DFS Alerts
Jose Calderon (hamstring) ruled out Monday, Larry Nance (knee) questionable
Calderon will not play in tomorrow night’s game against the Utah Jazz with a hamstring injury he sustained in the first half of Saturday’s contest. In his absence, Jordan Clarkson started the second half with the first unit, possibly providing a hint at the Lakers starting lineup for Monday. However, Lakers coach Luke Walton has continuously tried to keep the second unit as intact as possible, though that may be tough to accomplish with D’Angelo Russell and Nick Young still sidelined. If he decides to have Clarkson come off the bench once again, expect Marcelo Huertas to draw the “start” at point guard. As for Nance, he is listed as questionable with a knee contusion. If he is ultimately ruled out, expect Tarik Black and Thomas Robinson to split the backup power forward minutes behind Julius Randle.
As reported by: Mark Medina Other tagged players: Larry Nance Jr.
Ian Mahinmi (knee) ruled out Monday
Mahinmi will not play in tomorrow night’s game against the Brooklyn Nets with a sore right knee that has kept him sidelined for the Wizards’ previous three games. In his absence, Marcin Gortat’s workload will remain solidified with really only Jason Smith available to absorb the backup center minutes. Mahinmi has yet to really make an impact in the Wizards rotation, so this news does not change Washington’s fantasy outlook on Monday evening.
As reported by: Candace Buckner Other tagged players: Marcin Gortat George Hill (toe) ruled out Monday
Hill will not play in tomorrow night’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers after being doubtful with a sprained toe that has kept him sidelined in Utah’s previous two games. With Hill already ruled out, Dante Exum will likely start in his place at point guard once again. However, Exum seems to be a starter in name only, as Shelvin Mack has averaged just under 29 minutes per game off the bench in last two, compared to Exum’s 20 minutes per game. Gordon Hayward still remains our primary target on the Jazz, as he owns an elite 32.9% usage rate with the duo of Hill and the still injured Derrick Favors off the court this season.
As reported by: Tim MacMahon Mike Dunleavy (concussion) available to play Monday
Dunleavy will be available to play in tomorrow night’s game against the Toronto Raptors after being sidelined in the Cavaliers’ previous two games with a concussion. With Dunleavy passing the concussion protocol, Iman Shumpert and Richard Jefferson will resume their normal roles and minute allotment. Dunleavy is averaging fewer than 16 minutes per game, so his return has little impact to Cleveland’s rotation.
As reported by: Jason Lloyd Reggie Jackson (knee) will start tonight, but will play limited minutes
Jackson will make his season debut in tonight’s game against the Orlando Magic after missing the first month and change of the season with tendinitis in his left knee. His return will displace Ish Smith from the starting lineup, but Jackson is highly unlikely to see more than 20 minutes of action this evening, meaning Smith will still maintain a sizable role in this offense for the time being. Jackson can be easily avoided in his first game back from injury, though Smith now becomes an intriguing tournament option, as his ownership will likely be lowered by this news.
As reported by: Official Twitter Account of the Detroit Pistons Danilo Gallinari (thigh) and Will Barton (ankle) will play tonight, as expected
Gallinari and Barton will both play in tonight’s game against the Utah Jazz after being listed as probable on the Nuggets’ injury report. With Gallinari expected to see his full allotment of minutes, Wilson Chandler should be avoided until his inflated price tag around the industry adjusts to his current role, though tonight may be another exception with extra power forward minutes available in Jokic’s absence. Arthur will likely absorb a majority of those power forward minutes vacated by Jokic, but it remains uncertain how much he will actually play on a night-to-night basis, leaving the possibility of extended run for the likes of Chandler and Juan Hernangomez at the three and four positions.
As reported by: Chris Dempsey Other tagged players: Will Barton Rodney Hood (hamstring) will play tonight, confirmed in starting lineup
Hood will play and start in tonight’s game against the Denver Nuggets after being questionable with a hamstring injury that kept him sidelined in Utah’s previous game. With George Hill already ruled out, Dante Exum will start in his place at point guard once again. However, Exum seems to be a starter in name only, as Shelvin Mack played well in 33 minutes off the bench Thursday. Gordon Hayward still remains our primary target on the Jazz, as he owns an elite 35.3% usage rate, a 4.3% increase from his season average, with the duo of Hill and the still injured Derrick Favors off the court this season.
As reported by: Tony Jones Nikola Jokic (wrist) expected to miss at least the next three games
Jokic will likely remain sidelined for a minimum of three more games, meaning his earliest possible return would be Thursday against the Washington Wizards. According to Nuggets coach Mike Malone, the team will know more about the extent of Jokic’s injury once the swelling in his wrist subsides. Jokic had just started to surpass Jusuf Nurkic in the rotation, so this is certainly unfortunate timing for him and us daily fantasy players. With Jokic sidelined, Nurkic is the primary beneficiary of the extra minutes available at center, while Kenneth Faried and Darrell Arthur could see some extended run at power forward.
As reported by: Chris Dempsey Devin Harris (toe) will play tonight and could have minutes restriction increased
Harris will play in tonight’s game against the Chicago Bulls after being listed as probable on the Mavericks’ injury report with a sprained toe. Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle hinted that Harris could see minutes into the second half Saturday. Even so, he is unlikely to eclipse 15-18 minutes after playing 12 minutes or less in the previous two. With Seth Curry already ruled out, Harris and Deron Williams will continue split the backcourt minutes with Jonathan Gibson and Wesley Matthews. As reported earlier in the day, Dirk Nowitzki will be sidelined indefinitely with an Achilles issue that has already caused him to miss extended game action this season. Williams and Harris are likely to have their minutes monitored in some capacity, meaning that Gibson and Harrison Barnes are the preferred targets on the this Dallas squad, albeit in a less than ideal mathcup with the Bulls.
As reported by: Earl K. Sneed Larry Nance (knee) ruled out tonight
Nance will not play in tonight’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies after being listed as questionable on the Lakers injury report with a knee contusion he suffered in Friday’s loss to the Raptors. This news solidifies the minutes and upside of Julius Randle, meaning that he is now viable in all formats. With D’Angelo Russell and Nick Young still sidelined, expect Brandon Ingram to continue to start at shooting guard and see extended run with both the starting and second units. He can’t quite be trusted in cash games as of yet in a tough matchup against Tony Allen and the Grizzlies, but is certainly worth a shot in tournaments at a manageable price tag around the industry.
As reported by: Mike Trudell Mike Muscala will start in place of Paul Millsap (hip) tonight
Muscala will start at power forward for the injured Paul Millsap in tonight’s game against the Toronto Raptors, sending Thabo Sefolosha back to the bench to resume his reserve role. Millsap had already been ruled out in advance of tonight’s contest with a hip ailment. That’ll lead to increased usage for Dennis Schroder and Dwight Howard, with Kent Bazemore possibly picking up a little extra run. Sefolosha started on Friday with Millsap sidelined, but the Hawks will make a change again with Muscala getting another crack at the starting power forward vacancy. Schroder is the top play on the Atlanta side, as he owns a 34.2% usage rate with Millsap off the floor this season. Muscala is also worth a look in tournaments given Toronto’s consistent struggles defending opposing power forwards.
As reported by: Bob Rathbun Other tagged players: Paul Millsap, Thabo Sefolosha Nik Stauskas will start in place of Robert Covington (ankle) tonight
Covington and Bayless will not play in tonight’s game against the Boston Celtics after previously being listed as questionable on the Sixers injury report. Nik Stauskas will draw the start at small forward for the injured Covington, while Sergio Rodriguez will remain in the starting lineup at point guard for Bayless. With Joel Embiid already ruled out for rest, Jahlil Okafor will start at center and is the primary fantasy option in this Sixers offense. In fact, Okafor leads Philadelphia with a 30.9% usage rate with the trio of Covington, Bayless, and Embiid off the court this season.
As reported by: Tom Moore Other tagged players: Robert Covington Robert Covington (knee) and Jerryd Bayless (wrist) ruled out tonight
Covington and Bayless will not play in tonight’s game against the Boston Celtics after previously being listed as questionable on the Sixers injury report. Nik Stauskas will draw the start at small forward for the injured Covington, while Sergio Rodriguez will remain in the starting lineup at point guard for Bayless. With Joel Embiid already ruled out for rest, Jahlil Okafor will start at center and is the primary fantasy option in this Sixers offense. In fact, Okafor leads Philadelphia with a 30.9% usage rate with the trio of Covington, Bayless, and Embiid off the court this season.
As reported by: Tom Moore Other tagged players: Jerryd Bayless, Joel Embiid Anthony Bennett will start in place of Trevor Booker (illness) tonight
Bennett will draw the start at power forward in tonight’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks for the injured Trevor Booker. He is likely a starter in name only but could pay off as a pure punt in tournaments on the all day slates, as he is still likely to see over 20 minutes for the stone minimum around the industry. Brook Lopez unsurprisingly sees the biggest bump in value with Booker off the court this season, as he owns an elite 35.5% usage rate (3.6% increase), while averaging 1.35 DraftKings and 1.27 FanDuel points per minute respectively. On top of the increased usage, there will a plethora of extra rebounding opportunities available in Booker’s absence against this horrendous Bucks’ frontcourt defense.
As reported by: Brian Lewis Other tagged players: Trevor Booker Trevor Booker (illness) ruled out tonight
Booker is a surprise late scratch for tonight’s game against the Milwaukee Buck due to an illness. There has yet to be any official word on the Nets starting lineup this evening, and there are honestly more than a few ways they can go. We’ll have to monitor the situation for any news as game time approaches, but the Nets did slide Bojan Bogdanovic over to power forward on several occasions with Rondae Hollis-Jefferson defending Giannis Antetokounmpo in the previous matchup. However, it’s unlikely that Hollis-Jefferson is ready to assume starters minutes yet after returning from injury not too long ago. The Nets starting power forward will almost certainly just be a starter in name only, as we can expect Nets coach Kenny Atkinson to get quite creative with his rotations in this one.
As reported by: Brian Lewis