Six games on tonight's NBA DFS main slate and plenty of news already coming out so far today when it comes to player availability with the Spurs ruling out Dejounte Murray, Jakob Poeltl and Keldon Johnson after their double-OT matchup against the Wizards on Friday. Their absences will create some nice value today though the matchup is going to be tough as they run up against the Miami Heat. San Antonio is not the only team missing starters today so let's dive into today's top value plays of the slate.
Vassell played 42 minutes last night but he is not one of the players ruled out for the Spurs today which leads me to believe that he is good to go and unlikely to face and limitations on playing time. Vassell finished with 32fantasy points last night which would be 6x return on his price tag today.
Much like Vassell, Walker is not ruled out after playing 35 minutes off the bench last night against the Wizards. Walker went for 29 fantasy points and should be in line for a bigger role in the offense tonight even in a tougher matchup.
Still no John Collins so we should see 30+ minutes out of Gallinari tonight. We saw him play 35 minutes against the Bulls and finish with 26 points and nine rebounds. The Raptors played last night got blown out by the Hornets.
Let's run it back with Morris here who we touted in the DFS Playbook the other night in this very matchup and he returned 6x value. They only moved his price $100 on DK and I have no problem running right back to the well here in this great matchup against the Kings. Morris is averaging 28 FP in two games against Sacramento this season.
Clarke may come off the bench, but he has given us at least 20 FP in every game during the month of February and over the last six games he is averaging over 30 fantasy points while having only seen more than 25 minutes just twice during that stretch. The Bulls have struggled with opposing front courts this season and Clarke looks poised to have another solid game off the bench today.
Yup, another Spurs player, Jones could very well start at point guard tonight and at min-price is going to be a popular play on tonight's slate if that ends up being the case. He played just 15 minutes last night so he is plenty rested.
With Caris LeVert, Darius Garland and Rajon Rondo ruled out we have to figure that Goodwin will start here and play a decent chunk of minutes as the point guard. We just saw Washington play a double-OT game last night so they are likely on tired legs here as they are on the road after playing at home last night.
Player News
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Zach Edey will undergo surgery to re-stabilize his left ankle.
Charania’s report indicates that Edey re-sprained the same ankle that forced him to miss some time last season. It came during an offseason workout, and he is expected to miss time to start next season. Edey secured the starting center spot for Memphis late last season after playing an inconsistent role for most of his rookie year. Head coach Tuomas Iisalo could opt to use Brandon Clarke as the starting center if he’s healthy, or he could use a smaller starting lineup with Jaren Jackson Jr. to start next season. The Grizzlies’ PR team announced that a preliminary timeline will be provided after he has the surgery, but as of now, the expectation is that he won’t be available for opening night.
De’Aaron Fox (finger) has been cleared for on-court work and will be ready for the start of next season.
Fox underwent season-ending surgery on his left pinkie finger in mid-March, about six weeks after being traded to the Spurs from Sacramento. He recently told Danielle Lerner of the Houston Chronicle that he’s been cleared to resume on-court activities, which have included some 5-on-5 play. Also, Fox hopes to ink a contract extension with the Spurs this offseason. With one year remaining on his current deal, the point guard will be eligible for a four-year extension worth up to $229 million on August 3.
NBC Sports Boston’s Chris Mannix said recently that Sam Hauser could be a trade candidate this offseason if the Celtics decide to shed salary.
The cost of contending for championships has gotten steeper, especially with the salary cap rules instituted in recent years. For the Celtics, the Achilles tendon rupture suffered by Jayson Tatum may impact how the front office approaches this offseason. If the team decides that a group that won’t have Tatum for most of the season can’t be a factor in the East, the decision could be made to shed salary. And Hauser, whose four-year, $45 million extension goes into effect next season, may be a prime candidate to be moved. “Hauser, to me, is the most likely candidate to go, just because you have (Baylor) Scheierman there to effectively fill his role,” Mannix said. “I think they’d love to find a home for Jrue Holiday, just because of the contract and where they are as a team. (Kristaps) Porzingis, who knows? I don’t think they want to take on contracts that go on longer than Porzingis’ deal, but he’s certainly available.” Hauser being traded would make Scheierman worth a look in deep fantasy leagues next season.
NBA insider Marc Stein reported the Knicks are interested in talking to Mavericks coach Jason Kidd regarding the team’s head coaching vacancy.
Multiple names have been mentioned in the aftermath of the Knicks’ decision to fire Tom Thibodeau after he led the team to its first Eastern Conference Finals since 2000. One who has been mentioned prominently is Kidd, who is under contract with the Mavericks. His connection with Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson may be a factor, as the captain has repeatedly credited the coach with his development as a professional. However, Dallas would need to grant the Knicks permission to speak with Kidd. And if a deal were to be made, New York does not have much draft capital to give up as compensation. Also mentioned in connection with the opening are Cavaliers assistant Johnnie Bryant, Timberwolves coach Chris Finch and Rockets coach Ime Udoka. Stein also reported that Houston would quickly deny permission to speak with Udoka if the Knicks were to make that request.
Obi Toppin provided a boost off the bench with 17 points (6-of-9 FGs), five rebounds, two assists and five three-pointers in Game 1 against the Thunder on Thursday.
Toppin has been solid throughout this postseason, but he hasn’t had many big scoring nights. However, after he had 18 points in the Game 6 clincher over the Knicks, he added 17 more to kick off the Finals, with 15 of those points coming from beyond the arc. If Toppin is able to continue to make an impact off the bench like he did in this game, there should be more wins coming for the Pacers.
Aaron Nesmith recorded a double-double on Thursday with 10 points (3-of-9 FGs), 12 rebounds, one assist, one block, three three-pointers and five turnovers in Game 1 against the Thunder.
Indiana dominated on the glass in this game, but it wasn’t just because of the bigs. Nesmith was the leading rebounder in this game and was one of three Pacers to grab at least 10 rebounds. However, they lost the turnover battle 24-6, and Nesmith contributed five of those. The only player with more was Myles Turner, who coughed it up six times. Indiana won this game and still has things to clean up, which is an encouraging sign for them moving forward in this series.