DFS Alerts
Omri Casspi, Garrett Temple, and Anthony Tolliver confirmed in starting lineup for Rudy Gay (hip), DeMarcus Cousins (rest), and Ben McLemore (quad) tonight
Casspi, Temple, and Tolliver will draw the starts at small forward, shooting guard, and power forward respectively in place of Rudy Gay, Ben McLemore, and DeMarcus Cousins for tonight’s game against the Houston Rockets. The only surprise here is that Tolliver gets the nod over Matt Barnes for tonight’s starting lineup. Barnes must really be in the Kings’ coach Daver Joerger’s doghouse to not draw the start in this one. It remains to be seen if Barnes will play a substantial role off the bench, but he can be safely avoided in all formats, as the risk of a DNP-CD outweighs any potential reward. Casspi, Temple, Darren Collison, Kosta Koufos, and Ty Lawson are the primary players to target on this depleted Kings’ squad.
As reported by: Jonathan Feigen Other tagged players: Garrett Temple, Anthony Tolliver, DeMarcus Cousins, Rudy Gay, Ben McLemore
Al-Farouq Aminu (back) listed as doubtful for Thursday
Aminu has officially been listed as doubtful for tomorrow night’s game against the Denver Nuggets due to a lower back contusion that has caused him to be sidelined for a couple games in recent days. Either Noah Vonleh, Ed Davis, or Meyers Leonard will likely draw the start at power forward if Aminu is unable to give it a go, though it’s been nearly impossible to predict Trail Blazers coach Terry Stotts’ starting power forward carousel sans Aminu. It will be tough to pull the trigger on any of the aforementioned players in a less than ideal matchup with the Nuggets frontcourt, as they are one of the better rebounding teams in the entire Association.
As reported by: Casey Holdahl Channing Frye WILL start tonight; James Jones to play off the bench
Frye will in fact draw the start in place of the resting Kevin Love for tonight’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies. This concludes a crazy series of starting lineup changes for the Cavaliers. They will officially start DeAndre Liggins, J.R. Smith, Mike Dunleavy, Channing Frye, and Tristan Thompson, meaning James Jones will come off the bench. Originally, the Cavaliers had James Jones and Iman Shumpert slated to start, so this news is definitely a bump to the fantasy value of Frye. He was already an elite option coming off the bench and his elite status his just further solidified in the starting unit. Despite his starting status, Thompson is a must fade, as he will reportedly only see 5-6 minutes of game action and has essentially been ruled out for rest as well.
As reported by: Joe Gabriele Other tagged players: James Jones
Tristan Thompson starting and only expected to play 5 minutes; Channing Frye playing off the bench
Thompson will reportedly start in tonight’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies, but will be limited to just 5-6 minutes of playing time in this contest, meaning he has essentially been ruled out for rest along with LeBron James, Kevin Love, and Kyrie Irving. The move by Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue to start Thompson and then rest him for basically the entirety of the game, is likely just to keep Thompson’s streak of consecutive starts intact. Expect to see Frye and Chris Anderson primarily manning the five for Cleveland tonight in Thompson’s “absence”, though it’s tough to trust Anderson given the plethora of value on this slate.
As reported by: Joe Gabriele Other tagged players: Channing Frye Channing Frye and Mike Dunleavy starting; Tristan Thompson will be limited to about 5 minutes
Frye and Dunleavy will draw the start in place of the resting Kevin Love and LeBron James for tonight’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies. Originally, the Cavaliers had James Jones and Iman Shumpert slated to start, so this news is definitely a bump to the fantasy value of Frye. He was already an elite option coming off the bench and his elite status his just further solidified in the starting unit. As for Thompson, he will reportedly be limited to just 5-6 minutes of playing time in this contest, so he has essentially been ruled out for rest as well. Expect to see Frye and Chris Anderson primarily manning the five for Cleveland tonight, though it’s tough to trust Anderson given the plethora of value on this slate.
As reported by: Joe Vardon Other tagged players: Mike Dunleavy, Tristan Thompson Jeremy Lin ruled out for Wednesday
Isaiah Whiteside will start at PG with Lin out, keeping the Nets typical starting lineup in tact. This news bodes well for Sean Kilpatrick, who figures to see upwards of 30-32 minutes in one of the fastest paced games on the slate. In addition to Kilpatrick, Joe Harris figures to retain a meaningful role off the bench. Brook Lopez and Trevor Booker both remain very strong targets against a Lakers defense that ranks dead last against centers and 29th against PFs. The Nets can run out deep rotations at times, but this is a night where attacking a few of the starters seems wise.
As reported by: Mike Scotto
Markieff Morris ruled out for tonight; Kelly Oubre will start in his place
Morris will not play in tonight’s game against the Charlotte Hornets due to a sore left foot. In his absence, Kelly Oubre will draw the start at small forward, sliding Otto Porter over the Morris’ normal power forward spot. Oubre has been getting some decent run off the bench of late, as the Wizards have been utilizing their version of the small-ball lineup more frequently. We should expect Oubre to approach, and possibly exceed, the 30-minute mark this evening with the starting unit after playing over 24 minutes off the bench in each of the three previous games. Oubre is a viable punt option in all formats, while Porter also sees a bump in fantasy value spending most of his playing time at the four.
As reported by: Ben Standig Other tagged players: Kelly Oubre Lucas Nogueira (knee) ruled out for tonight
Nogueira will not play in tonight’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers after previously being listed as questionable on the Raptors injury report with a sore right knee. He has been the primary center off the bench for Toronto, so his absence should solidify the minute floor of Jonas Valanciunas and should carve out a minuscule role for Jakob Poeltl off the bench. The Sixers seem like a good matchup for centers at face value, though the defense versus position statistics are slightly diluted with games that Jahlil Okafor has started in place Joel Embiid at center. Embiid has actually been a solid defender and really improves the Sixers’ defensive efficiency as a unit. So with that said, there seem to be better options at center than Valanciunas in all formats.
As reported by: @Raptors MR Nick Young no longer on a minute restriction; D'Angelo Russell still restricted but expected to play slightly over 20 minutes
Nick Young will likely play over 28 minutes for the first time since returning from leg injuries. He is an elite tournament option at a position filled with value plays today. He’s likely a better option on DraftKings due to the three-pointer bonus and roster flexibility. D’Angelo Russell will likely see 22-24 minutes tonight against the Nets. He’s a risky tournament play since he is not exactly cheap across the industry. Russell dominates the Nets, so he’s also a better play on DraftKings since he is priced under $6k, unlike FanDuel. Russell can easily ruin your lineups and carries far too much risk for cash games tonight.
As reported by: Tania Ganguli Other tagged players: D'Angelo Russell Zaza Pachulia (wrist) doubtful for Thursday's game
Pachulia is considered doubtful for Thursday’s game, which will likely lead to JaVale McGee drawing another start at center. Even as a starter, McGee isn’t likely to clear 20-25 minutes of court time, making him a low-end GPP punt play. Draymond Green gets a slight bump as he may see an extra handful of minutes at the center spot, but this news doesn’t change the outlook of any of the other GSW starters. Proceed normally.
As reported by: @WarriorsPR Other tagged players: JaVale McGee Tim Frazier (wrist) downgraded to doubtful for Thursday
Tim Frazier has been downgraded to doubtful for tomorrow’s game against the Pacers. Jrue Holiday is listed as probable due to a toe injury and will likely play over 32 minutes with Frazier expected out. Tyreke Evans is also being listed as questionable to play but will likely be on a minutes restriction if he plays for the first time all season. We’ll have another update regarding the Pelicans tomorrow.
As reported by: @Pelicans Other tagged players: Jrue Holiday, Tyreke Evans Jeremy Lin (back) now listed as a game-time decision
Lin has been downgraded to a game-time decision for tonight’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers due to back tightness. If he is unable to give it a go, Isaiah Whitehead will likely draw the start at point guard, while Sean Kilpatrick will also see a nice bump in minutes. This is a key situation to monitor as we approach lock, as Lin’s absence would open up even more value options in the highest projected pace and highest projected total game of the night. We will continue to provide any updates should they become available before lock.
As reported by: Mark Medina Austin Rivers starting in place of Luc Mbah a Moute (shoulder)
In the latest injury update for Luc Mbah a Moute, he has officially been ruled out for tonight’s game against Orlando Magic after being upgraded from doubtful to probable with a sprained right shoulder. Austin Rivers will play and draw the start at small forward in place of Mbah a Moute. On a typical 10-game slate that is lacking value options, Rivers could have been an intriguing source of value, but with all the value in play this evening at basically every position, he can be safely ignored in all formats.
As reported by: Rowan Kavner Other tagged players: Luc Mbah a Moute Luc Mbah a Moute (shoulder) ruled out for tonight; Austin Rivers (concussion) will play
In the latest injury update for Luc Mbah a Moute, he has officially been ruled out for tonight’s game against Orlando Magic after being upgraded from doubtful to probable with a sprained right shoulder. Austin Rivers will play and draw the start at small forward in place of Mbah a Moute. On a typical 10-game slate that is lacking value options, Rivers could have been an intriguing source of value, but with all the value in play this evening at basically every position, he can be safely ignored in all formats.
As reported by: Rowan Kavner Other tagged players: Austin Rivers Derrick Rose (back) listed as questionable for tomorrow's game against the Warriors
Rose has been officially listed as questionable for tomorrow night’s game against the Golden State Warriors due to back spasms. If Rose is unable to suit up, it would be an obvious bump to the fantasy value of Brandon Jennings, as he would almost certainly draw the start at point guard in Rose’s absence. Additionally, Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis would absorb some additional usage vacated by Rose in the starting unit and would be elite options in a pace up game against the Warriors. In fact, Anthony has recorded an elite 39.5% usage rate with Rose off the court this season, which is a 6.9% increase over his season average.
As reported by: Al Iannazzone