In daily fantasy basketball, every edge matters.
One of the easiest ways to find an edge is to understand what happens to a team when injuries occur. Who stands to benefit? Who might struggle as a result? That's all vital information during the lineup-building process.
What should you know about tonight's slate of games? Let's break it down.
As always, you should make sure to double-check our NBA Player News page before finalizing your lineup.
The Definites
Robert Covington and Jerami Grant are both out for tonight, which should open up a lot of opportunity for Hollis Thompson, Carl Landry and Nerlens Noel. They will all be called upon to play a lot of minutes. Jahlil Okafor is out for the season as well, so the 76ers are very short-staffed tonight. Our projections have all three as very good plays tonight as they take on the lowly Nets.
The To-Be-Determined List
Jonas Valanciunas left last night's game early with a hand injury. After confirming that he didn't re-break it, the Raptors have given him the questionable tag. If he does sit out tonight, Bismack Biyombo will probably be moved into the starting lineup. Biyombo is almost a minimum price on daily fantasy sites and has been able to produce in games without Valanciunas earlier in the year.
Kobe Bryant is doubtful for tonight. When he has sat in the past, other players tend to get involved a lot more. Per NBAWowy.com, D'Angelo Russell sees a 11.5% increase in Usage Rate, Jordan Clarkson sees a 12.2% increase, Julius Randle sees a 14.2% increase, and Louis Williams sees an increase of 19.5%. Bryant's presence has kept these four players' prices relatively low, but when he sits, they all have an opportunity to put up big numbers.
Brandon Bass is also doubtful for tonight, which bodes well for the likes of Randle and Larry Nance Jr.
Kelly Olynyk is unlikely to play tonight for Boston. His absence with give more value to Jared Sullinger, who will likely see extended minutes. Our projections already like Sullinger tonight as it is, but if Olynyk does in fact sit out, Sullinger will have a chance to see over 30 minutes.
As always, make sure to check our player news section for the latest notes and updates from around the league. Good luck tonight!