NBA Grind Down: Friday, January 9th
Welcome to the RotoGrinders NBA Grind Down Article. Each day, we’ll break down all of the matchups with a focus on defense vs. position stats. The Grind Down shows you Vegas lines, defense stats and projected starting lineups for each and every game.
The analysis should point you in the right direction, but it is still up to you to decipher the information and make your own selections. Use this article to help you gain a better understanding of the matchups for the coming week and build from there. We have everything you could possibly need on our Daily Research console for you to be a successful daily fantasy player!
Note: Fantasy Point Average Listed Uses FanDuel Scoring. For more info on FanDuel’s NFL Scoring System, check out the scoring systems section of our FanDuel Review.
Boston at Indiana
- Vegas Line – Indiana -4, 197.5 Over/Under
- Boston Proj. Starters – Turner-Bradley-Green-Sullinger-Zeller
- Indiana Proj. Starters – Watson-Stuckey-Hill-West-Hibbert
| Boston | Indiana | |||||||||||
 | Vegas Total | 197.5 |  | Vegas Total | 197.5 | |||||||
| Vegas Sprd | 4.0 | Vegas Sprd | -4.0 | |||||||||
| Team Proj. | 96.8 | Team Proj. | 100.8 | |||||||||
| Team Pace | 99.84 | Team Pace | 95.19 | |||||||||
| Matchup – Opponent DvP Ranks and Projected Starters | Matchup – Opponent DvP Ranks and Projected Starters | |||||||||||
| DvP Rks | PG | SG | SF | PF | C | DvP Rks | PG | SG | SF | PF | C | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Proj Starter | Evan Turner | Avery Bradley | Jeff Green | Jared Sullinger | Tyler Zeller | Proj Starter | C.J. Watson | Rodney Stuckey | Solomon Hill | David West | Roy Hibbert | |
| Opp. Season | 14 | 21 | 2 | 4 | 20 | Opp. Season | 21 | 7 | 7 | 30 | 22 | |
| Opp. Last 7 | 1 | 30 | 17 | 17 | 5 | Opp. Last 7 | 22 | 20 | 5 | 30 | 10 | |
Boston
Happy Friday Grinders, cheers to what should be a terrific sports weekend!
The Celtics head to Indiana to take on the Pacers in what is typically one of the worst matchups on the schedule. The Pacers are the tenth slowest team in the NBA in terms of pace, and they are ranked tenth in defensive efficiency. They have held their opponents to an average of 96.6 points per game. Given the deep and inconsistent rotation of the Celtics, you can safely avoid Boston for fantasy purposes.
Opponent Breakdown (Indiana)
Record: 14-23
Points Allowed Per Game: 96.6
Defensive Efficiency Rank: 10
Rebounding Differential Rank: 5
Elite Plays
None
Secondary Plays
None
Indiana
The Pacers have won six of their last ten games and are slowly climbing up the Eastern Conference standings. Tonight they host a Celtics team that plays at a much quicker tempo. The Celtics currently have the second fastest pace of play in the NBA, which has led to problems on the defensive end of the floor. The Pacers’ team total is set at 100.8 points tonight, which is markedly higher than their season average of 95.1 points per game.
Injury Note: Roy Hibbert and C.J. Watson are both questionable for tonight’s game. If Hibbert is forced to sit, Lavoy Allen would likely draw the start at center. If Watson is forced to sit, Donald Sloan would make an excellent plug-and-play at point guard.
Opponent Breakdown (Boston)
Record: 12-21
Points Allowed Per Game: 103.6
Defensive Efficiency Rank: 13
Rebounding Differential Rank: 19
Elite Plays
David West (FD: $6400, DK: $6300 / MPG: 29 / Usage Rate: 21.7)
West is one of my favorite cash game plays tonight. He typically has a low percentage of ownership, even though he is one of the most reliable players in daily fantasy basketball. He has scored at least 20 fantasy points in each of his last ten games and has topped 25 fantasy points in seven of those outings. He is economically priced on both FanDuel ($6,400) and DraftKings ($6,300) and draws a favorable matchup against the Celtics, who have allowed more fantasy points to power forwards than any other team in the NBA this season.
Secondary Plays
None
Atlanta at Detroit
- Vegas Line – Atlanta -2, 203 Over/Under
- Atlanta Proj. Starters – Teague-Korver-Carroll-Millsap-Horford
- Detroit Proj. Starters – Jennings-Caldwell-Pope-Singler-Monroe-Drummond
| Atlanta | Detroit | |||||||||||
 | Vegas Total | 203 |  | Vegas Total | 203 | |||||||
| Vegas Sprd | -2.0 | Vegas Sprd | 2.0 | |||||||||
| Team Proj. | 102.5 | Team Proj. | 100.5 | |||||||||
| Team Pace | 96.36 | Team Pace | 95.62 | |||||||||
| Matchup – Opponent DvP Ranks and Projected Starters | Matchup – Opponent DvP Ranks and Projected Starters | |||||||||||
| DvP Rks | PG | SG | SF | PF | C | DvP Rks | PG | SG | SF | PF | C | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Proj Starter | Jeff Teague | Kyle Korver | DeMarre Carroll | Paul Millsap | Al Horford | Proj Starter | Brandon Jennings | Kentavious Caldwell-Pope | Kyle Singler | Greg Monroe | Andre Drummond | |
| Opp. Season | 10 | 18 | 8 | 28 | 18 | Opp. Season | 3 | 27 | 9 | 8 | 14 | |
| Opp. Last 7 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 7 | 21 | Opp. Last 7 | 14 | 14 | 7 | 5 | 20 | |
Atlanta
As crazy as it may sound, the Hawks are one of the best teams in the NBA (right now at least). They have won nine of their last ten games and have a very impressive record of 27-8 on the season. Tonight they head to Detroit to take on a Pistons team that is also playing their best basketball of the season. A large part of the Pistons’ winning streak is due to their play on the defensive end of the floor. This is not as favorable of a matchup as it was a couple of weeks ago.
Opponent Breakdown (Detroit)
Record: 12-23
Points Allowed Per Game: 99.5
Defensive Efficiency Rank: 16
Rebounding Differential Rank: 12
Elite Plays
Jeff Teague (FD: $8400, DK: $8400 / MPG: 32 / Usage Rate: 25)
Teague is playing his best basketball of the season. Over his last six games, he is averaging 24 points, 5 rebounds, and 8 assists per game. He’s put up some gaudy numbers in that stretch, despite drawing some tough matchups against the likes of Chris Paul and Mike Conley. Tonight he draws a much better matchup against Brandon Jennings. Teague’s price has come up, but as long as he continues to post 40+ fantasy point outings, he should remain on your radar.
Secondary Plays
None
Detroit
The Pistons have won seven games in a row. I was hesitant to buy into their victories over a few bad teams, but after back-to-back road wins over the Spurs and Mavericks, I’m a believer. Stan Van Gundy has this team playing great team basketball. A win over the top seed in the East would take their impressive winning streak to eight games. In terms of the fantasy appeal, this isn’t a great matchup. The Hawks were the best defensive team in December and are currently ranked fifth in defensive efficiency.
Opponent Breakdown (Atlanta)
Record: 27-8
Points Allowed Per Game: 97.2
Defensive Efficiency Rank: 5
Rebounding Differential Rank: 22
Elite Plays
None
Secondary Plays
Andre Drummond (FD: $9100, DK: $9300 / MPG: 30 / Usage Rate: 21.1)
On a smaller slate, Drummond would likely be an elite play. However, if I’m paying up at center tonight, I would rather target either DeMarcus Cousins (vs. Denver) or Nikola Vucevic (vs. L.A. Lakers). Drummond is certainly worth a look in tournaments though. Over his last six games, he is averaging 43 fantasy points. He should dominate the glass against the Hawks, who are ranked 22nd in rebounding differential this season.
Greg Monroe (FD: $7500, DK: $7500 / MPG: 29 / Usage Rate: 24.1)
I’ve been recommending Monroe for the last couple of weeks now, and he is finally starting to get the playing time that he deserves. He is coming off of his best game of the season, putting up 27 points, 18 rebounds, and 6 assists against the Mavericks. Unfortunately, his price has gone up drastically, which leaves him as a secondary play tonight against the Hawks, who have been stingy against power forwards this season.
Philadelphia at Brooklyn
- Vegas Line – Brooklyn -11, 191.5 Over/Under
- Philadelphia Proj. Starters – Carter-Williams-McDaniels-Covington-Noel-Sims
- Brooklyn Proj. Starters – Jack-Karasev-Johnson-Garnett-Plumlee
| Philadelphia | Brooklyn | |||||||||||
 | Vegas Total | 191.5 |  | Vegas Total | 191.5 | |||||||
| Vegas Sprd | 11.0 | Vegas Sprd | -11.0 | |||||||||
| Team Proj. | 90.3 | Team Proj. | 101.3 | |||||||||
| Team Pace | 99.31 | Team Pace | 94.36 | |||||||||
| Matchup – Opponent DvP Ranks and Projected Starters | Matchup – Opponent DvP Ranks and Projected Starters | |||||||||||
| DvP Rks | PG | SG | SF | PF | C | DvP Rks | PG | SG | SF | PF | C | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Proj Starter | Michael Carter-Williams | K.J. McDaniels | Robert Covington | Nerlens Noel | Henry Sims | Proj Starter | Jarrett Jack | Sergey Karasev | Joe Johnson | Kevin Garnett | Mason Plumlee | |
| Opp. Season | 24 | 11 | 24 | 16 | 13 | Opp. Season | 16 | 30 | 30 | 24 | 21 | |
| Opp. Last 7 | 12 | 10 | 26 | 2 | 25 | Opp. Last 7 | 21 | 29 | 3 | 25 | 24 | |
Philadelphia
There isn’t a whole lot to say about the Sixers. They are 5-29 on the season and don’t appear to be getting any better any time soon. They are 11-point underdogs tonight against the Nets. This is an average matchup for fantasy purposes. The Nets play at an average pace and have a slightly above-average defense.
Opponent Breakdown (Brooklyn)
Record: 16-19
Points Allowed Per Game: 97.9
Defensive Efficiency Rank: 12
Rebounding Differential Rank: 21
Elite Plays
None
Secondary Plays
Robert Covington (FD: $5600, DK: $5600 / MPG: 26 / Usage Rate: 19.8)
I watched the entire Sixers game the other night and wasn’t too impressed (or happy) with how Covington played. He rarely left the three-point line and he continued to chuck up brick after brick. He gets a pass for one bad game though, as he has been a very reliable fantasy option since entering the starting lineup. He has scored at least 26 fantasy points in six of his last nine games. He should bounce back against a Nets defense that has allowed the seventh-most fantasy points to small forwards this season.
K.J. McDaniels (FD: $4500, DK: $4900 / MPG: 26 / Usage Rate: 18.3)
McDaniels offers great value at small forward tonight and will likely be a contrarian play. He may not be the best option for cash games, but we’ve seen the type of upside that he provides and he has seen 30+ minutes in each of his last two games. At his price point, he only needs 22-25 fantasy points to reach value. With his ability to rack up the blocks and steals, he is capable of posting a 30 fantasy point outing tonight.
Brooklyn
Deron Williams suffered a cartilage fracture in one of his ribs and is out indefinitely. That’s bad news for the Nets, but good news for Jarrett Jack. The Nets host the Sixers tonight in a game that has the potential to turn into a blowout. The Nets are 11-point favorites in this one. The Sixers are one of the fastest-paced teams in the NBA and they have allowed their opponents to score an average of 103.8 points per game this season.
Opponent Breakdown (Philadelphia)
Record: 5-29
Points Allowed Per Game: 103.8
Defensive Efficiency Rank: 18
Rebounding Differential Rank: 29
Elite Plays
Jarrett Jack (FD: $5900, DK: $6400 / MPG: 28 / Usage Rate: 20.6)
With Deron Williams out, Jack is going to see all of the minutes that he can handle. He has really played well over his last ten games, averaging 28 fantasy points in 35 minutes of action per game. He may see closer to 40 minutes tonight against the Sixers, who are one of the worst defensive teams in the NBA. They are ranked 16th against point guards this season. The Sixers have also allowed an NBA-high 10.9 steals per game to their opponents.
Secondary Plays
Joe Johnson (FD: $6900, DK: $6300 / MPG: 36 / Usage Rate: 22.9)
Johnson may also see a small boost with Deron Williams out. He may be asked to handle the ball a bit more. Johnson has played well over his last seven games, averaging 17 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists per game. He draws a terrific matchup against the Sixers, who are ranked dead last in fantasy points allowed to both shooting guards and small forwards this season.
Memphis at New Orleans
- Vegas Line – New Orleans -2, 197 Over/Under
- Memphis Proj. Starters – Conley-Lee-Allen-Randolph-Gasol
- New Orleans Proj. Starters – Holiday-Gordon-Evans-Davis-Asik
| Memphis | New Orleans | |||||||||||
 | Vegas Total | 197 |  | Vegas Total | 197 | |||||||
| Vegas Sprd | 2.0 | Vegas Sprd | -2.0 | |||||||||
| Team Proj. | 97.5 | Team Proj. | 99.5 | |||||||||
| Team Pace | 93.99 | Team Pace | 95.08 | |||||||||
| Matchup – Opponent DvP Ranks and Projected Starters | Matchup – Opponent DvP Ranks and Projected Starters | |||||||||||
| DvP Rks | PG | SG | SF | PF | C | DvP Rks | PG | SG | SF | PF | C | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Proj Starter | Mike Conley | Courtney Lee | Tony Allen | Zach Randolph | Marc Gasol | Proj Starter | Jrue Holiday | Eric Gordon | Tyreke Evans | Anthony Davis | Omer Asik | |
| Opp. Season | 20 | 12 | 26 | 10 | 8 | Opp. Season | 4 | 24 | 10 | 14 | 2 | |
| Opp. Last 7 | 11 | 13 | 23 | 11 | 18 | Opp. Last 7 | 24 | 18 | 11 | 10 | 12 | |
Memphis
The Grizzlies are hoping to have Zach Randolph back in the lineup. He went through shootaround and said that he will play tonight against the Pelicans. That doesn’t change a whole lot from a fantasy perspective though, as Jon Leuer and Kosta Koufos didn’t do much in his absence. Tonight’s matchup against the Pelicans is a decent one, as the Pelicans have allowed 100.9 points per game to their opponents this season. The biggest issue is that Marc Gasol and Mike Conley are both overpriced thanks to their recent level of production. With a full slate of games tonight, you can safely avoid the Grizzlies.
Opponent Breakdown (New Orleans)
Record: 17-18
Points Allowed Per Game: 100.9
Defensive Efficiency Rank: 25
Rebounding Differential Rank: 11
Elite Plays
None
Secondary Plays
None
New Orleans
The Pelicans draw one of my least favorite matchups to exploit. They host the Grizzlies, who are a slow-paced team with an above-average defense. The Pelicans’ team total is set at 99.5 points, which is a little lower than their season average. They are playing at home, but fantasy options are typically scarce against the Grizzlies.
Opponent Breakdown (Memphis)
Record: 25-10
Points Allowed Per Game: 97.5
Defensive Efficiency Rank: 11
Rebounding Differential Rank: 18
Elite Plays
None
Secondary Plays
Anthony Davis (FD: $11100, DK: $11000 / MPG: 36 / Usage Rate: 25.9)
Davis is about as matchup-proof as you can find in the NBA. While the Grizzlies did manage to hold him in check in their first meeting this season, Davis had great success against them last year. In three meetings against them last season, he averaged well over 50 fantasy points per game. Davis is by no means a must play tonight, but there is enough value out there that it’s not too difficult to fit him in your lineup.
Utah at Oklahoma City
- Vegas Line – Oklahoma City -11.5, 198.5 Over/Under
- Utah Proj. Starters – Burke-Ingles-Hayward-Favors-Gobert
- Oklahoma City Proj. Starters – Westbrook-Roberson-Durant-Ibaka-Adams
| Utah | Oklahoma City | |||||||||||
 | Vegas Total | 198.5 |  | Vegas Total | 198.5 | |||||||
| Vegas Sprd | 11.5 | Vegas Sprd | -11.5 | |||||||||
| Team Proj. | 93.5 | Team Proj. | 105.0 | |||||||||
| Team Pace | 92.43 | Team Pace | 96.54 | |||||||||
| Matchup – Opponent DvP Ranks and Projected Starters | Matchup – Opponent DvP Ranks and Projected Starters | |||||||||||
| DvP Rks | PG | SG | SF | PF | C | DvP Rks | PG | SG | SF | PF | C | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Proj Starter | Trey Burke | Joe Ingles | Gordon Hayward | Derrick Favors | Enes Kanter | Proj Starter | Russell Westbrook | Andre Roberson | Kevin Durant | Serge Ibaka | Steven Adams | |
| Opp. Season | 27 | 10 | 11 | 17 | 5 | Opp. Season | 5 | 13 | 12 | 26 | 3 | |
| Opp. Last 7 | 26 | 17 | 29 | 4 | 17 | Opp. Last 7 | 4 | 25 | 14 | 16 | 6 | |
Utah
The Jazz are playing short-handed right now. They have lost Alec Burks for the season and have been without Enes Kanter for the last few games. Kanter is not expected to play tonight against the Thunder, which means Rudy Gobert will draw another start at center. Overall, this isn’t an appealing matchup, but given the injuries to the Jazz, there are a few players that will see some extended action tonight.
Opponent Breakdown (Oklahoma City)
Record: 17-19
Points Allowed Per Game: 98.1
Defensive Efficiency Rank: 8
Rebounding Differential Rank: 2
Elite Plays
Derrick Favors (FD: $7800, DK: $7900 / MPG: 31 / Usage Rate: 22.6)
Favors has played well in Enes Kanter’s absence, averaging 21 points and 10 rebounds per game over his last three. He has seen an uptick in both minutes and production. He does draw a tough matchup against Serge Ibaka and the Thunder, but an expanded role in the offense more than offsets that. He has a good chance of posting another double-double tonight as offers similar upside as some of the more expensive options at power forward.
Trey Burke (FD: $5900, DK: $5400 / MPG: 32 / Usage Rate: 21.5)
With Alec Burks and Rodney Hood both out, Burke is being asked to play a ton of minutes. Over his last six games, he is averaging 30 fantasy points in just over 36 minutes per game. The one position that the Thunder really struggle to contain is the point guard spot. Burke has scored at least 24 fantasy points in each of his last six games and should be able to keep that streak alive tonight.
Secondary Plays
Rudy Gobert (FD: $6200, DK: $6100 / MPG: 20 / Usage Rate: 13.6)
Gobert seems to be toying with the DFS community. He was one of the most popular plays on Monday night against the Pacers, but let most of us down with only 19 fantasy points. Then, when everyone was on Jusuf Nurkic Wednesday night, Gobert came up with a huge 40 fantasy point outing. He is not the most consistent fantasy option on the board, but he’ll remain an excellent play as long as Enes Kanter is out.
Oklahoma City
The Thunder are large favorites at home against a very slow-paced Jazz team. That’s typically not the recipe for fantasy success. The good news is that the Thunder are in a prime spot for a bounce-back game after getting blown out by both the Warriors and the Kings. A possible blowout would typically be enough to avoid a team in a spot like this, but Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook’s prices are depressed enough to warrant consideration tonight.
Opponent Breakdown (Utah)
Record: 13-23
Points Allowed Per Game: 99.1
Defensive Efficiency Rank: 27
Rebounding Differential Rank: 3
Elite Plays
Kevin Durant (FD: $10500, DK: $10700 / MPG: 30 / Usage Rate: 31.5)
I fully expect the Thunder to bounce back tonight against the Jazz, so let’s just hope that the Jazz play well enough to keep this one within striking distance. The Jazz have been fairly stingy against small forwards this season, but they haven’t faced Kevin Durant. Durant’s price has dropped to a very playable level on both FanDuel and DraftKings. Given his upside, he’s a strong play at small forward tonight.
Secondary Plays
Russell Westbrook (FD: $10800, DK: $9900 / MPG: 31 / Usage Rate: 39.4)
Westbrook has not played well recently. After seemingly scoring at least 50 fantasy points every night, he has failed to reach 40 fantasy points in any of his last four games. The good news is that his price has come way down, especially on DraftKings ($9,900). Westbrook will not be a staple in my cash game lineups, but he has as much upside as any player available tonight, making him one of my favorite tournament plays.