DFS Alerts
Andre Iguodala (knee) ruled out Tuesday
Iggy sat out the entire second half on Sunday due to knee soreness and he’s been ruled out of Game 2. Shaun Livingston is now a potential GPP target. He earned 23 minutes on Sunday, 15 of them coming in the second half. Although he’s far from a lock, as he’s averaged just 0.60 FD ppm this postseason, he’s very affordable at or near the minimum across the industry. The opportunity cost of missing big games from the three elite point guards – Isaiah Thomas, Kyrie Irving, and Stephen Curry – may be too great though.
As reported by: Golden State Warriors Other tagged players: Shaun Livingston
Jonathon Simmons confirmed as starter in place of Kawhi Leonard (ankle) Tuesday
Leonard re-injured his ankle in Game 1 on Sunday, which will keep him sidelined tonight. Simmons will join the starting five as he did when Leonard missed Game 6 against Houston in the second round. He’s produced 0.89 FD ppm and a 26.1% usage rate without Leonard and Parker in the playoffs. Considering his affordable price, Simmons will undoubtedly be popular and for good reason. Leonard’s absence provides a huge boost for LaMarcus Aldridge. Across 97.1 minutes without Leonard or Parker on the court during the postseason, Aldridge’s usage spiked 10.0% to 36.1% and he produced an extra 0.18 FD ppm for a total pace of 1.05. During the season, he produced 1.26 FD ppm in this situation. Aldridge has picked up his shooting over the past three games, launching 23.7 FGAs on average, and he should have a high volume again tonight. Manu Ginobili, Kyle Anderson, and Dejounte Murray will likely see more time on the court with Ginobili expected to receive the biggest workload off the bench.
As reported by: Jabari Young Andre Iguodala (knee) has MRI Monday, questionable for Tuesday
Iggy sat out the entire second half on Sunday due to knee soreness. The results of the MRI aren’t available yet, but beat writer Marcus Thompson reported last night that there was a “strong chance he misses Game 2.” If that ends up being the case, Shaun Livingston would become a potential GPP target. He earned 23 minutes on Sunday, 15 of them coming in the second half. Although he’s far from a lock, as he’s averaged just 0.60 FD ppm this postseason, he’s very affordable at or near the minimum across the industry. The opportunity cost of missing big games from the three elite point guards – Isaiah Thomas, John Wall, and Stephen Curry – may be too great though.
As reported by: Anthony Slater Bojan Bogdanovic (flu) will play Monday, as expected
He was able to play through the illness on Friday night and he’s all set for Monday’s elimination game. He was ahead of Kelly Oubre in the rotation in Game 6 but only picked up two stints for a total of 17 minutes as the Wizards pushed starters Markieff Morris and Otto Porter to 39 and 36 minutes, respectively. After that, there were just seven minutes for Oubre, who didn’t play at all in the second half. Coach Scott Brooks may follow a similar pattern on Monday with a trip to the conference finals on the line, although Oubre should earn more than seven this time around. Bojan, who’s averaging 0.87 FD ppm against Boston with a 20.6% usage rate, could potentially pick up a bigger workload if he comes out hot but he doesn’t appear to be much more than a GPP dart throw with limited upside.
As reported by: J. Michael Coach Gregg Popovich says Kawhi Leonard (ankle) won't play Tuesday
Leonard is getting an MRI on his injured ankle this afternoon and coach Gregg Popovich said he wouldn’t play in tomorrow’s game against the Warriors. Jonathon Simmons is expected to start in his place and LaMarcus Aldridge should see a solid bump in usage and production. Across 97.1 minutes without Leonard or Tony Parker on the court during the postseason, Aldridge’s usage spiked 10.0% to 36.1% and he produced an extra 0.18 FD ppm for a total pace of 1.05. During the season, he produced 1.26 FD ppm in this situation. Aldridge has picked up his shooting over the past three games, launching 23.7 FGAs on average, and he should have a high volume again tomorrow night. As for Simmons, he’s produced 0.89 FD ppm and a 26.1% usage rate without Leonard and Parker in the playoffs. Considering his affordable price, Simmons will undoubtedly be popular. Manu Ginobili, Kyle Anderson, and Dejounte Murray will likely see more time on the court with Ginobili expected to receive the biggest workload off the bench.
As reported by: Jeff Platt Other tagged players: LaMarcus Aldridge, Jonathon Simmons, Manu Ginobili, Dejounte Murray, Kyle Anderson San Antonio will keep Patty Mills in starting lineup Sunday, as expected
It will be the same starting group that won Game 5 against Houston – Mills, Danny Green, Kawhi Leonard, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Pau Gasol. Mills should log heavy minutes tonight as the Spurs will likely play smaller lineups, although Dejounte Murray may have carved out a spot in the rotation following his big Game 6 double-double (11 points, ten rebounds, five assists, two blocks, and a steal). So far this postseason, Mills has played 116.8 minutes with Aldridge and Leonard on the court and Tony Parker off; in that sample, he set a per-36 pace of 23.04 DK points with a usage rate of 18.4%. He did a bit better during the regular season with a per-36 pace of 25.69 DK points across 660.4 minutes, although his usage was 16.3%. Since earning the starting job his price has jumped across the industry, preventing him from being a great value. On top of that, he has a very tough matchup and there are three elite point guards available on the slate, two of whom are in a Game 7 and playing softer defenses. It may make sense to pay up at the position and save elsewhere.
As reported by: Connor Letourneau Kevin Durant led Warriors with a 29.8% usage rate against Utah
He also tied with Stephen Curry for a team-high 24.5 points per game and with Draymond Green for the most rebounds with 8.8 per game. The usage number is pretty much in line with his regular season production (29.3%) but Curry bested him during the year with a 31.0% usage. The latter’s rate dropped to 27.8% against the Jazz and he took 2.25 fewer field goals per game than KD. Due to game flow, Durant only played more than 31 minutes in two games and he double-doubled in both with at least 25 points. That’s impressive considering Utah ranked 3rd in rebounding (51.8%) and defensive rating (102.7) this season. San Antonio was pretty similar in rebounding (51.4%) and even better in defensive rating, leading the league with a 100.9. The Spurs have been dominant on the glass so far this postseason, collecting 54.0% of all available rebounds whereas the Jazz posted a 48.9% rate. While their defensive rating has dropped to 106.1, they’ve held their opponents to 43.6% shooting from the field. It will certainly be a tough matchup, but Utah was no picnic and Durant was effective when given sufficient time on the floor. Considering Golden State’s defense has been even better than the Spurs, Durant is looking like a great deal when compared to the injured Kawhi Leonard, who costs an extra $1,500 on FanDuel. At the same time, he takes away from Curry, which makes Isaiah Thomas – at home in Game 7 against a poor defense – look like a strong target on FD as well; Thomas, who took 24 FGAs in Friday’s elimination game, is $1,200 cheaper on the site.
Other tagged players: Stephen Curry, Isaiah Thomas Bojan Bogdanovic (flu) misses practice Saturday; expected to play Monday
It looks like it was a much-needed rest day for Bogdanovic after he came down with the flu yesterday. He was able to play through the illness last night, so he should be all set for Monday’s elimination game. He was ahead of Kelly Oubre in the rotation but only picked up two stints for a total of 17 minutes as the Wizards pushed starters Markieff Morris and Otto Porter to 39 and 36 minutes, respectively. After that, there were just seven minutes for Oubre, who didn’t play at all in the second half. Coach Scott Brooks may follow a similar pattern on Monday with a trip to the conference finals on the line. Bojan, who’s averaging 0.87 FD ppm against Boston with a 20.6% usage rate, could potentially pick up a bigger workload if he comes out hot but he doesn’t appear to be much more than a GPP dart throw with limited upside.
As reported by: Ben Standig Coach Gregg Popovich confirms Kawhi Leonard (ankle) will play Sunday
Leonard was a full participant in Saturday’s practice and he’s ready to take on the Warriors in Game 1 of the western conference finals tomorrow afternoon. There’s some added risk with Kawhi due to his injury and he’s in a tough spot; Golden State has posted a 96.9 defensive rating this postseason while limiting their first two opponents to a combined 40.3% field goal percentage, 17.4 assists per game, and a 48.0% rebounding rate. With Kevin Durant $1,500 cheaper on FanDuel and a couple of viable mid-range guys available, there’s certainly some merit to fading Kawhi. However, cheaper alternatives and his injury should keep his ownership lower than normal, providing a potential advantage in GPPs for those willing to take a shot on the star player.
As reported by: Melissa Rohlin Coach Scott Brooks confirms Bojan Bogdanovic (flu) will play Friday
Bogdanovic is dealing with a “bad case of the flu,” according to beat writer Candace Buckner. He’ll play tonight, but he’ll carry more risk than normal. He wasn’t a very strong fantasy target to begin with as he isn’t getting a ton of minutes – 22 and 23 in the past two games – but he did come off the bench ahead of Kelly Oubre on Wednesday. It’s possible Oubre jumps ahead of him tonight and takes on some of Bojan’s workload. Oubre earned 20 minutes in Game 5 and dropped 13 points. With Bojan dealing with the illness, starters Otto Porter and Markieff Morris could also take a few minutes back.
As reported by: Adam Himmelsbach Bojan Bogdanovic (flu) intends to play Friday
Bogdanovic is dealing with a “bad case of the flu,” according to beat writer Candace Buckner. He still intends to play tonight, but he’ll carry more risk than normal. He wasn’t a very strong fantasy target to begin with as he isn’t getting a ton of minutes – 22 and 23 in the past two games – but he did come off the bench ahead of Kelly Oubre on Wednesday. It’s possible Oubre jumps ahead of him tonight and takes on some of Bojan’s workload. Oubre earned 20 minutes in Game 5 and dropped 13 points. With Bojan dealing with the illness, starters Otto Porter and Markieff Morris could also take a few minutes back.
As reported by: Candace Buckner Other tagged players: Otto Porter Jr., Markieff Morris, Kelly Oubre Kawhi Leonard (ankle) expected to play Sunday
Leonard missed Game 6 against the Rockets with an ankle injury but he’s expected to suit up on Sunday against the Warriors. It will certainly be a difficult spot. After posting the best defensive rating after the break (100.0), the Warriors have been even better in the playoffs (96.9). They held Portland and Utah to a combined 40.7% field goal percentage, which is 2.8% lower than their league-best 43.5% opponent field goal percentage during the regular season. They have an excellent 52.0% rebounding rate and have permitted just 17.4 assists per game. Although Kawhi had improved his rebounding and assist production against Houston, they’re a much more favorable matchup. Of course, there’s some added risk with Leonard’s injury. Nevertheless, he’s one of the best players in the game and he could come with suppressed ownership; he remains firmly in play, but he may be better for tournaments considering his price tag.
As reported by: ESPN Kawhi Leonard (ankle) ruled OUT Thursday
This is a bit surprising; coach Gregg Popovich said Kawhi Leonard won’t play tonight against the Rockets. He tweaked his knee in the third quarter on Tuesday and was visibly hobbled up by the injury during Game 5, but he was able to participate in shootaround this morning without a limp. Even so, San Antonio’s medical staff (and Pop) decided the injury was severe enough to hold him out tonight. Jonathon Simmons will get the start in his place and will undoubtedly be a chalky option. He’s played well in this series, producing 0.83 FD ppm with a 28.0% usage rate, just 0.1% behind Leonard. Power forward LaMarcus Aldrige should experience a sharp bump in his fantasy production. Across 506.5 minutes without Leonard on the court this season, his usage has climbed 4.1% to 30.3% and he’s returned an extra 0.13 FD ppm, bringing his pace to 1.07. Manu Ginobili played the entire overtime period in place of Leonard on Tuesday; he’ll pick up a sizeable workload tonight as well. When the veteran has played without Leonard this year, his usage increased by 4.2% to 24.6% and he turned in 0.92 FD ppm, a rise of 0.10 over his average.
As reported by: San Antonio Spurs Other tagged players: Jonathon Simmons, LaMarcus Aldridge, Manu Ginobili Kawhi Leonard (ankle) remains a game-time decision Thursday
Although Leonard is technically questionable, he participated in shootaround this morning and beat writer Jeff McDonald reported he was able to move around without a limp. In fact, he added that he believes “there’s a very good chance he starts tonight.” As of now, it seems like he’ll give it a go. In such a huge game, he’ll likely try to play as much as he can, but he clearly carries some risk. In addition to the ankle issue, he was receiving treatment on his knee when on the sidelines Tuesday night. Nevertheless, if he starts, he’s a top target. He continues to impress this postseason; he’s currently averaging 23.8 points, 9.8 rebounds, 5.8 assists, and 1.4 steals in the second round. While his scoring is down a bit, he’s made up for it with improvements to his peripherals – his rebounding rate is up 5.1% to 14.9% while his assist rate has increased 8.4% over his season average to 27.3%. That’s enabled him to bring his per-minute pace to 1.38 DK ppm, an increase of 0.10 over his regular season production.
As reported by: Jeff McDonald Eric Gordon will remain in starting lineup Thursday
Houston will continue to use Ryan Anderson off the bench as a backup center, providing Gordon his second consecutive start. Although is workload was boosted with overtime in Game 5, Gordon received 40 minutes in regulation. He continued to struggle when running with the first unit though; he had a usage rate of 17.6% and returned 0.53 FD ppm. That’s right in line with his average production when sharing the court with James Harden, Trevor Ariza, Patrick Beverley, and Clint Capela (16.3% usage, 0.58 FD ppm), but represents a large departure from his normal numbers overall (22.9% usage, 0.84 FD ppm). On the bright side, he was able to take 13 shots overall and six threes, he just struggled from the field, making four total attempts and one from deep. Hopefully, he can continue to get a similar number of scoring opportunities tonight. We can at least be confident he’ll receive a large workload given Houston’s seven-man rotation, but in an elimination game, Harden’s usage could soar and he may take some chances away from Gordon.
As reported by: Houston Chron