Orlando Magic players from left, Nikola Vucevic, Tobias Harris, Victor Oladipo, Elfrid Payton (4) and Aaron Gordon (00) take the floor after a timeout during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Portland Trail Blazers, Friday, Dec. 18, 2015, in Orlando, Fla. Orlando won 102-94. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
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!
Demar Derozan is out vs the Bucks
Derozan has missed the previous 2 games, and Norman Powell has taken the most advantage. He has destroyed value in 2 straight games, and would expect the same here. Kyle Lowry has also picked up some usage, and could have a huge game.
This kind of came out of nowhere, but opens up a cheap option for sure. Willie Reed becomes a fantastic option, and we will talk about him in a bit. James Johnson could also get more run, but is nothing more than a tournament option against the Bulls.
Gordon sat out last game vs Boston, and Sam Dekker ended up seeing 29 minutes. Dekker remains a good play tonight, and he has a ton of upside. Corey Brewer could also pick up some more run, but he isn't just not too productive when on the court.
Everyone thought this injury was just a fake story to let Kawhi take a game or two off, but this looks like it might be real. If he plays tonight, he is an interesting option in tournaments and should go way under owned. If he misses, Kyle Anderson, David Lee and LaMarcus Aldridge all gain a lot of traction.
Fournier is a guy who shoots a lot when on the court, so his absence does matter. Fournier has been out for a while, and C.J. Watson has been getting the most minutes. Ibaka and Payton also get a bump, and I have a lot of interest in both.
Payton is still just way too cheap here, given what his role on this offense is. Sure, he disappointed a lot of people last time out, but that should just keep the masses off of him. I am much more concerned with what he does tonight, and I think he has a quality game. Isaiah Thomas is no lock-down defender, and has actually given up the 4th most rebounds and 5th most assist to PG’s this season. Payton derives most of his upside from peripherals, and has recorded a few triple doubles over the past few seasons. I will have Payton in all formats, and have no worries of him throwing out another stinker.
This one is pretty simple. Hassan Whiteside is out tonight, which should give Reed at least 28 minutes. Reed has been very productive while on the court this year, and I would expect nothing less tonight. A double double isn't a lock by any means, but is very likely. Robin Lopez is pretty tall, but that's about the extent of his defensive skills. Reed will be in most of my cash games tonight, and I think he is a near lock for value.
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