The NBA has 10 games slated for today, starting at 3:00 p.m. with a pair of afternoon affairs. Here is a look at the NBA fantasy look for today’s slate of games.
NBA Fantasy Notes & Advice (1/11): Jrue Holiday, Aaron Gordon, Christian Braun and More
Jrue Holiday Could Return Tonight For Trail Blazers
Jrue Holiday could play for the first time since November 14 when Portland hosts the New York Knicks at 6 p.m. tonight. Holiday, who is having his best offensive season in three years, is officially listed as questionable. He has missed the Trail Blazers’ last 27 games.
Before sustaining a right calf injury, Holiday averaged 16.7 points, 8.3 assists, and 5.3 rebounds in 34 minutes. Holiday is also knocking down 2.6 threes with shooting splits of 44.6/36.5/84. He has scored in double-figures in 11 of 12 games, including four 20-point games and four double-doubles.
If cleared to play tonight, Holiday will likely be on a minutes restriction. If true, expect Holiday to play around 20 to 25 minutes.
Sidy Cissoko and Kris Murray have taken over Holiday’s starting spot, with Shaedon Sharpe handling the point guard duties while Holiday has been absent. With Murray out for the third straight game tonight, it wouldn’t be surprising if Cissoko remained in the starting lineup versus the Knicks, if Holiday is indeed on a minutes restriction. Cissoko has been much more productive in the games he started.
While Cissoko and Caleb Love could still see 15-to-20 minutes against the Knicks, even if Holiday returns, as Murray and Jerami Grant are sidelined, both players project to see their roles reduced once Holiday, Grant, and Murray are healthy.
Love has struggled shooting the ball but has steadied and improved his production over the last few months. As long as Love sees around 20 minutes off the bench, he remains a viable cheap DFS option.
Aaron Gordon To Remain On Minutes Restriction
Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon is listed as probable for tonight’s 8 p.m. game versus the Milwaukee Bucks as he is still working his way through a hamstring injury. Gordon returned to the floor on January 4 after having not played since November 21. He has been on a minutes restriction since his return three games ago, and projects to remain limited for the time being while also coming off the bench. He saw 21 minutes of action in his first game back, then 23 and 24 minutes in the past two games.
“When you have a minute restriction, if you start somebody, they sit for so long before you put them back in. So this allows me to kind of play with the minutes,” Nuggets coach David Adelman said Friday, pointing out that a starting lineup featuring Hunter Tyson and DaRon Holmes II managed to keep the game close until Gordon subbed in.
Gordon has been productive since returning, producing at least 12 points along with six rebounds and two assists in each game. Gordon averages 15.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 3.0 assists with shooting splits of 47.4/28.6/83.3 in 23 minutes over the last three games.
“I’m just trying to figure out the flow of my minutes, you know? It’s a longer halftime for me right now, for going in at halftime, then coming off the bench out of halftime,” Gordon said. “It’s a little bit longer for me. So I’m just trying to figure out how to keep getting my body back and contribute more in the second half.
Holmes figures to remain in the starting lineup with Gordon. Holmes has played reasonably well over the last five games, but is not a DFS option.
Fade Christian Braun For Now
Christian Braun is also listed as probable and is expected to play against Milwaukee due to a left ankle sprain. Like Gordon, Braun returned to the court three games ago. While Braun is not on a minutes restriction and has started, he has struggled mightily since returning.
Since returning, Braun averages 2.7 points and 3.7 rebounds while shooting 21.4/20.0/33.3 in 26 minutes. He wasn’t shooting the ball before the injury.
Jalen Pickett Has Stepped Up His Game Lately
With Jamal Murray questionable for the game against the Bucks, Jalen Pickett is someone to keep an eye on. Pickett averages 11.0 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 4.2 turnovers in five games this month. You do have to be careful if he is not in the starting lineup, but with all the Nuggets’ injuries, he figures to see at least 14 minutes of playing time.
Speaking of injuries, the Nuggets have nine players listed on the injury report. Besides Murray, Braun, and Gordon, the Nuggets have listed Spencer Jones (ankle) as questionable.
Noah Penda Has Stepped Up His Production Recently
Rookie Noah Penda has gotten his most run this season over the last three games and has made the most of his time. The No. 2 pick in this past March’s draft has scored in double-figures in two of his three appearances in January and posted his first career double-double against Brooklyn on Wednesday. He averages 9.3 points and 7.3 rebounds in 29.3 minutes this month. However, he has been inefficient, totalling 28 points on 27 shots, shooting 40.7/40.0/33.3.
It will be interesting to see how many minutes Penda gets going forward. While Jalen Suggs and Franz Wagner remain out, Moritz Wagner will make his debut, and Tristan da Silva (questionable) could return versus New Orleans (3 p.m.) today. Da Silva (back) sat out the Magic’s loss to Philadelphia on Friday.
Jonathan Isaac (illness) and Wendell Carter Jr. (hip) were added to the injury report earlier today. Both players are questionable. Goga Bitadze and Moe Wagner figure to get more minutes if those two are out. Wagner figures to be on a minutes restriction and likely won’t see more than 15 minutes regardless of Isaac and Carter’s status.
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