DFS Alerts
Jarrett Jack probable for Friday
Jack missed the season opener, but is expected to return to the lineup tomorrow. Without much depth behind him, Jack will play big minutes as the Nets starting PG, and should produce at nearly a fantasy point per minute rate. Shane Larkin and Donald Sloan move back into secondary roles with Jack healthy.
As reported by: @MazzESPN on Twitter
Jordan Hill to start on Thursday as Pacers go big
Jordan Hill will enter the starting lineup tonight with the Pacers rolling out a bigger starting five. This will shift C.J. Miles to the bench, which basically takes him out of play as far as DFS is concerned. As for Hill, he played 23 minutes last night off the bench, and is in line to see a bump from that number assuming he’s able to stay out of foul trouble. We’d expect him to end up in the 26-30 minute range, which puts him squarely in play for GPPs on a short slate. Ian Mahinmi is likely the better play as his minutes are more secure, and Myles Turner will offer solid upside off the bench, although his minutes are expected to be limited tonight.
As reported by: @Pacers on Twitter Willie Cauley-Stein starting on Friday
George Karl wanted to ease WCS into action and didn’t throw him to the wolves (a match-up with Blake Griffin) on opening night. He’ll enter the starting lineup on Friday with Kosta Koufos coming off the bench. After playing just 8 minutes last night, it’s tough to peg what Cauley-Stein’s playing time will look like Friday, but we’d peg him for somewhere in the neighborhood of 20-22 minutes. Until he shows something, WCS is best used as a dart-throw GPP in large-field tournaments, but is better left alone.
As reported by: Ailene Voisin on Twitter Tony Allen starting Thursday
We presume this means that Jeff Green will now be coming off the bench. Allen should start alongside Mike Conley, Courtney Lee, Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol. Given the nature of tonight’s three-game slate, Allen is a viable punt play at SG at $4,700 on FanDuel, as he’s a guy that can contribute in a bevy of stat categories and is always a threat to rack up multiple steals. Allen should end up seeing 25-30 minutes as a starter.
As reported by: Chris Vernon on Twitter O.J. Mayo ruled out for Friday
Mayo didn’t practice Thursday and will miss Friday’s game against Washington. With Jabari Parker also on the shelf, look for Khris Middleton to continue to see big minutes, with Jerryd Bayless sliding in at SG in Mayo’s stead. Bayless had a very slow opening night, but he’ll be productive as long as he’s playing in the neighborhood of 30 minutes. With Giannis Antetokounmpo set to return, Bayless may see a drop in playing time.
As reported by: C.F. Gardner on Twitter Jodie Meeks out 6-8 weeks with Jones fracture
This is the same injury that kept Kevin Durant out of action last season. Without Meeks in the rotation, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope will be expected to play big minutes without much depth behind him at SG. Playing time hasn’t been an issue for KCP in the past, but his fantasy point per-minute numbers will likely rise this year without Greg Monroe to anchor the offense in the post. Coming off of a strong season debut, Caldwell-Pope will be a solid GPP target until his price catches up.
As reported by: David Mayo on Twitter Deron Williams questionable on Thursday
Williams left last night’s game after bruising his knee, but with the game out of hand at that point, his presence on the bench may have been related to that. Given that tonight is the second leg of a back-to-back, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Mavs play it safe with Williams this early in the year. Williams logged 20 minutes on Wednesday and finished with a solid stat line of 12 points, 7 dimes, 2 boards and a steal. If it turns out DWill isn’t able to suit up tonight, Raymond Felton would be the primary DFS beneficiary. Felton played off the ball alongside Williams last night, and turned in a very solid debut in 33 minutes (18p, 6a, 4r). He’d take on more of the ball-handling responsibility without Williams in the lineup, and is still priced at just $4,000 on FanDuel and $3,000 on DraftKings.
As reported by: Earl Sneed on Twitter Rudy Gay arrived at arena, will start Wednesday
Gay’s status was in some doubt earlier, but it’s been confirmed that he’s made it to the arena in time and will start against the Clippers. Rajon Rondo, Ben McLemore, DeMarcus Cousins and Kosta Koufos will start alongside Gay. Cousins would have seen a big bump in value had Gay sat out, but DMC is still a very solid target against a Clippers front-court he dominated in two games last season.
As reported by: James Ham on Twitter Omer Asik, Luke Babbitt ruled out for Wednesday
No surprise here, but both Asik and Babbitt will be inactive tonight. Kendrick Perkins actually looked serviceable last night against Golden State, but he’s not a viable DFS option going forward. Alexis Ajinca should fill some of the void at center until Asik returns, which could happen at some point next week.
As reported by: John Reid on Twitter Al-Farouq Aminu all set for Wednesday night
As expected, Aminu will start and is expected to play a big role for the Blazers this season. As someone who can contribute in a variety of ways, Aminu should be a great DFS asset as long as he’s playing 30+ minutes on a Portland team that is starving for talent. He’s certainly underpriced at $4,600 on DraftKings.
As reported by: Jason Quick on Twitter Jrue Holiday starting on Wednesday
After being scratched late from Tuesday’s game, Holiday will draw the start on the second leg of a back-to-back. He’s expected to be limited to around 20 minutes per game for the foreseeable future, which will keep him from being DFS relevant for awhile. Ish Smith and Nate Robinson will provide depth behind Holiday, with Eric Gordon also expected to take on some of the ball-handling duties.
As reported by: Mike Richman on Twitter Nik Stauskas scratched late on Wednesday
The Sixers didn’t divulge this information until well after the game started. Stauskas was expected to play a limited role off the bench, but his absence should lead to more minutes for Hollis Thompson and Jakarr Sampson.
As reported by: Keith Pompey on Twitter Don't overlook Emmanuel Mudiay on opening night
Mudiay may be a little overlooked on opening night since the public hasn’t seen him in action yet, but he’s expected to have the ball in his hands a ton on a rebuilding Nuggets team. His usage rate should be really high early in the year, as he’ll be a primary option on offense alongside Danilo Gallinari and Kenneth Faried. The Nuggets SG options don’t provide much in the way of consistent offense, and Jameer Nelson is the only PG pushing Mudiay for minutes, so the rookie should see all the run he can handle early in the year. Mudiay does bring about some risk in cash games, but he’s a very solid tournament target.
C.J. McCollum to benefit from expanded role
McCollum will be counted on as a primary scoring option whether he starts or comes off the bench. With LMA, Nic Batum, Wes Matthews and Robin Lopez all out of town, McCollum will be needed to provide an offensive spark alongside Damian Lillard. McCollum should see in the neighborhood of 30 minutes (with upside for more) tonight, and is an excellent DFS option at a very fair price of $5,200 on FanDuel and $4,800 on DraftKings.
Kris Humphries confirmed as starting PF on Wednesday
Hump will get the nod at PF on opening night as the Wizards roll out a smaller starting five. He’s been evolving his game over the offseason and has incorporated a 3-point shot into his arsenal, and he should also benefit from the Wizards attempting to play at a faster pace this year. He’s not a strong DFS target on a 14-game slate, but it’s worth tracking what his minutes look like over the first few games of the season. Nene Hilario will provide depth off the bench.
As reported by: Ben Standig on Twitter