DFS Alerts
D'Angelo Russell will start on Wednesday
Russell will start in his first NBA game alongside Kobe Bryant and Jordan Clarkson. It’s been reported that Clarkson is likely to handle the ball more on Wednesday, so keep expectations tempered for Russell’s debut. He should end up somewhere around the 30 minute mark but may struggle to make a big impact offensively with Kobe, Clarkson and Julius Randle seemingly ahead of him in the pecking order.
As reported by: Mike Bresnahan on Twitter
Myles Turner expected to play Wednesday
Turner made it through shootaround and is on track to play tonight. He was an absolute beast in terms of fantasy points per minute in the preseason, and managed to block at least two shots in each game despite not playing more than 22 minutes in any of his preseason contests. He’s a sneaky GPP dart throw tonight thanks to the Pacers lack of depth up front.
As reported by: Candace Buckner on Twitter Brad Stevens unveils starting five for Wednesday
The Celtics will start Marcus Smart, Avery Bradley, Jae Crowder, David Lee and Tyler Zeller against the Sixers on Wednesday. This unit spent a lot of time together in the preseason, and there aren’t really any notable surprises here. Boston has a young, deep team, so Stevens’ rotations will be tough to peg early in the season. While he’s not a starter, look for Isaiah Thomas to see big minutes off the Celtics bench.
As reported by: Brian Robb on Twitter Rudy Gay misses shootaround
Rudy Gay was absent from today’s shootaround, and his status is still in doubt due to the birth of his second child. If he’s unable to suit up, DeMarcus Cousins becomes an even better option against a Clippers front-court he dominated against last year.
As reported by: James Ham on Twitter Rodney Hood and Raul Neto to start Wednesday?
Rodney Hood and Raul Neto will likely start in the backcourt against the Pistons on Wednesday. Quin Snyder has not announced an official lineup at this point, but this would indicate that Trey Burke and Alec Burks will be coming off the bench. The projected starters alongside Hood and Neto are Gordon Hayward, Derrick Favors and Rudy Gobert. Gobert, Favors and Hayward are all in good spots tonight, with the big men set up for success against a Pistons team that lacks solid defense in the post.
As reported by: Jody Genessy on Twitter Jrue Holiday scratched, Nate Robinson will start
Jrue Holiday has been scratched. He was supposed to be on a 20-minute limit, but he’s instead going to sit out tonight and play tomorrow. Nate Robinson will start in his place and becomes a great option on late-swap sites. He’s minimum priced on DraftKings.
As reported by: John Reid on Twitter Kevin Love, LeBron James in the starting lineup
No surprises here. LeBron is obviously a top option at a slim SF spot on a short slate, and both he and Kevin Love will benefit from Kyrie Irving’s absence. LeBron’s usage is sky high at all times, but it’s worth noting that Love’s usage rate rose from 21.7 to 25.6 when Kyrie was not on the floor last season. Love is playable in all DFS formats tonight, and may actually be a little underowned on sites that only require you to roster one power forward.
As reported by: Rotoworld Kentavious Caldwell-Pope will start on Tuesday
KCP’s foot injury was never really considered serious, so it’s not surprising to see him in the starting lineup on opening night. He’ll be joined by Reggie Jackson, Marcus Morris, Ersan Ilyasova and Andre Drummond. Jodie Meeks will back up KCP off the bench. As far as DFS is concerned, KCP is nothing more than a GPP dart-throw. Guys like J.R. Smith, Kyle Korver and Kent Bazemore are more attractive options based on either usage or price.
As reported by: Mark Champion on Twitter Anthony Tolliver inactive on Tuesday
Tolliver is inactive on Tuesday night. This doesn’t offer much in the way of DFS implications, but it may lead to an extra couple of minutes for guys like Marcus Morris, Ersan Ilyasova and Stanley Johnson.
As reported by: Chris Vivlamore on Twitter Tim Hardaway Jr. inactive on Tuesday
We’re not sure if this is injury related or a sign that Hardaway won’t be a part of the Hawks rotation, but he won’t suit up on Tuesday. This somewhat secures playing time for Kent Bazemore, who will start and is available at or near minimum price across the industry.
As reported by: Chris Vivlamore on Twitter Derrick Rose's minutes expected to be limited
Fred Hoiberg says its “probably not a reality” to have Rose play for really long stretches. Rose will likely be capped somewhere around 25 minutes tonight, so he’s not a preferred DFS option for cash games even on a short-slate. With Rose expected to be limited, look for Aaron Brooks and Kirk Hinrich to pick up the slack. Neither are DFS options unless Rose is out of the lineup.
As reported by: Cody Westerlund on Twitter Lakers starting five still in flux
Lakers coach Byron Scott still hasn’t committed to starting 2015 No. 2 overall pick D’Angelo Russell on Wednesday in the Lakers’ season opener vs. the Minnesota Timberwolves. Scott said he’ll decide on the starting lineup Wednesday, but Scott said the decision will be made with Russell’s development in mind. “It has nothing to do with anything else,” Scott said. “I’m trying to figure out what’s best for him right now and obviously what’s best for him is what’s best for the team.” Regardless of whether he starts or not, Russell is best left alone in DFS until we can gauge what his usage/playing time will look like. There are a bevy of new faces on the Lakers roster, so we’ll see how the minutes are distributed in the first few games.
As reported by: Baxter Holmes on Twitter George Karl still undecided as to who will start at SG
It’s between Ben McLemore and James Anderson at this point. Neither will offer much DFS value on opening night unless Rudy Gay ends up missing the contest due to the birth of his second child. Even if that’s the case, this is a situation best left alone on a full slate of games.
As reported by: James Ham on Twitter Kosta Koufos expected to start over WCS on Wednesday
George Karl isn’t going to throw Willie Cauley-Stein to the wolves (aka covering Blake Griffin) in the season-opener. It’s a wise move considering Koufos is the more seasoned defender at this point, although the duo will likely still split playing time on Wednesday. Koufos doesn’t offer any DFS value tomorrow night.
As reported by: Sean Cunningham on Twitter Jordan Clarkson expected to start Wednesday
Clarkson practiced in full on Tuesday and appears to be all set for Wednesday’s opener. He’ll open the season in the starting lineup, but his usage will decline from the end of last season with a bevy of chuckers (Kobe, Lou Williams) on the roster. DeAngelo Russell’s presence will also eat into his productivity.
As reported by: Mike Trudell on Twitter