DFS Alerts
Julius Randle available to play tonight but will be limited
The Lakers forward is recovering from pneumonia so despite being available tonight Head Coach Luke Walton stated he would be limited. He’s not a viable option given this news, even on a small four game slate. His return also doesn’t bode well for Tarik Black’s limited value.
As reported by: Bill Oram on Twitter
Shaun Livingston (back strain) ruled out tonight
Livingston will not play in tonight’s game against the Charlotte Hornets due to a back strain. This is the third occasion where Livingston has been held out of a game this season for various reasons. Look for Ian Clark and Patrick McCaw to each pick up some extra minutes in his absence. However, neither will see enough of a boost in minutes to become viable options unless this matchup with Charlotte turns into a blowout, which is certainly possible. With that said, both Clark and McCaw could still possibly be considered as long-shot tournament dart throws on the late slate in hopes that the game does get out of hand before the fourth quarter.
As reported by: Warriors PR
JaVale McGee confirmed as starter for Zaza Pachulia (shoulder) tonight
McGee will be inserted into the starting lineup for tonight’s game against the Charlotte Hornets in place of the injured Zaza Pachulia, who will be sidelined for at least a week. This was an expected move by the Warriors and McGee should be expected to absorb a majority of the minutes vacated by Pachulia, but he only averaged 16 minutes of playing time in the two previous games Pachulia has missed this season. This limits his ceiling to some extent, making him nothing more than a tournament dart throw on the late slates across the industry.
As reported by: Chris Haynes Dragan Bender (ankle) available to play tonight; Jared Dudley (illness) ruled out
Bender will be available to play off the bench in tonight’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers after previously being listed as questionable on the Suns’ injury report with a sore right ankle that had forced him to miss three consecutive games. Bender’s return to the rotation does little to affect the remaining members of the Phoenix frontcourt, as he has averaged just under minutes per game this season. He will likely reclaim the reserve role vacated by Jared Dudley, who has been ruled out due to an illness. However, Bender will remain irrelevant as a daily fantasy option barring an injury or some kind of drastic rotation change by Suns head coach Earl Watson.
As reported by: Gerald Bourguet Alex Abrines (back spasms) ruled out tonight
Abrines will not play in tonight’s game against the Chicago Bulls after previously being listed as questionable on the Thunder’s injury report due to back spasms. Abrines’ absence from Tuesday’s contest permitted Anthony Morrow to play 30 minutes off the bench with Enes Kanter also unavailable. Morrow remains a boom-or-bust option in tournaments and a highly scoring reliant option at that. The places to look for potential value on this Thunder squad are still Domantas Sabonis and Victor Oladipo while Kanter remains absent from the second unit.
As reported by: Royce Young Emmanuel Mudiay (back) will play with a 20-minute restriction tonight; Will Barton (ankle) ruled out
Mudiay will play in tonight’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies after previously being listed as questionable on the Nuggets injury report with lower back pain that had forced him to miss five consecutive games. However, Mudiay will come off the bench in his return and be limited to just 20 minutes of action. Jameer Nelson will remain in the starting lineup at point guard but is all but removed from consideration in any format given his point guard timeshare with Mudiay and elevated price tag. As for Barton, he will miss his second straight game with a sore right ankle, meaning Jamal Murray could also enter the rotation and see minimal playing time behind Nelson, Mudiay, and Gary Harris.
As reported by: Harrison Wind Other tagged players: Will Barton Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot starting in place of the injured Robert Covington tonight
The Sixers are without Joel Embiid and Robert Covington for tonight’s game against the Dalla Mavericks, meaning Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot will get the starting nod at the small forward spot. Luwawu-Cabarrot could be worth a flier in tournaments but there are certainly better punt options on this slate. The primary players to target from the Sixers on Wednesday are still Ersan Ilyasova, Jahlil Okafor, and Dario Saric with Embiid. and Covington unavailable. Additionally, Gerald Henderson is available to play off the bench in tonight’s contest after previously being listed as probable on the Sixers’ injury report with a sore hip.
As reported by: Jessica Camerato Other tagged players: Robert Covington
Gerald Henderson (sore hip) available to play vs Dallas tonight
Henderson is officially available to play off the bench in tonight’s game against the Dallas Mavericks after previously being listed as probable on the Sixers’ injury report with a sore hip. The Sixers will be without Joel Embiid and Robert Covington, meaning Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot will get the starting nod at the small forward spot. Luwawu-Cabarrot could be worth a flier in tournaments but there are certainly better punt options on this slate. The primary players to target from the Sixers on Wednesday are still Ersan Ilyasova, Jahlil Okafor, and Dario Saric with Embiid. and Covington unavailable
As reported by: Jessica Camerato Andrew Bogut (hamstring) officially ruled out for tonight; doubtful to play on Friday, could return Monday
Bogut will not play in tonight’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers due to a strained right hamstring. Bogut is also highly unlikely to play Friday, making Monday’s contest against the Denver Nuggets his tentative return date. Dirk Nowitzki will continue to start at center in his absence with Harrison Barnes sliding down to the four spot. With Deron Williams and J.J. Barea still sidelined, recently signed Yogi Ferrell will remain as the starting point guard with Devin Harris still on a soft minute restriction, while Seth Curry will continue to see all the minutes he can handle. Both guards have recently seen the prices rise across the industry, but there still could be some value left to be had in a matchup with the Joel Embiid-less Sixers defensive unit.
As reported by: Earl Snead Kristaps Porzingis (illness) expected to start against BKN
Porzingis will play and is expected to start in tonight’s game against Brooklyn Nets after previous being listed as questionable on the Knicks’ injury report earlier in the day with an illness that forced him to miss Tuesday’s loss to the Washington Wizards. His return to the lineup creates quite a logjam in the frontcourt, making it nearly impossible to roster any combination of Willy Hernangomez, Joakim Noah, and Kyle O’Quinn on a massive 12-game slate. The Knicks will still be without Derrick Rose for tonight’s contest, so Porzingis and Carmelo Anthony are certainly in play. Porzingis is definitely better reserved for tournaments given the uncertainty surrounding his health, while Anthony can be utilized in all formats considering the pristine matchup against the fast-paced Nets this evening. In fact, according to our CourtIQ tool, Carmelo Anthony leads the Knicks by a wide margin with a 6.8% usage rate differential (39.0%) while averaging over 42 fantasy points per 36 minutes, which would exceed his salary-based expectations on both DraftKings and FanDuel.
As reported by: @NY Knicks PR Joe Harris available to play Wednesday
Harris is available to play against New York, but it’s not a given that he reenters the rotation. Still, it’s certainly possible he gets back to a normal workload (between about 18-24 minutes) after missing six games with a sprained left ankle. The Nets back-court is crowded with Sean Kilpatrick, Caris LeVert, Randy Foye, Spencer Dinwiddie and Isaiah Whitehead all vying for playing time, not to mention the two wings (RHJ and Bogdanovic), so there isn’t any reason to look towards Harris. His presence does slightly curtail the upside of a guy like Caris LeVert, who is still on the board as a potential tournament target after playing at least 26 minutes in each of his past three games.
As reported by: Mike Gallagher Other tagged players: Caris LeVert
Kevin Seraphin (sore left knee) active for tonight
Kevin Seraphin will be available to play off the bench for the Pacers tonight. Seraphin has not played over 20 minutes in a couple weeks and will not be a DFS option on this slate. Al Jefferson is ahead of him in the depth chart as well Lavoy Allen. Both Jefferson and Allen are low-end DFS options that will likely hurt your lineup more than they could help it. Myles Turner getting into foul trouble against the Magic would be the only way for Jefferson to really exceed value. Since we can’t project foul trouble, it’ll be tough to lock Jefferson in on a full slate.
As reported by: Nate Taylor Other tagged players: Al Jefferson, Lavoy Allen, Myles Turner Rodney Stuckey (sore left hamstring) active and available to play tonight
Stuckey will be available to play off the bench in tonight’s game against the Orlando Magic after previously being listed as questionable on the Pacers’ injury report with a lingering hamstring injury that had kept him sidelined for 20 of the last 21 games. His availability off the bench will eat into the minutes of C.J. Miles, Glenn Robinson, and even Aaron Brooks, essentially rendering all four players unplayable until we see how the new backcourt and wings rotation shakes out with Stuckey back in the mix. None of the aforementioned players were realistically in consideration on a 12-game slate, but this rotation is certainly worth keeping an eye on going forward.
As reported by: @Pacers Dante Cunningham (sprained right wrist) confirmed as playing tonight
Dante Cunningham injured his wrist last night against Toronto and it led him to only being available for the first six minutes of the game. Cunningham is not a viable DFS option even when he plays and would need to see 30 minutes and a confirmed starting spot to really do any damage. On a 12-game slate, Cunningham’s risk far outweighs the reward and he should be avoided in all formats. With Cunningham also in the lineup, Terrence Jones is a low-end DFS option. He would need an injury to the oft-injured Anthony Davis or for Cunningham to play off the bench to really make an impact.
As reported by: @Pelicans Other tagged players: Anthony Davis, Terrence Jones Thabo Sefolosha (groin) officially ruled out for tonight's game vs Miami
Sefolosha will not play in tonight’s game against the New York Knicks after previously being listed as questionable on the Hawks’ injury report with a left groin injury that has now forced him to miss two consecutive games. Tim Hardaway Jr. will draw the start at the shooting guard spot in his place once again, sliding Kent Bazemore down to small forward. However, given Sefolosha’s low usage, none of the remaining starting five see a particularly substantial bump from his absence. Mike Dunleavy, Malcolm Delaney, and possibly even Taurean Prince should be expected to pick up additional minutes off the bench. Hardaway becomes a particularly intriguing option, especially in tournaments, as he has an exploitable, but not great, matchup with the Heat backcourt defense.
As reported by: Chris Vivalamore