DFS Alerts
Al Jefferson (quad) ruled out on Sunday
Jefferson will not play against the Cavs on Sunday. As we mentioned earlier, the Cavs are strong defensive team in the frontcourt. With eleven games on the slate, it’ll be tough to recommend anyone. Frank Kaminsky could see a slight bump in minutes with Jefferson out but is too risky to consider. Jefferson could be back for Charlotte’s next game on Tuesday against the Raptors.
As reported by: @Hornets Other tagged players: Frank Kaminsky
Blake Griffin to start on Sunday against the Wizards
Blake Griffin is returning to the starting lineup on Sunday, Griffin has been out since Christmas. His minutes will be monitored against the Wizards, making him a risky option until he proves he can handle a bigger workload. Don’t expect Griffin to play more than 28 minutes on Sunday, it’ll likely be closer to 24. Griffin mentioned that he will require surgery in the offseason to repair the damage in his quad. Wesley Johnson will go back to the bench with Griffin returning.
As reported by: Dan Woike Other tagged players: Wesley Johnson Matthew Dellavedova confirmed as the starter for Kyrie Irving
Dellavedova will start against the Hornets on Sunday. He is a viable GPP option with his ceiling over 30 fpts. Dellavedova is averaging 21.31 fpts in twelve starts this season. Irving should return for the next Cavaliers game on Tuesday.
As reported by: Tom Withers Other tagged players: Kyrie Irving Kyrie Irving (ankle) ruled out on Sunday; LeBron James and Kevin Love will play
Irving will not play against the Hornets on Sunday. Using CourtIQ, we can see that LeBron James’ usage rate jumps to 37% with Irving off the floor. The Hornets rank 20th in DvP against SFs over the last three weeks and 20th in DRE for the season. James is averaging a solid 44.4 fpts against the Hornets in three meetings this season. LeBron has a nice high floor for cash games and has legit upside for tournaments due to the fact he is averaging 53.8 fpts in his last six starts. Kevin Love also gets a favorable matchup with Charlotte ranking 29th in DvP against PFs over the last week and 24th for the season.
As reported by: Jason Lloyd Other tagged players: LeBron James, Kevin Love Kyrie Irving (ankle) listed as questionable for Sunday
Irving could miss Sunday’s game against the Hornets due to an ankle injury. If Irving is ruled out, Matthew Dellavedova is expected to start in his place. Dellavedova is averaging 21.15 fpts against Charlotte in two meetings off the bench. With his asking price at a minimum on FanDuel, Dellavedova has some upside to consider. He is not an elite option but could see around 30 minutes in a game between two playoff teams. Confirm that Irving is out before locking Dellavedova in your lineups.
As reported by: Tom Withers Other tagged players: Matthew Dellavedova Nets to start Larkin, Ellington, Hollis-Jefferson, Robinson, and Sims
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson is making his second start in a row for the Nets. Earlier this season, RHJ flashed 30+ fpts upside, making him a viable option against the Pelicans. Wayne Ellington relies heavily on scoring for his fantasy output, making him a low-end option. As we mentioned earlier, Thomas Robinson is a strong value play and deserves consideration in all formats. Shane Larkin is also expected to see around 30 minutes on Sunday.
As reported by: Jim Eichenhofer Other tagged players: Wayne Ellington, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Thomas Robinson, Henry Sims Pelicans to start Douglas, Hamilton, Babbitt, Cunningham, and Asik
The Pelicans will start the same starters for the second consecutive game. Toney Douglas led the Pelicans to a victory over Nuggets on Thursday. Douglas had 40.8 fpts in 36 minutes, making him a strong option against the Nets on Sunday. Douglas is averaging 26.08 fpts over his last eleven starts. Jordan Hamilton also played well in his second consecutive start, hitting 32.3 fpts in 32 minutes. Hamilton’s asking price is still sub-$4k on both major sites, making him a nice tournament option with considerable upside. Only Asik did not play well against the Nuggets and is a really low-end option on Sunday.
As reported by: Jim Eichenhofer Other tagged players: Jordan Hamilton, Luke Babbitt, Dante Cunningham, Omer Asik Kent Bazemore (wrist) expected to play on Tuesday
Bazemore played 37 minutes in an overtime loss against the Cavs on Friday. Bazemore did hurt his wrist but is expected to start on Tuesday against the Suns. Bazemore has two 30+ fpts games in his last eight but also has two games of sub-10 fpts. With Bazemore’s boom-or-bust style of play, he is only reserved for GPP use. Phoenix is ranked 3rd in DvP against SFs over the last three weeks, making an injured Bazemore a tough option to use on Tuesday.
As reported by: Chris Vivlamore Jon Leuer (ankle) listed as doubtful for Sunday
Leuer missed Friday’s game with an ankle injury and is doubtful for Sunday. Tyson Chandler and Alex Len were the big men that started for the Suns and will likely start against the Jazz on Sunday. Alex Len’s value will hinge on the availability of Derrick Favors. If Favors is ruled out, Len faces a more favorable matchup against Trey Lyles. Chandler has played over 34 minutes in back-to-back games, averaging 36.8 fpts in those games. Chandler is expected to come back down to earth against Rudy Gobert. Utah is 4th in DRE for the season and 2nd in DvP over the last three weeks against centers. Mirza Teletovic also took advantage of Leuer’s absence on Friday, scoring 42.5 fpts in 32 minutes. Teletovic does belong on the radar due to his streaky style of play but is a low-end option against Utah. The projected total points for this game is the lowest of any game today (193.5).
As reported by: Suns Basketball Other tagged players: Tyson Chandler, Alex Len, Mirza Teletovic J.J. Barea’s price is climbing, but his production is still too high
We never thought we would be writing up J.J. Barea at $5,500, but he continues to lead this offense with all the injuries to the Mavs. Between him and Dirk Nowitzki leading the charge for them he still seems a bit underpriced. The match-up with the Timberwolves is great because they are 27th in DvP vs. PGs over the last three weeks so Barea should be able to exploit their defense. With that being said, Raymond Felton is now questionable so make sure you check the starting lineup before lock to make sure Felton is indeed out. Barea has at least 35 DK points in four of his last five games and we look for that trend to continue for at least one more vs. the Timberwolves.
Jimmy Butler an elite option if Derrick Rose sits
Jimmy Butler exploded for 80.5 DK points last night in their game vs. the Pistons racking up 28 points, 17 rebounds, and 12 assists. It looks like Butler is finally getting back into the groove of things after a knee injury had him sidelined for quite awhile. Derrick Rose was also out last night and that normally directly correlates with how much production Butler sees. Looking at our RotoGrinders’ CourtIQ tool, when Rose is off the court Butler sees his usage rating bump up to 30%. He gets a match-up vs. the Bucks who struggle to defend opposing SGs, as they are 24th in DvP vs. SGs over the course of the season. Rose is currently questionable, and this late in the season teams try to err on the side of caution, however the Bulls are right in the mix for the eight seed in the East so it wouldn’t be surprising to see Rose play in this one. If he does suit up, it makes Butler less attractive but would still be a decent GPP option.
As reported by: RotoGrinders CourtIQ Al Jefferson (quad) questionable for Sunday
Jefferson is dealing with a quad contusion and could miss Sunday’s game against the Cavs. If Jefferson is ruled out, Cody Zeller could play close to 30 minutes. Zeller is on the radar after putting up 30+ fpts in consecutive games. The Cavs are 10th in DvP against centers over the last three weeks. They also rank 3rd in DRE against centers for the season, using a rotation of Tristan Thompson and Timofey Mozgov. With Zeller in such a tough matchup, fading him in tournaments could be a viable strategy. With ten remaining games, ownership levels are not expected to be out of the norm.
As reported by: @Hornets Other tagged players: Cody Zeller Jerryd Bayless (knee) ruled out again on Sunday
Bayless will miss his second consecutive game due to a hyperextended knee. Rashad Vaughn started in his place and 23 minutes, scoring only 11.3 fpts. Vaughn is better utilized coming off the bench but won’t see extended minutes with Greivis Vasquez also healthy. Vasquez played 12 minutes on Friday but did not contribute much fantasy value in the win. Giannis Antetokounmpo continues to see all the usage and is coming off a triple-double. Antetokounmpo remains a strong tournament option with his huge upside but is a poor cash game play due to the low floor relative to his salary.
As reported by: cfgardner on Twitter Other tagged players: Rashad Vaughn, Greivis Vasquez, Giannis Antetokounmpo Henry Sims and Thomas Robinson to start on Sunday
Henry Sims will start for the second time this season, he scored 15.5 fpts in the first game. Sims has only been with the Nets for eight games and is averaging 12.63 fpts in those appearances. With Brook Lopez and Thaddeus Young out of the lineup, Henry Sims deserves consideration. Sims will likely play 20-24 minutes on Sunday, making him a low-end tournament option. Thomas Robinson has more upside against the Pelicans. Robinson is coming off a 41.1 fpts showing on Friday and will likely be heavily owned in cash games and tournaments. Robinson is expected to get 30 minutes with the starters out. Robinson is a nice plug-and-play and is still considered a punt option with his salary only $4,500 on FD and $4,100 on DK.
As reported by: Brian Lewis Other tagged players: Thomas Robinson Donald Sloan (illness) ruled out for Sunday; Bojan Bogdanovic unlikely to play
Donald Sloan will not play off the bench against the Pelicans due to an illness. Shane Larkin has been starting the last six games and will likely see 30+ minutes for the fourth consecutive game. Larkin is averaging 25.16 fpts in those starts, making him a viable option Sunday. With his minutes trending upwards we can expect Larkin to take advantage of the opportunity. Larkin is a viable punt option against a Pelicans squad that ranks 28th in DRE and 16 in DvP against PGs for the season. With Brook Lopez and Thaddeus Young done for the season, expect Larkin to have a long leash. Bojan Bogdanovic is also unlikely to play, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson is expected to start for a second consecutive game. RHJ only played 14 minutes on Friday and is working his way back from an fractured ankle. Hollis-Jefferson is a low-end tournament option on an eleven-game slate.
As reported by: Devin Kharpertian Other tagged players: Bojan Bogdanovic, Shane Larkin, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson