Khris Middleton & Malcolm Brogdon: KEY NBA DFS Injuries, Breaking NBA News for DraftKings & FanDuel Tonight | 11/7/2021

It’s a rare sight that there are this many games with a relatively quiet NBA Injury Report. Of course, this is the NBA so that can change. 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 eight total games for NBA DFS and that includes seven games on the main slate and a showdown slate in the afternoon.

NBA Injury Report & Starting Lineups Today | Nov. 7

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 of a Back-to-Back

Utah Jazz, Houston Rockets

Brooklyn Nets at Toronto Raptors

Nets – Nic Claxton, Kyrie Irving – Out

This has been the situation for the Nets for the past few games so there are no major changes. Perhaps the most notable aspect from this team right now is the play of James Harden. Not only does he just not look right from the eye test, his drives to the basket have taken a large step back this year to just 11.2 every game. For context, he was eighth last season with 17.4 per game and that was with Irving taking up 12.2 per game. For a player that is fifth in the league in touches per game, the fantasy results have been very average with just 1.25 fantasy points per minute.

Raptors – Pascal Siakam – None

Toronto is fully healthy on the NBA Injury Report aside from Siakam, who is still workings way back to the lineup.

Update – Siakam is back in the starting lineup, replacing Precious Achiwua. There will almost surely be a minutes limit with Siakam since this is his first game action of the season, but Achiwua clearly takes the biggest negative impact.

Milwaukee Bucks at Washington Wizards

Bucks – Brook Lopez, Donte DiVincenzo, Khris Middleton – Out

Grayson Allen – Questionable

As suspected, Jrue Holiday was limited in his first game back last time with just 20 minutes played. It was a mild surprise to see him not start, so that will be notable heading up towards lock (which is 6 PM tonight). If he’s back with the starters, his usage rate is over 25% and the fantasy points per minute hover around 1.25 when Middleton is off the floor dating back to last season. He would check in at a pretty strong bargain if he’s playing full minutes against a Wizards team that sits 15th in pace.

If Allen were to be out, the guess is either Jordan Nwora or Rodney Hood would take his spot in the lineup but he has not missed time yet so that’s not set in stone. The smart money would be on Hood if last game was any indication since he was the direct substitution for Allen. The DraftKings salary is just $3,100 but his sample size includes 67 minutes played with a 14% usage and 0.65 fantasy points per minute.

Wizards – Rui Hachimura, Davis Bertans – Out

Thomas Bryant – IR

Across the board, the Wizards are fairly healthy. Hachimura and Bryant have yet to play and Bertans has been largely fantasy-irrelevant. It continues to be noteworthy that Montrezl Harrell’s minutes are going slightly down in the past two games with the return of Daniel Gafford. Neither plays is in a great spot with Milwaukee ranking 13th in paint points allowed.

Indiana Pacers at Sacramento Kings

Pacers – T. J. Warren – IR

Malcolm Brogdon, Jeremy Lamb – Questionable

Brogdon missed this past game with an illness, so that leaves his status nebulous heading into tonight. The great news is this game is in the first block, so news should be in before lock. T.J. McConnell speed in and played now has two straight games subbing as a starter that he exceeded 37 DraftKings points. He also has played 26 and 33 minutes in those contests so he has some security for minutes.

While some may see the sub-par game for Caris LeVert and equate McConnell stole some of his stats, that is likely not the correct takeaway. LeVert played almost 34 minutes and shot 6-21 from the floor. With Brogdon off the floor, LeVert also possesses the largest usage rate on the entire team at 33.5% and his 1.11 fantasy points per minute is third behind Domantas Sabonis and Myles Turner but they are at 1.15 and 1.17, respectively. This has all come with LeVert having a 43.1% true shooting rate so he would still be a very strong play with a DraftKings Salary under $7,000. Sacramento is 10th in pace and 24th in defensive rating, while Indiana is 26th in defensive rating.


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Kings – None 

Cleveland Cavaliers at New York Knicks

Cavaliers – Kevin Love, Lauri Markkanen, Isaac Okoro – Out

The Cavaliers continue through their schedule without these three players and the main three as far as minutes are Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen, and Evan Mobley. There is not a reason to think that shifts and these players are on the court upwards of 36 minutes per night right now. The latter two will be needed to combat the front court of the Knicks and they are 23rd in points in the paint allowed.

Knicks – None 

Update – Kemba Walker has been ruled out, which likely pus Derrick Rose into the starting lineup. His usage is 24% when Walker is off the floor  to go with 1.09 fantasy points per minute. He just flashed his upside if he plays 30 minutes in a game with 44 DraftKings point in the last game. Walker being out has to add to his 22 minutes played average and the ceiling is easy to see at just $4,800 on DraftKings.

Utah Jazz at Orlando Magic

Jazz – Not Yet Submitted

This side of the game is a vital piece of news for the day. The official NBA Injury Report is not available yet but the Jazz played last night and it is their third game in four nights. Donovan Mitchell played last night but missed the previous game with an ankle injury. They had a full complement of players last night so there is no reason to say anything will happen, but they are on the radar when the afternoon report comes out.

Update – Mike Conley is the player to sit out today, which should have been on the radar last night. Regardless, Mitchell is an elite fantasy option without Conley on the floor this season. His fantasy points per minute are over 1.50 and the usage exceeds 40%, both marks that would easily be among the league leaders. With the Magic ranking in the bottom-five in defensive rating, this is an excellent spot for Mitchell.

Magic – Michael Carter-Williams, Markelle Fultz – IR

Cole Anthony – Questionable

Anthony checks into this NBA Injury Report as questionable, although he did play almost 36 minutes last game. If he is out, R.J. Hampton would likely step into the lineup as a replacement. He is only $3,200 on DraftKings and Anthony plays big minutes, so even with 0.70 fantasy points per minute and a 17.7% usage, there is appeal as a punt.

Many teammates of Anthony have not shot well with him off the court as Hampton, Jalen Suggs, Franz Wagner, and Terrence Ross all have true shooting rates under 44%. Suggs leads the team with a 28.1% usage rate while Wagner is at 20.5%. Utah is seventh in defensive rating so it’s not the most ideal spot for a young Magic squad on paper.

San Antonio Spurs at Oklahoma City Thunder

Spurs – Jakob Poeltl – Out

Thad Young appears to be putting a little bit of distance between he and Drew Eubanks, at least as far as DraftKings points are concerned. Not only does Young have a higher fantasy points per minute at 1.19 compared to 1.08, he’s playing 3-4 minutes more than Eubanks as well. The Thunder interior defense leaves plenty to be desired and are in the bottom half of the league in defensive rating, points in the paint,  and rebounding so far.

Thunder – None 

Houston Rockets at Golden State Warriors

Rockets – Not Yet Submitted 

With the Rockets playing yesterday, they haven’t submitted an official NBA Injury Report but they were totally healthy. That includes Daniel Theis who played 31 minutes. It’s wise to remember the Warriors are second in points allowed per game and first in defensive rating.

Warriors – Klay Thompson, James Wiseman – IR

Andre Iguodala – Out

The last time Iguodala was out, Otto Porter was the primary beneficiary and played what is still a season-high 24 minutes. He only has a 14.2% usage rate with Iguodala off the court but his 0.92 fantasy points per minute with a 47.4% true shooting rate do have some appeal at the DraftKings salary of $3,400.


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Charlotte Hornets at Los Angeles Clippers

Hornets – P.J. Washington – Out

Mason Plumlee – Probable

This game is one of the more appealing fantasy games of the slate and there is a cheap option in Cody Martin. He was the direct substitution for Miles Bridges in the first half before the game got out of control as the Kings were winning by more than 20 at halftime. The rotations got a little messy in the third quarter but when Washington is off the floor, Martin has 0.85 fantasy points per minute. The Clippers play at the fifth-fastest pace and both teams are in the top 12 in possessions per game.

Clippers – Kawhi Leonard – IR

Marcus Morris – Out

For the first time all year, veteran big man Serge Ibaka is off of the injury report and will play in this game. It is virtually a lock that he would be on some style of a minutes restriction so that will need to be monitored. Ivica Zubac is coming off of his best two fantasy games and back-to-back efforts of more than 30 minutes. That looks great and the Hornets are 23rd and 28th in points and rebounds in the paint allowed. They also don’t play a big man like the Karl-Anthony Towns for Zubac to counter. Plumlee averages 26 minutes but if the minutes are there for Zubac, it’s a fantastic spot for him and his 0.91 fantasy points per minute.

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