Monday night's NBA slate features nine games with injuries and questionable players. We'll analyze the following two:
- Charlotte Hornets at Indiana Pacers: 7 p.m. ET
- Los Angeles Clippers at Minnesota Timberwolves: 8 p.m. ET
Note: The information below is as of 1:30 p.m. ET. For up-to-the-minute news and analysis, check out our
Pacers C Myles Turner (Knee) Is Questionable
Injury background: Turner was diagnosed with a sore right knee in Saturday's win but was available to return.
He headed to the locker room after a blocked shot attempt resulted in the injury, and after the game he stated, "It'll be a bit sore but I should be able to play through it."
Tonight's impact: Turner missed four straight games with a shoulder injury in January and Domantas Sabonis replaced him in the starting lineup each game.
Sabonis responded by averaging 39.1 FanDuel points per game in that span, and he has led the team with 38.9 FanDuel points per game in five full games without Turner this season, per the NBA On/Off tool. With a salary of just $6,200, Sabonis would become the chalk option at power forward if Turner is unable to suit up.
However, Turner appears confident that he'll play. If that's the case, he makes for an exceptional tournament play on DraftKings, where he carries a 97% Bargain Rating.
The matchup is also favorable for Turner, as Charlotte allows the third-most blocks to opposing centers this season and the most blocks allowed overall. Turner has averaged 3.6 blocks over his past five games and scores 27.1% of his FanDuel points through blocks this season.
Wesley Matthews is available to make his Pacers' debut after being waived by the Knicks. Coach Nate McMillan confirmed that Matthews will start, but it remains to be seen if he'll immediately enter the starting lineup or wait until after the All-Star break. With Matthews in the mix, Tyreke Evans' value will decrease.
The Pacers play at a faster pace with Turner off the court, but the defense suffers, dropping from a 101.4 Defensive Rating to a 103.4 Defensive Rating. Sabonis ranks as a slightly above-average defender in Defensive Real Plus/Minus, while Turner currently ranks seventh out of all centers in DRPM.
The total is presently at 215.5, and value could be found on the over if Turner winds up being ruled out.
Wolves PG Derrick Rose (Ankle) Is Active, SG Andrew Wiggins (Illness) Is Questionable, PG Jeff Teague (Foot) Is Probable, PG Jerryd Bayless (Toe) Is Questionable
Injury background: Rose and Teague both participated in practice on Sunday, and Rose said he will return after missing the previous three games with a sore right ankle. Teague returned from an eight-game absence on Friday due to a sore left foot and logged 17 minutes off the bench.
Bayless missed Friday's game with a sore right big toe and is questionable, while Tyus Jones (ankle) is expected to remain sidelined until the All-Star break.
Wiggins is a late addition to the injury report with an illness, and he's officially questionable to play.
Tonight's impact: Isaiah Canaan drew the start on Friday and responded with 26.9 DraftKings points. He signed a second 10-day contract, but his role figures to severely decrease with Rose back in the lineup and Teague's minutes likely to rise.
If Bayless is also able to play, the Wolves will be flush in the backcourt after being thin for multiple weeks. Teague could return to the starting lineup Monday, and there has yet to be word on a minutes limit for him or Rose.
With Teague and Rose injured, Wiggins was the primary beneficiary as he saw a +4.1% usage rate increase and a FantasyLabs' +4.4 DraftKings Plus/Minus differential. Even after exploding for 47.0 and 51.0 DraftKings points in his past two games, his value has decreased.
Rose ranks second on the team with a 27.2% usage rate since the Jimmy Butler trade, and him and Teague both hold higher usage rates than recent starting point guards Canaan and Bayless. Wiggins also may be less than 100% even if he plays, causing more downside relative to ownership. Josh Okogie would benefit if Wiggins is ruled out, but he has averaged just 0.67 DraftKings points per minute this season.
The one constant has been Karl-Anthony Towns, who has exceeded his salary-based expectation in eight of his past 10 games. The matchup is also outstanding, as the Clippers rank dead last in defensive efficiency against opposing centers this season.
The Wolves are currently implied to score 117.5 points — the fourth-highest total in Monday's nine-game slate. The Clippers recently traded away their best player in Tobias Harris, and the Wolves are returning back key pieces on Monday, suggesting that the 4.5-point spread might not be high enough.
