DFS Alerts
LeBron James (rest), Kyrie Irving (rest), and Kevin Love (rest) ruled out tonight
James, Irving, and Love will all be rested and won’t play in tonight’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers despite never appearing on the Cavaliers’ injury report at any point throughout the day. Unfortunately for those that rostered any member of the big three on the main slate, this news first broke just minutes after lock. This Cavaliers will roll with a starting lineup of Deron Williams, J.R. Smith, Iman Shumpert, Channing Frye, and Tristan Thompson, which obviously means that Shumpert will, in fact, play after previously being considered questionable. Additionally, Derrick Williams will be available to play off the bench after missing one game with a quad contusion. Any time the big three sit for rest, a case can be made for rostering any member of the newly assembled starting five, and tonight is no different, though the last time LeBron, Irving, and Love sat out, no player on Cleveland so more than 28 minutes of action.
As reported by: Joe Gabriele Other tagged players: Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love
Ersan Ilyasova confirmed as starter for Paul Millsap (knee) tonight
Millsap will not play in tonight’s game against the Portland Trail Blazers due to tightness in his left knee despite never appearing on the Hawks’ injury report at any point Friday or during the day today. Ersan Ilyasova will receive the starting nod at power forward in his place, as expected. Somewhat surprisingly, Dwight Howard’s production is actually worse in games Millsap has missed this season but does certainly draw an exploitable matchup with the Trail Blazers frontcourt this evening. Since the All-Star break, albeit a limited sample size, Ilyasova (22.5%), Thabo Sefolosha (21.0%), and Dennis Schroder (37.6%) have all seen greater than a +5.5% usage rate differential with Millsap off the court.
As reported by: Chris Vivlamore Markieff Morris (illness) ruled out tonight
Morris will not play in tonight’s game against the Charlotte Hornets due to flu-like symptoms that have now forced him to miss two consecutive games. Morris did travel with the team to Charlotte, but he must still be feeling ill-effects from the flu that kept him sidelined on Friday. In his absence, Jason Smith will be inserted into the starting lineup at power forward once again alongside Marcin Gortat in the frontcourt. Smith has shown the ability in the past to put up some impressive stat lines when given the opportunity, as evidenced by his massive performance in 37 minutes yesterday, so he is certainly close to a must play as a salary saving option in all formats on Saturday’s slate. Since the All-Star break, both John Wall (34.1%) and Bradley Beal (30.6%) have seen at least a +2.2% usage rate differential with Morris off the court, though Beal has taken the most advantage of the extra usage averaging nearly seven more fantasy points per 36 minutes.
As reported by: Official Twitter Account of the Washington Wizards Paul Millsap (left knee tightness) ruled out tonight
Millsap will not play in tonight’s game against the Portland Trail Blazers due to tightness in his left knee despite never appearing on the Hawks’ injury report at any point Friday or during the day today. The Hawks have yet to announce his replacement in the starting lineup, but Ersan Ilyasova is by far the likeliest candidate to receive the starting nod at power forward. Somewhat surprisingly, Dwight Howard’s production is actually worse in games Millsap has missed this season but does certainly draw an exploitable matchup with the Trail Blazers frontcourt this evening. Since the All-Star break, albeit a limited sample size, Ilyasova (22.5%), Thabo Sefolosha (21.0%), and Dennis Schroder (37.6%) have all seen greater than a +5.5% usage rate differential with Millsap off the court.
As reported by: Chris Vivlamore Sean Kilpatrick (strained left hamstring) ruled out for Sunday
Kilpatrick has officially been ruled out in advance of tomorrow’s game against the Dallas Mavericks due to a strained left hamstring that has now forced him to miss three consecutive games. Additionally, Trevor Booker was left off of the Nets’ most recent injury report, implying that he will be good to go after also missing two consecutive games with a sore left leg. The Nets limit the minutes of their young players to such an extent that’s it difficult to foresee Caris Levert playing significantly more minutes in Sunday’s contest, as he has yet to see more than 25 minutes in either game both Kilpatrick and Joe Harris have been sidelined, but he is still set up to be a viable tournament option, despite the pace down matchup with this Dallas squad. A majority of Kilpatrick’s minutes have been directly absorbed by K.J. McDaniels, who has now entered the Nets rotation with their lack of depth on the wing. However, McDaniels will not be a viable option on tomorrow’s slate since he hasn’t played more than 18 minutes in either game Kilpatrick missed this past week.
As reported by: Brian Lewis Other tagged players: Trevor Booker Evan Turner (fractured right hand) will play tonight
Turner will play in tonight’s game against the Atlanta Hawks, as expected, after missing the last 14 games with a fractured right hand. There has yet to be any official confirmation on a possible minute restriction or if he’ll rejoin the starting lineup, but at the time of this writing, it would be safe to assume that Turner will come off the bench in his return as he works his way back into form. If that’s the case, Maurice Harkless would remain in the starting unit at small forward but will still likely see a dip in playing time, along with Allen Crabbe, Pat Connaughton, and even possibly Noah Vonleh. Luckily, Turner is only available on the early slate of games on Saturday, so we will be able to properly gauge his role before having to consider him as a daily fantasy option, but Turner is still probably best avoided on late-swap sites in his return from a broken hand.
As reported by: Casey Holdahl DeMarcus Cousins (knee, ribs) questionable for Sunday
Cousins has officially been listed as questionable for tomorrow’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves due to a sore left knee and right rib contusion that forced him to miss Friday’s win over the Houston Rockets. However, Cousins did tell the media on Saturday that he will, in fact, play in Sunday’s contest, so it should be safe to assume he will be ready to roll come tomorrow, despite the questionable designation. The potential absence of Cousins from the lineup would obviously be a tremendous bump to the projected fantasy value of Anthony Davis and Jrue Holiday since a large amount of usage and production will now need to be diverted elsewhere. In fact, Davis, Holiday and Donatas Motiejunas all see a +3.1% usage rate increase or higher with Cousins off the court since the All-Star break. Clearly, Davis and to some extent Holiday would be elite options in all formats should Cousins suffer a setback and be ruled out prior to game-time.
As reported by: Pelicans PR Garrett Temple confirmed as starter in place of Arron Afflalo (personal) today
Evans, Afflalo, and McLemore all will not play in today’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder due to various ailments and reasons despite never appearing on the Kings’ injury report at any point during the day Friday or today. Garrett Temple will receive the starting nod at small forward in his place, as expected, while Langston Galloway will be relied upon to absorb significant minutes off the bench given Sacramento’s sudden lack of depth at the wing positions. This is the first time that the Kings have been without each of the aforementioned players in the same game this season, so the sample size obviously isn’t huge, but Skal Labissiere easily leads the Kings with a +5.7% usage rate differential (32.5%) in the above scenario since the All-Star break. Labissiere may gain traction as a popular play as we approach lock on the early slate, but he is certainly worth a roster spot coming off a massive performance in his previous game in just 29 minutes of action.
As reported by: Randy Renner Dion Waiters (left ankle sprain) ruled out for Sunday, will be out indefinitely
Dion Waiters has officially been ruled out in advance of tomorrow’s game against the Portland Trail Blazers and still remains without a timetable for his return after re-spraining the same ankle that recently forced him to miss three consecutive games. In his absence, Wayne Ellington will likely be inserted into the Heat starting lineup at shooting guard, while Josh Richardson and Tyler Johnson will likely pick up some extra playing time off the bench. Johnson, James Johnson, and Goran Dragic all have seen a minimum +2.0% usage rate differential with Waiters off the court since the All-Star break, which should put them all firmly in play for Sunday’s slate in a plus matchup with Portland.
As reported by: Tim Reynolds Tony Parker (back) officially available to play tonight; Dejounte Murray remains out
Parker will be available to play in tonight’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies after being forced to miss four consecutive games due to back stiffness. With Parker officially able to suit up for tonight’s contest, he will likely displace Patty Mills from the Spurs starting lineup and send Mills back to the bench to resume his reserve role. The early reports following shootaround were positive and Parker is looking likely to return to the starting lineup, even if it’s on a limited basis. However, either way, Parker is still not in play as a daily fantasy option since he will likely continue splitting point guard minutes, at best, with Mills for the foreseeable future.
As reported by: Tom Orsborn Other tagged players: Dejounte Murray Tony Parker (back stiffness) expected to play tonight
Parker is reportedly on track to play in tonight’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies after being forced to miss four consecutive games due to back stiffness. If Parker is able to suit up for tonight’s contest, he will likely displace Patty Mills from the Spurs starting lineup and send him back to the bench to resume his reserve role. The reports following shootaround were positive and Parker is looking likely to return to the lineup in some capacity, even if it’s on a limited basis. The Spurs do play Sunday, so that is something that is working against Parker’s favor, as the coaching and medical staffs may elect to sit him out one more game. However, either way, Parker is still not in play as a daily fantasy option even if he does start since he will likely continue splitting point guard minutes, at best, with Mills for the foreseeable future.
As reported by: Tom Orsborn Tyreke Evans (ankle), Arron Afflalo (personal), and Ben McLemore (personal) ruled out today
Evans, Afflalo, and McLemore all will not play in today’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder due to various ailments and reasons despite never appearing on the Kings’ injury report at any point during the day Friday or today. The Kings have yet to announce Afflalo’s replacement in the starting lineup, but Garrett Temple is the likeliest candidate to receive the starting nod in his place, while Langston Galloway will be relied upon to absorb significant minutes off the bench given Sacramento’s sudden lack of depth at the wing positions. This is the first time that the Kings have been without each of the aforementioned players in the same game this season, so the sample size obviously isn’t huge, but Skal Labissiere easily leads the Kings with a +5.7% usage rate differential (32.5%) in the above scenario since the All-Star break. Labissiere may gain traction as a popular play as we approach lock on the early slate, but he is certainly worth a roster spot coming off a massive performance in his previous game in just 29 minutes of action.
As reported by: James Ham Other tagged players: Arron Afflalo, Ben McLemore Rodney Hood (knee) ruled out tonight
Hood will not play in tonight’s game against the Chicago Bulls after previously being listed as questionable on the Jazz’s injury report with a sore right knee that has now forced him to miss two consecutive games. Additionally, Derrick Favors and Shelvin Mack have both already been ruled out and will remain sidelined with their respective ailments. With Hood officially unable to suit up, Joe Ingles will almost assuredly remain in the starting lineup at the shooting guard spot in his place. Not only does George Hill draw the best individual matchup of the Utah starters, but he also owns a +3.3% usage rate differential (26.6%) with the aforementioned trio off the court since the All-Star break. Now that Hood has been ruled out, Hill is shaping up to be an elite option on Saturday’s slate.
As reported by: Jody Gennessy Nicolas Batum (migraine) will play tonight
Batum will play in tonight’s game against the Washington Wizards after previously being listed as questionable on the Hornets’ injury report with a migraine that had forced him to miss two consecutive games. His return to the lineup will presumably send Jeremy Lamb back to the bench to resume his reserve role. The obvious loser of Batum’s availability is Lamb, who can now be removed from consideration in daily fantasy formats entirely given his inflated price tag across the industry. As for Batum, he is nothing more than a secondary tournament option coming off an injury and draws a matchup with a Wizards squad that ranks in the top half of the league in DvP against opposing shooting guards (11th) and small forwards (7th).
As reported by: Official Twitter Account of the Charlotte Hornets Leandro Barbosa (illness) officially ruled out tonight
Barbosa will not play in tonight’s game against the Orlando Magic after previously being listed as doubtful on the Suns’ injury report due to an illness that has now forced him to miss two consecutive games. Additionally, Derrick Jones Jr. will be available to play after being listed as questionable with a lower back contusion. The Suns will stick with the same starting lineup as their prior game, meaning Jones Jr. will come off the bench in a reserve role. Phoenix has already shut down Eric Bledsoe, Brandon Knight, and essentially Tyson Chandler for the remainder of the season so they will be down to just eight active players with Barbosa officially unavailable. Phoenix will be particularly shorthanded in the backcourt, which will likely allow Ronnie Price to enter the rotation to soak up some reserve guard minutes at both point and shooting guard. Tyler Ulis, T.J. Warren, Devin Booker, and Alan Williams are all viable options on Friday’s slate and will be relied upon to carry the offensive load going forward, especially tonight, sans Bledsoe.
As reported by: Doug Haller