What's up FANation! We have a five-game main slate beginning at 1:30 p.m. Most starters and most significant players will sit today. None of the games impact the playoffs as seedings are set. Pay attention to the news and starting lineups as there could be more a lot more value opening up.
DRAFTKINGS
Tyler Herro , SG MIA ($5,700)
Jimmy Butler , Bam Adebayo and Goran Dragic will sit for Miami. Jae Crowder . Andre Iguodala and Derrick Jones Jr. are questionable. Miami has nothing to play for and they shouldn't restrict the minutes on the rookie. Herro played at least 33 minutes in three of the last four games. He had 45.5 DK points in 38 minutes against the Thunder in the last game and had 51 DK points in 36 minutes against the Suns on August 8. In the last four games, he is averaging 23 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.8 assists. He has taken 55 shots the last four games and should see similar usage in this spot against the Pacers.
T.J. McConnell , PG IND ($4,200)
The Pacers have already ruled out Victor Oladipo , T.J. Warren and Myles Turner . It wouldn't be surprising to see more players sit. McConnell should see a good amount of minutes. He played 23 minutes on Wednesday against the Rockets and had six points, seven rebounds, seven assists and two steals for 28.25 DK points. He is averaging 1.18 DK points per minute.
Kyle O'Quinn , C PHI ($3,500)
It makes no sense to play Joel Embiid . He is listed as questionable with an ankle injury. It's the last game of the night at 9 p.m. ET. If Embiid is out, O'Quinn should start and he was excellent on Tuesday when Embiid sat. He played 32 minutes against the Suns and had nine points, 10 rebounds, 11 assists, two steals and one block for 45 DK points. O'Quinn is a play if Embiid and Al Horford sit.
FANDUEL
Darius Bazley , SF OKC ($5,200)
Bazley has been playing great the last few games and with the key players likely out, he will get a chance to do more. He has taken at least 13 shots from the field in four consecutive games. Over the last four games, he has 22.8, 34.9, 43.5 and 42.8 FD points. He had a double-double against the Suns on Monday in 34 minutes and fell one rebound short of one on Wednesday in 26 minutes.
Chris Boucher , C TOR ($5,000)
Boucher is fun to watch and I was hoping to see him more during the season. He showed flashes at times, but has looked more confident in bubble play when give minutes. He played 29 minutes against the Bucks on Monday and had 25 points, 11 rebounds, two assists, two steals, two blocks and hit three three-pointers for 53.2 FD points. On Wednesday against the 76ers, Boucher played 22 minutes and had 19 points, nine rebounds, four three-pointers and four blocks for 40.8 FD points. Boucher should get a good amount of minutes against Denver.
Justin Holiday , SF IND ($4,600)
Holiday will benefit with Oladipo, Turner and Warren already ruled out. He played 28 minutes in the last game with only Warren of that trio sitting and had 18 points, six rebounds, two steals, one assist and one block for 35.7 FD points.
Player News
ESPN’s Shams Charania reports that Stephen Curry has been diagnosed with a Grade 1 left hamstring strain and is expected to miss at least a week.
Shams notes that Curry has already been ruled out for Game 2 on Thursday, but the week timeline means he’ll miss Game 3 on Saturday and Game 4 on Monday with a chance to return for Game 5 on Wednesday. This is the first muscle strain of Curry’s career, so how quickly he returns will depend on how he responds to rehab. Fortunately for Golden State, the team came away with a win on the road in Game 1, and two of the next three games will be at home, giving the Warriors a chance to stay alive while their superstar PG is out. Expect Buddy Hield to step into a much larger role on offense while Curry is sidelined. Hield has totaled 57 points across his last two games while stroking a blistering 14-of-18 shots from beyond the arc.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr told reporters Stephen Curry is day-to-day with a hamstring injury and will undergo an MRI on Wednesday.
Kerr relayed that Curry was “crushed” after being forced from the game due to injury. While Kerr described Curry as day-to-day, he also mentioned that the 37-year-old point guard will undergo imaging on Wednesday to determine the severity of the injury. There should be an update on his status at some point prior to Thursday’s Game 2 showdown. With the Warriors taking Game 1 on the road Tuesday, Kerr added that it’s hard to imagine Curry being available for Game 2 on Thursday. With Game 3 Saturday at Golden State, Curry could have more time to rest and recover.
Naz Reid had 19 points (8-of-14 FGs), five rebounds, one assist, one steal, one block and three three-pointers in Game 1 against the Warriors on Tuesday.
Reid briefly left the floor with an apparent leg injury towards the end of the second quarter before returning in the second half. The 25-year-old center played 34 minutes and was the second leading scorer for the Timberwolves in what turned out to be a lackluster game for Minnesota. Reid appeared healthy in the second half and should continue to be counted on for starter-level minutes despite coming off the bench.
Anthony Edwards had 23 points (9-of-22 FGs), 14 rebounds, two assists, three steals, one block and one three-pointer in Game 1 against the Warriors on Tuesday.
Draymond Green had 18 points (6-of-13 FGs), eight rebounds, six assists, two steals and four three-pointers in Game 1 against the Timberwolves on Tuesday.
Buddy Hield had 24 points (7-of-19 FGs), eight rebounds, three assists, one steal and five three-pointers in Game 1 against the Timberwolves on Tuesday.