DFS Alerts
Caris LeVert (illness) and Quincy Acy (ankle) ruled out Saturday
Acy is still not ready to make his return, which leaves Rondae Hollis-Jefferson starting at power forward and provides some extra minutes for Trevor Booker off the bench. LeVert’s absence will enable Sean Kilpatrick and Joe Harris to get some more playing time. Neither option is particularly interesting. Kilpatrick is very inconsistent and he’s prone to duds like Friday night when he posts 3.0 FanDuel points across 18 minutes of play. Hollis-Jefferson is probably the best value on the team but with Brooklyn entering the game as 21-point underdogs on a back-to-back, he’ll come with risk.
As reported by: Brooklyn Nets Other tagged players: Quincy Acy, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson
Al-Farouq Aminu (knee) probable for Sunday
Aminu has missed the past two games but he should be able to return on Sunday when the Blazers take on the Raptors. Aminu was playing well prior to his injury, he averaged 31.7 FanDuel points over his last three games. Unless we hear about a minutes restriction, he should jump back into his normal time on the court – which has exceeded 30 minutes in seven of his last ten contests.
As reported by: Casey Holdahl Kevin Durant (hand) ruled out Saturday
This will be the first game he’s missed all season. According to our CourtIQ tool, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson both get huge bumps in production when Durant is off the floor. Curry averages 1.58 FanDuel points per minute (437.3-minute sample), which is an increase of 0.25, and Thompson’s rate is boosted 0.22 points to 1.19 FD points per minute (400.4 minutes). Golden State has a very high implied team total of 128.3 points, which is 10.1 above their season average. However, they’re 22.5-point favorites against the Brooklyn Nets, so this game is not expected to stay competitive. Even so, Curry and Thompson are great targets against the Nets tonight, they should have plenty of time to do some damage.
As reported by: Connor Letourneau Other tagged players: Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson Kenneth Faried (low back spasms) questionable for Sunday
Faired left Denver’s last game early after injuring his back. Wilson Chandler, who replaced Faried and led the team with 21 field goal attempts, will likely start if Faried can’t play Sunday. He’ll have a tough matchup with Memphis, though. Darrell Arthur and Juancho Hernangomez will also pick up some extra minutes if Faried is ruled out. We’ll update when we hear more.
As reported by: Harrison Wind Other tagged players: Wilson Chandler Michael Carter-Williams (patellar tendinitis) ruled out Saturday; Cameron Payne (illness) available to play
Chicago’s point guard situation is a bit messy. MCW started over Jerian Grant against Phoenix Friday night, but only played eight minutes. Grant played 13 minutes off the bench (seven points, three rebounds, and one assist) while Rajon Rondo piled up 29 minutes, and added six points, nine assists, four rebounds, and four steals in the process. It’s not yet clear who will start Saturday, but it’s possible that Cameron Payne gets the nod in his team debut. If not Payne, Grant will likely start and Rondo will remain with the second unit. While Payne may eventually earn heavy minutes, he probably won’t get them right out of the gate. Rondo is the point guard to target on the team, although Jimmy Butler and Dwyane Wade will remain the center of the offense.
As reported by: Chuck Swirsky Other tagged players: Cameron Payne, Rajon Rondo, Jerian Grant E'Twaun Moore (personal) ruled out Saturday
It’s not yet clear who will replace Moore in the starting lineup Saturday. There’s a good chance Tim Frazier gets the nod, although Reggie Williams, Hollis Thompson, and Jarrett Jack could also see some added playing time in Moore’s absence. The Pelicans will remain top-heavy, though, with their offense centered around Demarcus Cousins and Anthony Davis. Jrue Holiday only scored six points on 12 shots and had just four assists in his first game with Cousins. While playing without Moore should help his statistics, Dallas’ slow pace won’t. They actually rank 1st in DvP against point guards. Although his price tag is a bit high, Holiday is still in play – mainly because he’s the clear third option on the Pelicans and after Holiday there isn’t much to like on this team from a fantasy perspective. New Orleans is definitely a squad worth watching over their next several games to see how their new roster gels together.
As reported by: Justin Verrier Other tagged players: Jrue Holiday, Tim Frazier Patrick Beverley (groin) questionable for tonight
It appears that Beverley re-aggravated an existing groin injury on Thursday. If he’s unable to play tonight, Eric Gordon is expected to get the start. Lou Williams, who scored 27 points in his first game with Houston, would see increased opportunities off the bench and would be an excellent target. The Rockets have an implied team total of 119 points against Minnesota, which is 4.6 points above their season average. According to our CourtIQ tool, James Harden’s numbers remain pretty consistent whether Beverley is on the floor or not.
As reported by: Calvin Watkins Other tagged players: James Harden, Lou Williams C.J. Watson (Achilles) out for at least another week
Watson is going to miss some time and the Magic are considering signing a point guard to a ten-day contract to fill his roster spot. Elfrid Payton is expected to get another start Saturday. He didn’t do much against Portland in his last start, he scored nine points, grabbed two rebounds, and picked up three assists in 22 minutes of action. D.J. Augustin played 26 minutes but produced less. Mario Hezonja will also pick up some extra playing time with Watson out, he scored ten points in 25 minutes last game. Even with those three getting some added run, the best fantasy targets on the Magic will be Aaron Gordon, Evan Fournier, and newly-acquired Terrence Ross. Ross scored 13 in his team debut, but he could’ve had a lot more if he hadn’t shot so poorly from the field – he went 4-for-17. Ross is our top points-per-dollar option on FanDuel today. The Magic’s implied team total of 102.8 is 3.3 points above their season average.
As reported by: Josh Robbins Other tagged players: Terrence Ross, Evan Fournier, Aaron Gordon, Elfrid Payton Cody Zeller (quad) listed as doubtful for tonight
Zeller, who’s been hobbled up by a quad injury since January, was listed doubtful in the game notes. Frank Kaminsky will get another start if Zeller remains out. He’s been excellent recently – over his past six starts, the center has averaged 17.2 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game. Unfortunately, his price has steadily risen during that stretch but he’s still very much in play if he starts. We’ll update when we get official word on Zeller’s status
As reported by: Game Notes Other tagged players: Frank Kaminsky LeBron James (illness) questionable for tonight
James missed shootaround this morning due to an illness. He’s coming off a triple-double and if he’s able to play tonight, he would be in a good spot against the Bulls, who rank 22nd in DvP against the SF position. Should he sit out, Richard Jefferson will start in his place, but Kyrie Irving would be 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.
As reported by: Chris Fedor Arron Afflalo (hamstring) and Garrett Temple (hamstring) both ruled out for Saturday
Afflalo injured his hamstring prior to the All-Star break and he’s still not able to return. Temple is also dealing with a hamstring issue and will likely miss at least a couple more games. Buddy Hield and Tyreke Evans should pick up decent minutes again today off the bench, they both got on the court for 26 minutes against the Nuggets. Hield scored 16 points and grabbed six boards while Evans scored 15 with four rebounds and three assists. Both players have seen their prices jump heading into tonight’s showdown with the Hornets. Even so, they’re still interesting targets. Given Hield’s lower price and the fact that Sacramento is so high on him, he’s definitely on the GPP radar tonight.
As reported by: Jason Jones Other tagged players: Garrett Temple, Buddy Hield, Tyreke Evans Cameron Payne (illness) expects to play tonight
Payne wasn’t able to make his debut on Friday due to an illness, but he expects to be dressed and available on Saturday night when the Bulls take on the Cavs. Although he hasn’t been great so far this year – he’s averaged 0.68 FanDuel points per minute (16 minutes per game) while shooting 33.1% from the floor – Chicago believes in his upside. Considering how unsatisfied they are with their other point guards, Payne could start logging some serious minutes. For now, it’s a wait-and-see situation with Payne; as of this writing we’re projecting him to play 19 minutes tonight, but it’s possible we hear news during that day that warrants an increase.
As reported by: KC Johnson Dewayne Dedmon will start ahead of Pau Gasol tonight
Dewayne Dedmon will continue to start of Pau Gasol for tonight’s game against the Clippers. Dedmon will likely not see over 24 minutes tonight, making him a risky option even for the late slate. Gasol is also a risky option off the bench and it is likely this is simply a one-game thing. Gasol should still play down the stretch of tonight’s game.
As reported by: Mike C Wright Other tagged players: Pau Gasol
Chris Paul will play tonight against San Antonio
Chris Paul will play against the Spurs tonight. Chris Paul will likely have low ownership and should be considered an elite GPP play. He still carries some risk for cash games considering it is against the Spurs and he’s coming off a large layoff. Blake Griffin will likely see a reduced ball-handling role. DeAndre Jordan could see a few more lobs, but his upside remains low with Blake Griffin healthy. Austin Rivers will go back to the bench and is not a reliable option.
As reported by: Rowan Kavner Other tagged players: Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan, Austin Rivers New Orleans is waiving Omri Casspi and signing Reggie Williams
Omri Casspi broke his thumb in his debut for Pelicans and has been subsequently waived. The Pelicans signed guard Reggie Williams to a 10-day contract. He is expected to be available for Saturday’s game against the Mavs. Williams will likely be used as a reserve and does not have a ton of upside.
As reported by: Shams Charania Other tagged players: Reggie Williams