Tonight, Damian Lillard and the Blazers are hosting the Nets.
We have a short three-game schedule set for Thursday night, potentially featuring two one-sided games and one that could be a real highlight for DFS production due to the star power of both teams. As of early Thursday, the injury report is overall minimal, which is crucial for such a compact schedule.
Injury Situations to Monitor
NOTE: Injury reporting is especially fluid in the NBA, where the status of multiple players can change during the course of a day. Therefore, although the following serves as a foundation for the latest injury report as of the time the article is written, check back throughout the course of the day with RotoWire for the latest news regarding the status of all players on that night’s slate, including those carrying injury designations that aren’t listed in this section.
Kyrie Irving, BKN (suspension): OUT
In Irving’s ongoing absence, Edmond Sumner should draw another start at point guard.
Paul George, LAC (hand): QUESTIONABLE
If George were to sit out, the usage of the remainder of the starting five would naturally shoot up, and Norman Powell would likely reenter the starting five at small forward.
Jusuf Nurkic, POR (thigh): QUESTIONABLE
If Nurkic sits out, Drew Eubanks should handle a bulk of center minutes.
Cade Cunningham, DET (lower leg): OUT
In Cunningham’s absence, Cory Joseph and Killian Hayes should handle the bulk of point guard duties.
Other notable injuries:
Kawhi Leonard, LAC (knee): OUT
Isaiah Stewart, DET (toe): OUT
Keegan Murray, SAC (back): QUESTIONABLE
Luke Kennard, LAC (calf): DOUBTFUL
Justise Winslow, POR (ankle): QUESTIONABLE
Elite Players
We have two players with five-figure salaries on Thursday’s slate — Kevin Durant ($11,500) and Domantas Sabonis ($10,200).
Durant continues to be the dependable night-to-night component on the unpredictable Nets, scoring no fewer than Tuesday’s 41.8 FD points in any game this season. With Kyrie Irving still out due to suspension Thursday, KD’s usage rate should remain higher than usual.
Two games ago, Sabonis racked up 61.4 FD points against the Warriors and has surpassed 40 points eight times this season. He is set to face the Spurs on Thursday, which is considered a highly favorable matchup for his position.
Expected Chalk
Other likely chalk plays include:
Paul George, LAC ($9,400)
Despite failing to achieve 5x his current salary in two of his last four games, George should continue to be very popular on the small slate if he can play through his hand injury.
Damian Lillard, POR ($9,000)
Over his last three games, Lillard has averaged 43.7 FD points. He is expected to have a favorable matchup on Thursday against the Nets, who have been performing poorly in defense, particularly in the absence of Irving.
Jerami Grant, POR ($8,400)
Over the last three games, Grant has increased his production to an average of 49.3 FD points, which should ensure his place in numerous lineups on Thursday.
Key Values
John Wall, LAC vs. DET ($6,000)
Wall is an interesting choice for the play, regardless of George’s availability on Thursday. This veteran point guard has comfortably adjusted to a bench role, typically playing for minutes in the low-to-mid-20s. The former All-Star is averaging 26.1 FD points per game, with a well-rounded performance of 13.0 points, 5.0 assists, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.1 steals. The matchup on Thursday could lead to one of his best performances. The Pistons have the highest offensive efficiency rating in the NBA, allowing 30.5 to point guards and 51.3 to second-unit players. Furthermore, Detroit concedes 7.4 steals per road game, which could provide Wall with additional fantasy points, potentially increasing his overall score.
Marvin Bagley, DET at LAC ($5,700)
Bagley should draw another start at center for Isaiah Stewart (toe) on Thursday after posting 23 FD points over 29 minutes while filling in for him against the Raptors on Monday night. The big man certainly has the upside to outpace his current salary. Even though Monday’s game only marked his second of the season due to injury, Bagley was encouragingly able to log a solid workload. Bagley can also space the floor occasionally and take on even more scoring responsibility, with Cunningham still out of action for Detroit.
Marcus Morris, LAC vs. DET ($5,500)
Morris is a strong choice for play, regardless of whether George participates in Thursday’s game or not. This is due to his salary, which has already provided a return of over 5 times in seven games this season. The experienced player has achieved over 30 FD points in three of his past five games, and his shooting rate is an impressive 52.9 percent, including 40.5 percent from a distance, in his last six games. Morris is even assisting at the second highest rate of his career (2.3 APG). The Pistons have an NBA-high 32.1 offensive efficiency against power forwards, as well as the third highest points (25.9), third highest rebounds (11.7), fourth highest assists (4.6) and highest blocks (2.2) per game against the position.
ALSO CONSIDER: Kevin Huerter, SAC vs. SAS ($6,100); Harrison Barnes, SAC vs. SAS ($5,500)
***
Winner of the FSWA 2016 Newcomer of the Year Award, Juan Carlos Blanco has been playing fantasy sports for over 20 years and covers NBA, MLB, NFL, CFL and Arena Football for Rotowire.com, including serving as the beat writer for teams in multiple sports. He has previously written for KFFL.com and remains an avid season-long and daily fantasy player in multiple sports as well.
