DFS Alerts
Jameer Nelson (wrist) upgraded to questionable for Friday
With Nelson possibly returning tonight, the Nuggets PG situation will be one to avoid. Emmanuel Mudiay can’t be counted on for big minutes with newly-acquired D.J. Augustin and potentially Nelson around to help out off the bench. With Gary Harris and Will Barton also healthy, the Nuggets have a very crowded backcourt at the moment and none of them are strong DFS plays tonight.
Other tagged players: Emmanuel Mudiay, D.J. Augustin
Jordan Hill (finger) to play on Friday
Jordan Hill has been upgraded from questionable and should see some minutes off the bench tonight for the Pacers. Hill is dealing with a dislocated finger so there is a chance that he is limited tonight. Hill’s minutes and fantasy value have sunk over the past five games, so he should be considered a low-end DFS option against the Thunder on Friday.
As reported by: Nate Taylor Kawhi Leonard (calf) ruled out for Friday
Kawhi Leonard will miss another game with tightness in his calf and Kyle Anderson should replace him again in the starting lineup. Anderson started for Leonard last night against the Clippers and had 15.75 FPs on his $3,100 salary. Anderson played 28 minutes and will likely see that many again tonight against the Lakers. With the Spurs projected to win by 12 points, expect Anderson to get a decent amount of garbage time run. Anderson is an elite punt option in the late slate and should be considered a strong option on the full slate.
As reported by: @Spurs Other tagged players: Kyle Anderson Kevin Garnett, Nikola Pekovic ruled out; Kevin Martin probable
Kevin Martin has been upgraded to probable after missing the previous nine games with a wrist injury. Martin’s return puts a slight damper on Zach LaVine’s DFS value. Martin should see about 12-15 minutes tonight against the Grizzlies and is a low-upside play. Kevin Garnett will miss his tenth consecutive game and Pekovic will miss his sixth in a row. Karl-Anthony Towns and Gorgui Dieng have both played well in their absence and should be considered elite options tonight. KAT has averaged about 34 minutes over his last 12 games and has a double-double in eleven out of those twelve games. Gorgui Dieng also has had a double-double in six of his last seven games while averaging over 36 minutes.
Other tagged players: Kevin Martin, Nikola Pekovic, Karl-Anthony Towns, Gorgui Dieng
Charlotte Hornets injury report for tonight; Al Jefferson will play
It’s been a long time coming for the Hornets big man and while he won’t be DFS relevant immediately due to expected minutes limitations, he will take minutes away from the likes of Cody Zeller and Marvin Williams (who is listed questionable by the team in this injury report – we’ll update his status when more information becomes available). Spencer Hawes and MKG have been ruled out as expected. If Williams is unable to go, Zeller could see a bump in minutes and becomes a viable value option on this 14 game slate.
As reported by: Charlotte Hornets official Twitter feed Other tagged players: Marvin Williams, Cody Zeller, Spencer Hawes
Randy Foye likely to play tonight
Kevin Durant stated that Foye is likely to play tonight for the Thunder. While Foye won’t be relevant yet for DFS purposes he does negatively impact any value Dion Waiters had as Waiters main virtue in DFS was that he could be counted on for huge minutes. That will no longer be the case with Foye available.
As reported by: Anthony Slater on Twitter Other tagged players: Dion Waiters Jason Smith will play tonight for Orlando
Smith missed the teams last game but will play tonight according to Head Coach Scott Skiles. While Smith did score 26.5 FD fpts in his last game and is only $3700, it’s hard to trust him for the purposes of DFS when he has only topped 17 minutes twice in his last 10 games. However, the Mavericks are one of the worst in the league at defending opposing PF’s and with Channing Frye and Tobias Harris now gone, the opportunity for Smith to get 20 minutes is there so he could be a sneaky punt play.
As reported by: Joshua Robbins on Twitter Devin Harris OUT tonight for Mavericks
It was thought Harris would return to action after the break after missing over two weeks with an injured toe and while he is closer to returning, he will continue to remain out for the team tonight in their game against the Magic. This doesn’t change much from a DFS perspective as J.J. Barea and Raymond Felton will continue to soak up his minutes but neither are viable options unless Deron Williams is out – which he isn’t.
As reported by: Earl Sneed on Twitter Kawhi Leonard out Thursday, Kyle Anderson will start
Kawhi Leonard will miss Thursday’s game against the Clippers with a calf injury. Kyle Anderson will start for Leonard. Anderson makes for a great late swap option on DK, he is only $3,100. That might allow you to get Chris Paul, DeAndre Jordan, or LaMarcus Aldridge into your lineup also.
As reported by: Michael C. Wright
Pablo Prigioni out Thursday
Prigioni will miss Thursday’s game against the Spurs with an illness. This means that Jamal Crawford will run the backup point guard duties. With Austin Rivers also out, Crawford has been getting a ton of minutes recently. Over his last four games, he is averaging 29 FD points per game. He is just $5,100 on both sites.
As reported by: Ben Bolch Matthew Dellavedova will play Thursday
Dellavedova will play Thursday against the Bulls. He had missed the last five games with a hamstring injury. Dellavedova isn’t really a DFS option tonight, because his minutes are unknown. Dellavedova’s return means Mo Williams will likely get cut out of the Cavs rotation.
As reported by: Nolan Murphy Trey Burke to play on Thursday
Trey Burke missed the previous three games with an illness but will be playing tonight. Burke has been struggling lately but with the trade deadline having passed, he could pick up his game. Burke is a tournament option only tonight and could play well in an uptempo game.
As reported by: Tony Jones Ben McLemore (wrist) expects to play on Friday
Ben McLemore has missed the past three games with a wrist injury but expects to play on Friday. Marco Belinelli will likely continue starting making McLemore a low-end punt option on Friday. McLemore should likely be avoided and his return also hurts Belinelli’s value. With the Kings hosting the Nuggets on Friday, McLemore and Belinelli have a chance to hold some value.
As reported by: Jason Jones Other tagged players: Marco Belinelli Marcin Gortat is an interesting option on a short slate
The NBA Trade Deadline wasn’t really as interesting as it was last year, and really the only team it affects tonight is the Wizards as they traded DeJuan Blair and Kris Humphries for Markieff Morris. While it is a great trade for them, Blair and Humphries will not be available tonight and neither will Morris. Neither Blair nor Humphries really had any role at all off of the bench, but it is noteworthy that neither will be available tonight. A matchup with Utah isn’t necessarily ideal, but there really aren’t a ton of other options at center in that price range and it might let you pay up at another position. Gortat is slightly more appealing on DraftKings at only $6,400 compared to $6,900 on FanDuel, but regardless he is likely another fairly low-owned option on tonight’s short slate.
Garrett Temple and Nene starting tonight, Bradley Beal and Jared Dudley off the bench
Garrett Temple has been inserted into the starting lineup for Bradley Beal. The Wizards play three nights in a row and likely wanted to keep Beal fresh for those games. Garett Temple is a tournament option only on the three-game slate. Bradley Beal will likely also have a tough time exceeding value off the bench and should only be used in multi-entry GPPs. Nene will be starting to match the size of the Jazz and is a low-end DFS option tonight. Jared Dudley’s value also takes a major hit and he should be avoided tonight.
As reported by: Jorge Castillo Other tagged players: Nene Hilario, Bradley Beal, Jared Dudley