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Daily Fantasy Basketball Injury News and Updates for FanDuel and DraftKings - 3/14/16
Welcome to the daily updates and injury news article. We'll try and update it right up to line-up locks with as much information as comes across our desks. Let's get to it!
Last night's picks can be found here, so you can wrap your mind around what you need to be looking at before lineups lock tonight.
By the way - we keep our projection system updated with all of the changes as they occur throughout the day right up until lineup lock. Every day. If you want access to that system so you can cut out a lot of the research element, click the button below!
What We Know
Pau Gasol is out, Jimmy Butler will Play
The Bulls are full of question marks (which I'll get to shortly) but we at least know Gasol won't play tonight. He's not even with the team. This will open up significant big man minutes for Bobby Portis, Taj Gibson and Nikola Mirotic. On most nights Portis and Gibson would be coming in at neat must plays considering their prices and how short-handed Chicago is looking. But this isn't most nights and there are more potential punts than one can handle. I'm pretty confident that Gibson sees huge run and I'd be fine running him in cash games. Portis is a bit riskier mostly because he stands to come off the bench. But if he's starting then I think he's a must play.
Butler playing without Rose is interesting, but the minutes could really be in question here as he hasn't played much lately.
UPDATE: Gordon Hayward will sit tonight. Hard to see this making one particular punt play worth it but rather slight boosts to the other Jazz offensive guys like Mack, Hood, etc.
What We're Waiting to Know
Will Luke Babbitt start again?
Man the Pelicans are a mess. They've rolled out a bevy of losers in major minutes roles this season with Babbitt being just the latest example on Saturday. He came off the very end of the bench to start against Milwaukee and went minutes with a 16/9/3 line. At or near the minimums on both sites, he'd be intriguing against the Warriors today if drawing another start.
Will Dwyane Wade play?
Wade's questionable right now and his status would have a dramatic effect on guys like Goran Dragic, Joe Johnson and Justise Winslow among others. Those three rolled a ton of minutes in regulation against Toronto on Saturday and would be in line for rather dramatic minutes and usage bumps were Wade to sit again. Plus the matchup is more choice against a weaker Denver team.
Oh man, what is going on in Memphis?
You can tell by the outline picture that Briante Weber is so new to the scene that we don't even have a good headshot for the dude. Memphis is obviously in injury disarray right now though that can be advantageous for DFS purposed. They are somewhat blowout proof in that while the Grizz are big underdogs to Houston, it stands to reason all three of these guys, Stephenson, McCallum and Weber see a vast majority of the backcourt minutes. Memphis just doesn't have anyone else. Update: Zach Randolph is OUT tonight.
Will Derrick Rose play?Right now Rose is doubtful. If he were to sit again then look for Justin Holiday to play another bunch of minutes in the backcourt. Last game with the Bulls decimated at guard Holiday went 38 minutes for a 14/4 line. That gets it done at his prices though it is worth it to note that it took him a ton of time on the court to do much of significance.
The "Every Lineup" Guys
I'm going to update this later because there are just too many unknowns right now to get a feel for the every lineup guy. But there are two dudes who will be everywhere for me almost without hesitation
Russell Westbrook - FD 10400 DK 10800
Opponent - POR
FD Proj. Pts - 51.65 DK Proj. Pts - 53.55
Anthony Davis - FD 10200 DK 9900
Opponent - GSW
FD Proj. Pts - 49.89 DK Proj. Pts - 50.65
Kevin Durant - FD 10500 DK 10500
Opponent - POR
FD Proj. Pts - 48.57 DK Proj. Pts - 51.37
For me, these three are rather easy and obvious if for nothing else than they come in at the highest raw points on a night when fitting salary (even three of the big boys) is going to be no thing almost any way the news wind blows. There are just too many open possibilities for cheap/ high upside punt plays that going a stars and scrubs approach is almost for sure the way to go tonight.
Obviously, the blowout risk is a problem for Davis in particular but this is the kind of day you can risk it I think.
Good luck out there today! If you want access to all of our numbers, get started with a free trial below - on us! You can also get started with DFSR pro - our brand new lineup optimizer!
image sources
- Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook: (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
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Having a hard time seeing Brow as an every lineup guy. Good chance he doesn’t see the floor in the 4Q and there is the ever-present injury risk. I tend to think it would probably be better to go punt-ish there and pay up at center for a whiteside/towns type. I know you like Adams, but he has nowhere near the floor/upside combo of the higher priced guys today. Or I’m just crazy. Either way.
I agree. It’s tough. The problem is you can rather easily fit Westbrook, Durant, Davis and one of those centers you mentioned on FD.
Lavine…they play PHX!!
Rodney Hood or Zach LaVine
Probably Lavine, though it’s close Hayward out now and Hood possibly seeing more minutes and shots.
Wouldn’t Dwight Howard be a great start vs Memphis?
Love Knight today…how come no one is talking about Holiday? He got limited minutes last go around but before that was averaging 35min with 20 shots. His minutes seem safe and Him and the Brow are about it on offense.
It’s the limited minutes piece that’s scary for him. Gentry just doesn’t play him enough at times.
Thx Ok…thats a fade alert i just heard lol
Kemba/Wiggins or Knight/Thompson
@ DOUG
We all know your mancrush with Westbrook…..so which of these two would you go with?
Holiday or Lillard?
They are different price points, so it isn’t exactly an even swap, but in a vacuum Lillard.
Mack just moved into a must play
Who’s the best sf in the 3 range ?
which 2…Mack, McCallum. LaVine
Stephenson out put Allen a must play?
Not that clear with all the new additions there – we’re giving him a bump, but I can’t say for sure he’ll get 30+ minutes tonight. Just a big tourney play IMO.
I like McCollum
the OKC Portland matchup could be a first round preview. Russ and KD will kill. I think the Pelicans will keep it close with the Warriors.
Where do you see lance is out for sure I can’t find that info anywhere ?
Not out for sure today as of 6:23 EST.
The optimizer seems to love Rubio today
Spending up on russ and KD. Love the bulls pf’s and possibly both listed sg’s if rose is out. Russ is just too safe for a 10.4k tag.
Gibson and Matt Barnes or Wiggins and Portis
Not sure I will roster a Pelican the rest of the year in GPP. Both seem like shut down candidates and there’s no upside to them running Brow and Holiday. I’m sure they’ll both pop here and there for a game or two but hard to imagine they pay anything more than 4x-5x the rest of the season with minutes being watched, especially away from home where you don’t have the same ” i paid x for a ticket to see these guys play” from the local fanbase.
Well that sucks… D Wade warming up and expected to play 🙁 LOVED some Heat with him sitting.
Yeah this slate is just craaaaaaaaazy.
locking in 4 bulls tonight. so much money left to spend… Which is better Curry ,klay, matt barnes or Shelvin mack, derozan, KD?
4 bulls vs the raptors? Wow this tough
Yeah there is certainly risk no doubt, but they represent such great values with rose, GASOL, and possibly dunleavy out. Also butler on a minutes limit.
Matthews is in almost every lineup in optimizer also mirotic and Gibson together in a few . And towns. Are these guys all fairly safe in cash games?
Anyone know the status of beal today? Still gtd it seems
Any update in Stephenson?
Lance Stephenson (wrist) is warming up and will try to play vs. the Rockets on Monday.
Ya raptors tough on d though but bulls own them
Best of luck to everyone tonight.. I ended up with..
PG Shelvin Mack
PG Russell Westbrook
SG Devin Booker
SG Tony Allen
SF Andrew Wiggins
SF Nikola Mirotic
PF Alex Len
PF Derrick Favors
C Karl-Anthony Towns
Shooting for 310fp. Hope is Westbrook, Len, Favors and Towns give me 160 and Mack, Booker, Allen, Wiggins and Mirotic give me 150 for my 310fp on FanDuel.
Rubio Mack Matthews Butler Durant Wiggins Dieng Gibson Drummond …..what do you think is there any hope with this lineup?
Not with Wesley in there
Really odd night with injuries and matchups. I ended up taking a flyer on Douglas hoping Cole is out or major garbage time to go with westbrook, j johnson, allen, Wiggins, mirotic, Gibson, Davis and towns on FD
Ended up cashing 282fp but broke the dfs cardinal rule. Don’t be afraid to leave money on the table. Liked Dirk and Lavine but decided to “spend up” for Booker and Len to use up as much of the 60K has possible. Could have had close to 310 with that swap. Onward and upward!