DFS Alerts
J.J. Redick (lower back) ruled out Saturday
Redick has officially been ruled out and won’t play in tonight’s game against the Dallas Mavericks after previously being downgraded to questionable on the Philadelphia 76ers’ injury report with lower back tightness, while Jahlil Okafor is also out with an upper respiratory infection, though his absence has no impact on the frontcourt rotation considering his only game action came when Joel Embiid was rested on the second night of a back-to-back set last weekend. With Markelle Fultz out for at least two more games, Dario Saric will enter the starting lineup, moving Robert Covington over to shooting guard, while Nik Stauskas should enter the rotation and was also a candidate to start if head coach Brett Brown didn’t decide to roll with his big starting five. T.J. McConnell will continue to handle all the backup point guard minutes with Fultz sidelined and saw 28 minutes of action on Wednesday, making him an intriguing punt option now that Redick is officially sidelined.
As reported by: Keith Pompey via Twitter
Eric Gordon (illness) ruled out Saturday; Trevor Ariza (foot) and Nene (Achilles) available to play
Gordon has officially been ruled out and won’t play in tonight’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies after previously being downgraded to questionable on the Houston Rockets’ injury report due to an illness. Meanwhile, the Rockets will gain some reinforcements with Ariza and Nene, who were both questionable, being cleared to play. There has yet to be an update on Tarik Black but Houston has made a habit of not updating his status prior to game time, and with Nene and Ariza active, there will very little playing time available for Black regardless of his availability. Luc Mbah a Moute will likely remain in the starting lineup at small forward with Ariza shifting over to shooting guard. Speaking of Ariza, he won’t be limited to a strict minutes restriction but the Rockets coaching staff will obviously monitor his playing time given his early return from injury, relegating him to a tournament-only option for Saturday’s slate. That said, James Harden is approaching must play territory with Gordon and Chris Paul both unavailable, despite the pace-down matchup with a stingy Grizzlies squad.
As reported by: Craig Ackerman via Twitter Other tagged players: Trevor Ariza, Nene Hilario Paul Zipser (knee) and Kris Dunn (finger) will play Saturday, as expected
Zipser and Dunn are officially available to play in tonight’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, according to Chicago Bulls after both were originally listed as questionable on the Chicago Bulls’ injury report with their respective ailments. As for Dunn, he is expected to step into a significant role immediately as the backup point guard behind Jerian Grant and will not have a minutes restriction in his return. His presence in the backcourt rotation will also likely displace Kay Felder from the rotation, especially with Zipser cleared to play. With Zipser starting at his usual small forward spot, Denzel Valentine will be relegated back to his normal bench role and is essentially removed from consideration in daily fantasy formats. Lauri Markkanen has seen 33 minutes or more in all but one game this season and appears to be in line for a consistent minute workload given the Bulls’ currently tight frontcourt rotation without Nikola Mirotic and Bobby Portis, making him an interesting tournament option on Saturday’s slate.
As reported by: Chuck Swirsky via Twitter Other tagged players: Kris Dunn Eric Gordon (illness) downgraded to questionable Saturday
Gordon is a late addition to the Houston Rockets’ injury report and is questionable to play in tonight’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies due to an illness. Gordon now joins the rest of the Rockets’ walking wounded, as Trevor Ariza, Nene, and Tarik Black are all also listed as questionable and should all of these players be unable to suit up, the Rockets would be extremely thin in both the frontcourt and backcourt and be forced to roll with a excessively tight rotation. This will be a situation to monitor as we approach lock, but James Harden could approach must play territory should Gordon be ruled out, despite the pace-down matchup with a stingy Grizzlies squad.
As reported by: Jonathan Feigen via Twitter Ersan Ilyasova (knee) ruled out for Sunday; Dennis Schroder (ankle) and Marco Belinelli (Achilles) probable
Ilyasova has been ruled out and will not play in tomorrow’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks due to a strained left knee that has already forced him to miss one game this past week. Meanwhile, Schroder and Belinelli popped up on the Atlanta Hawks’ injury report as probable but this has merely become a formality in recent days, as Belinelli has now been listed probable for three straight games and played a full complement of minutes in the previous two contests, while Schroder made his return on Friday and both guards should be expected to suit up on Sunday. The potential absence of Ilyasova would reopen more minutes and opportunity for John Collins, who has averaged well over a fantasy point per minute this season, and even Mike Muscala, who started at power forward in the one game Ilyasova missed, in the Hawks’ frontcourt.
As reported by: KL Chouinard via Twitter Other tagged players: Dennis Schroder, Marco Belinelli George Hill (rest) and Zach Randolph (rest) ruled out for Sunday
Hill and Randolph will be rested and won’t play in tomorrow’s game against the Washington Wizards. This is something we should get used to, as the Sacramento Kings will form a habit of resting their veteran players in back-to-back game scenarios. In their absences, De’Aaron Fox and Skal Labisierre should be expected to start at point guard and power forward, respectively. Fox and Labissiere should obviously see an uptick in production given their expected bump in playing time, but Labisierre and Willie Cauley-Stein have each seen at least a +2.3% usage rate differential with Hill and Randolph off the court this season, leading the team, and look to be the top players to target from this Kings squad, along with Fox, on Sunday’s slate.
As reported by: Jason Jones via Twitter Other tagged players: Zach Randolph Derrick Rose (ankle) ruled out Saturday; Dwyane Wade (knee) will play
Rose has been officially ruled out and won’t play in tonight’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans after previously being listed as questionable on the Cleveland Cavaliers’ injury report with a sprained left ankle that has now forced him to miss three consecutive games. Meanwhile, Dwyane Wade will play and come off the bench after a one-game absence with a left knee contusion. It’s important to note that the Cavaliers have already announced that they plan to deploy a new starting lineup once Rose is cleared to play, featuring Rose, J.R. Smith, LeBron James, Kevin Love, and Tristan Thompson. This means that Wade and Jae Crowder will each be “demoted” to the bench and will be the main offensive facilitators in the second unit. That said, with Rose unable to suit up, Crowder will remain in the starting lineup for at least one more game and Iman Shumpert will draw the start at “point guard”, but LeBron should still be the main facilitator and playmaker in the first unit, elevating him to an even more elite option in all formats since he will not be competing for offensive touches, most of the time, with any ball-dominant guards like Rose
As reported by: Fred McLeod via Twitter Other tagged players: Dwyane Wade Anthony Davis (knee, quad) will play Saturday, as expected
Davis will play in tonight’s game against the Cleveland Cavaliers after previously being listed as questionable on the New Orleans Pelicans’ injury report with left knee and quad tendinitis that had forced him to miss one full game and a portion of another. Davis won’t be limited by a minutes restriction and will overtake his normal power forward spot in the starting lineup, which will send Darius Miller back to the bench to resume his reserve role. The Pelicans did officially add some depth to their power forward position this afternoon by signing Josh Smith, who will be available to make his Pelicans debut this evening. With Davis available, DeMarcus Cousins should no longer be considered an elite, must-start option and Davis may actually be the preferred New Orleans big man to target in tournaments given the matchup with Cleveland, who has traditionally struggled with power forwards that can stretch the floor, though he always does carry that added injury risk any time he takes the floor.
As reported by: Christian Boutwell via Twitter Kawhi Leonard (quad) and Joffrey Lauvergne (ankle) will remain out Sunday
Leonard has officially been ruled out for tomorrow’s game against the Indiana Pacers with right quadriceps tendinopathy that has now forced him to miss five consecutive games to begin the season and is still without a timetable for return. Additionally, Joffrey Lauvergne has been ruled out due to a sprained right ankle and will miss his third consecutive game. In Leonard’s absence, Kyle Anderson is expected to continue on as the Spurs’ starting small forward until Rudy Gay is ready to see starters’ minutes, while LaMarcus Aldridge, Pau Gasol, and Dejounte Murray should be expected to shoulder the offensive load alongside Gay while Leonard and Tony Parker, who isn’t expected back until the end of November, are sidelined with separate quad injuries.
As reported by: the San Antonio Spurs via Twitter Other tagged players: Joffrey Lauvergne Marquese Chriss (ankle sprain) probable Saturday
Chriss originally was listed as questionable on the Phoenix Suns’ game notes for tonight’s game against the Portland Trail Blazers with a sprained left ankle but is now considered probable and likely to play after participating in the team’s shootaround this morning. Assuming Chriss is close to full strength, he’ll remain in the Suns starting lineup at power forward and is always a viable tournament target when he is cheap enough, though he is still not seeing a full complement of starters’ minutes, averaging just over 26 minutes in the two games since Earl Watson was relieved of his head coaching duties.
As reported by: Scott Bordow via Twitter Anthony Davis (knee, quad) expected to play Saturday
Davis is expected to play in tonight’s game against the Cleveland Cavaliers after previously being listed as questionable on the New Orleans Pelicans’ injury report with left knee and quad tendinitis that had forced him to miss one full game and a portion of another. Davis will overtake his normal power forward spot in the starting lineup, which will send Darius Miller back to the bench to resume his reserve role. The Pelicans did officially add some depth to their power forward position this afternoon by signing Josh Smith, who will be available to make his Pelicans debut this evening. With Davis likely available, DeMarcus Cousins should no longer be considered an elite option and Davis may actually be the preferred New Orleans big man to target in tournaments given the matchup with Cleveland, though he always does carry that added injury risk any time he takes the floor.
As reported by: Will Guillory via Twitter Treveon Graham (quad) questionable for Sunday; Cody Zeller (knee) will play
Graham has officially been listed as questionable on the Charlotte Hornets’ injury report for tomorrow’s game against the Orlando Magic after being active on Friday as an emergency reserve but ultimately did not see the court. Meanwhile, Cody Zeller is set to make his return from a four-game absence due to a right knee bone bruise and will displace Johnny O’Bryant as the Hornets primary backup center. With Graham possibly unavailable and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist still on minutes restriction of around 20 minutes, there is certainly still plenty of opportunity on the wing for the likes of Jeremy Lamb, Marvin Williams, and even Dwayne Bacon off the bench. The Hornets are still without Michael Carter-Williams and Nicolas Batum as well, so despite his likely bench role moving forward, Bacon will continue to be a key cog in the Charlotte rotation along with Malik Monk, who is acting as the primary backup point guard with Carter-Williams sidelined.
As reported by: Rick Bonnell via Twitter Other tagged players: Cody Zeller Kris Dunn (finger) expected to play Saturday; Paul Zipser (knee) a game-time decision but likely to play
Dunn is expected to play and make his season debut in tonight’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, according to Chicago Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg, after previously being listed as questionable with a dislocated left index finger that has kept him sidelined for every game this season. Meanwhile, Zipser remains a game-time decision with a right knee contusion that forced him to miss Thursday’s contest but is likely to play barring a setback in pregame warmups. As for Dunn, he is expected to step into a significant role immediately as the backup point guard behind Jerian Grant and will not have a minutes restriction in his return to action. His presence in the backcourt rotation will also likely displace Kay Felder from the rotation, especially if Zipser is cleared to play. If for some reason Zipser is unable to suit up, the Bulls would still be extremely thin at the wing and forward positions, which would force Denzel Valentine into the starting lineup and significantly more minutes for the second straight game after seeing 35 minutes of action on Thursday, while Quincy Pondexter should also be expected to play a larger role off the bench. Lauri Markkanen has seen 33 minutes or more in all but one game this season and would be in line for a consistent minute workload given the Bulls’ currently tight frontcourt rotation, making him an interesting tournament option on Saturday’s slate.
As reported by: Vincent Goodwill via Twitter Other tagged players: Paul Zipser J.J. Redick (back) questionable Saturday; Jahlil Okafor (illness) ruled out
Redick has been downgraded to questionable on the Philadelphia 76ers injury report for tonight’s game against the Dallas Mavericks with lower back tightness, while Jahil Okafor has been ruled out with an upper respiratory infection, though his absence has no impact on the frontcourt rotation considering his only game action came when Joel Embiid was rested on the second night of a back-to-back set last weekend. With Markelle Fultz out for at least two more games, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot would likely draw the start at shooting guard if Redick is ultimately unavailable, while Nik Stauskas would enter the rotation and is also a candidate to start if head coach Brett Brown prefers to keep Luwawu-Cabarrot in his normal bench role. T.J. McConnell will continue to handle all the backup point guard minutes wit Fultz sidelined and saw 28 minutes of action on Wednesday, making him an intriguing punt option if Redick is unable to suit up.
As reported by: Jessica Camerato via Twitter Other tagged players: Jahlil Okafor Devin Harris (personal) misses shootaround, but still expected to play Saturday
Harris did not attend the Dallas Mavericks’ morning shootaround but, according to head coach Rick Carlisle, he is still expected to play in tonight’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers after previously being listed as questionable in the Mavericks’ game notes due to a personal matter. Harris will reportedly meet up with the team later this afternoon and will resume his normal role off the bench. With Harris available again, J.J. Barea and Yogi Ferrell will see their recent uptick in playing time diminished to some degree and should be removed from consideration for daily fantasy formats at their elevated price points with Harris and Dennis Smith Jr. both healthy and available.
As reported by: Earl K. Sneed via Twitter