DFS Alerts
Mike Muscala (ankle) officially ruled out tonight
Muscala will not play in tonight’s game against the Chicago Bulls after previously being listed as questionable on the Hawks’ injury report with a sprained left ankle that has now forced him to miss six consecutive games. Kris Humphries has primarily filled the void left by Muscala in the rotation, averaging just over 17 minutes per game in his absence. Paul Millsap and Dwight Howard will continue to have significantly higher minutes floors with Muscala sidelined, and Millsap is an intriguing tournament option given Chicago’s struggle with opposing power forwards.
As reported by: Chris Vivlamore
Kemba Walker warming up with intent to play, but no official ruling on him yet
Roster lock approaches in a few minutes, and while Walker is warming up with the intent to play – he was closer to probable earlier in the day despite the illness – it still remains to be seen whether or not he’ll be able to give it a go. If Walker doesn’t end up suiting up, both Nicolas Batum and Ramon Sessions would become much stronger DFS targets, although the blowout risk for Charlotte would increase as a result.
As reported by: Rick Bonnell Other tagged players: Nicolas Batum, Ramon Sessions
Wesley Matthews (hip) ruled out; Andrew Bogut confirmed as playing
Matthews will not play in tonight’s game against the New York Knicks after previously stating that he would suit up for Wednesday’s contest. Not only did the team rule him out for Wednesday, but Matthews will miss the Mavericks following game as well. Seth Curry should be expected to start at shooting guard with Andrew Bogut returning from injury and available to play. Curry now becomes an intriguing value option in tournaments given his matchup and projected boost in playing time.
As reported by: Dwain Price Other tagged players: Andrew Bogut
Jeremy Lamb (foot) ruled out for tonight
Per NBA rules, the Hornets have to have eight active bodies on their roster. Therefore, the Hornets are expected to have Jeremy Lamb dress tonight but he is not expected to play. Currently, Cody Zeller is the only one that has been ruled out but Kemba Walker is also dealing with an illness and he has yet to be confirmed. Walker is currently warming up and will decide his status after,
As reported by: Rick Bonnell Other tagged players: Kemba Walker, Cody Zeller Matthew Dellavedova carries strong upside at $3,900 on FanDuel, $4,100 on DraftKings
The Bucks have been tinkering with their starting unit over the last week, and it’s led to a few consecutive starts for Matthew Dellavedova with Malcolm Brogdon coming off the bench. While both players are still seeing serviceable minute totals – each has played at least 30 minutes in the past two games – it’s Dellavedova that carries the far lower DFS price tag. Delly has seen 36 and 31 minutes over his last two starts and at his current price tag across the industry, that makes him an elite value target in any format. The Sixers are probably not as bad defensively as you may think – they are above league average (11th) in defensive efficiency, but that tumbles with Joel Embiid off the floor. The Sixers struggle most with PGs (17th in DvP) and Cs (24th), and given that the Bucks rarely get much offense out of their starting center, Dellavedova is in a nice spot to succeed. The main question with Delly is whether or not he’s worth the opportunity cost at the PG position, which is typically stacked with appealing options. If you don’t want to punt the PG spot, look to value options at SG (Norman Powell most notably), SF (Evan Turner) or PF (Nerlens Noel).
Cody Zeller (quad) ruled out; Roy Hibbert starting in his place, Frank Kaminsky also available to play
Zeller will not play in tonight’s game against the Golden State Warriors after previously being listed as questionable on the Hornets’ injury report with a quad contusion. Roy Hibbert will draw the start at center in his place but is not a viable daily fantasy option. Additionally, Frank Kaminsky will be available to play off the bench, meaning that he and Spencer Hawes are the only available bigs for Charlotte. Both big men can be considered in tournaments but carry some risk considering Golden State may force the Hornets to play smaller than they would normally like.
As reported by: @Hornets Other tagged players: Roy Hibbert, Frank Kaminsky Grizzlies implied team total is about four points higher than their season average, may only have 8 active players
With Parsons doubtful and JaMychal Green/Troy Daniels ruled out, there is value to be had on the Memphis side. With Parsons, Green, Daniels and Jarell Martin off the floor, Mike Conley gets a 4.3% bump in usage, with James Ennis (+1.6%) the only other player to benefit in that regard. Marc Gasol, Vince Carter and Zach Randolph actually have lower usage rates in that split, but both Gasol and Randolph can be considered given that their playing time becomes more secure. Conley is now a very strong GPP target, as he’s been seeing minutes in the mid-thirties lately and his playing time becomes even more safe given the injuries. The Grizzlies implied team total is about four points higher than their season average, and most of the options on this side will come attached to low GPP ownerships given the other appealing games on this slate. Troy Williams has been recalled from the D-League given how shorthanded the Grizzlies are, but it remains to be seen whether or not he’ll be in uniform tonight – if not, the Grizzlies will have eight healthy bodies on the roster. Conley is an extremely appealing tournament pivot off of guys like Goran Dragic and Damian Lillard, both of whom should be more popular. Zach Randolph only saw 19 minutes in the last game where JaMychal Green was inactive, but Jarell Martin (who is not with the team) started in that contest and played 12 minutes, so we should at least see Z-Bo hit his season average in minutes tonight. Marc Gasol, who has scored at least 41 FD points in his last four games, is right up there with Conley in terms of the top overall play on the Memphis side. The Raptors are 20th in rebounding differential and we shouldn’t expect Toronto’s front-court – which features Jonas Valanciunas, Jared Sullinger and Patrick Patterson – to have any real success slowing him down.
Other tagged players: Marc Gasol, Zach Randolph, James Ennis III Nene (rest) ruled out for tonight
Nene will be rested and won’t play in tonight’s game against the Boston Celtics. The vacated backup center minutes will be absorbed my Montrezl Harrell, while Clint Capela may see a small bump in minutes, but he is still working his way back from injury, so don’t expect any sort of massive increase of the 22 minutes he saw last time out. Both Capela and Harrell and viable tournament options in an exploitable matchup with the Boston frontcourt.
As reported by: Jonathan Feigen Tyreke Evans (ankle) and Anthony Davis (quad) officially expected to play tonight
Evans and Davis will play in tonight’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder after appearing on the Pelicans’ injury report with their respective ailments. The return of Davis to the starting lineup will likely send Terrence Jones back to the bench to resume a reserve role. Davis is expected to play his full allotment of minutes, so he is certainly a viable option in tournaments, though he is always a risky cash option. As for Evans, his minutes have been trending downward and is best avoided on a 10-game slate coming off of a questionable designation.
As reported by: @Pelicans PR Other tagged players: Anthony Davis Troy Williams recalled from the D-League
The Memphis Grizzlies have announced that the team has recalled forward Troy Williams from its NBA Development League affiliate, the Iowa Energy. Williams had appeared in 24 games for Memphis earlier in the season, but his recall for the D-League is probably more of strong hint that Chandler Parsons will not play in tonight’s game against the Toronto Raptors. According to the team’s beat reporters, Williams is expected to be active and available to play, meaning the Grizzlies active roster will remain at nine players should Parsons be ruled out.
As reported by: @Grizzlies Jaylen Brown and Jonas Jerebko starting over Marcus Smart and Amir Johnson
Brown and Jerebko will be inserted into the Celtics starting lineup for tonight’s game against the Houston Rockets, sending Marcus Smart and Amir Johnson to the bench to assume reserve roles. The matchup-based lineup move of Jerebko at power forward was certainly predictable considering Celtics head coach Brad Stevens replaced Johnson with Jerebko in the starting unit in their prior meeting with Houston. In that contest, Jerebko saw 21 minutes, so he isn’t a particularly viable punt option on a 10-game slate with a plethora of better value options. Brown is a risky option as well, considering he will likely be a starter in name only. Smart’s demotion to the bench seems to be a slap on the wrist for his altercation with a member of the Celtics’ coaching staff in Tuesday’s loss to the Washington Wizards. With that said, Smart should now see reduced ownership, making him an intriguing tournament option.
As reported by: A. Sherrod Blakely Other tagged players: Jonas Jerebko Chandler Parsons (knee) downgraded to doubtful; JaMychal Green (knee) and Troy Daniels (knee) officially ruled out
Parsons has been downgraded to doubtful for tonight’s game against the Raptors. James Ennis will likely garner the start and should be expected to play about 30 minutes tonight. According to CourtIQ, Ennis sees a 1.6% usage rate bump with Parsons, Green, Daniels and Jarrell Martin off the court. Martin is currently on a D-League assignment. He might be recalled later on today and we’l make sure to post something if he is. JaMychal Green was not expected to be ruled out and his absence will likely lead to Zach Randolph jumping into the starting lineup. Troy Daniels was already expected out due to a knee injury he suffered in Memphis’ previous game. Also according to CourtIQ, Mike Conley sees a 4.6% usage rate increase with all four players off the court. He’s averaged almost 36 minutes in his last nine games and should be a lock for minutes with the Grizzlies only having 8 healthy bodies on the active roster.
As reported by: @Grizzlies PR Other tagged players: Troy Daniels, Chandler Parsons, Mike Conley, Zach Randolph Emmanuel Mudiay (back) doubtful for Thursday
Mudiay has been unable to play in the Nuggets’ last two games and is considered doubtful for tomorrow’s game against the Suns. Jameer Nelson has started the last two games in place of Mudiay and played 30 minutes against the Jazz. He was able to exceed salary-based expectations against Utah and should be considered a strong cash game play against the Suns. Jamal Murray is also a viable GPP option against the Suns but he will lose minutes to Nelson with the Nuggets chasing a playoff spot.
As reported by: Harrison Wind Other tagged players: Jameer Nelson, Jamal Murray Mike Muscala upgraded to questionable for Hawks
Originally ruled out, the Hawks forward has been upgraded to questionable for their game tonight against the Bulls. He’s not a viable DFS option regardless of whether he plays or not but his return would be a hit to Kris Humphries’ playing time. We’ll continue to monitor the situation and update you once we get definitive word on whether or not Muscala is playing.
As reported by: Chris Vivlamore on Twitter Other tagged players: Kris Humphries
Caris LeVert will play tonight for Brooklyn
LeVert was rested the last time the Nets played but will return to action tonight. He’s a viable value option who should see 20+ minutes against the Heat. Randy Foye and Isaiah Whitehead both will see their playing time reduced with LeVert back.
As reported by: Brooklyn Nets official Twitter feed