Daily Fantasy Basketball Injuries and Updates for 4/1/16
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
DeMarcus Cousins is suspended for a game after picking up his 16th technical foul on the season. This will open up extended minutes for Kosta Koufos and Willie Cauley-Stein. Koufos is averaging 35 minutes, 12.5 points, and 11 rebounds in the last two games that Cousins sat out.
Cauley-Stein has been doing well of late, as he averages 30 fantasy points per game in his last four contests. Cousins' sitting will give Cauley-Stein a better opportunity to continue his hot-streak.
Deron Williams has been ruled out again for the Mavericks. Jose Juan Barea and Raymond Felton have been very impressive in his absence. Barea has now put up back-to-back 39- and 41-fantasy point performances. His backcourt-mate, Felton, is averaging 6.1 points per $1,000 in salary over his last four games.
Zaza Pachulia is back in the starting lineup for the Mavericks. He is not safe at all, but he has definitely churned out a fair share of monster performances. If you want to tackle the risk of Pachulia, he could pay off in a big way if he plays 35 minutes tonight. It is great news for him that he is back in the starting five, but Dallas' frontcourt situation has been extremely cloudy lately. He is more of a big tournament option tonight.
Boston's Jae Crowder will miss tonight's game against the Warriors, though it has not been anounced who will start in his place, and Phoenix's Jon Leuer has been ruled out of their game against the Wizards, so Alex Len could see extra possessions.
The To-Be-Determined List
Kristaps Porzingis is doubtful for tonight, which should open up a lot of opportunities for Derrick Williams. Porzingis missed last game, and Williams saw 35 minutes of action to go along with his 15 points and 8 rebounds. He is priced at just $3,600 on FanDuel and scored 24 fantasy points last game.
If Williams draws another start tonight, he will likely be a great value play for today's slate of games. The Knicks take on the Nets tonight, and Williams could very easily play another 35 minutes.
Derrick Favors is questionable for the Jazz with knee soreness. If he sits out, Trey Lyles will likely start for Utah and see 30-plus minutes. Lyles has actually been pretty good recently, especially for his price tag, and if he plays the majority of the game, he would be a great option where you could save money.
The Jazz tip off at 9:00 p.m. Eastern, which could be tricky for lineup lock because there's a good chance that nothing new will have come out about Favors by then. So Lyles situation is better suited for later start times.
As always, make sure to check our player news section for the latest notes and updates from around the league. Good luck tonight!
