Josh McRoberts Daily Fantasy News, Rankings, Projections
Dion Waiters (ankle) ruled OUT tonight for Heat; Luke Babbitt (hip) and Josh McRoberts (foot) not expected to play
Waiters and McRoberts were upgraded to questionable for tonight's matchup against the Heat, but Waiters has been officially ruled out and McRoberts isn't expected to play, although he will dress. Babbitt is in a similar situation as McRoberts, he'll dress but he's unlikely to play. James Johnson will earn his fourth consecutive start. He's been dynamite, averaging 21.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.0 steals the past few nights. He's played into the high-30s the past two games, and with Miami's season on the line - they have to win every game to have a shot at making the playoffs - don't expect him to let up now. He's also going up against Cleveland's B-Team (and Kevin Love). His price is on the rise, but it's still manageable.
Dion Waiters, Luke Babbitt, and Josh McRoberts all questionable for Miami tonight
No major news here although Waiters is always an intriguing option given his upside. We'll report back on the status of these three later in the day when their playing status becomes more defined.
Derrick Williams starting in place of Josh McRoberts (foot); Rodney McGruder to start for Goran Dragic (back)
Williams and McGruder will start at power forward and shooting guard for Josh McRoberts and Wayne Ellington in tonight's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. With Ellington and McGruder available to play this evening, Josh Richardson will start at point guard in place of the injured Goran Dragic. However, Tyler Johnson, despite coming off the bench, will arguably be the largest beneficiary of Dragic's. As far as members of the Heat's starting lineup, Justise Winslow and Hassan Whiteside see the largest usage rate differentials of 5.7% and 4.3%, respectively, with Dragic off the court this season. Whiteside has the toughest individual matchup out of the aforementioned players, meaning he is best reserved as a tournament target given his price tag across the industry, while Winslow, Johnson, and Richardson are viable in any format.
Josh McRoberts out indefinitely for Heat
McRoberts left foot is causing him problems yet again and after starting the last 14 games for the team, the Heat has announced that the forward will be out indefinitely due to stress reactions in that foot.
Josh McRoberts ruled out; Josh Richardson active, not confirmed as playing
Richardson has been cleared by doctors to play in tonight's game, and is active, but coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters that he is unsure if Richardson will actually see time on the court in this contest. This is a murky situation that we can easily avoid as the Heat have a tough defensive matchup with the Raptors in what should be one of the slower paced games on the slate. Josh McRoberts also remains out with a foot injury.
Josh McRoberts expected to be available on Friday; Wayne Ellington and Josh Richardson continue to be out
McRoberts didn't play at all in the preseason due to a broken foot, but he was surprisingly active for Miami's season opener. Although he didn't play in the game, it was listed as a coach's decision, and he is no longer listed on the Heat's injury report. McRoberts is expected to spend most of his time at center this season, so minutes could be difficult to come by behind Hassan Whiteside when he is finally ready to take the court. Ellington will miss his second straight game tomorrow night versus New Orleans. Tyler Johnson will remain the Heat's backup point guard, and Dion Waiters will likely draw another start with Josh Richardson still sidelined with a knee injury.
Josh McRoberts warming up, not confirmed as playing
As if the Heat power forward picture wasn't murky enough, McRoberts has been seen warming up with the team prior to tonight's game. It's safe to say that we can avoid this situation with Luke Babbitt receiving the start and Derrick Williams coming off the bench for the Heat. If anything, this is a bump to Serge Ibaka's fantasy outlook this evening, as Babbitt is far from a lock down defender.
Justise Winslow ruled out
In addition to Winslow (back), Luke Babbitt (groin), Josh McRoberts (foot), and Josh Richardson (MCL) will also miss tonight's game versus Orlando. This means that Derrick Williams and Tyler Johnson will be the likely beneficiaries of extra minutes in their absence, boosting their already solid fantasy projections. Williams and Johnson are both $4.6K on DraftKings and $4K on FanDuel, making them both viable punt options at their respective positions.
Hassan Whiteside (knee) ruled out for Friday
Whiteside will miss his third consecutive game due to a knee injury. Amar'e Stoudemire has started in his place in both games but only played 3 minutes in Game 5. With both teams resorting to small-ball, Josh McRoberts has played his minutes at center. McRoberts is still a low-end option and has not played over 21 minutes in the playoffs. Josh Richardson and Justise Winslow will be the main contributors off the bench with all the starters expected to see over 30 minutes.
Amar'e Stoudemire confirmed as the starter on Wednesday
Stoudemire will start again with Hassan Whiteside out of the lineup. Stoudemire is a low-end DFS option on Wednesday is not expected to play over 20 minutes in this game. Josh McRoberts is a value option as well off the bench and could see more minutes than Stoudemire, like he did in Game 4.