The NBA Injury Report looks quiet, although with four teams on the back-to-back scenario, that is not likely to remain the case. With this article, the work of the other staff members and the amazing NBA DFS projections, those scenarios can be handled much more easily. That allows for pivoting at the drop of a hat, and the NBA Starting Lineup page is an extremely important tool as well. There are nine games for NBA DFS tonight, and there are multiple games with serious firepower.
NBA Injury Report & Starting Lineups Today | Oct. 25
Remember to always place players from the later games in guard, forward, and utility slots on DraftKings. Allow maximum flexibility to react to the news that comes out after lock, which will happen in NBA. Additionally, take advantage of the wealth of Awesemo NBA content to get ready for these slates.
Teams playing the second back-to-back game:
Boston Celtics, Charlotte Hornets, Brooklyn Nets, Orlando Magic
Boston Celtics at Charlotte Hornets
Celtics – Jaylen Brown – Questionable
Since Brown sat yesterday, there seems to be a solid chance he sits again tonight and is an important piece of the puzzle that is the NBA Injury Report. Dennis Schroeder was the starter in his place and logged 33 minutes, scoring 14 real points with five rebounds and five assists. He is in play since he remains under $6,000 on DraftKings.
Update – Al Horford is listed as questionable on the first official injury report. After playing 30 minutes last night, it may not be surprising to see him sit out as well. Grant Williams started in the game that Horford missed earlier this year and that should replicate. When Horford is off the floor, Williams has 1.03 fantasy points per minute but that includes a 96.7% true shooting rate.
Hornets – Terry Rozier – Questionable
The Hornets are in the exact scenario the Celtics are as they played yesterday and could be without a member of the starting five. Just like Brown, Rozier sat out yesterday’s game and Kelly Oubre started again, playing 23 minutes. The 21.9% usage rate is not terrible, but the salary makes it tough to really want to chase him. Oubre is a complementary player on the Hornets and moving into the starting lineup does not change that. His 18-for-43 shooting from the field so far does not inspire a whole lot of confidence either for $5,700 on DraftKings.
Update – Rozier is out tonight.
Milwaukee Bucks at Indiana Pacers
Bucks – Brook Lopez, Donte DiVincenzo, Semi Ojeleye – Out
Jrue Holiday – Doubtful
The Bucks have been a common team on the NBA Injury Report, and it appears that Holiday will miss this game. The assumption is that George Hill would jump into the starting lineup and at $3,500, he could carry some popularity. Hill has a 12.5% usage rate this season which is not that inspiring. The other side of the minimal usage is both teams have given up over 116 points per game so far this year. The Bucks are eighth in pace in the early part of the season so Hill could have some extra possessions.
Even with some shaky results in the past couple of games, it is important to remember that Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton were the dynamic duo last year without Holiday. Both players were well over 28% in usage rate and Giannis was over 1.75 fantasy points per minute. With Holiday, Lopez, Portis and DiVincenzo off the floor, the Giannis and Middleton’s sample sizes are 13 and 11 minutes. It just speaks to the uncharted waters this Bucks team is in right now. Giannis is still over 36% for his usage rate thus far and Middleton is over 30% himself. The salaries are reasonable for the amount on their shoulders.
Update – Portis has been upgraded to questionable and could see his first action of the season. It would be hard to project him for anything but limited minutes since he had a hamstring injury.
Pacers – Caris LeVert, T.J. Warren – IR
The Pacers have their normal rotations intact tonight and at least DraftKings priced Chris Duarte over $3,900 tonight.
Detroit Pistons at Atlanta Hawks
Pistons – Cade Cunningham – Out
Cunningham will be out for the Pistons at least through their road trip so the wait goes on for the number one pick to make his NBA debut.
Hawks – Danilo Gallinari – Questionable
Onyeka Okongwu – IR
Gallinari has yet to play this year so if he misses this game, the Hawks will just keep right on playing how they have all season. If he plays, the combination of Cam Reddish, Kevin Huerter, and Solomon Hill especially would see their minutes decrease to some extent.
Washington Wizards at Brooklyn Nets
Wizards – Thomas Bryant – IR
Rui Hachimura – Out
Bradley Beal – Questionable
Beal was able to go through a limited practice on Sunday, a good sign for him and he is trending towards being able to play. If that changes and Beal is out, Spencer Dinwiddie and Kyle Kuzma become interesting options. The initial reaction may be to fade at their salaries, but the stats from this season would say they are still fairly priced. For Dinwiddie, the 35.1% usage rate and 1.55 fantasy points per minute is well worth $7,000 on DraftKings. Maybe that does not stick in the exact sense, but Dinwiddie controls everything when Beal has not played so far. Kuzma has a 27.1% usage and 1.27 fantasy points per minute and even though both players have a true shooting rate over 60% so far, they are the clear options for the Wizards. If Beal is active as the trends would tell us, both players have their usage dip below 23% and under 1.08 fantasy points per minute.
Nets – Kyrie Irving – Out
Brooklyn has not yet submitted an official NBA Injury Report. However, one could make an educated guess that one of the big men could sit. Blake Griffin was out for rest on Sunday while LaMarcus Aldridge played 21 minutes. Since the Nets will be on their third game in four days, it would not be terribly surprising to see Aldridge rest tonight and Griffin to play. Washington is 26th in points in the paint allowed and that could allow Nicolas Claxton a higher chance to have a big game. He has taken 16 shots this season and 13 have been within five feet of the basket. If the Nets are playing only Claxton, Griffin, and veteran Paul Millsap, that could present some value.
Orlando Magic at Miami Heat
Magic – Gary Harris, Chuma Okeke – Questionable
Michael Carter-Williams, Markelle Fultz – IR
Orlando will be updated through the day since they do not yet have an official NBA Injury Report. At this juncture, both Harris and Okeke would have to be questionable since neither player has taken the court yet this year. Jalen Suggs has been starting in place of Harris and playing around 30 minutes so far until last night when he only played 24 minutes. The usage rate has been excellent at 27.5% but the true shooting is awful at under 35%. Suggs must shoot better at some point, but that has been a large issue so far. The big men of Wendell Carter Jr. and Mo Bamba would continue to have their run of the front court if Okeke is still not ready as well.
Heat – Kyle Lowry – Questionable
Lowry missed the past game and instead of Tyler Herro entering the starting lineup, it was Gabe Vincent. That worked out extremely well because Herro still scored 44 DraftKings points, and he leads the team in usage rate at 34.3% and fantasy points per minute at 1.33. The fascinating part of that equation is Herro is not even relying on shooting the lights out. His 58.1% his true shooting, 47.8% from the field and 35% from 3-point distance are all strong, but nothing over the top.
Chicago Bulls at Toronto Raptors
Bulls – Coby White – IR
The 3-0 Bulls continue to be at full strength as far as this season while they wait for White to return.
Update – Nikola Vucevic is listed as questionable with an illness. This would be a first for the Bulls and Tony Bradley is the backup center. They could also elect to just play smaller tonight so the starting lineup would be key.
Raptors – Pascal Siakam – IR
Siakam has been upgraded to some contact in practice but remains without a timetable for his debut this season.
New Orleans Pelicans at Minnesota Timberwolves
Pelicans – Zion Williamson – IR
Josh Hart – Questionable
Herbert Jones has started both games Hart has missed and played 29 minutes in each, scoring under 16 DraftKings points in both games. The usage rate is under 10%, and there are other values.
Timberwolves – None
Cleveland Cavaliers at Denver Nuggets
Cavaliers – Darius Garland – Questionable
Garland has missed the past two games and in the second game, Ricky Rubio played over 30 minutes which is a huge boost to his appeal. The status for Garland is an important component of the NBA Injury Report. With Garland off the floor, Rubio has a 23.8% usage rate and 1.27 fantasy points per minute. It is not a surprise that Collin Sexton has a usage rate over 32% with the number of shots he takes generally, but Rubio is 10th in time of possession through his three games.
Nuggets – Jamal Murray – IR
Portland Trail Blazers at Los Angeles Clippers
Trail Blazers – Norman Powell – Out
Powell managed to avoid a major knee injury in the prior game but is out for tonight. The best educated guess for the new starter would turn to Nassir Little, who was the immediate replacement for Powell when he left the game, and in turn logged almost 28 minutes. There is nothing special about the metrics with Powell off the floor as Little has a 16.3% usage rate and 0.72 fantasy points per minute. However, he should presumably push for 30 minutes as a starter, and he is $3,800. It is possible that Larry Nance Jr. could play a few more minutes as well. However, they are virtually the same DraftKings salary, and neither is a high-usage player.
Clippers – Serge Ibaka – Out
Kawhi Leonard – IR
Ibaka continues to rehab his back injury and has yet to suit up. Isaiah Hartenstein is tempting but volatile. He has scored 21 DraftKings points in one game and averages 1.33 fantasy points per minute. He never played in the previous game, so there is danger inherit in this play.
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