DFS Alerts
Nicolas Batum (foot) questionable for Sunday
Batum was unable to finish Game 6 due to a left foot strain and is being listed as questionable for Game 7. Kemba Walker carried the Hornets with Batum sidelined and should be heavily owned on Sunday. The Heat were one of the best defensive teams against point guards this season, so it will be tough to have a repeat performance. Marvin Williams has the most upside of the Hornets’ starters with his 32+ minutes secured.
As reported by: Justin Verrier Other tagged players: Kemba Walker, Marvin Williams
Josh Richardson (shoulder) uncertain for Sunday
The Miami Heat are awaiting the results of an MRI on Josh Richardson’s shoulder. He injured it in the 4th quarter of Game 6 and the Heat are expected the proceed with caution on their young guard. Tyler Johnson will be used if Richardson is not able to go on Sunday. Johnson has been out since February with a shoulder injury, so he is not expected to play big minutes right away. Johnson is at a minimum salary across the industry but still carries considerable risk. Expect Dwyane Wade to log heavy minutes again after playing 37 minutes in Game 6. Wade is a strong cash game target but does not have a ton of upside for tournaments with his salary at a season-high $8,000.
As reported by: Jason Lieser Other tagged players: Tyler Johnson, Dwyane Wade Enes Kanter (hip) to play on Saturday
Kanter was only able to play 12 minutes in Game 5 against the Mavericks but is good to go for Game 1 tonight. He averaged 36.57 DraftKings fpts against the Spurs in four games this season, making him a strong play at his $5,000 salary. Kanter is also cheap on FanDuel ($4,700) and provides considerable upside for tournaments and cash games. Kanter did not play over 26 minutes in the series against the Mavericks but averaged 1.23 FP/MIN, giving us a solid floor to rely on.
As reported by: Anthony Slater Clippers starting lineup: Rivers, Redick, Mbah a Moute, Green, and Jordan
Green will replace Pierce and Mbah a Moute will replace Jamal Crawford. Mbah a Moute is still not a viable DFS option and is in for defensive purposes. Green should see a significant bump in value and is considered a strong option in all league formats. Green had 33.5 fpts in Game 5 and is expected to play 32+ minutes on Friday. Crawford played 44 minutes on Wednesday and should see significant time on the court again tonight. Crawford is also a strong option and should be heavily owned.
As reported by: Jason Quick Other tagged players: Paul Pierce, Luc Mbah a Moute, Jamal Crawford Clippers to change their starting lineup; will update
No official word has been given at this time but we are expecting Paul Pierce to be replaced by Jeff Green. Pierce only played 10 minutes in Game 5 and Jeff Green was originally listed as the probable starter for that game. We will continue to monitor this situation and pass along any information that comes out.
As reported by: Ben Bolch Other tagged players: Jeff Green Nicolas Batum will see more minutes off the bench with Spencer Hawes out
Batum was only able to play 25 minutes in Game 5 but is expected to approach 30 minutes with Hawes out of the lineup. Marvin Williams is also expected to see a bump in minutes and should be considered a strong mid-range option tonight. Williams will play PF when Batum is in the game, the position he has started at for most of the season. Batum has not played well in a while so there is a chance his ownership levels remain low. Playing Batum comes with considerable risk that is only tolerable in tournaments due to his potential upside.
As reported by: Steve Reed Other tagged players: Marvin Williams Tyler Johnson no longer an emergency option only
Johnson will be part of the rotation for the Heat’s Game 6 playoff match tonight against the Hornets. Despite this news it’s unlikely he tops 10 minutes so he’s not a relevant DFS option, even on a small three game playoff slate.
As reported by: Manny Navarro on Twitter
Spencer Hawes (knee) ruled out for Friday
An MRI on Hawes’ knee revealed an MCL sprain and he is expected to be out at least a week. Hawes was not playing a ton of minutes and Cody Zeller will be the one to pick up his spot in the rotation. There is a chance that Tyler Hansbrough sees a few minutes since Hawes has been ruled out, but he is still not a viable DFS option. With Nicolas Batum coming off the bench, the Hornets could move Marvin Williams back to PF if one of the big men get into foul trouble.
As reported by: @Hornets Other tagged players: Tyler Hansbrough, Cody Zeller, Nicolas Batum, Marvin Williams Isaiah Thomas (ankle) confirmed as the starter for Game 6
Thomas exited Game 5 with an ankle injury but is not expected to be limited on Thursday. He was averaging 43.02 DraftKings fpts in the four games prior to the injury, making him a viable tournament option for the Thursday-Friday slate. Thomas struggled mightily in Game 5 so there is a chance his ownership could be low as more people gravitate towards Friday’s point guards. Due to the recent struggles it will be tough recommend Thomas in cash games.
As reported by: Sean Grande Tyler Johnson (shoulder) questionable for Friday
Johnson was active in Game 5 but did not end up playing. Even if Johnson plays on Friday he is not expected to make much of a DFS impact. Josh Richardson has taken his place in the rotation and has performed as decently, averaging 17.16 fpts in the five games. Richardson is also averaging 29 minutes in this series so he is getting enough time on the court to be considered as a tournament option on Friday.
As reported by: Ira Winderman Other tagged players: Josh Richardson Spencer Hawes (knee) doubtful for Friday
Hawes is the only Hornet on the injury report and is listed as doubtful for Friday’s Game 6. Hawes was coming off the bench so expect Cody Zeller to pick up the minutes left by him. If Hawes is ruled out, expect Frank Kaminsky to also get extended minutes with the Hornets down to only Tyler Hansbrough as their other backup big man. Kaminsky is a boom-or-bust option that scored 28 fpts in Game 3 but is still only averaging 13.46 fpts for the series.
As reported by: Justin Verrier Other tagged players: Tyler Hansbrough, Cody Zeller, Frank Kaminsky Hassan Whiteside (hand) expected to play Friday
Whiteside mentioned that his hand is swollen but that he will play in Game 6. Whiteside has only reached 5x once in this series and carries a ton of risk on Friday with his salary so elevated. He has struggled the last two games with Al Jefferson starting and should not be used for cash games. Whiteside still has a ton of upside potential and could go overlooked in tournaments with other strong center options available on the slate. He has been foul prone series and owners should proceed with caution before rostering Whiteside.
As reported by: Ethan Skolnick Nicolas Batum (ankle) to come off the bench Friday
The Hornets will keep the same starting five of Kemba Walker, Courtney Lee, Marvin Williams, Frank Kaminsky, and Al Jefferson in Game 6. Batum was not able to make a significant impact in Game 5, as expected. He was only able to play 25 minutes and did not seem completely healthy. Marvin Williams started at SF in place of Batum and had the best fantasy performance of the night for the Hornets. He scored 36.5 DraftKings fpts in 30 minutes and should be considered a strong option at home on Friday. Cody Zeller (knee) is also expected to come off the bench.
As reported by: Justin Verrier Other tagged players: Kemba Walker, Courtney Lee, Marvin Williams, Frank Kaminsky, Al Jefferson, Cody Zeller Shaun Livingston confirmed as the starter for Steph Curry
Shaun Livingston will start against the Rockets in Game 5. He should be considered an elite low-priced option but is expected to have heavy ownership as well. Andre Iguodala should also be considered an elite option off the bench with very little SF options to choose from today. Draymond Green and Klay Thompson are the expensive Warriors but they are worth it at home.
As reported by: @GSWstats Other tagged players: Andre Iguodala, Draymond Green, Klay Thompson Clippers starting: Rivers, Redick, Crawford, Pierce, and Jordan Wednesday.
The Clippers will change their starting lineup with Chris Paul and Blake Griffin out. Austin Rivers will replace Chris Paul, Paul Pierce will replace Blake Griffin, and Jamal Crawford will replace Luc Richard Mbah a Moute. Rivers and Crawford should be considered elite option against the Blazers in Game 5. Expect Cole Aldrich and Jeff Green to also make an impact off the bench. Jeff Green was listed as the probable starter but will come off the bench on Wednesday. The Blazers are only favored by 3 points so Rivers, Redick, Crawford, and Jordan should all play over 30 minutes.
As reported by: Dan Woike Other tagged players: Jeff Green, Luc Mbah a Moute, Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan, Cole Aldrich