DFS Alerts
Alex Abrines starting for Victor Oladipo tonight
Alex Abrines will be making his first career start in the NBA. We’re not sure exactly what Abrines can provide with Russell Westbrook eating up so much of the usage. Abrines is simply a GPP option at a loaded position tonight. With DeMar DeRozan and Tim Hardaway Jr. looking like more reliable options, it’ll be tough to pivot to Abrines. The Lakers are a terrible defensive team, so it is possible that Abrines is able to make value.
As reported by: Steve McGhee Other tagged players: Victor Oladipo
Roy Hibbert not available tonight for Denver
Roy Hibbert had some flight issues and was not able to make it for Denver’s game against Brooklyn tonight. Hibbert was not a DFS option to begin with and should be avoided until further notice. The Nuggets are pretty much healthy at every position and Hibbert was acquired for emergency purposes.
As reported by: Chris Dempsey Alex Len listed as the starting center for Phoenix
Alex Len has been listed as the starting center over Tyson Chandler for tonight. The team has officially announced it, so try to get in Len into your lineups. Len should be considered an elite punt option for the later slates since Taj Gibson is no longer on the team for Chicago. It’ll open up more rebounds and he should be able to exceed value tonight.
As reported by: Doug Haller Cory Joseph starting in place of Kyle Lowry tonight; Serge Ibaka replaces Norman Powell
Cory Joseph will start with Kyle Lowry dealing with a wrist issue. The Raptors made it sound like it could be more than a minor thing, so Joseph possibly has a strong outlook for the remainder of the week. Joseph will be defended by the worst defender in the league and should be able easily exceed value. DeMar DeRozan also sees a huge bump with Lowry out of the lineup and should be a considered an elite option in all formats. Serge Ibaka will start at PF and DeMarre Carroll will move back over to his normal SF spot. Norman Powell and DeMarre Carroll started the last game before the All-Star break but Powell will come off the bench tonight.
As reported by: @Raptors MR Other tagged players: Kyle Lowry, Serge Ibaka, Norman Powell, DeMarre Carroll Victor Oladipo (back) ruled out for tonight
Victor Oladipo has been ruled out tonight’s contest due to back spasms. The Thunder have not named Oladipo’s replacement yet. With Cameron Payne and Anthony Morrow out of town, Alex Abrines or newly acquired Doug McDermott could start. Russell Westbrook is an elite option in all formats with Oladipo out of the lineup tonight. We’ll post another update once the Thunder confirm their starting lineup.
As reported by: Randy Renner Other tagged players: Russell Westbrook, Doug McDermott, Alex Abrines Patrick Patterson (knee) available tonight
Patrick Patterson is available tonight off the bench for the Raptors. Serge Ibaka is also available, so the chances of Patterson making a significant impact are low. Avoid Patterson until we see how the rotation shakes out in Toronto. Jakob Poeltl will likely return to the bench and Lucas Nogueira will be used as the backup C behind Jonas Valanciunas.
As reported by: Ryan Wolstat Other tagged players: Jakob Poeltl, Lucas Nogueira, Jonas Valanciunas Jaylen Brown returns to the starting lineup over Marcus Smart
After missing three games, Brown will rejoin the Celtics starting five. Avery Bradley is set to return in the near future, but he’ll miss at least tonight’s game and could end up missing another contest or two depending on how his recovery goes. With Kyle Lowry out, Isaiah Thomas becomes an even stronger play, although he’s really the only Celtic that you can feel totally confident in. Marcus Smart is still very volatile and his price has come up across the industry, and both Jae Crowder and Al Horford have been struggling of late.
As reported by: Jay King Other tagged players: Marcus Smart Domantas Sabonis remains in the starting lineup with Enes Kanter and Taj Gibson available off the bench
Domantas Sabonis will continue to start at PF, although he’s not going to see big minutes with Kanter back and Gibson now in the fold. The Thunder front-court may be worth taking a wait-and-see approach on now that they’ve added some depth. Russell Westbrook still remains the top overall play on the board, and he’s becoming easier to roster as value has opened up all over the place throughout the day.
As reported by: Royce Young Other tagged players: Taj Gibson, Enes Freedom C.J. Miles and Thaddeus Young return to the starting lineup tonight
Miles will start over Glenn Robinson III, while Young will replace Kevin Seraphin, who had been starting with both Young and Lavoy Allen out of the lineup. On a full ten-game slate, the Pacers aren’t an intriguing team to target against a slow-paced, defensive-minded Memphis team. Look elsewhere for DFS purposes.
As reported by: Nate Taylor Other tagged players: Thaddeus Young, Glenn Robinson III Cameron Payne (illness) will not make his Bulls debut tonight; Anthony Morrow and Joffrey Lauvergne will be in uniform but not expected to play
Payne isn’t going to make his debut tonight, but he’ll likely find his way into the Bulls rotation as early as tomorrow. The guard spot is a logjam in Chicago, but Payne is expected to be given a chance to secure a meaningful role. It’s still unclear what roles Morrow and Lauvergne will take on.
As reported by: Nick Friedell Other tagged players: Anthony Morrow, Joffrey Lauvergne Enes Kanter available to play tonight; Victor Oladipo now a game-time decision
Kanter is expected to rejoin the Thunder rotation tonight against the Lakers. He’s been out with a forearm issue since well before the break, but doesn’t figure to have his minutes limited much as he returns. The addition of Taj Gibson could eat into some of Kanter’s court time, but it’s hard to estimate exactly what that effect will be. It’s probably not fair to expect Kanter to see more than 23-25 minutes of court time, so he’s best left untouched for DFS purposes at his current asking price around the industry. If Victor Oladipo ends up sitting out, look for Alex Abrines, Andre Roberson and Doug McDermott (who is available tonight) to eat up his court time. Russell Westbrook is still the only member of the Thunder that is trustworthy this evening.
As reported by: Brett Dawson Other tagged players: Victor Oladipo
Kyle Lowry ruled out for tonight
This news is coming out of left field, so it’s going to cause some major shakeups to current DFS rosters. Lowry was one of the top plays on the board as of this afternoon, but he’ll now give way to DeMar DeRozan and Cory Joseph. Assuming Joseph draws the start, he becomes one of – if not the – top overall value plays on the board, especially considering he should draw the defense of Isaiah Thomas. Joseph is an across the board play, as is DeRozan who typically sees an uptick in usage with Lowry off the floor. Playing both Joseph and DeRozan together is a more than viable strategy.
As reported by: Ryan Wolstat Other tagged players: Cory Joseph, DeMar DeRozan Michael Carter-Williams starting over Jerian Grant on Friday
The Bulls will start Carter-Williams, Wade, Butler, Portis and Lopez against the Suns. Jerian Grant will go back to the bench, but with Wade and Butler both now healthy, none of the Bulls ancillary guards (Rondo, MCW, Grant) have much DFS relevancy. Butler and Wade remain strong upside plays against a fast-paced Suns team – if Phoenix can keep this tight on the road, we could see some big stat lines on both sides of this match-up. Butler is neck and neck with Kawhi Leonard as the top play at the SF spot, with Butler being the preferred play on FD where he’s $300 cheaper than Leonard.
As reported by: K.C. Johnson Other tagged players: Jerian Grant, Rajon Rondo P.J. Tucker set to make Raptors debut tonight
Tucker is expected to make his Raptors debut tonight after being acquired yesterday in a last-minute deadline deal. It’s still a little unclear as to what role he’ll latch onto in Toronto, but it’s not wise to expect him to see more than 18-22 minutes in his first game with the team. He figures to act as a back-up wing behind DeMarre Carroll at SF, with Norman Powell still fighting for minutes at the SG/SF spot. While he’s not going to pick up the same type of playing time as he was in Phoenix, Toronto doesn’t have much depth at the wing which could allow him to settle into minutes in the mid-twenties as he acclimates to his new teammates. This news downgrades both Carroll and Powell.
As reported by: Ryan Wolstat Other tagged players: Norman Powell, DeMarre Carroll Taj Gibson and Doug McDermott available to make their debut for the Thunder tonight
Taj Gibson and Doug McDermott are expected to play tonight for the Thunder. It is unclear if either player will start but Gibson is available on both major sites for tonight’s contests. The Lakers rank 20th in rebounding differential and 29th in fantasy points allowed per game, making Gibson a viable GPP option. He’ll likely have next to no ownership since the situation is unclear for tonight. Considering the Thunder play later in the day, Gibson will likely not be named the starter before lineups lock. Doug McDermott is also a viable GPP play but considering he a scoring dependent player, he carries much more risk than Gibson. Domantas Sabonis could go back to the bench with Gibson starting but he’s unlikely to see significant time since Enes Kanter is also expected to play.
As reported by: Brett Dawson Other tagged players: Doug McDermott, Domantas Sabonis, Enes Freedom