DFS Alerts
Spurs resting Boris Diaw, Danny Green, and Patty Mills on Friday; Kawhi Leonard ruled out with a right quad contusion
Kawhi Leonard only played 24 minutes last night due to a quad contusion. He has already been ruled out of Friday’s contest with the Grizzlies. Kyle Anderson could start in Leonards place but is not guaranteed. With the Spurs playing after lineups lock, we might not have an answer beforehand. Danny Green, Patty Mills, and Boris Diaw will also all be rested. LaMarcus Aldridge will be the biggest beneficiary with so many Spurs out the lineup. Look for an update on the Spurs starters tomorrow.
As reported by: Paul Garcia Other tagged players: Danny Green, Boris Diaw, Patty Mills, LaMarcus Aldridge
Cristiano Felicio starting for Pau Gasol on Thursday
Cristiano Felicio will be making his second start of the season with Pau Gasol out of the lineup. Felicio will need to play over 20 minutes to have a chance to exceed value on this night. Felicio can’t be used in cash games and has a low floor that could also burn your tournament team. Look for Bobby Portis to play over 20 minutes, making for the better tournament option. Taj Gibson and Nikola Mirotic also see a boost with Gasol out of the lineup. Mirotic is coming off a season-high 44.2 DKFP last night against the Knicks. He will look to keep the momentum going in a rematch at Madison Square Garden. Mirotic is a volatile player so there is a chance his shot is off on the second night of a back-to-back.
As reported by: Nick Friedell Other tagged players: Pau Gasol, Nikola Mirotic Cavaliers not expecting to rest anyone on the second night of a back-to-back
The Cavaliers have everyone available against the Nets on Thursday. Coach Ty Lue did mention that he was looking to rest players but it seems he decided not to on this night. Look for the Cavs to push for a big lead early and try to rest their stars in the 4th quarter. Since no official lineups have been given, there could still be a change.
As reported by: Fred McLeod Jrue Holiday (toe) ruled out for tonight
Jrue Holiday has been ruled out for Thursday’s game against the Pacers. The Pelicans are down to eight healthy players. Look for an update on the Pelicans starting lineup soon. Toney Douglas is the biggest beneficiary with Holiday out of the lineup.
As reported by: @PeicansPR Other tagged players: Toney Douglas Pau Gasol (knee) ruled out on Thursday
With Gasol off the floor, Derrick Rose’s usage rate is sitting at a healthy 30%, with Jimmy Butler right behind him at 29.4%. Butler appears to be back to full strength and he’ll likely take on a bit more of the ballhandling duties tonight, making him an elite target in any format. His ownership levels may be down some (compared to what they would be on a short slate) due to his poor statistical performance last night. Cristiano Felicio is also squarely in play with Gasol out, although he’s better utilized in GPPs due to his volatility. Taj Gibson and Nikola Mirotic are also more appealing targets – both are playable in any format.
As reported by: Nick Friedell Jordan Hill (personal) expected to be available tonight
Hill missed shootaround for personal reasons but is expected to play tonight against the Pelicans. He’ll likely see his 17-21 minutes of court time behind Ian Mahinmi and Myles Turner, but Hill isn’t DFS viable while both are healthy. Paul George and Monta Ellis are the two top options on the Indiana side, while the other members of the starting five are better utilized as deep-GPP targets.
As reported by: Candace Buckner Other tagged players: Ian Mahinmi, Myles Turner
Omer Asik and Alexis Ajinca starting together on Thursday
Omer Asik and Alexis Ajinca will both be starting to match the size of the Pacers. Ajinca played 11 minutes on Tuesday and could see his minutes ramped up slightly as he returns from a ruptured sternum. Ajinca is a low-end DFS play and should be ignored until he shows he can play18-20 minutes. Omer Asik has been playing well in his last couple starts, averaging slightly north of a fantasy point per minute. Asik should see 24-29 minutes on Thursday, making him a viable punt option at center on a short slate.
As reported by: Sean Kelley Other tagged players: Alexis Ajinca Ed Davis averaging over 26 MPG against LAC this season, making him a sneaky GPP target
We realize you probably read ‘Ed Davis’ and thought we must have lost our minds. However, if you look at Davis’s history vs. the Clippers this season, his playing time and production are way up, which is likely attributed to an increase in minutes trying to combat the force of DeAndre Jordan in the middle. He has had games of 12pts/12reb, 13pts and 10reb, and then 17pts and 14reb against the Clippers this season. That averages out to 14 points, 12 rebounds, and 33 DK points in 26.3 minutes per game. It is also important to note that these were not flukes either, as Mason Plumlee was active for all three games and Meyers Leonard (who will be out again tonight, only boosting the value of Davis) was active for two of the three. Davis was already seeing a modest bump in playing time due to Leonard’s absence (he’s missed the past four games), so the great match-up here only makes him more appealing. This is obviously a GPP-only recommendation, but if Davis hits these averages vs. the Clippers again he’ll blow his price tag out of the water.
Norris Cole ruled out for tonight
Cole will miss yet another contest tonight against the Pacers. He’s been considered questionable for the better part of March, but has yet to really come close to playing in a game to this point. His absence will afford Toney Douglas another start, making Douglas a very viable mid-range play in any format. Jrue Holiday remains an elite option while Tim Frazier is also in play as a deep-GPP punt. With Anthony Davis, Ryan Anderson and Cole off the floor (with Holiday and Douglas on), Jrue Holiday owns a 32.2% usage rate while Douglas sits at 17.8%. Luke Babbitt actually comes in second behind Holiday at 22.9%, making him a very strong punt play at SF.
As reported by: Mark Montieth Other tagged players: Jrue Holiday, Tim Frazier, Toney Douglas, Luke Babbitt Meyer Leonard (shoulder) officially ruled out
There has been no updated timetable for Meyers Leonard return. The Blazers started Al-Farouq Aminu at power forward and Moe Harkless at small forward on Wednesday. Aminu played 36 minutes and was able to put up 30.5 FDFP/33.5 DKFP against the Mavericks. Harkless was also able to exceed value on Wednesday but only played 25 minutes. Noah Vonleh only played 3 minutes as the backup power forward and is not a DFS option at all. Look for the Blazers to stay with the same starters, using Ed Davis as Mason Plumlee’s backup. Davis also exceeded value on Wednesday, scoring 32.8 FDFP/34.8 DKFP. Davis should see around 20-24 minutes against the Clippers on Thursday.
As reported by: Mike Richman Other tagged players: Al-Farouq Aminu, Mason Plumlee, Ed Davis Zach Randolph (ankle) questionable for Friday
Zach Randolph hurt his ankle against the Lakers on Tuesday but was able to stay in and finish the game. Randolph is now being listed as questionable for Friday’s contest with the Spurs. If Randolph misses the game, JaMychal Green will likely start in his place. Green is no longer a plug-and-play due to his recent salary spike. Look for an update tomorrow regarding Randolph’s status before locking Green in your lineups.
As reported by: Rob Fischer Other tagged players: JaMychal Green DeAndre Jordan is a great option vs. Blazers big men
DeAndre Jordan had another massive night yesterday vs. the Warriors posting 19 points and 20 rebounds. His 54 DK points is the fifth time in the last ten games he has put up at least 48 DK points so he obviously has a high ceiling. He also has a high floor for his price around the $8,000 range. Jordan continuously churns out double-doubles and will be matched up with the Blazers front court who is 26th in DvP vs. opposing centers. Jordan is one of the most physically dominating centers in the league and we can hopefully count on another double-double tonight and is likely the safest center on the board.
Jrue Holiday will continue to see a ton of usage with all the Pelicans’ injuries
The long list of injuries continues to pile up for the Pelicans, and when your second option on offense is Luke Babbitt you know Jrue Holiday will have to carry a heavy load. In the last three games when all of these guys were out Holiday has posted scores of 47, 39.5, and 49.75 DK points and is averaging 20 shots per game. RotoGrinders’ new CourtIQ tool shows that Holiday has an extremely high usage rating of 31% with all of these guys out, and that would rank right up there with Damian Lillard, Steph Curry, and LeBron James who are all $1,500+ more expensive. The only issue is that the Pacers are favored by 13 in this one, and if it were to turn into a blowout Holiday would likely be the first one to rest. Regardless, we are willing to take our chances at this price.
As reported by: RotoGrinders CourtIQ Nerlens Noel's status up in the air for Saturday
There hasn’t been a determination made regarding Nerlens Noel’s status for Saturday, and we really don’t even have an injury designation for him at this point. We’ll consider him questionable for now; if he’s unable to go Saturday, look for Carl Landry, Jerami Grant and Robert Covington to all see an uptick in minutes and/or shot attempts.
As reported by: Brian Seltzer Other tagged players: Carl Landry, Jerami Grant Marvin Williams will play Friday
After missing Tuesday’s game, Marvin Williams is expected to rejoin the Hornets starting lineup on Friday. Frank Kaminsky drew the start in his place and performed well on a per-minute basis, but he’ll go back to a bench role and isn’t a DFS option as long as Williams, Cody Zeller and Al Jefferson are all healthy. Williams is a viable GPP target against the Pistons, but he’s not someone you’ll want much exposure to. His presence also takes Cody Zeller out of play on a full slate.
As reported by: Rick Bonnell on Twitter Other tagged players: Frank Kaminsky, Cody Zeller