DFS Alerts
Isaiah Thomas, Sullinger, Amir Johnson to start again on Friday
The Celtics will start Isaiah Thomas, Avery Bradley, Jae Crowder, Jared Sullinger and Amir Johnson on Friday. Thomas is a core DFS play in any format tonight, while Jared Sullinger offers nice value at PF in his second game as a starter. Sullinger played 27 minutes in his first start and barely missed a double-double, finishing with 9pts, 11reb, 2ast, 2blk, and 2stl against Indiana. Amir Johnson can be used as a deep-GPP dart throw.
As reported by: A. Sherrod Blakely
Arron Afflalo out again on Friday
Afflalo will not play on Friday and is expected to miss the Knicks next few games. Sasha Vujacic will continue to start at SG, but doesn’t offer much in the way of DFS value. Langston Galloway and Jerian Grant will continue to see minutes in the 20s as long as Afflalo is on the shelf.
As reported by: Stefan Bondy on Twitter Rondae Hollis-Jefferson to start for Markel Brown on Friday
The Nets will start Jarrett Jack, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Joe Johnson, Thaddeus Young and Brook Lopez against the Lakers. Hollis-Jefferson hasn’t played more than 13 minutes in any of the Nets last three games, but he’ll likely cross the 20 minute mark as the starter tonight. Markel Brown was playing around 20 minutes (20 and 26 in the last two games) as the starting SG. RHJ isn’t a recommended DFS option in cash games, but he is an intriguing punt play given the match-up with an up-tempo Lakers team.
As reported by: Mike Trudell on Twitter Channing Frye sighting possible
Coach Scott Skiles mentioned today that he hopes to get Channing Frye some run with Nikola Vucevic out with a knee injury. The Magic could use his 3-point shooting, but he has always lacked on the defensive end. Skiles is a defensive coach, so Frye’s minutes will still be limited, but this may affect Aaron Gordon slightly. Gordon was anticipated as a being the main guy to replace Vucevic’s production, but with Dedmond starting and Frye now in play, Gordon could be a risky GPP target.
As reported by: John Denton
Marcus Smart officially ruled out, Amir Johnson expected to play
Smart has officially been ruled out for tonight’s game. This was expected to be the case all day, and it opens up another great opportunity for Isaiah Thomas to start and see a full workload. Amir Johnson will play tonight, but isn’t a DFS option given the number of PFs/Cs currently in the Celtics rotation.
As reported by: @Celtics on Twitter Thabo Sefolosha out Friday
Thabo Sefolosha is listed as inactive for tonight’s game against the Pelicans. He is still recovering from his leg injury and will be held out of the first night of a back-to-back set. Kyle Korver is expected to start and will likely get a slight bump in minutes, as will Kent Bazemore. Korver makes for an extremely appealing DFS play with his matchup and will likely be maximized tonight, in anticipation of being rested tomorrow.
As reported by: Chris Vivlamore on Twitter Deron Williams battling nagging injuries
In one of the least surprising notes of the season, Deron Williams is suffering from injuries to both his calves and a sprained knee. Raymond Felton has been playing well as his replacement and even started alongside Williams in their last game. The Mavericks will look to protect their “prized” PG acquisition by limiting his minutes and resting him on nights they play back-to-back. J.J. Barea has been solid as a backup PG, and actually gets a bump in value when Williams sits. Obviously the main benefactor is Felton, but Barea has proven that he can lead the second unit and even plays with the starters occasionally.
As reported by: Kurt Helin on Twitter Jarrett Jack providing value at PG Friday
Jarrett Jack has a chance shine tonight at home against the Lakers. His price on DraftKings is $5,700, placing him 17th amongst PGs tonight. Names like Curry, Lowry, and Wall will lead the pack, meaning Jack will definitely be one of the lower-owned choices. The Lakers are 28th in DvP @ PG, and Jack saw 34 minutes in his last home outing. The combination of an atrocious defense and guaranteed minutes make for an appealing matchup. With a team total of 105 (4th highest) and a close game projected by a 4 point spread, expect Jack to orchestrate a ton of offense for the Nets.
Ian Mahinmi not listed on Pacers injury report
Mahinmi is expected to play tonight against Miami, and will almost certainly re-take his role in the starting five. While he’s not a preferred DFS target in any format, Mahinmi’s presence does eat into the value of Jordan Hill, Myles Turner and Lavoy Allen, all of whom should be avoided with Mahinmi back in the lineup.
As reported by: @Pacers on Twitter T.J. McConnell is a top $/point play on Friday
Per the RotoGrinders projections, T.J. McConnell is the top value option of the day. He took over the starting PG role from Isaiah Canaan on Wednesday, and proceeded to post 7pts, 9reb and 12ast (with only one turnover) in 35 minutes against Milwaukee. McConnell’s role will diminish when Tony Wroten and Kendall Marshall return, but for now he’s locked in as a top value play tonight against Cleveland. Expect McConnell’s minutes to once again be in the 30-35 range, giving him an excellent shot at exceeding value across the industry.
As reported by: RotoGrinders NBA Projections Marcus Thornton is an excellent value play on Friday
Not only has Thornton’s usage been high as a starter, but he steps into a great match-up with the Kings backcourt on Friday, and is still priced far too low given his production to this point in the season. Thornton is the owner of a 23.4% usage rate with Terrence Jones, Patrick Beverley and Dwight Howard off the floor, and he’ll also have the revenge narrative working in his favor as he played a few seasons with the Kings earlier in his career. It also helps that the HOU/SAC game has the highest over/under on tonight’s slate, and the 5.5 spread indicates that the game should remain close throughout.
As reported by: NBAWowy Tyler Ennis to start over Jerryd Bayless on Friday
Ennis, who played 8 minutes off the bench against Philadelphia on Wednesday, will start in place of Michael Carter-Williams, who is sidelined due to a sprained left ankle. “We need to see him (Ennis) play,” Bucks coach Jason Kidd said. “We need to get a sense of what he can do on the floor, so we thought we would get him with that first group. It also puts Bayless back into his role off the ball, so hopefully that helps.” Ennis is still a risky value play even as the starter, as Jerryd Bayless and Greivis Vasquez will be pushing him for playing time off the bench.
As reported by: C.F. Gardner on Twitter Joffrey Lauvergne ruled out on Friday
Lauvergne will not play against the Warriors. With the spread on this game being 18 points in favor of Golden State, it’s best to avoid the entire Nuggets roster in DFS tonight.
As reported by: Harrison Wind on Twitter Andrew Bogut ruled out vs. Nuggets
Bogut will not suit up tonight against Denver. This will allow Festus Ezeli to draw another start against the Nuggets, and while the match-up looks great, it’s hard to envision him seeing more than 20-22 minutes of court time since the Nuggets lack any real interior threats. The Warriors should be able to play small as often as they’d like.
As reported by: John Dickinson on Twitter Andrew Bogut questionable for Friday
Bogut was seen at the Warriors shootaround on Friday and will reportedly go through concussion testing afterwards. If he’s cleared, he’ll likely re-enter the starting lineup, with Festus Ezeli ready to fill in if he’s unable to go. Ezeli has performed very well as the starter, albeit in limited minutes, and he’d be in another nice spot tonight against a really weak Nuggets front-court. The Warriors will be able to play small as often as they’d like, though.
As reported by: Carl Steward on Twitter