DFS Alerts
Bring on the Nets!
Fantasy matchups against the defensively challenged Nets are always welcome, and we saw the Nets give up 140 points to the Pacers on opening night. Brooklyn also plays at a fast pace, which gives even more upside to their opponents. Vucevic is one of the best offensive centers in the league and should be able to dominate in this matchup. Fire him up as a high upside play on this Friday night.
Back from Injury and Ready to Roll
Injuries derailed the 2016-2017 season for Derrick Favors, but he appears healthy this year and should be ready to roll as one of the key players for the Jazz. With Gordon Hayward gone, Favors should be more involved offensively, and the minutes should be there in the 28-32 range as long as he stays healthy. He had a solid game in the opener, and his size will be needed on the interior against Minnesota tonight. I like the price tag and upside combination in this matchup.
Value Alert!
Avery Bradley struggled a bit in his debut for the Pistons, but he got into early foul trouble in that game. I am not concerned about him moving forward, and he should be aggressive offensively for his new team. The price tag is still dirt cheap on every site, and he is one of my favorite value to mid-range options of the night.
Upside with a Fresh Start
Russell checks in as one of my favorite tournament options of the night. He scored 30 points and looked fantastic in the opening game against the Pacers, and now he is looking at an unquestioned workload with Jeremy Lin out for the season. Russell is the leader of this team and should put up gaudy fantasy numbers all year. Lock and load him in with massive GPP upside tonight.
Andre Iguodala (back) upgraded to probable for Friday; Omri Casspi (ankle) ruled out
Iguodala has been upgraded to probable, according to Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, for tomorrow’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans with a back strain, while Casspi has officially been ruled out after previously being listed as questionable with a sprained ankle. If Iguodala is able to suit up, Nick Young and Patrick McCaw would see a significant decrease in playing time as Iguodala is typically the Warriors sixth man and closer on the wing in the notorious “death lineup”. However, Draymond Green has been downgraded to doubtful with a strained left knee he sustained in Tuesday’s loss to the Houston Rockets which could open up a few minutes in addition to Casspi’s absence. Green’s MRI results came back negative, and he will travel with the team on their upcoming road trip, creating optimism that he will not be sidelined for an extended period of time. Jordan Bell is expected to draw the start at power forward in his place and will see plenty of minutes at both the power forward and center positions. Bell is shaping up to be one of the better value options on Friday’s slate given his projected role in the Warriors’ rotation without Green and possibly Iguodala and Casspi.
As reported by: Anthony Slater via Twitter Other tagged players: Omri Casspi
Raul Neto (hamstring) questionable for Friday
Neto has officially been listed as questionable on the Utah Jazz’ injury report for tomorrow night’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves with a sore hamstring that kept him sidelined for the season opener on Wednesday evening. With Dante Exum’s season in jeopardy following shoulder surgery, Neto is firmly entrenched as the Jazz’ backup point guard, and if he is ruled out, Ricky Rubio should be expected to see extended minutes to pick up the slack at point guard with Donovan Mitchell giving him a breather from time-to-time in what sets up to be a fantastic individual matchup for Rubio in a revenge spot against Jeff Teague and his former team.
As reported by: Tony Jones via Twitter Zach Randolph (oral surgery) and Bogdan Bogdanovic (ankle) questionable for Friday
Randolph and Bogdanovic have both officially been listed as questionable for tomorrow night’s game against the Dallas Mavericks after both forwards were unable to suit up for the Sacramento Kings’ season opener on Wednesday evening. If Randolph is unavailable, Skal Labissiere would be the likeliest candidate to start at power forward once again and to see increased playing time. Kings head coach Dave Joerger has been adamant about utilizing a 10-man rotation all and Buddy Hield may be the Kings’ player with the most appeal in daily fantasy formats given his minute floor and usage in the Kings offense, especially if Bogdanovic ruled out as well.
As reported by: Sean Cunningham via Twitter Other tagged players: Bogdan Bogdanovic Raymond Felton (wrist) and Patrick Patterson (knee) will play Thursday
In his pregame press conference, Thunder head coach Billy Donovan confirmed that both Felton and Patterson have been cleared to play in tonight’s game against the New York Knicks and will not be subject to any sort of minutes restriction after their playing statuses were previously considered as uncertain. Both Felton and Patterson are slated to be integral parts of the Thunder’s rotation as the backup point guard and backup power forward/center, respectively, but neither will see anywhere near starters’ minutes barring an injury to someone in Oklahoma City’s new-look starting unit that features the likes of Paul George and Carmelo Anthony holding down the starting forward positions.
As reported by: Brett Dawson via Twitter Other tagged players: Patrick Patterson Aaron Gordon (sore ankle) questionable for Friday
Gordon has been added to the Orlando Magic’s injury report as questionable for tomorrow night’s game against the Brooklyn Nets due to a sore left ankle that has caused him some pain after an awkward fall in Wednesday’s season opener. Gordon played nearly 35 minutes in yesterday’s contest, and if he’s unable to suit up, his absence would open up a plethora of minutes for Jonathon Simmons and Jonathan Isaac on the wing and at power forward. Additionally, the aforementioned duo would be the leading candidates to enter the starting lineup if Gordon is eventually ruled out.
As reported by: John Denton via Twitter Andre Iguodala (back) and Omri Casspi (ankle) questionable for Friday
Iguodala and Casspi have both officially been listed as questionable on the Golden State Warriors’ injury report for tomorrow’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans with a back strain and sprained ankle, respectively. If Iguodala and Casspi are unable to suit up, Nick Young and Patrick McCaw would remain the primary beneficiaries of additional minutes and a projected increase in fantasy production with the aforementioned duo sidelined. Additionally, Draymond Green has been downgraded to doubtful with a strained left knee he sustained in Tuesday’s loss to the Houston Rockets. His MRI results came back negative and will travel with the team on their upcoming road trip, creating optimism that he will not be sidelined for an extended period of time. Jordan Bell is expected to draw the start at power forward in his place and will see plenty of minutes at both the power forward and center positions. Bell is shaping up to be one of the better value options on Friday’s slate given his projected role in the Warriors’ rotation without Green and possibly Iguodala and Casspi.
As reported by: Warriors PR via Twitter Other tagged players: Omri Casspi Myles Turner (sore neck) questionable for Friday's game
Turner is a recent addition to the Indiana Pacers’ injury report and is officially questionable for tomorrow’s game against the Portland Trail Blazers due to a sore neck. Turner and the Pacers were involved in a wildly fast-paced matchup with the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday, 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 this season. Should Turner be unable to suit up, Thaddeus Young looks to be the primary beneficiary from a production standpoint while Domantas Sabonis and T.J. Leaf would be thrust into additional playing time in the frontcourt as well.
As reported by: Indiana Pacers via Twitter Pay up for this Superstar in Cash Games
There are very few certainties in the early part of the season. The teams are still figuring out their offenses, their pace, and their rotations, while we are making out best judgments on coaching tendencies and player talent. We know that Russell Westbrook is incredible, but we don’t quite know what will happen to his usage playing alongside Paul George and Carmelo Anthony. The player I want to pay up for in cash games is not Westbrook, it’s Blake Griffin. He already had a high usage rate with the Clippers when playing with Chris Paul. Now that he’s gone, Griffin’s usage is only going to go up. I expect him to be the focal point of the offense with many plays running through him in the high post. It only helps that he gets to face a Lakers’ team that struggled to rebound and defend the paint last season.
He has the same Nickname as Matthew Mcconaughey from Grind
I’ve never seen the movie “Grind” and in fact I’ve never even heard of it, but when I googled “Sweet Lou,” that’s the first thing that popped up. This has nothing to do with fantasy basketball, but Lou Williams shares the same nickname, so there’s your tie-in. The Clippers shipped Chris Paul and Jamal Crawford out of town and brought in Patrick Beverley. While Beverley is an excellent defender, he’s not really a creator on offense. The same can be said about Austin Rivers. Williams is by far the best scorer in this back-court and he draws a great matchup in the season opener. He gets to face his former team (Lakers), who ranked dead last in defensive efficiency last season.
Draymond Green (knee) considered doubtful for Friday
Green has been downgraded to doubtful for tomorrow’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans due to a strained left knee he sustained in Tuesday’s loss to the Houston Rockets. His MRI results came back negative and will travel with the team on their upcoming road trip, creating optimism that he will not be sidelined for an extended period of time. Jordan Bell is expected to draw the start at power forward in his place and will see plenty of minutes at both the power forward and center positions. Bell is shaping up to be one of the better value options on Friday’s slate given his projected role in the Warriors’ rotation without Green.
As reported by: Anthony Slater Other tagged players: Jordan Bell Lonzo Ball won't have hard minutes cap Thursday, but will likely play around 25 minutes
Ball is coming off an injury-shortened preseason for the Los Angeles Lakers and it appears that head coach Luke Walton is looking to ease him back into action, as he stated that he thinks Ball is healthy enough to play around 25 minutes in tonight’s season opener against the Los Angeles Clippers, though he believes they will approach Ball’s playing time more by feel than an actual strict minutes limit. Ball could certainly end up dazzling in his professional debut but seems to be overpriced across the industry if his minutes will be capped in the mid-20s, making him a strong fade candidate across the board in all formats. His somewhat limited playing time opens up minutes for Jordan Clarkson and Tyler Ennis in the backcourt, while Brandon Ingram looks to be the best option on this Lakers squad for daily fantasy contests on Thursday.
As reported by: Tania Ganguli via Twitter