DFS Alerts
Gerald Green will remain in starting lineup for Celtics
Boston will stick with the same starting five they used against the Bulls in the opening game of their second-round series with the Wizards. Green is a volatile player but he’s dirt cheap on FanDuel at $2,100 – he’s up to $3,500 on DraftKings. He will likely earn around 20 minutes of game action but he could see less time on the court if he’s cold. Marcus Smart will be the first guy off the bench to replace Green and he should receive 30-34 minutes whether Green is playing well or not. Despite shooting 37.5% from the field against the Bulls, Smart increased his per-minute production rate to 0.83 FD ppm through improved peripheral production. He’s in a good spot to turn his scoring around as Washington ranked 29th in opponent field goal percentage after the break (48.4%) whereas Chicago was fourth (44.4%). That’s a positive sign for Green’s offensive output as well, but he’ll still likely remain a streaky shooter in this series.
As reported by: Sean Grande
Kevin Durant will be "a full go" Tuesday; Matt Barnes (ankle) upgraded to probably
Durant only played in two games of Golden State’s first-round series with the Portland and was limited to 20 minutes in Game 4, but his calf is fully healed and he’s ready to roll against the winner of the Clippers-Jazz series. His presence will have a negative impact on Stephen Curry’s fantasy value; Curry scored 34 and 37 in the final two games with Durant out or limited. Matt Barnes will be behind Andre Iguodala off the bench and will probably have a small role going forward. Shaun Livingston (hand) remains questionable.
As reported by: Anthony Slater Other tagged players: Matt Barnes, Shaun Livingston Rudy Gobert (ankle) fully expected to play Sunday
Gobert tweaked his ankle in Game 6, but he’s going to be ready to go tomorrow when the Jazz visit the Clippers for Game 7 of their first-round series. The center was hobbled up in the second half and was limited in the fourth quarter as he received treatment on the sidelines. He finished with 15 points, nine rebounds, two assists, two steals, and three blocks. Gobert has done well on the glass in this series, he now has a 22.3% rebounding rate over the three games he’s played, and he’s blocked at least two shots in each contest. He’ll be the top center available on tomorrow’s two-game slate, although Al Horford may offer a better points-per-dollar projection on FanDuel, depending on their salaries. They haven’t released pricing yet, but Gobert was $1,300 more expensive on Friday’s slate.
As reported by: Tony Jones Jason Smith (calf) will play tonight
After exiting Game 5 early with a calf injury, Smith was a game-time decision for tonight’s meeting with the Hawks. He’s been given medical clearance to play though, so he’ll be available to come off the bench in Game 6. He’s been able to pick up some extra minutes in this series with Markieff Morris in constant foul trouble, but if Morris can prevent that from happening again, Smith will likely play around 15 minutes or so. Marcin Gortat will probably be in the low 30s minute-wise, unless Morris is in trouble, he played 39 in Game 5 as a result of Smith’s injury and Morris’ fouls. With Smith questionable, Bojan Bogdanovic had become an interesting value play as the Wizards would have gone small at times, but he takes a downgrade with Smith available to play.
As reported by: Candace Buckner Jimmy Butler dealing with knee soreness
After taking 23 free throws in Game 4, Butler was noticeably less aggressive in the fifth matchup and only made it to the line once. Following the game, the Bulls revealed that Butler has been dealing with knee soreness that worsened heading into Wednesday’s contest. He used electric stimulation to ease the pain and was able to participate in their shootaround this morning, albeit in a limited fashion. This issue could explain why Butler’s usage dropped to 22.7% while Dwyane Wade’s rose to 34.6% in Game 5. Wade had a monster night, nearly getting a triple-double with 26 points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists in 35 minutes of action. It’s hard to say which Butler will show up tonight as we probably won’t receive much more information. That means there’s some added risk in rostering the small forward and Wade’s outlook looks a little better as he may be required to step up once again if Butler’s knee continues to hinder his performance.
As reported by: K.C. Johnson Rajon Rondo (thumb) remains out Friday, Isaiah Canaan will start
Rondo won’t play Friday and he’s unlikely to return on Sunday should there be a Game 7. Canaan earned 36 minutes in a start last time out after playing 34 off the bench in Game 4. He scored 13 points in each game and he’s taken at least ten shots in both. He doesn’t offer a ton of peripherals, but he should put up a healthy number of field goals tonight. He’s a strong value option on FanDuel at $2,600, but with an average of 0.59 DK ppm this season, his $4,300 salary on DK makes the decision a bit more difficult as there are several solid plays at the top of the position.
As reported by: A. Sherrod Blakely Other tagged players: Rajon Rondo Jason Smith (calf) remains a game-time decision Friday
After exiting Game 5 early, Smith was a full participant in shootaround this morning, but he’s considered a game-time decision. Although he’s not a strong option himself, his absence would open up extra playing time for Bojan Bogdanovic, who picked up 24 minutes last game and turned them into 24.4 FD points. It marked the third consecutive game he scored in double-digits, and he’s separated himself from Kelly Oubre in terms of playing time. Over the past three games when Markieff Morris was in foul trouble, Washington went small and played Bojan and Otto Porter together for around seven minutes per game and they’ve used Morris at center for some of that time. Should Smith miss and Morris stay out of foul trouble – he’s had five for three games in a row – we could see more of that small ball lineup. Porter and Morris are both in play as it is, but would have improved outlooks without Smith while Bojan would become a stronger value play. Smith’s absence would also increase Marcin Gortat’s expected workload as well, he received 39 minutes last game.
As reported by: J. Michael Other tagged players: Bojan Bogdanovic, Otto Porter Jr., Markieff Morris, Marcin Gortat Rajon Rondo (thumb) officially ruled out for Friday
Rondo wants to get back on the court, but he was unable medical clearance to play on Friday. Isaiah Canaan will earn another start in his place. He’s scored exactly 13 points and grabbed two rebounds in each of the past two games. After playing 34 minutes off the bench in Game 4, he picked up 36 in his start in the follow-up; the Canaan Ball could continue to push towards the 36-minute mark every night until Rondo returns. Over 106.2 minutes on the court this season with Butler and Wade while Rondo was off, Canaan had a usage rate of 19.2% and returned 0.59 FD ppm. He’s just $2,600 on FanDuel, so he’ll be a great value play on tomorrow’s slate. Over at DraftKings, he has a salary of $4,300, which may be a little too high.
As reported by: NESN Other tagged players: Isaiah Canaan Kyle Lowry's usage rate has dropped to 15.9% with Ibaka and DeRozan on the floor this postseason
Over the past two games with Norman Powell in the starting five, his usage has fallen even further to 9.3% and he’s produced 0.48 FD ppm across 40.1 minutes. Lowry didn’t have much time on the court with Ibaka prior to the playoffs due to his injury – they only played 72.8 minutes together – so it wasn’t clear how the team might gel together. As a comparison, before Ibaka headed to Toronto in a trade, Lowry commanded a usage of 27.1% and delivered 1.04 FD ppm. Clearly, the roster change has had a negative effect on his fantasy production. Due to Ibaka’s foul trouble and coach Dwane Casey’s new rotations, Lowry was afforded 11 minutes without either guy on the floor in Game 5. In that time he enjoyed a usage rate of 38.5% and roughly scored 17.4 of his 38.6 FD points. With an extra shooter on the floor in Powell, Lowry took a backseat in scoring, finishing with 16 points on nine shots, which was fourth among starters. A good chunk of his production came through assists as he had ten and had an assist rate of 36.9%; it makes sense for him to contribute more in the category with efficient scorers to pass to, but it seems we should expect a reduction in points. While he will be able to earn fantasy points, it appears that he has to rely on his time without the other guys to do big damage. That means he comes with added risk and his ceiling is capped with Toronto’s new strategy. Most fantasy players will likely go with a combination of Conley and one of Malcolm Brogdon/Tony Parker as there aren’t many options at the position. That makes sense as Conley has been playing some excellent basketball and Parker has raised his usage 8.0% to 30.4%, his production has increased 0.04 FD ppm to 0.79, and he’s played 30+ minutes the past two games. However, on a two-game slate, it’s tough to differentiate. Pivoting to Lowry presents a high risk/high reward situation as he’ll likely come with low ownership. If interested in a bet that Lowry can begin making a bigger impact on offense now that Ibaka has played 25 or fewer minutes in consecutive games, it could provide a nice advantage on a night that will feature plenty of duplicated lineups.
As reported by: Bryan Pauquette Isaiah Canaan will start Friday; Rajon Rondo not expected to play
Rondo wants to get back on the court, but it’s highly doubtful he gets medical clearance to do so. Canaan has scored exactly 13 points and grabbed two rebounds in each of the past two games. He earned 36 minutes in Game 5 and could continue to push towards the 36-minute mark every night until Rondo returns. Depending on his price, he could be a great value play again on tomorrow’s slate.
As reported by: Nick Friedell Other tagged players: Rajon Rondo Isaiah Canaan to start for injured Rajon Rondo tonight
Updating a previous report from Monday, Canaan will indeed draw the start for Rondo on Wednesday night. The Bulls started Jerian Grant in Games 3 and 4, but he was a disappointment. His immediate backup, Michael Carter-Williams, wasn’t much better, so Canaan got a shot in Game 4. He ended up playing for 34 minutes and was much more effective, scoring 13 points while grabbing a pair of rebounds and contributing three assists. Canaan now becomes a viable punt play across the board – he may not be a great per minute contributor, but his overall upside if he’s able to rack up 30+ minutes makes him a worthwhile target.
As reported by: Bill Doyle Other tagged players: Rajon Rondo
David Lee will start ahead of Dewayne Dedmon Tuesday
Lee started ahead of Dedmon in Game 4 and he’ll remain in the starting lineup tonight. Dedmon is available to play after missing last game with an illness. Last game, Lee received 33 minutes but he may not see that much time tonight as Dedmon has been playing around 12 minutes per game in this series. Even so, he’s an interesting value play on tonight’s slate. When on the court with Aldridge and Leonard, he produced 0.8 FD ppm and 0.83 DK ppm across a 346.6-minute sample.
As reported by: Jeff McDonald Other tagged players: Dewayne Dedmon Dewayne Dedmon (illness) will play Tuesday, as expected
Dedmon will return to the starting lineup after missing Game 4, David Lee will move back to the bench. Dedmon isn’t a viable fantasy target as he’ll likely play around 12 minutes tonight; he’s primarily used for his defending. Lee earned 33 minutes when he replaced him in the starting lineup, but he hasn’t received more than 16 in the games Dedmon was present.
As reported by: San Antonio Express-News Gordon Hayward (illness) will play Tuesday, as expected; won't have minutes restriction
Hayward played an ineffective nine minutes in Game 4 due to food poisoning, but he’s fully recovered and expected to receive a full workload tonight in Los Angeles. Without Rudy Gobert on the floor, Hayward’s usage increases by 4.2% and his per-36 pace increases by 7.33 FD points above his average to 43.08. When Gobert is on, his per-36 pace decreases another 1.19 FD points below his normal return, bringing it to 34.56. That said, Gobert may not receive a full complement of minutes and Hayward could push towards 40. George Hill, on the other hand, does better when he plays alongside the center. His usage increase 2.8% to 25.6% and his per-36 pace climbs 3.58 FD points to 32.93.
As reported by: David Locke Other tagged players: George Hill Kyle Lowry (back) expected to start Monday
Lowry had to leave shootaround early this morning due to a back issue. He’s listed as a starter on the lineup sheet made available to the media though. Lowry has had a rocky start to the playoffs and it’s possible there is a chemistry issue between him and Ibaka as they were only able to play 80.5 minutes together during the regular season. Or Ibaka may simply have a negative effect on his production. So far this postseason, Lowry’s usage has fallen by 6.6% to 20.5%. In Game 4, Ibaka and DeRozan both commanded usages of over 30% while Lowry was held to 19.1%. The point guard had a slow first half and came alive in the second, but he was perhaps aided by Ibaka’s absence as the power forward/center was in foul trouble and limited to 26 minutes. Lowry will look to turn things around tonight, but there is some risk involved with him given the way things have played out so far.
As reported by: Doug Smith