DFS Alerts
Hassan Whiteside (knee) listed as day-to-day
Whiteside has a sprained MCL but the Heat have not listed him as out for Game 4 on Monday. He was was at practice in a Velcro immobilizing walking cast and is likely not going to play. Udonis Haslem played 22 minutes on Saturday and scored 19.8 fpts. Haslem should be a strong punt play on Monday and is expected to have his salary remain in the low-2k range, making him a strong punt option. Amar’e Stoudemire will likely start and is a viable option but is not expected to play more than 20 minutes, limiting his upside.
As reported by: Ira Winderman Other tagged players: Amare Stoudemire, Udonis Haslem
Jonas Valanciunas (ankle) to miss rest of Round 2
Valanciunas injured his ankle in Game 2 but hurt it once again, late in Game 3. Valanciunas will not play the rest of the series against the Heat and another update will be provided if the Raptors move on. Bismack Biyombo will get the start at center on Monday and should be considered an elite option with Hassan Whiteside also likely out. Biyombo averaged 27.40 fpts in 22 starts this season and should be able to exceed value with his salary at punt levels across the industry. Luis Scola got back into the rotation on Saturday and will also see more minutes after not playing in the five contests prior to Game 3. Scola is a low-end option that does not carry much risk with his salary at $2k on DraftKings, which could help differentiate in tournaments.
As reported by: Raptors MR Other tagged players: Bismack Biyombo, Luis Scola Thabo Sefolosha confirmed as the starter on Sunday
Sefolosha will remain in the starting lineup for Game 4. He was able to exceed value in Game 3 and should be a viable punt play with the season on the line for the Hawks. Kyle Korver will come off the bench and should be under-owned in his new role. With shooting guard relatively shallow today, Korver remains a viable option.
As reported by: Chris Vivlamore Other tagged players: Kyle Korver Patrick Patterson to start over Norman Powell on Saturday
Patterson is starting over Norman Powell in Game 3 and should be considered a viable option. He is a low-end option as the starter, averaging 13.66 fpts in three starts in these playoffs. He will need to play 24-28 minutes to exceed value in this game. He is a cheaper play on Fan Duel with his salary at a minimum and is viable because you need to play two PFs. Norman Powell has not played well against the Heat and is likely to hurt your lineup more than he can help it.
As reported by: Ira Winderman Other tagged players: Norman Powell Thabo Sefolosha expected to start ahead of Kyle Korver on Sunday
Thabo Sefolosha is expected to start again in Game 4, after being the announced the starter at the last minute in Game 3. Sefolosha played 29 minutes and returned 8.3x on his $2,300 salary on DK. He should be considered an elite punt option on Sunday, but only used as a second forward or in the utility slot with LeBron James and Kevin Durant also on the slate at SF. Sefolosha’s salary has not been released for Sunday but we can expect him to remain under $3k on DK. Kyle Korver played well off the bench (25.8 fpts) and ended up with 32 minutes of court time. Korver does not have a ton of upside in his new role but could help you differentiate your lineups.
As reported by: Chris Vivalamore Other tagged players: Kyle Korver Thabo Sefolosha replacing Kyle Korver in the starting lineup on Friday
Sefolosha will start in place of Korver in Game 3 and he is a strong option with his salary at a minimum across the industry. With the news coming so close to when lineups locked, it’ll be tough to move Sefolosha in since he is not listed at the same position as Korver. Expect Sefolosha to play 20-28 minutes on Friday with Cleveland only favored by two points in this contest. Korver is no longer a viable option and should be removed from your rosters with his spot in the rotation unclear.
As reported by: Jason Lloyd Other tagged players: Kyle Korver Steph Curry (knee) doubtful for Monday
Steph Curry was a participant in today’s practice, but would need to play in some 3-on-3 or 5-on-5 before he could return. Head Coach Steve Kerr was optimistic about the health of his star guard but said he is still doubtful for Monday’s Game 4. Both Draymond Green and Klay Thompson carried the Warriors in Game 2 and it will be interesting to see how much their salary spikes further. Green exceeded value on Tuesday but Thompson did not, so we can expect Thompson’s salary to not jump above his season-high of $8,700 on DraftKings. Thompson is also at a season-high $8,000 on FanDuel and we can expect him to stay there or get a slightly discounted. Shaun Livingston has been doing a great job filling in for Curry and has also exceeded value on FanDuel in every game of the playoffs. Expect Livingston to continue this trend until his salary spikes over $5.5k on FD.
As reported by: Rusty Simmons Other tagged players: Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, Shaun Livingston Stephen Curry will not play on Saturday
Warriors Head Coach Steve Kerr told the Dan Patrick Show that his star MVP guard will not play in Game 3 on Saturday but that they were hoping he’d be able to return for Game 4 on Monday. Shaun Livingston will continue to start at PG and continues to be one of the top PG options in these small playoff slates and Andre Iguodala also sees a boost in usage as he tends to handle the ball when Livingston isn’t on the court.
As reported by: Dan Patrick Show on Twitter Other tagged players: Shaun Livingston, Andre Iguodala
Dwyane Wade and Hassan Whiteside confirmed as the starters on Thursday
Wade was listed as questionable for tonight’s game but has been confirmed as the starter at SG. Whiteside is dealing with a thigh injury and also suffered a knee injury in Game 1, but is good to go for Game 2. Both players are strong plays at their respective positions but don’t have much upside with their salaries so elevated. Whiteside is slightly more discounted than Wade but has not exceeded 5.3x in these playoffs. Wade had 46.5 fpts in Game 1, but will have a tough time repeating that performance in a game that is projected for 189 total points.
As reported by: Ira Winderman Other tagged players: Hassan Whiteside If Norman Powell starts again, DeMar DeRozan should be considered a strong play at SG
The Raptors started Norman Powell in Game 1 and had him defend Dwyane Wade for most of the game. Wade was still able to exceed value in the matchup but the change in the lineup moved DeMar DeRozan over to Joe Johnson. DeRozan took 22 shots on Monday and returned 5.2x on DraftKings. DvP shows that the Heat are a stout defensive team but do give up fantasy points to small forwards, which DeRozan plays with Powell in the lineup. Since DeRozan is cheaper than Wade by $900, he provides some potential for upside in Game 2 at home. The Raptors have won every contest in the playoffs that DeRozan takes over 9 free throws, so we can expect him to attack more in this game with the season basically on the line. DeRozan only took 6 free throws in Game 1, even though he played 42 minutes. Lowry was seen shooting in the gym late after the Game 1 loss and will likely come out aggressive as well. DeRozan is also cheaper than him on DK so he has slightly more upside than Lowry. With Russell Westbrook and Kyrie Irving also on the slate for Thursday-Friday, Lowry is not the top option at PG. Making DeRozan the Raptor you want with Dwyane Wade as the only other high-end shooting guard available. J.R. Smith also deserves consideration at SG after a great performance in Game 2, but his splits show he is a better player at home and is averaging only 22.3 fpts against the Hawks this season, which includes yesterday’s outburst.
Other tagged players: Norman Powell, Dwyane Wade, Joe Johnson, Kyle Lowry, J.R. Smith Steph Curry (knee) doubtful for Saturday
Curry did not practice with the team today and Warriors Head Coach Steve Kerr said that Curry probably does not play on Saturday. The Warriors have been able to handle the Blazers for two games at home but face a stiffer test in the Pacific Northwest. Kerr also said that it’s conceivable that Curry gets enough work to play Monday. We will continue to monitor this situation and provide updates as we receive them. Klay Thompson and Draymond Green will continue to be the elite options for the Warriors but it will be interesting to see how much their salaries spike for Game 3.
As reported by: Ethan Strauss Other tagged players: Klay Thompson, Draymond Green Tristan Thompson projected as the top value play tonight
Tristan Thompson has played 38+ minutes in back-to-back games for the first time all season and should be strong punt play at PF on this slate. Paul Millsap is the top option at PF tonight and is expected to be heavily owned after putting up 50.3 fpts in Game 1. Thompson’s ownership should be low considering Kevin Love is also a viable option at the position. While Thompson still carries risk due to his lack of an offensive game, he’s averaged 13.5 rebounds against the Hawks in four games this season. Thompson is averaging 34.3 DraftKings fpts against the Hawks and could return over 7x on his $4,500 salary.
Other tagged players: Paul Millsap, Kevin Love Kyrie Irving could be the biggest star tonight in Game 2
Irving was limited to 34 minutes against the Hawks in Game 1 because he picked up two early fouls but still returned 5x on his $8,100 salary. Irving scored 51 and 46.5 fpts, while playing over 40 minutes in two April contests against the Hawks, leaving us some potential upside at his season-high $8,300 salary. Irving is averaging 37 minutes in these playoffs so we can expect him to play enough to pay off his salary. Kevin Love hurt his shoulder late in Game 1 drawing a foul, which could lead to Irving picking up a heavier scoring load. Love said he is fine and does not carry a questionable tag for this game. Still, Love carries some risk and Irving is a more reliable option. With Kyle Lowry and Jeff Teague struggling, Goran Dragic and Kyrie Irving are the two players that stand out at PG for this slate. Irving has the higher upside while Dragic could be heavily owned due to the discount. Dragic was averaging 24.1 fpts in the playoffs before his last two outbursts and could regress in Game 2 on the road.
Other tagged players: Kevin Love, Kyle Lowry, Jeff Teague, Goran Dragic Hassan Whiteside and Dwyane Wade both expected to play on Thursday
Whiteside suffered a knee injury early in Game 1 but was able to return. Whiteside was not much of an offensive force on Tuesday but did pick up 17 rebounds in the game. He finished with 36.3 fpts in 39 minutes and said he will play in Game 2. Dwyane Wade was seen in pain after a scramble for a loose ball late in the game, but was able to play in overtime and finished with 46.5 fpts in 37 minutes. Wade has scored 46+ fpts in 3 games so far in the playoffs and should be a viable option for Game 2. His salary is at an a season-high, so it will be tough to exceed value even if he plays extended minutes.
As reported by: Ira Winderman Other tagged players: Dwyane Wade Norman Powell replacing Patrick Patterson in the starting lineup on Tuesday
Patrick Patterson will go back to the bench and DeMarre Carroll will slide over to PF. Powell will start at SF and likely guard Joe Johnson while Carroll guards Luol Deng. Powell is a strong punt option with his salary only $2,900 on DraftKings. Powell is averaging 19 fpts a game as a starter this season but has only played 5 total minutes against the Heat this season. Expect Powell to play about 25+ minutes tonight. It is still expected to be a low-scoring affair with two strong defensive teams, so Powell does not have a ton of upside but should provide a solid floor.
As reported by: Raptors MR Other tagged players: Patrick Patterson