Daily Fantasy Basketball Injuries and Updates for 3/2/16

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

Kobe Bryant is playing and Louis Williams is expected to miss at least a week. This news is mainly for D'Angelo Russell, who went off for 39 points last night. The rookie from Ohio State broke through with a monster night, but that may be short lived. Russell's Usage Rate drops to 21.1% with Bryant on the court compared to 26.8% with him sitting, per NBAWowy.com. However, Williams missing tonight's game then adds value to Russell and fellow backcourt-mate Jordan Clarkson. Williams is averaging 29 minutes a game with more than 10 shots a game. 

Taj Gibson is not expected to play tonight. This update should increase Bobby Portis' value a lot. Portis forced himself onto the scene by playing well in his limited minutes. Those minutes increased as the season went on, and he now almost splits time evenly with Gibson. Now with Gibson out, Portis will likely get even more of an opportunity to prove himself. On FanDuel, Portis is just $4,400 and on DraftKings, he is $4,800. He should be able to perform well compared to those prices.

The To-Be-Determined List

Rudy Gay is doubtful for tonight's game after missing Monday's game as well. If he can't suit up, look for Omri Casspi to benefit the most. Gay potentially being out should help DeMarcus Cousins as well. With Gay off the floor, Cousins tends to get the ball more; which was showcased on Monday -- Cousins tallied 35 points and 12 rebounds.

Anthony Davis has said that he will test out his toe in pre-game warm ups. He did practice yesterday and was a part of shootaround this morning, so it is looking like Davis is probable for tonight's game. He's so expensive, though, that you can't afford to play him if he sits. Make sure to monitor this closely on our player news page.

Jahlil Okafor sat out of Monday's game due to a shin injury. The rookie out of Duke is questionable for tonight as well. If Okafor is sidelined, Jerami Grant will have another opportunity to shine. Grant has progressed well this season and thrives whenever Okafor can't play. On Monday, Grant played a team-high 35 minutes while putting up 14 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists. He can provide value tonight, as he is also modestly priced at $5,100 on FanDuel and $4,700 on DraftKings. 

Evan Fournier is doubtful again as the Magic take on the Bulls. I wrote about him yesterday and talked about how both Mario Hezonja and Victor Oladipo a have increased value with Fournier out. Meanwhile, Orlando coach, Scott Skiles, continued to mess with his lineup last night and punish players. Oladipo played 44 minutes with 28 points on Sunday, and then last night, he tallied just 24 minutes and 6 points. The inconsistency in Orlando is scary, but Oladipo's upside makes it hard to stay away from him. Skiles could play him just 20 minutes or he could run him out there for 45 minutes and let him shoot 25 times. In this system, Oladipo is a true low-floor, high-ceiling player.

As always, make sure to check our player news section for the latest notes and updates from around the league. Good luck tonight!