Written by LineStar Fantasy NBA Writer @GP_Landry

Today's injury report is in mid-season form as we have several teams with multiple players listed and many of them have major implications on their teams and the overall slate. The big confirmed news at this point is that Russell Westbrook will miss this game. We'll get to that shortly. We are also waiting on players like Hassan Whiteside, Jimmy Butler, Donovan Mitchell, and Kawhi Leonard just to name a few. All the games these players are involved in do not have Vegas information as of yet. This is a full ten-game slate today so let's get right down to business.

Games to Target

As I said, it's a full slate and we are missing a lot of news but we know enough about these teams at this point that we can get an idea of where we will potentially be looking for fantasy production:

Raptors @ Kings (TOR -8.5, 232.5 O/U)

If Kawhi misses tonight then I really like this game, as it would put the Kings in a great position to keep it close. Sacramento gets an automatic boost just by being at home. Both teams are top ten in scoring with the Raptors sixth and the Kings fourth. They are also both in the top half of the league in pace of play. I'm especially interested in the Toronto side for two reasons. First, if Kawhi does miss, then we have usage opening up for several members of Toronto. Second, the Kings play at the second fastest pace in the league, so this is a huge pace up spot for Toronto. The Kings are also just 18th in total defensive rating and 26th in opponent points allowed per game. If we can get some value players on the floor tonight in an up tempo game against a soft defense, it's going to do good things for our DFS rosters.

Timberwolves @ Lakers (LAL -6, 239 O/U)

Jimmy Butler missed the last game due to rest and is now listed on the injury report with "general soreness," whatever that means. I don't think the Timberwolves need him (it's not like he's going to stop LeBron) to keep this game close but he would at least help to ensure it stays competitive throughout. These teams met about a week ago in Minnesota and put up a total of 244 points which was slightly over the implied 239 points from Vegas. With the Lakers being at home this time and having a bit more control over the tempo, I would even peg this a little higher. The Lakers are third in pace of play and the Timberwolves are 11th. Neither team plays defense, with the Timberwolves ranked 29th in defensive rating and 25th in opponent points allowed per game while the Lakers are ranked 23rd in defensive rating and 27th in opponent points allowed per game.

Injury Report

Guards

Kyle Lowry, TOR (DK: $8.9K, FD: $8.8K, Yahoo: $39)

Even if Leonard plays, I still think you can consider Lowry here. Clearly, he's less appealing in that scenario but the game environment is still very favorable. This will be a pace up game for Toronto going on the road to Sacramento who is second in the league in pace of play. The Kings are also 18th in total defensive rating, 26th in opponent points allowed per game, and De'Aaron Fox, who will match up on Lowry today, is not exactly known for his defense. If Leonard misses then Lowry is approaching near "must play" status for all the reasons I listed above plus the 5.69% usage increase, which equals about 10.86 more fantasy points per game. He's averaging a double-double with 18 points and 10.2 assists per game. His usage rate is a little lower than we'd like to see at 20.9% but that increase from Leonard being off the floor makes a big difference. He's playing 34.8 minutes per game an averaging 1.25 fantasy points per minute. Between the usage increase (assuming Leonard is out), the efficiency he's shown, and the extra possessions the Raptors should receive in this game, everything lines up for Lowry to keep his streak of 40+ fantasy point performances alive with plenty of upside for more.

Dennis Schroder, OKC (DK: $6.9K, FD: $6.4K, Yahoo: $23)

Kudos to DraftKings for anticipating Westbrook being out multiple games and bumping up Schroder's price considerably. He's still an obvious play today, in my opinion, but it definitely made me think about it when I saw the increase. My one concern here is the blowout factor. Even without Westbrook, the remaining pieces are good enough for the Thunder and the Cavs are bad enough that I still think this game has a double-digit spread when the Vegas information comes out. I hope I'm wrong and I certainly think Westbrook's absence gives the Bulls a better chance to be competitive but it's something worth thinking about. The main reason for our interest in Schroder is the 3.49% usage bump and extra 8.56 fantasy points per game he receives when Westbrook is off the floor. He's been pretty consistent all season, never scoring lower than 21 fantasy points off the bench and has a game earlier this season, when Westbrook was out, with 47 fantasy points. He's averaging 31.9 minutes per game and 1.23 fantasy points per minute, both of which will get a boost tonight. Cleveland, meanwhile, can only be described as a complete dumpster fire right now. They are the worst team in the NBA in total defense, they ranked 23rd in opponent points allowed per game, and they are dealing with a myriad of injuries. Schroder isn't quite the free square we were all probably anticipating when Westbrook got hurt, but he's still a value option with a usage increase against a bad defense. This is chalk that's likely going to be worth eating tonight.

Antonio Blakeney, CHI (DK: $3.7K, FD: $3.8K, Yahoo: $10)

I'm anticipating garbage time in this game with the Pelicans at home, nearly at full strength, and ten point favorites. I don't see a scenario where the Bulls' 25th ranked defense can slow down the top five scoring of the Pelicans. This could lead to good news on the Chicago side. As great as the Pelicans are on offense, they are brutal on the defensive side of the ball. They rank 27th in defensive rating and dead last in opponent points allowed per game. They are also fifth in pace of play while the Bulls are 27th, so this is going to be an up-tempo game for Chicago. My point is that some Chicago players should still have ample opportunities, in a pace up spot against a bad defense, to put up good fantasy production, even if in real life they are getting their butts kicked. Blakeney's minutes have been a bit all over the place, so this is nothing more than a GPP dart throw, but when he has received enough playing time, he's been producing. In every game that he's played at least 20 minutes, he's averaged over a fantasy point per minute. He has a fantastic usage rate off the bench at 25.3%, he just ultimately needs the playing time to produce. If we assume he will see some extra minutes tonight and end up in the 25+ range, he could easily become one of the better value options on this slate. There's nothing here that suggests he will actually get that extra playing time other than the possibility of a blowout, so the risk is real but it could have a big payoff and open up a ton of salary for the rest of your lineup.

Forwards

LeBron James, LAL (DK: $11K, FD: $11.2K, Yahoo: $57)

You think this is how LeBron envisioned the start of his Lakers' career going? Yea, me neither. The 4-6 Lakers are off to a rough start for sure but it's a long season and there is still time to turn things around. Tonight brings us a rematch between two teams that played just over a week ago and did not disappoint from a fantasy perspective. This has all the ingredients for a shootout between two teams that are fast, can score, and don't play defense. The Lakers are third in pace of play, third in points per game, and 27th in opponent points allowed per game. Minnesota is 11th in pace of play, 18th in points per game, and 25th in opponent points allowed per game. Despite the overall struggles of the team, LeBron is still doing LeBron things on an individual level. He's averaging 31.2 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 8.4 assists per game. He's playing ridiculous minutes right now at 39 per game and averaging 1.51 fantasy points per minute with a usage rate of 30%. Last time these teams face, he had 62 fantasy points in 36 minutes including 11 of 23 from the field, ten rebounds, and eight assists. I see no reason for him to not put up a similar line tonight, and if Jimmy Butler sits, then there is really nobody that can slow him down, so he would get a pretty significant boost. He has the highest raw projection on the slate and with all the injury news we are watching, I would expect enough value to open up to fit him in today.

Nikola Mirotic, NO (DK: $8.3K, FD: $8.4K, Yahoo: $36)

If revenge narratives are in fact a thing in DFS, then this might be the mother of all narratives. I assume any of you who are reading this article follow basketball closely enough to know the story. But in case you don’t, Mirotic is a former member of the Bulls who was punched in the face by teammate Bobby Portis and broke two bones in his face. Later that season, Mirotic was traded to the Pelicans at the deadline. The Bulls are still the Bulls, struggling every night, and meanwhile, Mirotic is having a career year this season. I’m sure he’d love nothing more than to rub it in their face a little tonight. He’s averaging 21.8 points per game and shooting a ridiculous 50% from the field. He’s picking up 11.4 rebounds per game as well. He has a solid 23.7% usage rate while playing 33.5 minutes per night and averaging 1.18 fantasy points per minute. He’s scored over forty fantasy points in five straight games and while the price is beginning to creep up slightly, the positive matchup and the added motivation make up the difference in my opinion. The Bulls are 25th in defensive rating and 22nd in opponent points per game. They are 25th in rebounding and allow the fifth most opponent rebounds per game. They also allow teams to shoot 35.2% from beyond the arc. Mirotic is such a dynamic player who can score near and away from the basket as well as from three point range. He should be able to do basically whatever he wants in this game tonight. Obviously, the blowout factor is a bit of a concern, but I’m hoping the Pelicans let him get his before he’s pulled from this game (IF it gets out of hand). They still have the highest total on the board tonight, so even if he loses a few minutes, it likely means the damage is already done. With the rest of the masses rushing to roster Paul George, I think Mirotic is a sneaky pivot for nearly $1K less tonight depending on the site.

Larry Nance, CLE (DK: $4.6K, FD: $4.8K, Yahoo: $14)

I hate plays like this because I'm essentially guessing on how the rotation will adjust. With the Love and Dekker injuries, I don't see a scenario how Lance doesn't get serious playing time tonight. Cleveland is so banged up and thin in the front court it's almost sad. My guess is that Tristan Thompson will start at center and Channing Frye will start at power forward with Nance coming off the bench but playing the majority of the minutes. This is a good thing, as it will give Nance a few extra minutes with the second line (does Cleveland have a first line?) and pick up some additional opportunities. The minutes have been wildly inconsistent but with Dekker now clearly out of the way, there is no reason for Nance to push the 30 minute mark in this spot. He averages 1.12 fantasy points per minute, so even if we assume 25 minutes or more, he will be a steal at this price. The Thunder are strong defensively as a team but they do allow some production near the rim. They rank 16th in opponent rebounds allowed per game and 22nd in opponent points allowed in the paint. Tristan Thompson will have his hands full with Steven Adams which should open things up for Nance to have a solid game for a very low cost.

Centers

Karl Anthony-Towns, MIN (DK: $8.8K, FD: $9.4K, Yahoo: $40)

If Butler is out, I like this play more but even if he's in, I still have a lot of interest in Towns tonight. After a slow start, he's starting to find a rhythm, with over 50 fantasy points in three of his last five games. Two of those three were actually over 60 fantasy points and one of those games was against this same Lakers team. During that span, he's averaging 21.8 points, 12 rebounds, and 33.7 minutes per game. He has one of the highest usage rates of any center at 25.9% and he's picking up 1.49 fantasy points per minute. The Lakers are ranked 28th in fantasy points allowed to centers and McGee is not a strong individual defender. Los Angeles is 23rd in defensive rating, 27th in opponent points allowed, and dead last in opponent points allowed in the paint. This sets up beautifully for Towns to have a monster game. This will be up tempo as well with the Lakers at home and ranked third in pace of play. This game has the highest total on the slate and a spread of only 5.5 points. You'll want exposure here.

Steven Adams, OKC (DK: $6.4K, FD: $7.4K, Yahoo: $26)

Paul George and Dennis Schroder are going to get most of the attention from the Thunder tonight (and rightfully so) but I actually like a few of these more secondary pieces for Oklahoma City tonight. Adams in particular sees a slight, but noteworthy, 2.32% usage increase without Westbrook on the floor. This is an outstanding matchup tonight as he'll see most of his minutes against Tristan Thompson who will play a ton without Kevin Love and Sam Dekker available. Thompson was the worst individual defender at the center position last season with a -1.33. He'll have a huge advantage on the boards with the Thunder ranking 10th in rebounding and Cleveland ranking 27th. The Cavs are also ranked 25th in opponent points allowed in the paint while the Thunder rank 7th. Between the bad defense, the rebounding boost, and the usage boost from Westbrook missing tonight's game, I see no reason why Adams can't get into double-double territory tonight for the second game in a row, which would be a nice return on his price, which has actually dropped nearly $1K on DraftKings over the past week.

Julius Randle, NO (DK: $6.5K, FD: $7.2K, Yahoo: $25)

If we assume this game is going to get a little out of hand, I really like Randle to pick up some extra minutes tonight. Despite being a bench player, he's been playing pretty steady minutes with 26, 23, 26, 26, and 28 minutes over his last five games. He's had forty or more fantasy points in three of those five games. This gives him a strong floor even if he doesn't get a minutes bump, with a really high ceiling if there is some garbage time available. He's nearly averaging a double-double with 18.9 points and eight rebounds per game. He has a really high usage rate, 27.9%, since he plays the majority of his time with the second unit. He should also avoid Wendall Carter Jr. defense tonight, as I imagine he'll be stuck to Anthony Davis like glue and take a breather whenever Davis sits. Chicago is 25th in defensive rating, 22nd in opponent points per game, and 25th in opponent rebounds allowed per game.

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