DFS Alerts
P.J. Tucker starting for DeMarre Carroll tonight
Tucker will draw the start at small forward for tonight’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans in place of DeMarre Carroll, who was previously ruled out with a sprained left ankle. Norman Powell was originally projected to start, but it seems that he will remain in his normal role off the bench for the Raptors. In previous games Carroll has missed this season, Powell has averaged roughly 30 minutes per contest, but he started a majority of those games and was prior to Tucker being in the mix in Toronto. Either Powell or Tucker could be worth a look in tournaments, but the rotation will be far from definitive with so many new mouths to feed than in prior instances Carroll has been ruled out. However, Powell arguably has more upside given his scoring prowess over Tucker.
As reported by: Matt Devlin
Carmelo Anthony (sore left knee) playing tonight after resting on Monday
Carmelo will play in tonight’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks, as expected, after being rested in the Knicks’ previous game on Monday with a sore left knee. His return to the starting lineup will send Ron Baker back to the bench to resume his reserve role. Anthony will be a more than viable tournament option on Wednesday’s slate against a Milwaukee squad that has consistently struggle to lock down opposing forwards, ranking 29th and 18th in DvP against opposing small and power forwards respectively. The presence of Carmelo in the lineup is a significant knock to the fantasy value of Derrick Rose, who traditionally sees a substantial boost in usage and fantasy production with Carmelo off the court this season.
As reported by: Andrew Gruman Luke Babbitt confirmed in the starting lineup
Luke Babbitt was listed as probable for tonight’s game and has been confirmed in the starting lineup. Babbitt rarely plays heavy minutes and is simply a placeholder for James Johnson. With Johnson available tonight, Babbitt should be avoided in all DFS formats.
As reported by: @Heat Other tagged players: James Johnson George Hill (toe) ruled out; Joe Johnson (groin) also returns to the starting lineup
With Hill out, look for Dante Exum to draw the start at PG, although he’s not going to be a recommended DFS option on a full slate. Gordon Hayward picks up a usage bump with Hill off the floor, as he tends to take on more of the playmaking responsibilities, and this also aides the upside of Rodney Hood. Despite coming off the bench on Monday and seeing just 20 minutes, Hood should be back to a normal minutes load this evening. Joe Johnson’s presence in the starting lineup is likely to match up with the Rockets three-guard lineup – Houston will start Eric Gordon in place of Ryan Anderson, which will likely lead to the Jazz also rolling out a small starting five. Johnson still isn’t a recommended DFS option.
As reported by: Tim MacMahon Other tagged players: Joe Johnson, Gordon Hayward, Rodney Hood DeMarre Carroll (ankle) ruled out tonight
Carroll will not play in tonight’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans after previously being listed as questionable on the Raptors’ injury report with a sprained left ankle. The Raptors have yet to announce his replacement in the starting lineup, but Norman Powell is fully expected to draw the start at small forward in Carroll’s absence. Powell has consistently proven to be a viable option in all formats when given the opportunity to start, and that will be the case once again, assuming he does get the start, as he carries a very affordable price tag across the industry and should see somewhere north of 30 minutes on Wednesday.
As reported by: Eric Koreen Ryan Anderson (back) officially ruled out for tonight's game vs. Utah
Anderson will not play in tonight’s game against the Utah Jazz after previously being listed as doubtful on the Rockets’ injury report due to lower back tightness. In his absence, Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni will roll with a small lineup and insert Eric Gordon into the starting lineup at small forward, which slides Trevor Ariza down to the power forward spot. Not only will Gordon play a more prominent role in the Rockets offense, but Sam Dekker should also be expected to see a significant amount of extra run off the bench and could see minutes in the 20-25 minute range this evening. The primary beneficiaries of Anderson’s absence look to be Gordon (27.3%), James Harden (38.3%), and Patrick Beverley (17.7%), as the aforementioned trio all see positive usage rate differentials of 2.3% or greater with him off the court this season. Clearly, despite the perceived difficult matchup, Gordon, Harden, and to some extent Beverley are all viable tournament options
As reported by: Craig Ackerman Heads up: Ish Smith not dealing with an injury, will play tonight
There was some confusion earlier this afternoon after an alert went out stating that Ish Smith was unlikely to play Thursday. J.R. Smith – and not Ish – was supposed to be the player tagged in that alert. Again, the Pistons PG is not dealing with any sort of injury, and is fully expected to take the court against the Pacers.
James Johnson (elbow) warming up with the intent to play tonight
James Johnson officially remains questionable for tonight’s game against the Charlotte Hornets, but Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters that Johnson will go through pregame warmups with the intent on playing in tonight’s contest. Based on that news, it appears that Johnson is extremely likely to return to the lineup Wednesday after a one-game absence due to an elbow injury. Johnson sets up as a viable GPP target this evening, as he typically produces when given the minutes. He’s topped 38 FanDuel points in two of his last five games, and given his ability to contribute across the board statistically, his ceiling is still intriguing at his current DFS asking price. The Heat still don’t have much depth in the front-court, especially at the PF spot.
As reported by: Anthony Chang Wayne Selden signed to a 10-day contract by New Orleans
Since the Pelicans are dealing with so many injuries, they have signed guard Wayne Selden to a 10-day contract. Selden is not available on the DFS sites and likely won’t see more than 12 minutes on the court. He could affect Solomon Hill’s minutes but it’s likely that he’s more of an emergency option for tonight’s game.
As reported by: @Pelicans Other tagged players: Solomon Hill Jimmy Butler (illness) will play tonight
With Wade off the floor this season, Butler holds an elite 34% usage rate, a +5.4% differential from his seasonal mark, making him an elite target. He’s a preferred option on DraftKings (SG/SF) over someone like Giannis Antetokounmpo who carries a higher price tag, and Butler checks in as the top overall play at the SF spot on FanDuel. Even with a minor illness hanging over him, Butler is an strong play in all formats on Wednesday night, and he’ll be the only play on the Bulls side with any real viability.
As reported by: Vincent Goodwill
Dwyane Wade (thigh) ruled out for Wednesday; Rajon Rondo (ankle) available and Jimmy Butler (illness) expected to play
Wade has officially be ruled out for tonight’s game against the Orlando Magic after previously being listed as doubtful on the Bulls’ injury report with a strained left quad that has now forced him to miss town consecutive games. Additionally, Rajon Rondo will be available to play off the bench and should be expected to resume his normal backup point guard role, while Jimmy Butler is currently expected to warm up with the intent to play. With Wade off the floor this season, Butler holds an elite 34% usage rate, a +5.4% differential from his seasonal mark, making him an elite target assuming he’s active. Even with Wade out, none of the other Bulls are intriguing DFS targets on a full slate – the back-court situation is still a bit crowded with Chicago working some younger players into the rotation.
As reported by: Vincent Goodwill Other tagged players: Rajon Rondo, Jimmy Butler Larry Nance (wrist) and Ivica Zubac (quad) both probable for Thursday
Larry Nance was able to play 20 minutes against the Mavs last night even though he was dealing with a minor wrist sprain. Julius Randle continues to be locked ahead of Nance and has played over 32 minutes in three of his last four starts. Randle has scored has put up two monster performances and will likely be heavily owned against the Suns on Thursday. There’s not need to fade him against a team that ranks near the bottom of the league in defensive efficiency. Ivica Zubac did not play against Dallas but is expected to play against Phoenix. The Lakers used Thomas Robinson with Zubac unavailable on Tuesday but Black is not a viable option even if he does stay ahead of Zubac in the rotation, which is unlikely.
As reported by: Mark Medina Other tagged players: Ivica Zubac, Thomas Robinson, Julius Randle Avery Bradley nearing full health, team still unsure if minutes restriction will be lifted tonight; Jonas Jerebko (flu) participated in shootaround
Avery Bradley has seen his minutes increase for four consecutive games but Brad Stevens was unsure if his minutes restriction will be lifted tonight. With a competitive game expected in Oakland, we should expect Bradley to push 28 minutes. Bradley is relatively affordable and has a usage rate of 24 or more in three consecutive games. His salary is back to the point where it was to start the season on DraftKings and has not been lower at any point this season on FanDuel. He’s definitely worth a GPP dart throw in the later slates since you’ll need under-owned value players to really separate yourself from the pack. Jonas Jerebko missed Monday’s game due to the flu but was a participant in shootaround today. Jerebko was averaging about 18 minutes over the past six before Monday and his return will likely cause Kelly Olynyk to see slightly fewer minutes. With Al Horford expected back tonight, Olynyk and Jerebko can be safely avoided.
As reported by: Jay King Other tagged players: Jonas Jerebko, Al Horford Lance Stephenson signs second 10-day contract with Minnesota Timberwolves
Lance Stephen has once again been signed by the T-Wolves to a 10-day contract. This is Stephenson’s 2nd 10-day contract with the team. Stephen injured his ankle in his first stint and was unable to sign a 2nd consecutive 10-day contract like most players usually do. The team has not provided any information on his role for tonight and he’ll simply be too risky of an option on FanDuel on a full slate. DraftKings has not included him in their player pool, so you don’t have anything to worry about over there.
As reported by: @Timberwolves George Hill misses Wednesday's shootaround; Joe Johnson partially participates
Hill wasn’t able to get through today’s shootaround and it’s looking increasingly likely that he ends up sitting out tonight. Hill missed about a month earlier in the season with this same ailment, so it won’t be surprising to see the Jazz be cautious with him. Joe Johnson also seems a bit unlikely to suit up after missing the past three games, but he does appear to have a shot to get back in the rotation this evening considering he was at least able to participate (partially) in shootaround. Gordon Hayward sees a 1.0% usage bump with Hill, Johnson and Favors off the floor, with Rodney Hood picking up arguably the biggest bump in value. Hood’s usage jumps to 27.7% with those three off the floor, a 2.6% bump from his season total. Hood is still priced at just $4,300 on FanDuel, and he’d become one of the top value plays on the slate if Hill and Johnson are indeed ruled out.
As reported by: Aaron Falk Other tagged players: Joe Johnson, Rodney Hood, Gordon Hayward