Daily Fantasy NBA News and Injury Updates - 10/25/17

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What We Know

Hassan Whiteside, Kawhi Leonard, Myles Turner, Eric Bledsoe, Nicolas Batum, Jonas Valunciunas, Dwyane Wade, Markieff Morris, Seth Curry,
and Derrick Rose will all remain out for at least another game

Phew. This list is getting hefty quite early. We know the fantasy implications of these guys and how to handle them. Let's jump into some unknowns.

Jimmy Butler is out with an upper respiratory infection

Shabazz Muhammad is the guy who will pick up most minutes and we'll get to him in a minute. Wiggins and Towns should also see 4 or 5 extra shots each and both are interesting plays against a defensively-weak interior. Towns does have a better match-up than Wiggins, but both are very solid. Other than that, look for Jamal Crawford to grab a couple minutes and make a name for himself in GPP's.

Trevor Ariza will sit out tonight's game against the 76ers

Ariza played 40 minutes last game, so someone will benefit big time here. P.J. Tucker has been seeing just under 30 minutes per game and I wouldn't be surprised to see him close to the 40 that Ariza held last game. We know he has the engine as he did it plenty in Phoenix. Luc Mbah a Moute could also see some time on Ben Simmons, but I have no fantasy appeal in Mbah a Moute. On the other side, Robert Covington will see a slightly worse defender in Tucker. He's actually still above average, so I'm not sure there's anything that needs to be jumped on.

Markelle Fultz is out for the next 3 games, at least

Fultz has been coming off the bench and not seeing many minutes, so no reason to react much here. Jerryd Bayless will secure 32 or so minutes, making him a very interesting play in a fast-paced game with the Rockets. T.J. McConnell could also see a little over 20 minutes but isn't worth much in fantasy. Fultz doesn't impact all that much coming off the bench. At least we can get a break from that pitiful free throw shot.

What We're Waiting to Know

D'Angelo Russell is officialy doubtful to play against the Cavs

Assuming Russell sits, Spencer Dinwiddie will slide in with big minutes. We'll touch on him in a second. Russell is the focal point of this Nets offense and is absence should be felt by all. You can knock up all the starts just a tad bit, with Trevor Booker and Caris LeVert being my favorites. This game should be a blowout, so I'll be sticking with Dinwiddie and nobody else.

Goran Dragic and Dion Waiters are both questionable to play

With Hassan Whiteside already ruled out, James Johnson and Kelly Olynyk are in play in the frontcourt. In the backcourt, things are a mess. If both Dragic and Waiters play, stay away from everyone. The Spurs are slow and none of the guards are good enough to capitalize. If either or both miss, Tyler Johnson and Josh Richardson are great value plays. Both will see big minutes and are solid FP/min options.

Rodney Hood is questionable to play against the Suns

This would be a solid match-up for Hood, so it's a bit disappointing that he can't just stay off the injury report. If Hood plays, I guess you can dabble in tournaments. I just wouldn't expect too many minutes, which hampers the ceiling. If Hood misses, Donovan Mitchell and Joe Ingles are both in play. With the SUns playing so fast, either of them could be a stud in tournaments. A few extra shots to the rest of the starts give them all a boost in cash games.

Every Lineup Guys

Spencer Dinwiddie FD - $4400 DK - $4200
Opponent - CLE
Proj Pts FD - 19.7 DK - 19.61

With Russell doubtful, let's assume he's out. Spencer Dinwiddie is already seeing 20 minutes each game and can be penciled in for at least 33-35 tonight. The match-up with the Cavs isn't bad, but it should be a blowout. Dinwiddie will have no problem getting minutes in a blowout and hopefully, some garbage time will benefit us. With Derrick Rose out, it'll be a combo of Jose Calderon and J.R. Smith covering him. Dinwiddie isn't a great offensive player, but he's better than those guys are at defense. Dinwiddie is way too cheap on both sites and makes for a perfect punt play with som any studs on the slate.

Shabazz Muhammad FD - $3000 DK - $3000
Opponent - DET
Proj Pts FD - 7.43 DK - 7.64

With Jimmy Butler out, Muhammad is the guy who will pick up the minutes. He's a great point per minute option and is trusted fully by the T-Wolves to play big minutes. He saw 30+ minutes a ton last year and is guaranteed to get there tonight. The match-up with the Pistons isn't great, but Avery Bradley should be on Wiggins, so that leaves the weakest perimeter defender of the team on Shabazz. Muhammad is also minimum-priced on both sites, so go ahead and play him in all formats if you need the value.

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