DFS Alerts
Luke Babbitt to start ahead of Alexis Ajinca on Thursday
Alexis Ajinca will return to the bench on the second night of a back-to-back. Ajinca was averaging 26.77 fantasy points on DraftKings in his last four starts. Ajinca played over 30 minutes agian last night so fatigue could be a factor here. Babbitt will return to the starting lineup after not starting against the Spurs. Babbitt is averaging 26.66 in his last three starts.
As reported by: John Reid Other tagged players: Alexis Ajinca
Kyrie Irving and J.R. Smith confirmed as the starters on Thursday
Kyrie Irving (illness) and J.R Smith (illness) are in the starting lineup. As we mentioned earlier, Irving is in a nice spot but so is the entire team. Irving ownership should be lower than usual considering the blowout and questionable tag.
As reported by: John Michael Other tagged players: J.R. Smith Thaddeus Young returns to the starting lineup; Thomas Robinson to come off the bench
Thad Young was rested on Tuesday on the second night of a back-to-back. Thaddeus scored over 40 fpts earlier this month when Lopez was out of the lineup. With Lopez out of the lineup tonight, Young could see a slight boost. It’s tough to recommend him due to the fact that the Cavs are stout against big men this season. The Nets are huge underdogs making Young more of a risky option in the event they get blown out.
As reported by: @Nets Other tagged players: Thomas Robinson DeMarcus Cousins unlikely to play on Friday and Saturday
DeMarcus Cousins received his 16th technical foul of the season in last night’s game. Cousins is expected to be suspended but the league has not yet made anything official. Cousins also said he would not play on Saturday against the Nuggets. It is possible that Cousins is done for the season. Kosta Koufos will likely continue to start in his place on Friday but is a risky option against the Heat.
As reported by: Sean Cunningham Other tagged players: Kosta Koufos Derrick Rose confirmed as the starter for tonight
Derrick Rose has been confirmed as the starter against the Rockets. Rose plays in the game with the highest projected total but is expected to be limited. Rose is a boom-or-bust option and is a risky play on this night. Jimmy Butler and Pau Gasol are better options amongst the Bulls starters. Bobby Portis will be making his first start of the season and is a viable punt option.
As reported by: Calvin Watkins Other tagged players: Jimmy Butler, Pau Gasol, Bobby Portis Kyrie Irving and J.R. Smith are both active against the Nets
Kyrie Irving and J.R. Smith both missed shootaround but are warming up for currently. Both players are expected to play but have not been confirmed officially. LeBron James is expected back in the lineup, making Smith unappealing. Irving played well with James resting and is $7,200 on both major sites, leaving some possible upside for this game. We’ve been attacking the Nets with point guards all season due to their poor DRE (30th) and DvP (25th). The Cavs are expected to win in convincing fashion with Brook Lopez being rested, making Irving impossible to play in cash games.
As reported by: Chris Haynes Other tagged players: J.R. Smith Jamal Crawford will carry the load with Paul, Jordan, Redick out
The Clippers have decided to rest a few of their star players on the second night of a back to back so they will be without Chris Paul, DeAndre Jordan, and J.J. Redick for their match-up with the Thunder. This leaves Jamal Crawford in the starting lineup with really a bunch of bench players, and for the Clippers to score their implied team total of 97 Crawford is going to have to really take over for them. By looking at our RotoGrinders CourtIQ tool, we can see that over the past month with these guys off the court Crawford’s usage rating spikes from 23% to 30%, rivaling those in the top of the league. Crawford sits at only $4,300 on DK and $4,700 on FD but he should destroy value in this one just because of the opportunity alone. It will likely get ugly pretty early, but the Clippers will need all they can get from Crawford to even be competitive vs. the Thunder.
As reported by: RotoGrinders CourtIQ
Wayne Ellington and Henry Sims to start on Thursday
With Brook Lopez resting, Henry Sims will draw the start at center tonight against the Cavaliers. While it’s a tough draw for Sims (Cleveland allows the fewest FPPG to centers this season, 4th fewest over the last three weeks), he’s likely to see enough playing time to have a good shot at paying off his minimum salary. Sims is on his second ten-day deal with the Nets, so it’s very possible they give him extended run in an effort to see if he’s an asset for them going forward. Thomas Robinson is also a viable punt play here despite coming off the bench, although his allure isn’t nearly as high when he’s not a starter. Wayne Ellington will also start tonight, but he’s not a recommended DFS option.
As reported by: Brian Lewis Other tagged players: Henry Sims, Thomas Robinson E`Twaun Moore (hamstring) will play off the bench on Thursday
E`Twaun Moore will continue to play off the bench against the Rockets. Moore played 24 minutes on Monday and should see that allotment again. Moore does not have much upside but can be used more with Derrick Rose limited. Moore has really only exceeded value this season when he plays over 27 minutes. Jimmy Butler and Pau Gasol will soak up most of the usage if Rose is liimited but Moore’s asking price makes him appealing in tournament settings.
As reported by: Nick Friedell Other tagged players: Pau Gasol, Derrick Rose, E'Twaun Moore Bobby Portis to start for Taj Gibson on Thursday
Bobby Portis will be making his first career start against the Rockets on Thursday. Portis has not been getting more than 20 minutes recently so his salary has remained low. Portis should see over 20 minutes against the Rockets if he can stay out of foul trouble. Portis is averaging 23.31 fpts in 27 contests this season when he plays over 20 minutes. He has shown an upside of 40 points, making him a strong value play at the position. The Rockets are 29th in DvP and 24th in DRE against power forwards on the season.
As reported by: Nick Friedell Other tagged players: Taj Gibson Taj Gibson (ribs) ruled out for Thursday; Derrick Rose (elbow) will play
Taj Gibson will miss his first game due to a fractured rib. He found out about the fracture after Monday’s game against the Hawks. Gibson does not feel that he is out for the season and will try to make another appearance. Bobby Portis will start for Taj Gibson and is a viable punt option with his salary still sub-$4k on both major sites. Derrick Rose suffered a hyperextended elbow on Monday but will also be back in the lineup. Expect Rose to start as he normally does in a nice matchup with the Rockets. Rose has alternated a strong performance with a dud in his last four games. Rose is expected to be very limited in this game, making Jimmy Butler and Pau Gasol more appealing than him.
As reported by: KC Johnson Other tagged players: Derrick Rose, Bobby Portis, Pau Gasol, Jimmy Butler Deron Williams (abdomen) listed as questionable for Friday
Deron Williams has accompanied the Mavs for their road trip but has missed the last four games. Williams is listed as questionable for Friday’s contest in Detriot. Raymond Felton and J.J. Barea have picked up the slack in Williams’ absence. Felton has played over 30 minutes in all four games that Williams has missed but has taken a backseat to Barea in the last two games. Barea faces a Pistons squad that is 12th in DVP and 10th in DRE against point guards. Expect Barea to have higher than usual ownership coming off the two strong games. From Monday to Wednesday, Barea’s asking price spiked $1,000, expect another large bump once the salaries are released for Friday.
As reported by: Brad Townsend Other tagged players: Raymond Felton, J.J. Barea Andrew Wiggins (neck) probable for Friday
Andrew Wiggins exited midway through the third quarter of Wednesday’s contest with a lacerated chin. The Timberwolves travel to Utah on Friday, making Wiggins a poor tournament target. The Jazz have held Wiggins to an average of 20.33 DKFP in three meetings this season. Expect an official status update on Wiggins tomorrow.
As reported by: Timberwolves PR Pau Gasol is finally healthy, remains cheap, and plays the Rockets
After a brief hiatus with a nagging knee injury, Gasol is finally seeing minutes in the mid-thirties again. There was a stretch of three games where he had a 25-minute restriction, but that has since been lifted and he is back to his normal production. The great thing about this is that his price on DK has dropped nearly $1,000 from what it was even three weeks ago, and we should take advantage of this price while we still can. In his lone match-up vs. the Rockets this season (which was earlier this month), Gasol went for 28 points, 17 rebounds, 6 assists, and a couple of blocks and steals for 64 DK points. If he gets anywhere close to that tonight he is going to absolutely crush his $7,300 price tag on DK. Removing the three games with the minutes restriction (even though he had 45.5 DK points in 25 minutes vs. the Kings), Gasol is averaging 45 DK points per game in his last six games. Not to mention Taj Gibson is questionable for Thursday’s game, and it would make this spot even more enticing for Gasol if Gibson were to sit. Gasol is extremely intriguing in any format on DK, and while his price is a bit steeper on FD he still remains one of the best point/$ options on the board.
Jae Crowder likely to play one of two next games; game-time decision for tonight
Crowder would like to play tonight against Portland but his status is still up in the air. If he does play, it’s very likely that he sits tomorrow against the Warriors. His return lessens the appeal of Evan Turner and Marcus Smart in what should be a high scoring game against the Blazers, but both will be right back in play tomorrow if he only plays one leg of the back-to-back. We’ll update you on Crowder’s status later today when more news comes in.
As reported by: Jay King on Twitter Other tagged players: Evan Turner, Marcus Smart