Aaron Gordon listed as out Friday vs. Rockets

Orlando Magic F Aaron Gordon is being listed as out for Friday’s game vs. the Houston Rockets due to a hamstring injury. The Magic just swept a back-to-back set vs. the Cleveland Cavaliers the past two games. At 6-2, the Magic are tied for second in the Eastern Conference early on in the season. Gordon has started every game for the Magic this season, so this is the first time he’ll get some rest. He’s got a pretty extensive injury history, so we’ll see if this is something that’s long-term.

Update: So this isn’t anything serious and Gordon is expected to return to the lineup Saturday vs. the Dallas Mavericks.

The Magic are already down one starter in Evan Fournier. James Ennis recently returned from injury but came off the bench on Wednesday against the Cavaliers. We could see Ennis re-enter the starting lineup in place of Gordon, though Ennis is better suited at the 2 or 3. Dwayne Bacon should continue to start with Fournier out. Gary Clark got into the lineup at SF, so he could end up filling in for Gordon at PF. PG Markelle Fultz is also done for the season, which means rookie Cole Anthony likely draws a start at PG.

So who should we be looking to play in DFS? Anthony and Clark are good places to start. Anthony is priced up to $5,000 with Fultz news happening a few days ago. That price is still very cheap and expect the rookie to be popular in all formats. Clark ($3,200) is much cheaper and is a good GPP value option. Clark didn’t do much in his start against the Cavs but did play close to 30 minutes. That’s a safe projection for Friday night.

Vucevic ($9,000) becomes an elite tournament play and is even viable in cash builds. The Rockets may be without Christian Wood, so being down Gordon isn’t going to affect the competitive nature of the contest. If this game remains close, perfect for Vuce. If the Magic blow out the Rockets, it’s probably because of Vuce.

For some reason the Rockets are being favored by 6 points at home. If Wood is out — hell even if Wood plays — I’d expect Orlando to put up a fight and have a good shot at winning. The Magic are +195 on the ML and that number will only go up. I’d feel a lot safer taking the Magic and the points. James Harden hasn’t looked good early on. The spread already moved since I started this paragraph. I’m not buying the line moving toward Houston. Give me the Magic and the points still.

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