Andrew Nicholson Daily Fantasy News, Rankings, Projections
Andrew Nicholson inactive for tonight
Nicholson is officially inactive and will not be available to play in tonight's game against the Philadelphia 76ers. His minutes have been all over the map in recent games, so his absence is unlikely to greatly affect any one player in the Nets' rotation. In fact, Nicholson's inactive status is likely directly correlated with Sean Kilpatrick's return from injury and Brooklyn opting to keep K.J. McDaniels active instead.
Washington Wizards acquire Bojan Bogdanovich from Brooklyn Nets
Over the All Star break, the Washington Wizards moved Andrew Nicholson, Marcus Thornton, and a lottery-protected 2017 first round pick to the Brooklyn Nets in return for Bojan Bogdanovich and Chris McCullough. The veteran guard/forward should step right in as a key contributor for the Wizards although he'll be hard-pressed to reach the nearly 30 minutes of playing time he had been getting over the past three weeks for Brooklyn - his value in DFS takes a dramatic hit due to the change in teams.
Markieff Morris (ankle) will start, expected to have his minutes monitored
Morris will start against his former team tonight. He's been dealing with an ankle injury and is expected to have his minutes monitored. He can still exceed value but will need to play 32-35 minutes to get there. Still, since it's against the Suns, against his former team, he's tournament viable. He is no longer a cash game play because he has only reached or exceeded value in two out of his last seven games. That's too risky to trust and we should not take that kind of risk with nine games on the slate. Andrew Nicholson is his backup and has also been stuck on the bench for a while. If Nicholson can play 12-15 minutes, he can exceed but the risk is far too great. Jason Smith has also logged some big man mintes off the bench and makes this situation that much worse
Nikola Vucevic and Ersan Ilyasova will both play tonight off the bench
It looks like the Magic are nearing full health as Vucevic and Ilyasova will both be available to play tonight. They will come off the bench and be eased back into their roles and as such are not viable DFS options. Their return also removes Jason Smith and Dewayne Dedmon from DFS consideration. Andrew Nicholson has been playing great of late with 20+ fpts in six of his last seven but the return of these two could put a damper on his value as well. It's pretty much a situation to avoid, especially given Head Coach Scott Skiles and his inconsistent rotations.
Nikola Vucevic will not play tonight
Updating an earlier report, Nikola Vucevic was ruled out of tonight's game with the Nets earlier today. It's still unclear when he'll return and with the Magic having nothing to play for at this point in the season, they aren't going to rush him back. Dewayne Dedmon should continue to start at center, and he may see a little more run than usual with Brook Lopez looming. Jason Smith will also continue to see increased run off the bench, as will Andrew Nicholson who has been playing well over Orlando's last five games (at least 22 FPs in 4 of them).
Victor Oladipo (wrist) and Ersan Ilyasova ruled out for Saturday
Victor Oladipo will miss his second consecutive game due to a wrist injury. Mario Hezonja started in his place on Friday and had 16.3 DKFP in 37 minutes, making him a risky option for Saturday. The Magic host the Bulls on the second night of a back-to-back. Ersan Ilyasova will also miss his second consecutive game. Andrew Nicholson picked up Ilyasova's minutes and had 19 points and six rebounds in 18 minutes. Nicholson is a viable punt option against the Bulls on Saturday.
Ersan Ilyasova ruled out for Friday
Ilyasova will not take the court tomorrow night against the Heat. It's a brutal spot for the Magic in general against a Miami team that plays above average defense across the board, so Ilyasova's absence will be tough to take advantage of in terms of DFS. Aaron Gordon's playing time becomes more secure while Andrew Nicholson is also a candidate to see increased run with the second unit. Neither player is a recommended target tomorrow, although Gordon does have some appeal on sites where his price has plummeted.
Ersan Ilyasova (knee) will play on Friday
Ersan Ilyasova will return to the active roster against the Thunder on Friday. Ilyasova has really only had one good game since joining the Magic, making him a risky tournament play. While his asking price does leave room for upside, Ilyasova would need Aaron Gordon to get into foul trouble to really make an impact. Ilyasova's return should diminish Andrew Nicholson's value, even though he scored 31.8 DKFP on Wednesday.
Nikola Vucevic and Ersan Ilyasova out on Wednesday
Nikola Vucevic has been ruled out again with a groin injury. Dewayne Dedmon is averaging about 20 minutes in his last three starts for Vucevic. Dedmon is a low-end DFS play with Jason Smith a more viable option. Smith is averaging 28.3 DKFP over his last three games. Ersan Ilyasova is out with a knee injury, making Jason Smith slightly more valuable. Andrew Nicholson should see some court time as well but he is not in DFS consideration.