Daily Fantasy Basketball Injuries and Updates for 2/24/16
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.
Luckily for us there is more news today than there was yesterday.
The Definites
Stanley Johnson is out at least a week. This news helps both Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Tobias Harris. Marcus Morris will most likely get a bump in minutes and usage as well. Johnson missing the game doesn't make anyone a must-play in fantasy, but it does add value to the other wings in Detroit.
Luol Deng (finger) will play tonight against Golden State. Deng has been fantastic for Miami with Chris Bosh out of the lineup. Over his last three games, Deng is averaging 23.3 points and 12.3 rebounds and has a Usage Rate of 23.1. His prices on FanDuel and DraftKings still haven't caught up to his recent production. I'd be lying if I said the finger injury didn't scare me a little bit, though. Fingers are tricky and could affect his shooting, but if you believe it won't be a big deal, a matchup against Golden State could be helpful because they have the second fastest Pace in the league.
Andre Roberson is officially back and starting for the Oklahoma City Thunder, so Dion Waiters is back to the bench and second unit. You most likely aren't playing Roberson because he averages just five points and just over three rebounds a game. Usually, when a player goes from the starting lineup to the second unit, his value takes a hit. This isn't the case for Waiters. He played more minutes in Roberson's absence, but his production stayed about the same because he was sharing time with players like Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. Neither Roberson nor Waiters is an attractive option.
The To-Be-Determined List
Kawhi Leonard's status is still up in the air. He has missed the last few games and may miss another one tonight against a very attractive matchup with the Sacramento Kings. If he is definitely ruled out, both Kyle Anderson and LaMarcus Aldridge will have an opportunity to have great nights against the league's fastest team. Anderson has turned out three straight 28-plus minute games. Aldridge's Usage Rate with Leonard is 26.0% compared to 29.5% with Leonard on the bench.
Tony Allen is doubtful for tonight with a knee injury against the Lakers. Nothing is definite yet, but it looks like Allen is most likely going to sit out tonight. If he is sidelined, Mario Chalmers, Lance Stephenson, and Vince Carter are all options tonight. They are all cheap enough and could turn out to be decent punt plays.
Pau Gasol sat out of practice yesterday due to an illness. He is listed as probable for tonight and will probably be fine. It is worth monitoring, though, if you are going to invest a lot of money to put him in your lineups.
As always, make sure to check our player news section for the latest notes and updates from around the league. Good luck tonight!
