Daily Fantasy Basketball Injuries and Updates for 3/30/16
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
Deron Williams is out again tonight. This news allows the Raymond Felton and Juan Jose Barea trains to keep rolling. They have been excellent in his absence recently as Felton is averaging 7.2 times his cost (points per $1,000 in salary) and Barea is averaging 7.6 times his price tag in the last three games. They are both priced at $5,000 on FanDuel.
Jusuf Nurkic will miss a second straight game due to illness. He was a late-scratch last game, so at least we have time to prepare for his absence this time. Joffrey Lauvergne, Darrell Arthur, and Nikola Jokic will all see the biggest increase in value tonight. Jokic is a little expensive and may not be a great play, but the other two are appealing options tonight. They were underwhelming last game with Nurkic out, but that's what keeps the both priced at just $3,600 on FanDuel.
Paul Pierce will be sidelined tonight for the Clippers. Jeff Green will see an uptick in minutes tonight, and while he has been inconsistent, he could pay off tonight in larger tournaments. He is not the safest guy, but getting someone at $4,500 who will potentially play 35 minutes at a season average of 0.72 fantasy points per minute could be very beneficial.
Jrue Holiday will be in street clothes for the rest of the season. Toney Douglas and Tim Frazier will man the backcourt for the remainder of the Pelicans' season. They have both been very valuable assets recently, and now that Holiday is done for the year, they will see extended minutes to close out the season. Their price tags will surely climb, but for now, they both have some value as they lead an injury-filled New Orleans team.
The To-Be-Determined List
Kristaps Porzingis is doubtful for tonight's matchup after tweaking his shoulder in the last game. The rookie said that it wasn't serious, but apparently he can barely lift it. Derrick Williams will be the biggest beneficiary if Porzingis is sidelined. Williams is one of our top plays today because he is just $3,500. He will likely see a large increase in playing time tonight and should be able to hit value on such a low price tag.
Kyle Lowry did not participate in the team's shootaround this morning and is questionable to play tonight. Following the loss to the Thunder on Monday, Lowry had his elbow drained. He stated that he didn't need any rest, but missing shootaround isn't too promising.
If he does sit out, look for Cory Joseph and DeMar DeRozan to benefit the most. Joseph sees a large increase in minutes whenever Lowry sits out and is minimally priced. DeRozan sits at 0.94 fantasy points per minute on FanDuel with Lowry on the floor. Without him on the floor, DeRozan puts up 1.12 fantasy points per minute.
As always, make sure to check our player news section for the latest notes and updates from around the league. Good luck tonight!
