DFS Alerts
No Bledsoe, High Upside
Eric Bledsoe doesn’t want to be in Phoenix, and he won’t be on the court tonight for the Suns. The good news is that we think Devin Booker DOES want to be in Phoenix. Booker saw a 3% usage boost last year with Bledsoe off the floor, and he is going to take a ton of shots in this offense. Don’t be afraid to fire him up in tournaments this evening.
Be Contrarian on the High End
James Harden and Giannis Antetokounmpo are going to get all the attention on the high end tonight, and this creates a spot for us to leverage lower ownership on some other high dollar options. John Wall is playing in the game with the highest projected total of the night, and he obviously has immense DFS upside in a matchup against Denver. He will likely carry half the ownership (or less) of the other stars, and that is music to my ears against the up tempo Nuggets.
Tyreke Evans (knee contusion) downgraded to questionable Monday
Evans is a late addition to the Memphis Grizzlies’ injury report for tonight’s game against the Houston Rockets with a left knee contusion. With the Grizzlies already missing JaMychal Green and Wayne Selden due to injury, the potential absence of Evans could open even more playing for Dillon Brooks and James Ennis at the wing positions. Additionally, this could afford Mike Conley even more play-making opportunities in the second unit without a second ball-handler on the floor with him at the same time. Even though Andrew Harrison is the starting shooting guard, Brooks has consistently been given more minutes in head coach David Fizdale’s rotation and will likely be elevated to an elite value option on Monday’s slate if Evans is eventually ruled out.
As reported by: Grizzlies PR via Twitter
Juan Hernangomez (illness) questionable Monday
Hernangomez appeared on the Denver Nuggets’ injury report as questionable for tonight’s game against the Washington Wizards with an illness. Hernangomez has made a minimal impact on the Denver rotation to this point in the season, amassing just 13 total minutes, so his potential absence does little to move the daily fantasy needle of anyone else on this Nuggets squad. If anything, Will Barton or Wilson Chandler could be allotted a few extra minutes this evening but not enough to upgrade their value projections substantially.
As reported by: Gina Mizell via Twitter The Joke's on You
We haven’t seen a huge Jokic game yet this year, but there is a decent chance that we could get there tonight. He was absolutely terrible over the weekend against the Kings and did not score, but he still grabbed nine rebounds and dished out seven assists. The minutes have been there as well, as he is averaging 33 minutes through the first two games. If he ends up flying under the radar this evening, load him up in GPPs for the potential at a huge payoff.
Trending Upward in Atlanta
There will be lots of opportunity in Atlanta tonight. Both Dennis Schroder and Ersan Ilyasova are out, so this is a fine place to look for value. While Malcolm Delaney is the obvious choice, don’t forget about John Collins. He racked up 14 points and 13 rebounds in just 21 minutes on Sunday, and he has looked solid in limited time. Foul trouble will be an issue, but he will have the opportunity to play 25+ minutes this evening. He is a great, high upside GPP play.
Frank Ntilikina (ankle sprain) ruled out for Tuesday
Ntilikina turned his ankle during the New York Knicks’ practice on Friday and was reportedly feeling much better after receiving treatment, leading the team to officially him day-to-day, but he has officially been ruled out for tomorrow’s game against the Boston Celtics with the aforementioned sprained left ankle. Ntilikina was essentially the third-string point guard behind Ramon Sessions and Ron Baker, playing just under eight minutes in the season opener, and with Ntilikina unable to give it a go, look for Sessions and Baker to continue splitting the point guard minutes in a full-blown timeshare. A large portion of the Knicks offensive usage will continue to be absorbed by Kristaps Porzingis, who remains their top player to target in daily fantasy formats on a nearly nightly basis.
As reported by: Ian Begley via Twitter Eric Bledsoe (team decision) ruled out Monday
Bledsoe met with team officials prior to the Phoenix Suns’ shootaround on Monday and was ultimately sent home. Effectively, he has been ruled out for tonight’s game against the Sacramento Kings and anticipation is growing among NBA executives that Bledsoe has played his final game as a member of the Suns after voicing his displeasure with the franchise on social media over the weekend. With Bledsoe unavailable, Mike James and Tyler Ulis will handle the majority of point guard minutes alongside Devin Booker, who is clearly the direct beneficiary of Bledsoe’s absence from a usage standpoint this evening, and likely moving forward if Bledsoe is shipped out of town, as expected.
As reported by: Chris Haynes via Twitter Dennis Schroder (foot) and Ersan Ilyasova (knee) ruled out Monday
Schroder sustained a foot injury during Sunday’s contest against the Brooklyn Nets and has officially been ruled out for tonight’s game against the Miami Heat after previously being considered as unlikely. He is scheduled to undergo an MRI today on his injured foot but it is believed by the team that he suffered a bone bruise. With Schroder unavailable, Malcolm Delaney can be expected to draw the start at point guard and could set up as one of the better early value options on Monday’s slate. Schroder leads the Hawks in usage rate so far this season so there will be plenty of opportunities there for the taking for the rest of the starting unit and even Kent Bazemore off the bench. Additionally, Ilyasova has been ruled out with a strained left knee, and his absence will open more minutes and opportunity for John Collins, who has averaged well over a fantasy point per minute this season, and even Mike Muscala in the Hawks’ frontcourt.
As reported by: Chris Vivlamore via Twitter Other tagged players: Ersan Ilyasova Myles Turner (concussion, sore neck) will remain out Tuesday
Turner will not play in tomorrow’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves with a sore neck and concussion that has now forced him to miss three consecutive games. Turner and the Pacers have been involved in some wildly fast-paced matchups this season, which makes their starters extremely intriguing daily fantasy targets moving forward if head coach Nate McMillan continues to deliver on his promise of wanting to push the pace more consistently. With Turner officially unable to suit up, Domantas Sabonis will likely draw the start at center and has averaged nearly 30 minutes of action in the two games Turner has been sidelined, while Thaddeus Young looks to be another beneficiary from a production standpoint with T.J. Leaf and Al Jefferson thrust into additional playing time in the frontcourt as well. If Sabonis gets the call as the starting center tomorrow, Karl-Anthony Towns would immediately vault to the status of one of the top center options on Wednesday’s slate given the perceived mismatch with Sabonis and the entire Pacers frontcourt rotation.
As reported by: the Indiana Pacers via Twitter Omri Casspi (ankle sprain) available to play Monday
Casspi is officially available to play in tonight’s game against the Dallas Mavericks after previously being listed as probable on the Warriors’ injury report with a sprained left ankle that had forced him to miss two consecutive games. He saw just four minutes of action in the season opener against the Houston Rockets before being forced to leave the game with the aforementioned ankle injury. Even with his return, Casspi’s fantasy impact remains minimal with Warriors head coach Steve Kerr comfortably rolling with 11 or 12-man rotations on a nightly basis. It would take an injury or even two for Casspi to become somewhat relevant in daily fantasy formats.
As reported by: Mark Medina via Twitter J.R. Smith will start ahead of Dwyane Wade on Tuesday
Smith will take over as the Cleveland Cavaliers starting shooting guard for tomorrow’s game against the Chicago Bulls, relegating Wade to a “bench role” in the Cavaliers rotation. There is probably more noise to this news than actual actionability from a daily fantasy standpoint, as Wade shouldn’t be expected to a decrease in minutes or role in the offense. More so, Wade coming off the bench should enable head coach Tyronn Lue to have an easier time staggering the minutes of Wade and Derrick Rose to get more shooting on the floor on a consistent basis throughout the game once Rose is able to return from injury.
As reported by: Jason Lloyd via Twitter Other tagged players: Dwyane Wade Devin Harris (personal) officially ruled out Monday
Harris has officially been ruled out and won’t play in tonight’s game against the Golden State Warriors after previously being listed as questionable on the Dallas Mavericks’ injury report as he continues to deal with a personal matter and will be afforded as much time as he needs with his family, according to Mavericks’ head coach Rick Carlisle, originally drawing some initial doubt to his availability after missing Monday’s shootaround. With Harris unavailable, J.J. Barea and Yogi Ferrell will continue to see some additional playing time in the Mavericks backcourt and have alternated starts in each of the past two games. Additionally, Dennis Smith Jr. told reporters at shootaround this morning that he will play in tonight’s contest after previously being listed as questionable on the injury report with a left knee effusion that had forced him to miss two consecutive games. Smith Jr. was listed as a probable starter for Monday’s contest prior to this news, so it’s not a huge surprise that is available to play.
As reported by: Mike Peasley via Twitter Joel Embiid (rest) will play Moday, as expected
Just a formality here, as Embiid has always been expected to play in Monday’s game against the Detroit Pistons and has just merely not been cleared to participate in back-to-back sets yet (the reason he sat out Saturday), but Sixers head coach Brett Brown made it official addressing the media at shootaround and confirming that Embiid will suit up for tonight’s contest. There has been no reported minute restriction for Embiid, and we shouldn’t expect one to be announced, as the Sixers have repeatedly said that they will base his playing time mostly on feel but have a generic range in mind on a night-to-night basis. Well, through two games played for Embiid, he has played 26 and 28 minutes, giving us a realistic expectation to base our decision making on for Monday’s slate.
As reported by: Keith Pompey via Twitter Hassan Whiteside (knee) remains out Monday
Whiteside is dealing with a knee bone bruise that he sustained in the Miami Heat’s season opener, according to head coach Erik Spoelstra, and will not play in tonight’s game against the Atlanta Hawks, missing his second consecutive game. In his absence, Jordan Mickey will start at the center spot once again, while James Johnson will assume the starting power forward responsibilities for Monday’s contest, meaning Kelly Olynyk will come off the bench for the second time in as many games. 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 Monday’s slate.
As reported by: the Miami Heat via Twitter