DFS Alerts
Top Value Play
Mike James checks in as one of the top values on the board tonight. He has settled in as the starting point guard in Phoenix, and he is coming off a 40+ fantasy point game on Tuesday. What is even more encouraging is the fact that he played almost 30 minutes, meaning this could become more than just an even time share with Tyler Ulis. The Wizards/Suns game projects to be one of the most fantasy-friendly games of the night, and I will like James in with confidence as an upside play in tournaments.
Monster Upside
Capela almost always checks in as a risk/reward GPP play, but that is even more true tonight in a matchup against the Knicks. Enes Kanter has no chance of slowing down Capela and his “motor” game, and I see no reason why Capela can’t lock up a double-double in this game. He is averaging 13 points and 11 rebounds per game on the season. Assuming he can stay out of foul trouble and on the court, Capela could very easily be the best point per dollar center option on the board tonight.
Just Make it Through Four Quarters!
As always, the big risk with Anthony Davis is his perpetual inability to stay on the basketball court. If he can manage to make it through four quarters tonight, the upside is massive against Minnesota in a game that has a projected total of 224 points. Minnesota currently ranks last in the league in defensive efficiency, and a huge chunk of the New Orleans offense revolves around Davis and Cousins. They are priority spends tonight, but I’ll give Davis the edge in GPPs due to likely lower ownership between the two.
The Man, the Myth, the Legend
Joel Embiid is not only the GOAT on the court, but he’s also one of the best social media follows that you will find in any industry. His production in limited playing time this season is truly impressive. He’s coming off of a game against the Rockets where he scored 46 fantasy points in 24 minutes. When he stays out of foul trouble, he typically sees 28-29 minutes, which is more than enough time to reach value tonight against the Hawks. Embiid has one of the highest floors of any center in the NBA. In six games this season, he has yet to score less than 37 fantasy points.
Surprising Production from an NBA Veteran
At the beginning of the season, I never would have guessed that I’d be rostering Jarrett Jack over and over again in DFS. He was basically a third-stringer for a bad Knicks’ team. With sloppy play by the other point guards, he worked his way into the starting lineup and he has yet to disappoint. In his three starts, he has scored 26, 23, and 29 fantasy points and he has played at least 32 minutes in back-to-back games. At his price point, he’s viable in cash games and tournaments tonight against the Rockets, who don’t have a true point guard available on their active roster.
Bounce Back Spot for the King
After getting blown out in back-to-back games against the Knicks and Pelicans, I fully expect LeBron James and company to take care of business tonight at home against the Pacers. Indiana currently ranks ninth in pace of play and 21st in points allowed per game. They are also playing in the second half of a back-to-back. They don’t have anyone that can cover James and we’ve seen Tyronn Lue play him up to 40 minutes in close games. As long as Cleveland doesn’t run away with this one, James should be one of the top fantasy scorers of the slate.
J.J. Redick (lower back) probable Wednesday
Redick is officially listed as probable on the Philadelphia 76ers injury report for tonight’s game against the Atlanta Hawks after with lower back tightness that had forced him to miss two consecutive games. His likely return will displace Dario Saric from the Sixers starting lineup and send him back to his normal sixth-man role off the bench. The presence of Redick will 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: Jessica Camerato via Twitter
Dennis Smith Jr. (knee) listed questionable Wednesday but expected to play
Smith Jr. has officially been listed as questionable on the Dallas Mavericks’ injury report for tonight’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers with a nagging knee issue, but the injury designation appears to just be precautionary, as Smith Jr. is fully expected to play this evening. He was limited to just 17 minutes in Monday’s loss to the Utah Jazz, so there certainly is cause for concern in rostering Smith Jr. as anything but a deep tournament flier on Wednesday’s slate. With Devin Harris back in the rotation, there are fewer guard minutes available for the J.J. Barea off the bench, assuming Smith Jr. sees anywhere near his normal allotment, making him a relatively easy fade in all formats on a massive 12-game slate.
As reported by: Earl K. Sneed via Twitter DeMarre Carroll (sore ankle) will play Tuesday
Carroll will play in tonight’s game against the Phoenix Suns after previously being listed as questionable on the Brooklyn Nets’ injury report with a sore right ankle that forced him to miss one game. His return will displace Allen Crabbe from the starting lineup and Carroll is not expected to subject to a strict minute limit, though head coach Kenny Atkinson is notorious for monitoring his players minutes even when they are fully healthy, meaning we should proceed with caution in rostering Carroll in any daily fantasy formats. The Nets are without Quincy Acy and Jarrett Allen for Tuesday’s contest, meaning that Tyler Zeller will enter the rotation and see a lot of the backup center minutes behind Timofey Mozgov. With Allen and Acy unavailable, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson becomes a virtual lock to eclipse that 30-minute plateau, especially if Carroll’s minutes end up being monitored, while Trevor Booker should also see some extra run off the bench.
As reported by: Brian Lewis via Twitter Marc Gasol (ankle) and Mike Conley (Achilles) questionable for Wednesday
Gasol and Conley have both officially been listed as questionable on the Memphis Grizzlies’ injury report for tomorrow’s game against the Orlando Magic with left ankle and sore left Achilles, respectively, while Wayne Selden, JaMychal Green, and Ben McLemore all will remain sidelined. 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. That said, if Conley is unavailable, Mario Chalmers would almost assuredly draw the start at point guard and would become 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 even Gasol.
As reported by: Grizzlies PR via Twitter Other tagged players: Mike Conley Jonas Valanciunas (ankle) and Serge Ibaka (knee) probable for Wednesday
Valanciunas and Ibaka both participated in the Toronto Raptors’ practice on Tuesday and are officially being listed as probable on the injury report for tomorrow’s game against the Denver Nuggets with a sprained right ankle and right knee injury, respectively, injuries that forced them each to miss one game. Should both big men return to the Raptors starting lineup, as expected, the trio of Lucas Nogueira, Pascal Siakam, Jakob Poeltl would all lose their appeal as daily fantasy options in all formats while their prices remain elevated, essentially removing them from consideration entirely.
As reported by: Eric Smith via Twitter Other tagged players: Serge Ibaka Hassan Whiteside (bruised left knee) questionable for Wednesday
Whiteside has officially been listed as questionable on the Miami Heat’s injury report for tomorrow’s game against the Chicago Bulls with left knee bone bruise that has already forced him to miss five consecutive games. If Whiteside is unable to suit up, Bam Adebayo should be expected to draw the start at the center spot once again, while James Johnson will presumably assume the starting power forward responsibilities for Wednesday’s contest, meaning Kelly Olynyk would come off the bench for the sixth time in as many games and is unlikely to rejoin the starting five until Whiteside is cleared to play. Josh Richardson and Dion Waiters figure to still be the biggest beneficiaries in terms of usage and production in the Heat’s starting unit sans Whiteside, while Olynyk will have more usage and rebounding opportunities playing primarily with the second unit, also making him an interesting daily fantasy tournament option on Wednesday’s slate, as he has flashed upside and been relatively consistent while Whiteside has been sidelined with his injury.
As reported by: Tim Reynolds via Twitter Domantas Sabonis (illness) will play Tuesday
Sabonis will play in tonight’s game against the Sacramento Kings after previously being listed as questionable on the Indiana Pacers’ injury report with an illness. As of the time of this writing, there has been no minute restriction of any kind reported by the team and Sabonis is slated to start at center once again for Myles Turner, who remains in the concussion protocol and will miss his sixth consecutive game. That said, Sabonis does run the risk of not being full strength and has an elevated price tag following his string of solid performances, meaning he may warrant a fade in tournaments, even at likely low ownership, given the added injury risk on top of the price increase.
As reported by: the Indiana Pacers via Twitter Noah Vonleh (shoulder strain) will play on Wednesday
Vonleh is set to make his season debut in tomorrow’s game against the Utah Jazz after missing the Portland Trail Blazers’ first seven games with a strained right shoulder. Vonleh is not listed on the injury report for Wednesday’s contest and will play, according to head coach Terry Stotts. However, the extent of Vonleh’s role in the rotation is still to be determined, as he still needs to compete with the likes of Al-Farouq Aminu, Ed Davis, and Caleb Swanigan for minutes in the Trail Blazers’ frontcourt, even with Meyers Leonard sidelined with an ankle injury. Portland’s reserve big men look to be easy avoids in all daily fantasy formats until we can properly assess how Stotts’ frontcourt rotation will unfold with Vonleh now in the mix.
As reported by: Casey Holdahl via Twitter Garrett Temple (rest) ruled out Tuesday; Zach Randolph (foot) upgraded to probable
Temple has been ruled out for rest and will not play in tonight’s game against the Indiana Pacers, while Zach Randolph has been upgraded to probable from questionable on the Sacramento Kings injury report with a sore left foot. The absence of Temple should open up more playing time for Bogdan Bogdanovic, Buddy Hield, and possibly even Vince Carter on the wing, though De’Aaron Fox may also see a slight bump as if Sacramento decides to deploy more three-guard lineups with George Hill manning the shooting guard spot. Should Randolph be downgraded, Skal Labissiere can be expected to draw the start at power forward for the second time in as many games. However, Labissiere only saw 22 minutes of action in his previous start, adding some cause for concern with his daily fantasy outlook on Tuesday’s slate. The actual main beneficiary of Randolph’s absence in the frontcourt looks to be Willie Cauley-Stein, who has averaged 28 minutes per game and been the Kings’ most consistent performer from a fantasy standpoint by a longshot.
As reported by: Sean Cunningham via Twitter Other tagged players: Zach Randolph