Kyrie Irving is dealing with a right shoulder sprain and could miss his first game of the 2024-25 season tonight against the Jazz. He’s currently questionable for the Western Conference matchup.
If Irving is sidelined for Thursday’s contest, Jaden Hardy will be in line for more minutes.
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PG/SG Jaden Hardy, Dallas Mavericks vs. Utah Jazz, $2,700
For those balling on a budget, Hardy is a perfect player to add to your DFS lineups on Thursday night. There’s only one NBA game, so there aren’t many players to choose from, and Irving is listed as questionable for the Mavericks vs. Jazz matchup.
Irving is a premier option in DFS each night, so players will need to fill that void if he’s sidelined with injury tonight. Hardy will be one of the beneficiaries of Irving’s absence, so he’s a great value pick.
Hardy is a third-year guard that has declined his scoring average in each year since entering the league in 2022. Nonetheless, he was an important bench player in Dallas’ run to the NBA Finals last year.
He’s playing just 11.7 minutes per game through 10 games this season, but that will likely increase if Irving sits against the Jazz. He’s also played 19 minutes in each of his past two games, another sign he could get more playing time. It’s possible that the Mavericks start Hardy at shooting guard.
Spencer Dinwiddie ($4,500) and Quentin Grimes ($2,400) will also see increased minutes and could temporarily take Irving’s starting spot. That said, Hardy has the most to prove after struggling to start the season. Bet on the third-year guard to step up against the Jazz and take advantage of his increased playing time.
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All views expressed are my own. I am an employee of DraftKings and am ineligible to play in public DFS or DKSB contests.
