DFS Alerts
Miami Heat injury report for Friday (many players out)
The injury depleted Miami Heat will again be short-handed on Friday as Babbitt, Johnson, Richardson, Waiters, and Winslow are all listed as out by the team. They may even be more short-handed as Rodney McGruder is listed as questionable and his status is up in the air after suffering a sprained left ankle in their game last night. Tyler Johnson, Goran Dragic, Josh McRoberts (despite his busto game last night), and Hassan Whiteside will all make for strong plays given their heavy workload.
As reported by: Ira Winderman on Twitter Other tagged players: Luke Babbitt, James Johnson, Josh Richardson, Dion Waiters, Justise Winslow
Robert Covington available to play tonight for 76ers
Covington hasn’t played in nearly a week but will be available to play tonight against New Orleans although his minutes will most likely be limited. That limitation removes him from consideration as a viable DFS option and his presence will also be a hit on the value of Gerald Henderson and Nik Stauskas who should both see a reduction in playing time with Covington back in the rotation.
As reported by: Jessica Camerato on Twitter Other tagged players: Gerald Henderson, Nik Stauskas Doug McDermott will play tonight for Bulls
McDermott stated he is feeling great and will play for Chicago tonight when they face the Spurs. As is usually the case when facing San Antonio, most players are not DFS options – McDermott certainly falls into that category tonight.
As reported by: Nick Friedell on Twitter Gordon Hayward OUT tonight for Utah
With Rodney Hood, Derrick Favors, and George Hill already ruled out the Jazz will now be without their best offensive weapon in Hayward facing arguably the best team in the NBA in the Warriors. Hayward has good x-ray results come back but will not be able to suit up tonight meaning Joe Johnson and Shelvin Mack gain value and are viable DFS options in what should be a relatively high scoring game.
As reported by: David Locke on Twitter Other tagged players: Joe Johnson, Shelvin Mack Jrue Holiday a game-time decision tonight for Pelicans
The New Orleans guard stated he is feeling a lot less pain in his injured toe but he’ll still be a game-time decision for their game tonight against the 76ers. If he is able to play, he’ll be a viable DFS option against a Philly team that is 23rd in PG DvP. Tim Frazier benefits the most if Holiday doesn’t play.
As reported by: Daniel Sallerson on Twitter Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray probable for Nuggets tonight; Gary Harris remains out
Jokic came back from a week absence with a vengeance last night putting up over 30 fpts in just 21 minutes of playing time. He’s squarely on the radar as a DFS option facing a Wizards team that is bottom 10 in PF DvP. Murray played 33 minutes and put up over 20 fpts and remains a viable value option at approximately $4k on both sites. Gary Harris remains out for Denver.
As reported by: Harrison Wind on Twitter Other tagged players: Jamal Murray, Gary Harris DeMarre Carroll's status for tonight uncertain
Local media is reporting that there is no word on whether Carroll will play for the Raptors tonight when they face the Timberwolves. Norman Powell would benefit the most if he can’t play – we’ll update Carroll’s status as soon as we learn more.
As reported by: Josh Lewenberg on Twitter Other tagged players: Norman Powell Rodney Hood (hamstring) and George Hill (toe) ruled out Thursday
Hood and Hill will not play in tomorrow night’s game against the Golden State Warriors after originally being listed as questionable with their respective injuries. Dante Exum should continue to start at point guard in Hill’s absence, who has now missed five consecutive games. Either Joe Johnson or Joe Ingles are most likely to draw the start at shooting guard in place of Hood, as they each have split the starting duties in the previous two games Hood has been sidelined. However, Gordon Hayward remains the top Jazz player to target while their roster is depleted, as he will need to continue to shoulder the offensive load.
As reported by: Tony Jones Other tagged players: George Hill
Raymond Felton (personal) ruled out tonight, will miss at least one additional game
Felton will not play in tonight’s game against the Golden State Warriors, as he deals with a personal matter. Clippers coach Doc Rivers confirmed that Felton will not be with the team for at least a couple games, essentially ruling Felton out of Saturday’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans as well. In his absence, expect Jamal Crawford and Austin Rivers to carry the offensive load in the second unit and soak up most of the usage vacated by Felton.
As reported by: Dan Woike Jordan Clarkson and Marcelo Huertas starting tonight; Brandon Ingram and Metta World Peace to the bench
Clarkson and Huertas have been confirmed in the starting lineup for tonight’s game against the Houston Rockets, sending Brandon Ingram and Metta World Peace back to the bench to resume reserve roles. Huertas will continue to be a starter in name only, as Lou Williams will see the majority of backcourt minutes alongside Clarkson. The primary targets from this game are still the trio of Clarkson, Williams, and Ingram, while Julius Randle remains an intriguing tournament option, though the return of Larry Nance makes his minutes less secure. Ingram takes a slight hit in value off the bench but should see a nice uptick in usage with the second unit, meaning he is certainly still a viable option.
As reported by: Mark Medina Other tagged players: Marcelo Huertas, Brandon Ingram, Metta World Peace Yogi Ferrell is available to play tonight
Ferrell will be available off the bench in tonight’s game against the Denver Nuggets. However, he is unlikely to play a significant amount minutes, if any, with this Brooklyn squad relatively healthy. His availability is worth noting, but it shouldn’t affect the fantasy outlook of any members of the Nets backcourt this evening. Ferrell is obviously not fantasy relevant without several injuries to the Nets rotation.
As reported by: Mike Gallagher
Al-Farouq Aminu (calf) expected to see a slight increase in minutes
Aminu will still reportedly be on a minutes restriction for tonight’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks, but is expected to see more playing time than the 16-20 minute limit he was limited to in Monday’s contest. It’s still difficult to really trust him or any of the Portland wing players in any format until we get a better idea of Trail Blazers coach Terry Stotts new rotation. However, Maurice Harkless is probably the safest of the bunch, as he should be locked into 30-plus minutes despite the presence of Aminu in the lineup.
As reported by: Casey Holdahl Conflicting reports on whether only Jordan Clarkson is starting; Luke Walton considering starting Lou Williams as well
Clarkson or Williams may start at point guard in tonight’s game against the Houston Rockets. It’s unlikely that both start, though it is certainly in the realm of possibility. Metta World Peace will likely be displaced from his one-game stint in the starting lineup no matter which guard finds their way into the starting lineup this evening. If taking an educated guess, Clarkson is the most logical candidate to start at point guard, though both Clarkson and Williams are in play in all formats no matter who actually starts.
As reported by: Mark Medina Other tagged players: Lou Williams Nikola Jokic (wrist) will be available to play tonight
Jokic will be available to play in tonight’s game against the Brooklyn Nets after being listed as questionable on the Nuggets injury report with a sprained left wrist. However, there has been no confirmation on whether Jokic will actually see the court this evening. Knowing Mike Malone, we shouldn’t expect to get any clarification prior to lock either. The presence of Jokic is still a knock to the value of Jusuf Nurkic and Kenneth Faried, though they are worthy tournament dart throws in the event that Jokic ends up being a DNP-CD. If taking the conservative approach, it’s best to avoid the Denver big men rotation despite the elite uptempo matchup with the Nets.
As reported by: Chris Dempsey Brandon Jennings confirmed as the starter in place of Derrick Rose
Rose will not play in tonight’s game against the Cleveland Cavaliers after being listed as questionable on the Knicks injury report with a sore back. Brandon Jennings will draw the start in his place and immediately becomes one of the top value options on the entire slate. According to our CourtIQ tool, Carmelo Anthony actually gets the biggest boost in fantasy value with Rose of the court this season, as he has an insane 46.7% usage rate that is 13.4% higher than his season average. His matchup against Lebron James is less than ideal, but Melo certainly deserves some tournament consideration sporting those types of numbers without Rose.
As reported by: Stefan Bondy Other tagged players: Derrick Rose