DFS Alerts
Plenty of value available industry-wide despite tonight's small slate
We have James Harden, DeMarcus Cousins, Russell Westbrook, John Wall and Anthony Davis in action tonight, so you’re going to need some low-cost options to make fitting more than one of them a viable endeavor. At point guard, we can comfortably look to Brandon Jennings – who is set to start for the injured Derrick Rose – and potentially Jameer Nelson if we get word that Emmanuel Mudiay won’t suit up tonight. Mudiay is currently questionable and did travel with the team, so it’s possible he reenters the lineup against LA. Jennings should be locked into at least 30 minutes of court time and while he won’t carry usage that rivals Carmelo Anthony’s, that type of court time is still more than enough for him to crack value. At the SG spot, we can take advantage of Gary Harris’ middling price tag with Nikola Jokic out of the lineup. Will Barton is also currently questionable, and his absence would only further enhance Harris as an across the board play. Jokic controls such a massive portion of the Nuggets offense that quite a few of the Nuggets pieces (Gallinari, Faried, Chandler) will also pick up raised floors/ceilings. Speaking of the Nuggets, Wilson Chandler is moderately priced across the industry and while he saw just 23 minutes in the Nuggets last game (with Jokic out), it wouldn’t be surprising to see him cross the 30 minute mark. His playing time could rise if Kenneth Faried finds himself in early foul trouble or something of that sort, so pivoting from Faried to Chandler in some tournament lineups is an option. If the Lakers choose to go small with a guy like Luol Deng at the 4 with Julius Randle out, that would also give Chandler a better shot to find more time on the floor. Trevor Ariza also sits at just $5,100 on both FD and DK, making him a potential bounce-back play in any format. Ariza has been struggling mightily from the field – he’s shooting 22% over his last five games, and is only getting up 7.4 shots per game over that span, so the floor is still pretty low here.
Other tagged players: Gary Harris, Trevor Ariza, Wilson Chandler, Jameer Nelson
Joe Harris (sprained left ankle) upgraded to probable for Wednesday
Joe Harris has been upgraded to probable for Wednesday’s game against the Knicks. Harris was the starter before he got hurt and Randy Foye has taken over his spot in the rotation. Foye has not been playing well as the starter but also has not seen over 22 minutes in consecutive games. With Caris LeVert and Sean Kilpatrick also available, the wing situation in Brooklyn becomes much more difficult to project with the expected return of Harris. With so many healthy bodies available for the Nets, they could opt to rest someone but if all four players are active, they all should likely be avoided.
As reported by: @Nets Other tagged players: Caris LeVert, Sean Kilpatrick, Randy Foye
Thabo Sefolosha (groin) questionable for Wednesday's game vs Miami
Thabo Sefolosha is being listed as questionable for tomorrow’s game against the Heat. Tim Hardaway Jr. replaced Sefolosha in the starting lineup and shot 5 for 20 performance against the Knicks. He was able to salvage with a strong fantasy performance (38.8 DKFP) but that was due to the fact he played 58 minutes in that contest. THJ will be a scoring-dependent boom-or-bust option against the Heat on Wednesday. With twelve games on the slate, THJ is not exactly a lock but remains fairly priced across the industry.
As reported by: Kl Chouinard Other tagged players: Tim Hardaway Jr. Will Barton (left ankle) downgraded to questionable; Emmanuel Mudiay (back) remains questionable and Jamal Murray (illness) is upgraded to probable
Will Barton is dealing with an ankle injury and has been downgraded to questionable for tonight’s game against the Lakers. If Barton is indeed ruled out, we can expect Gary Harris to be a lock for 30+ minutes and Jamal Murray to be used as his backup. Murray was battling an illness but has since been upgraded to probable for tonight’s game. Emmanuel Mudiay remains questionable and there has not been update regarding his status after missing four games due to a lower back injury.
As reported by: Ally Strum Other tagged players: Emmanuel Mudiay, Jamal Murray, Gary Harris Stephen Curry (flu) and Zaza Pachulia (right shoulder) questionable for Wednesday
Steph Curry missed Sunday’s game due to an illness and is listed as questionable for Wednesday’s game against the Hornets. Since the Warriors play in the last game of the day, don’t expect an update before lineups lock. Zaza Pachulia had an MRI on his troublesome right shoulder and is awaiting the results. Pachulia is listed as questionable as well and we could see JaVale McGee starting with Davis West still out due to a thumb injury. We should have another update tomorrow after shootaround.
As reported by: Ethan Strauss Other tagged players: Zaza Pachulia, David West, JaVale McGee No starter determined yet for Lakers at power forward (Julius Randle OUT)
Randle is out due to illness and Lakers Head Coach Luke Walton has not revealed yet who will be the starter although it’ll likely either be Tarik Black or Luol Deng with Ivica Zubac coming off the bench. Of those three, Zubac is the preferred option and will be the highest owned of the group after putting up 58.5 FanDuel fpts in his last two games over 53 minutes of playing time.
As reported by: Mark Medina on Twitter Other tagged players: Luol Deng, Ivica Zubac, Julius Randle
D'Angelo Russell will start and play for Lakers tonight
The young Lakers point guard has missed the last three games but will return to action tonight without any limitations on his minutes. Jose Calderon gets relegated back to a reserve role but he was never a viable option anyway. It is a slight hit to the playing time and value of Jordan Clarkson and Lou Williams.
As reported by: Shahan Ahmed on Twitter Other tagged players: Jose Calderon, Jordan Clarkson, Lou Williams Cody Zeller OUT tonight for Charlotte
The Hornets big man will miss tonight’s game against Portland and likely will sit out tomorrow night as well. It’ll mean more playing time for the big man trio of Roy Hibbert, Spencer Hawes, and Frank Kaminsky with the latter two being viable DFS value options. The biggest boost according to CourtIQ though goes to Kemba Walker who averages .07 fpts/minute more with Zeller off the court. Walker already has a plus match up against the Blazers team that is bottom five in the league in fantasy points allowed per game.
As reported by: Rick Bonnell on Twitter Other tagged players: Roy Hibbert, Spencer Hawes, Frank Kaminsky, Kemba Walker Clint Capela set to return to starting lineup for Rockets tonight
Capela will return to the starting lineup for Houston, sending Montrezl Harrell back to the bench. Capela has averaged well over a fantasy point per minute over his last six games while playing close to 20 minutes per game and should see a bump in his production with the increased playing time that starting should provide. He faces off against DeMarcus Cousins and the Kings tonight so there is a concern about foul trouble but he makes for a low-owned with upside option if you’re looking to save a bit at the center position.
As reported by: Jonathan Feigen on Twitter Other tagged players: Montrezl Harrell Derrick Rose OUT for New York Knicks tonight
The Knicks veteran guard is in a walking boot and will miss their game tonight against the Wizards. Brandon Jennings will likely get the start at point guard and is a reasonable mid-range option but he does have a tough match up against a Wizards team that is currently 4th in PG DvP. The biggest boost goes to Carmelo Anthony though as according to RotoGrinders CourtIQ his usage goes up a staggering 7.1% when Rose is off the court to 39.3%. He’ll be a chalk option with high ownership but has immense upside. Kristaps Porzingis could be an under-the-radar option as he hasn’t topped 30 FanDuel fpts in his last 8 games and as such his price has dropped all the way to $6,500 on FanDuel and $6,200 on DraftKings. He also sees a usage bump (of +2.2% to 28%) when Rose is off the court and has played 30 minutes in each of his last two games.
As reported by: Frank Isola on Twitter Other tagged players: Brandon Jennings, Carmelo Anthony, Kristaps Porzingis Dragan Bender (sore right ankle) ruled out tonight
Bender will not play in tonight’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies after previously being listed as questionable on the Suns’ injury report with a sore right ankle that has now forced him to miss five consecutive games. His absence from the rotation will free up some additional playing time for P.J. Tucker and to some extent Marquese Chriss and Alex Len. However, the former remains the primary forward to target in the Phoenix frontcourt outside of T.J. Warren and Tyson Chandler despite the difficult matchup. The Suns will also have an excuse to run out more three-guard lineups, making Brandon Knight an intriguing tournament punt at the shooting guard spot.
As reported by: Craig Grialou
JaMychal Green (knee) and Brandan Wright (ankle) will play tonight
Green and Wright will play in tonight’s game against the Phoenix Suns after previously being listed as questionable on the Grizzlies’ injury report with their respective ailments. Green will be reinserted into the starting lineup, which sends Zach Randolph back to the bench to resume his normal reserve role. Despite the “demotion”, Randolph still remains the preferred target at power forward over Green, as he seems to have passed him in the rotation in terms of minutes. As for Wright, he will reportedly make his season debut tonight, but he will be eased back into action and is expected to see minimal playing time. A large majority of the available frontcourt minutes are being absorbed by Green, Randolph, and Marc Gasol, so it’s difficult to imagine Wright playing a significant role in the rotation even when he is fully healthy.
As reported by: Ronald Tillery Other tagged players: Brandan Wright Kevin Love (lower back spasms) ruled out for Wednesday
Love has been ruled out in advance of Wednesday’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves as he continues to deal with lower back spasms. According to Cavaliers, Love’s MRI revealed no structural damage and he will continue resting and rehabbing in the coming days. Richard Jefferson will likely draw the start at small forward once again in Love’s absence, sliding LeBron James down to the power forward spot with Channing Frye off the bench. With Love and J.R. Smith off the court this season, Kyrie Irving actually leads the Cavaliers with a 5.8% usage rate differential (36.9%), which immediately vaults him into consideration as one of the top point guard options on Wednesday’s slate in an exploitable matchup with the Timberwolves backcourt defense.
As reported by: Jason Lloyd Richard Jefferson starting in place of Kevin Love tonight
Love did not travel with the team and will not play in tonight’s game against the Dallas Mavericks as he continues to deal with back spasms. According to Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue, Love will stay behind in Cleveland to have an MRI on his ailing back for further evaluation. Richard Jefferson will draw the start at power forward in Love’s absence and should split power forward minutes with Channing Frye and LeBron James. With Love and J.R. Smith off the court this season, Kyrie Irving actually leads the Cavaliers with a 6.3% usage rate differential (37.4%), which immediately vaults him into consideration as a top point guard option on tonight’s slate despite the less-than-ideal matchup with this slow-paced Mavericks squad.
As reported by: Tom Withers Other tagged players: Kevin Love Tyler Johnson (left shoulder) available to play vs BKN
Johnson will play in tonight’s game against the Brooklyn Nets after previously being listed as questionable on the Heat’s injury report with a strained left shoulder that had forced him to miss five consecutive games. Goran Dragic and Dion Waiters will both see a slight knock to their projected fantasy value with Johnson now healthy enough to compete for minutes at both guard positions. Both Dragic and Waiters are still fine options but are no longer the stone-cold locks they were earlier in the day. Additionally, Wayne Ellington should be removed from consideration entirely, as he had taken over Johnson’s combo guard role off the bench and will see substantially less than 33 minutes per contest he averaged in the past five games Johnson had been sidelined.
As reported by: @Heat