raptors’ practice on Tuesday and will play in tonight’s game against the Denver Nuggets after previously being listed as probable on the injury report with a sprained right ankle and right knee injury, respectively, injuries that forced them each to miss one game. Given that the two big men were listed as probable, this news shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, but now that they’re officially available and not expected to be limited by a minute restriction, the trio of Lucas Nogueira, Pascal Siakam, Jakob Poeltl lose their appeal as daily fantasy options in all formats while their prices remain elevated, essentially removing them from consideration entirely. In fact, two of Nogueira, Siakam, OG Anunoby, Jakob Poeltl, or Fred VanVleet could now find themselves on the outside-looking-in at the rotation, assuming head coach Dwane Casey decides to deploy a 10-man rotation (something he may not even do), so, needless to say, all of the aforementioned five players should be avoided until more clarity is shed on the new-look, fully healthy Raptors rotation.
As reported by: Josh Lewenberg via Twitter Other tagged players: Serge Ibaka Markieff Morris (sports hernia) expected to serve his 1-game suspension Wednesday, will play on Friday
Morris is expected to serve his 1-game suspension stemming from an altercation in last Friday’s matchup with the Golden State Warriors in tonight’s game against the Phoenix Suns, meaning that he has been cleared to make his season debut on Friday following sports hernia surgery he underwent early in training camp. The Wizards will likely bring him along slowly with a minute restriction at first, but he still may displace Kelly Oubre from the starting lineup and gradually eat into the playing time and production of both he and Otto Porter at the forward positions.
As reported by: Ben Standig via Twitter