DFS Alerts
This Center in Cash Games? Noto Must be off his Rocker
When you think of consistency and a high floor, Jonas Valanciunas is probably the 250th name on the list. His minutes vary game-to-game, he forgets to show up at times, and he can get into foul trouble. These all sound like reasons to fade Big Val in cash games, right? In these small three game slates, I don’t mind taking a slightly contrarian approach in cash games (although I always make sure to enter than lineup in tournaments as well). Valanciunas was dominant in the preseason (1.33 FP/min) and this is a perfect matchup for him to rack up rebounds. He and Robin Lopez will rarely leave the paint, which will lead to rebounds, put-backs, etc. I’m fine paying up at center too, but Val is by far my favorite option below DeAndre Jordan and Brook Lopez.
Josh Hart (Achilles) ruled out Thursday
Hart has officially been ruled out for the Los Angeles Lakers season opener against the Los Angeles Clippers tonight due to a sore Achilles. Hart wasn’t expected to be an integral part of the Lakers’ rotation, but that does give head coach Luke Walton once less body on the bench and should ensure Jordan Clarkson and Tyler Ennis most of the backup guard minutes with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope serving a suspension.
As reported by: Tania Ganguli via Twitter
Jason Smith (shoulder) has no structural damage, likely a GTD for Friday
Smith suffered an injury to his shoulder early in Wednesday’s win over the Philadelphia 76ers and is expected to be a game-time decision for Friday’s matchup with the Detroit Pistons after an MRI exhibited no structural damage to his right shoulder. Smith had already been starting for the injured Markieff Morris at power forward, meaning that the Wizards would be extremely thin at that position should Smith miss any time. If that’s the case, Kelly Oubre would likely be inserted into the starting lineup alongside Otto Porter, who should also be expected to help pick up the slack at the four spot, making him and Oubre very intriguing daily fantasy options if Smith is ruled out Friday.
As reported by: Candace Buckner Jeremy Lin (ruptured patellar tendon) out for the season
Lin had to be helped off the court during the fourth quarter of Wednesday’s loss to the Indiana Pacers with what appeared to be some sort of leg injury at the time. Unfortunately, the Brooklyn Nets announced this morning that Lin suffered a ruptured patellar tendon, effectively ending his season and possibly putting his career in jeopardy, as patellar tendon ruptures are notoriously some of the most difficult injuries for an athlete to fully recover from. As the Nets are now forced to move on without Lin, expect D’Angelo Russell to assume an even larger role in the offense and split point guard duties with Spencer Dinwiddie from here on out. This will also allow Caris Levert extra playing time at the shooting guard spot and promote Isaiah Whitehead back into the Nets’ regular rotation.
As reported by: Brian Lewis via Twitter Leading the Charge
I think the fresh start will do wonders for Patrick Beverley, and he no longer has to co-exist with a dominant ball hog like James Harden. He will be allowed to facilitate the Clippers offense, and he has some weapons on the interior which should help him boost his assist totals. His strong defensive skills should lead to some steals, especially against a rookie like Lonzo Ball. Everything adds up for Beverley to have a good game tonight, and he should carry more upside with the Clippers than he did with the Rockets.
Finding Some Value on a Short Slate
The sites have done a better job at pricing players today, so we don’t have a ton of obvious value on the board. I will take a few shots with Paul Zipser, who will start at the three and be forced to play some four thanks to the absences of Nikola Mirotic and Bobby Portis. Zipser has yet to fulfill his potential at the NBA level, so there is some risk here, but I do like the GPP upside given the fact that he will likely be looking at 30+ minutes tonight.
Fresh Start - Big Potential
Lopez is one of my favorite tournament plays of the day. The Clippers/Lakers game promises to be an up tempo, high scoring contest, and the Lakers looked to run a lot of their offense through Lopez in the preseason. His versatility should work wonders in this contest, and I will very much be overweight on him in my GPP lineups.
Alex Len (ankle) and Jared Dudley (toe) officially ruled out Wednesday
Len and Dudley have both been officially ruled out for the Phoenix Suns’ season opener against the Portland Trail Blazers tonight. Both players were previously listed as questionable with separate left foot injuries, respectively, on the Suns’ initial injury report. Len had told beat reporters following shootaround that he was “probably out” for tonight’s contest with a sprained left ankle, so this news is far from unexpected. However, the questionable tag that was placed on Dudley was somewhat surprising as he was originally slated to miss the start of the season recovering from surgery on his left toe. With that said, Dudley is unlikely to see the court much this season after the Suns drafted Josh Jackson, minimizing the impact of his absence on the rest of the rotation. As for Len, his unavailability opens up additional minutes for the likes of Marquese Chriss, Dragan Bender, and Tyson Chandler in the Phoenix frontcourt.
As reported by: Craig Grialou via Twitter Other tagged players: Jared Dudley Chris Paul (knee) ruled out Wednesday
Paul is dealing with a bruised left knee that he sustained in Tuesday’s win over the Golden State Warriors and will not play tonight’s game against the Sacramento Kings after previously being listed as questionable on the Rockets official injury report. The questionable designation wasn’t all that surprising considering Paul told reporters postgame that he was unsure of what his availability would be for Wednesday’s contest and that he and the team will “figure it out”. With Paul unable to suit up, James Harden and Eric Gordon would both approach must play status given their price tags across the industry. Gordon will likely start at shooting guard and flirted with 30 minutes of action with Paul in the rotation for most of Tuesday’s contest, meaning he should see his playing time increase, while Harden would presumably revert back to his 2016-17 usage and assist rates at a much cheaper cost than normal, making him an extreme value, even on the second night of a back-to-back.
As reported by: Jonathan Feigen via Twitter Zach Randolph (oral surgery) ruled out Wednesday
Randolph has officially been ruled out for tonight’s season opener against the Houston Rockets as he recovers from oral surgery. After missing practice yesterday, Randolph was absent from the Sacramento Kings’ shootaround this morning and had been listed as questionable for tonight’s contest. With Randolph unable to suit up, Skal Labissiere will be the likeliest candidate to start at power forward and to see increased playing time. Kings head coach Dave Joerger has been adamant about utilizing a 10-man rotation all preseason and Buddy Hield may be the Kings’ player with the most appeal in daily fantasy formats considering Bogdan Bogdanovic as already been ruled out with a sprained right ankle. Additionally, with the Rockets on the second night of a back-to-back set, this game has a better chance of remaining close than it normally would, just further adding to the appeal of Kings’ starters like Hield and George Hill.
As reported by: Jason Jones via Twitter Marcus Smart will start for Gordon Hayward (ankle) Wednesday, as expected
Smart has been confirmed as the Boston Celtics starting shooting guard for tonight’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks in place of Gordon Hayward, who, as everyone knows by now, suffered a gruesome fracture to his ankle and lower leg area in Tuesday’s loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on the road. The timetable for Hayward’s return has yet to be determined but he is all but assured to be sidelined for an extended period of time, opening up additional minutes for Smart, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, and Terry Rozier off the bench, at least while newly-acquired Marcus Morris remains unable to suit up.
As reported by: Sean Grande via Twitter Other tagged players: Gordon Hayward Dwayne Bacon will start for Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (personal) Wednesday
Bacon has been confirmed as the starting shooting guard for the Charlotte Hornets season opener against the Detroit Pistons tonight in place of Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, who has been away from the team for over a week now. With Bacon being inserted into the starting unit at the shooting guard spot, Jeremy Lamb will slide over to small forward in place of Kidd-Gilchrist. Based on this news, Lamb and Kemba Walker should be the largest beneficiaries of Kidd-Gilchrist’s absence with Nicolas Batum also sidelined for 8-12 weeks, while Malik Monk also figures to see plenty of run off the bench at guard with Michael Carter-Williams also unavailable to begin the season.
As reported by: Rod Beard via Twitter Jason Smith confirmed as starter for Markieff Morris (sports hernia) Wednesday
As expected, Smith has been confirmed as the Washington Wizards starting power forward for their season opener against the Philadelphia 76ers, filling in for the injured Markieff Morris, who is expected to miss 6-8 weeks recovering from sports hernia surgery. Smith is expected to share time at the four with Otto Porter and Kelly Oubre but will definitely see enough of a bump in minutes to be considered as a salary saver in tournaments in what should still be a plus matchup against a revamped Sixers squad.
As reported by: Candace Buckner via Twitter Other tagged players: Markieff Morris Zach Randolph (oral surgery) misses shootaround, still questionable Wednesday
After missing practice yesterday, Randolph was absent from the Sacramento Kings’ shootaround this morning and remains questionable for tonight’s season opener against the Houston Rockets due to a recovery from oral surgery. If Randolph is unable to suit up, Skal Labissiere is the likeliest candidate to start at power forward and see increased playing time. Kings head coach Dave Joerger has been adamant about utilizing a 10-man rotation all preseason and Buddy Hield may be the Kings’ player with the most appeal in daily fantasy formats considering Bogdan Bogdanovic as already been ruled out with a sprained right ankle. Additionally, with the Rockets on the second night of a back-to-back set, this game has a better chance of remaining close, just further adding to the appeal of Kings’ starters like Hield and George Hill.
As reported by: James Ham via Twitter Alex Len (ankle) unlikely to play Wednesday
Len told beat reporters himself following shootaround that he is “probably out” for tonight’s season opener against the Portland Trail Blazers with a sprained left ankle. Both he and Jared Dudley are listed as questionable with separate left foot injuries, respectively, on the Suns’ injury report. The questionable tag placed on Dudley is somewhat surprising as he was originally slated to miss the start of the season recovering from surgery on his left toe. However, Dudley is unlikely to see the court this season after the Suns drafted Josh Jackson, minimizing the impact of his potential absence on the rest of the rotation. As for Len, his potential absence would open up additional minutes for the likes of Marquese Chriss, Dragan Bender, and Tyson Chandler in the Phoenix frontcourt.
As reported by: Scott Bordow via Twitter