Mindaugas Kuzminskas Daily Fantasy News, Rankings, Projections

The Knicks are playing the second game of a back-to-back tonight against Memphis and local media has heard rumors to the effect that Anthony would sit out tonight's game for rest purposes. With Kristaps Porzingis also unlikely to play, it'll be the likes of Justin Holiday and Mindaugas Kuzminskas seeing additional playing time and increased usage. We'll update you on the status of the big two for the Knicks as we learn more.

Carmelo Anthony will miss tonight's game due to a sore lower back. Derrick Rose is dealing with a knee issue and has also been ruled out. Mindaugas Kuzminskas is expected to start in place of Anthony and Ron Baker is expected to start in place of Rose. Baker played 40 minutes against Miami on Wednesday with Rose out and still only scored 15.3 DK points. He's not an elite option on such a large slate and it's a better to fade his potential ceiling of 20 fantasy points. Mindaugas Kuzminskas is a strong punt option on FanDuel where his salary is at the minimum. Kuzminskas started for Anthony last week and played over 30 minutes in both contests. He has a slightly higher ceiling than Baker but is at an equally deep position. With Jaylen Brown already confirmed as a starter for the Celtics, Kuzminskas will be the lower owned GPP pivot.

Knicks Head Coach Jeff Hornacek stated his two veteran stars will test their injuries during shootaround and see how they feel before making a decision as to whether they would play or not. If Rose can't go, Ron Baker would be the likely starter but he only put up a measly six points, five rebounds, and three assists in 40 minutes of playing time so he's not a high upside option. Mindaugas Kuzminskas is the probable starter if Anthony can't play and has some value as a DFS value option but the biggest beneficiary would be Kristaps Porzingis who should be expected to shoulder the load if either, or both, Anthony or Rose sit.

Rose and Thomas will not play in tonight's game against the Portland Trail Blazers after previously being listed on the Knicks' injury report with sore right foot and sore right hip respectively. However, Carmelo Anthony will also not play due to a sore left knee despite never receiving an injury designation at any point throughout the day. The Knicks have officially confirmed that Ron Baker, Mindaugas Kuzminskas, and Guillermo Hernangomez will replace Rose, Anthony, and Thomas in the starting lineup this evening. Kristaps Porzingis surprisingly hasn't historically seen a bump in usage rate with the aforementioned trio off the court this season, albeit a limited sample size, but he should be expected to carry the offensive load for New York in an exploitable matchup, especially with Brandon Jennings now with the Washington Wizards and unable to fill in with Rose sidelined.

The Knicks will stick with the same starting lineup of Derrick Rose, Ron Baker, Carmelo Anthony, Mindaugas Kuzminskas, and Kyle O'Quinn for tonight's game against the Washington Wizards. It was previously speculated that Kristaps Porzingis would start at center, but he will come off the bench as the Knicks' will likely (should) monitor his minutes. O'Quinn proved on Wednesday night that he is nothing more than a tournament play even when he starts, while Kuzminskas is also probably better reserved for tournaments, as his minute floor is lowered with Porzingis available off the bench.

Kuzminskas and Baker will join usual starters Joakim Noah, Carmelo Anthony, and Derrick Rose for the Knicks today in their game against the Hawks. Courtney Lee will come off the bench. Kuzminskas and Baker are both excellent value options and Baker is especially intriguing at or near minimum price across the industry.

The Knicks star forward still isn't ready to return to action as the Knicks have ruled him out for their afternoon affair with the Hawks. It'll mean more minutes for Justin Holiday and Mindaugas Kuzminskas - both of whom are viable value options on this five game afternoon slate with Kuzminskas having more upside of the two. That said, Carmelo Anthony is the biggest beneficiary as his usage increases nearly five percent with Porzingis off the court.

Kuzminskas will not play in tonight's game against the New Orleans Pelicans due to an illness. Kuzminskas has been seeing in the ballpark of 15 minutes on a nightly basis, so his allotment of playing time should bet disbursed among the starters and Lance Thomas and Justin Holiday off the bench. However, Thomas and Holiday will not see a large enough of an uptick in minutes to make them fantasy viable this evening.

Lance Thomas will not play tonight due to a recurring ankle issue. He only played 9 minutes in the game against the Raptors and we don't have a timetable for his return. Mindaugas Kuzminskas will step up as Carmelo Anthony's backup but is not a viable option. We can expect Anthony to play over his season average of 31.6 minutes a game tonight with Thomas out of the lineup. He's still fairly priced across the industry and makes for a strong cash game play at SF. He has tournament upside as well, having hit 42+ DKFP in three out of his last four games, removing the game where he was ejected.