DFS Alerts
Update: Patrick Beverley says he WILL play Saturday; Eric Gordon will come off bench
Beverley tested out his groin and he will start tonight. That means Eric Gordon is back to the bench; he’ll join Lou Williams in the second unit. Gordon’s usage rate increases 4.7% when he plays without James Harden, which means he may be better off from a statistical perspective coming off the bench. Williams would have benefited from Gordon starting as he would seen an increase in usage. He scored 27 points in his debut but did little else outside of scoring. His price seems a bit too high for this situation, but he’s in play for tournaments.
As reported by: Jerry Zgoda Other tagged players: Eric Gordon, Lou Williams
Clint Capela will return to starting lineup Saturday, replacing Nene
Capela has been in and out of the starting lineup over the past couple of months but he’ll get the start tonight against Minnesota. He’s seen limited minutes recently, but he could earn some extra run in this matchup. Houston’s implied team total of 119 is 4.6 points above their season average and Minnesota ranks 14th in DvP against centers, so it’s a decent matchup for Capela. He remains a risky option given the recent rotations, though, and is better used in tournament lineups.
As reported by: Jonathan Feigen Other tagged players: Nene Hilario Patrick Beverley (groin) ruled out Saturday; Eric Gordon will start
This is arguably better for Lou Williams as Gordon’s usage rate dips by 4.7% when he plays with Harden. Williams will now run the second unit without Gordon, which should increase his usage, although we don’t have hard data to back that up at this point. Williams scored 27 points in his debut on Thursday but his upside is capped by his inability to generate peripheral stats. At his price, Williams is a bit expensive, but he’s in play with Gordon moving to the starting lineup.
As reported by: Craig Ackerman Other tagged players: Eric Gordon Hollis Thompson will start for E'Twaun Moore (illness) Saturday
Even though he’s starting, Thompson is not really a viable fantasy target. Thomas averaged a lackluster 0.61 FanDuel points per minute in Philadelphia and it’s doubtful he can improve that rate by much in New Orleans. Tim Frazier should rotate in quite a bit and the team will run through Demarcus Cousins, Anthony Davis, and to a lesser extent, Jrue Holiday. It’s probably not worth looking past those three on the Pelicans.
As reported by: Justin Verrier Jerian Grant starting for Michael Carter-Williams Saturday
Grant isn’t expected to get enough minutes to be a viable option tonight. Coach Fred Hoiberg is committed to rotating Rajon Rondo in – although he’ll primarily bolster the second unit, he should lead their three PGs in minutes. Cameron Payne is available to come off the bench. He should get somewhere between 15-20 minutes, but it’s hard to predict given it’s his team debut. Rondo is potentially worth a GPP flier but he’s super risky and it may be best to simply avoid the Bulls’ point guards altogether.
As reported by: Nick Friedell Other tagged players: Rajon Rondo, Cameron Payne Kyle O'Quinn will start for Kristaps Porzingis Saturday
O’Quinn is a boom-or-bust fantasy option. Willy Hernangomez will have a higher floor and ceiling, but he’ll also come with high ownership. Carmelo Anthony will also be plenty busy with Porzingis and Noah out; his usage rate increases by 5.3% to 37.5%, according to our CourtIQ tool.
As reported by: https://twitter.com/IanBegley/status/835640631242326016 Nerlens Noel will come off bench Saturday
Coach Rick Carlisle said Noel is considered part of the “starting six” while adding he’s going to sub in early in the game. He also confirmed Noel will be the starting center in the near future. Noel should log a good amount of minutes tonight in his team debut, but he’s still learning their offense and Dallas will likely be limited to the basics when he’s on the floor. He’s not a great option at his price but he will be soon.
As reported by: Dwain Price Malcolm Delaney to start ahead of Dennis Schroder Saturday
Schroeder was suspended for Friday’s contest and he won’t start tonight, although he is going to play. Delaney started for Schroder last game but only managed 15.6 FanDuel points across 23 minutes. He’s not a great fantasy option.
As reported by: Chris Vivlamore Other tagged players: Dennis Schroder LeBron James (illness) ruled OUT Saturday
Richard Jefferson will start in his place, but Kyrie Irving is the player to target. Irving has a ridiculous 47.2% usage rate when James and Kevin Love are off the floor. He averages 1.43 FanDuel points per minute, according to our CourtIQ tool, which is a gigantic jump from his normal rate of 1.06 fpts/min. Chicago, which currently has a messy situation at point guard, ranks 20th in DvP against the position.
As reported by: KC Johnson Other tagged players: Richard Jefferson, Kyrie Irving Al Jefferson (dental pain) ruled out Saturday
This will be Jefferson’s second straight absence. Lavoy Allen will continue to get minutes at PF and C off the bench, he had a double-double last game with ten points and ten rebounds. It’s highly unlikely he can produce something similar again tonight, though, and he’s not a great fantasy target. Myles Turner has been playing well, he’s definitely in play against a Miami team that ranks 19th in DvP against centers.
As reported by: Nate Taylor Other tagged players: Myles Turner, Lavoy Allen Joakim Noah (hamstring) and Kristaps Porzingis (ankle) officially ruled out Saturday
Porzingis injured his ankle Thursday and is considered day-to-day; he could return as soon as Monday. Noah, on the other hand, is not expected to return for their next game. Willy Hernangomez is expected to start again in Noah’s place against the 76ers Saturday. He presents some great value as he’s averaged a double-double across his four starts this season (11.5 points and 10.8 rebounds) and he’s very affordable across the industry. Over those contests he’s averaged 31.9 FanDuel points and he should see a nice uptick in usage with Porzingis unavailable. He’s viable in all formats whereas Kyle O’Quinn, who will also see some added run today, will be better served as a boom-or-bust GPP option.
As reported by: Stefan Bondy Other tagged players: Kristaps Porzingis, Willy Hernangomez, Kyle O'Quinn Nikola Vucevic (Achilles) WILL play Saturday
Vucevic was added to the injury report earlier today but coach Frank Vogel said he’ll be fine to play tonight. Last game he took a season-high 20 shots and ended with 25 points and nine rebounds. Over the two games he’s played since Serge Ibaka left the team, he’s averaged 32.4 FanDuel points. Across the season, his usage rate is 2.3% higher without Ibaka on the court. His new injury poses some risk, though, and Atlanta ranks 8th in DvP against centers. He’s probably better served on tournament lineups tonight. Fortunately, we’re projecting his ownership at 7.5% or less on FanDuel and DraftKings.
As reported by: Josh Robbins Deron Williams will sign with Cleveland
Williams cleared waivers Saturday and immediately informed the Cavs that he would be signing with them. He’ll serve as Kyrie Irving’s backup, so he may not have too much fantasy value. It’s possible they work him in aside Irving in certain lineups. Williams may be available to play on Monday when the Cavs host the Bucks.
As reported by: Jeff Zillgitt Correction: Tyreke Evans replacing Ty Lawson in starting lineup Saturday
Tyreke Evans earned 26 minutes off the bench last game, his first with the Kings, and he’s likely going to stick in the same area, with maybe an extra minute or two. He managed 15 points and four rebounds against the Nuggets, but he’ll be facing a first-unit defense in this contest. Lawson should still get plenty of run and may be able to take advantage of better matchups coming off the bench.
As reported by: Jason Jones Other tagged players: Ty Lawson Nikola Vucevic (Achilles) added to injury report, questionable for Saturday
It’s a new injury and he seems to be truly questionable. If he ultimately sits, Bismack Biyombo would get the start. He would be a superb value on tonight’s slate. Across 23 starts this season, he averaged 21.53 DraftKings points and he costs just $3,400 on the site today. Plus, he exceeded 25 DK points in 39% of those games. He’s a better defender than Vucevic, which could cause some problems for Dwight Howard on the Atlanta side. Orlando plays at 7pm eastern, so we’ll know Vucevic’s status before lock.
As reported by: Josh Robbins Other tagged players: Bismack Biyombo