NBA Grind Down Friday, November 28th - Page Three
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Minnesota at L.A. Lakers
- Vegas Line – L.A. Lakers -6, 214 Over/Under
- Minnesota Proj. Starters – Williams(Q)-Brewer-Wiggins-Young-Dieng
- L.A. Lakers Proj. Starters – Lin-Bryant-Johnson-Boozer-Hill
| Minnesota | L.A. Lakers | |||||||||||
 | Vegas Total | 214.0 |  | Vegas Total | 214.0 | |||||||
| Vegas Sprd | 6.0 | Vegas Sprd | -6.0 | |||||||||
| Team Proj. | 107.0 | Team Proj. | 113.0 | |||||||||
| Team Pace | 98.51 | Team Pace | 96.94 | |||||||||
| 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 | Mo Williams | Corey Brewer | Andrew Wiggins | Thaddeus Young | Gorgui Dieng | Proj Starter | Jeremy Lin | Kobe Bryant | Wesley Johnson | Carlos Boozer | Jordan Hill | |
| Opp. Season | 30 | 17 | 23 | 25 | 14 | Opp. Season | 3 | 22 | 29 | 20 | 12 | |
| Opp. Last 7 | 17 | 8 | 29 | 16 | 21 | Opp. Last 7 | 5 | 29 | 25 | 22 | 19 | |
Minnesota
This game features one of the highest totals of the night. The Timberwolves are 6-point underdogs tonight against the Lakers with the total set at 214 points. Fantasy-wise, there are few better matchups in the NBA. The Lakers are a fast-paced team (96.9 possessions per 48 minutes). They are also ranked dead last in both defensive efficiency and points allowed per game.
Elite Plays
Corey Brewer (FD: $4700, DK: $5300 / MPG: 26 / Usage Rate: 20.4)
Dollar for dollar, Brewer may be my favorite play of the night. Not only has he seen his minutes and production increase with Kevin Martin out of the lineup, but he draws a dream matchup against the Lakers. Brewer should see around 35 minutes of action against the worst defense in the NBA. Over his last six games, Brewer is averaging 26.5 fantasy points (FD scoring) per game. I fully expect him to reach that mark tonight.
Mo Williams (FD: $5500, DK: $4700 / MPG: 25 / Usage Rate: 20.6)
Williams is currently dealing with strep throat and pink eye. He did travel with the team to Los Angeles for tonight’s game against the Lakers though. As long as he is cleared to play, he is an elite fantasy option tonight. In his last three starts, he is averaging 13 points, 2 rebounds, and 10 assists per game. He draws a favorable matchup against the Lakers, who have given up more fantasy points to PGs per 48 minutes than any other team in the NBA. Target Williams if he starts and if he is ruled out, rookie Zach LaVine would see all of the minutes that he could handle.
Secondary Plays
Gorgui Dieng (FD: $6100, DK: $6600 / MPG: 25 / Usage Rate: 14.4)
Recency bias should play a role in Dieng’s ownership level tonight. He was a popular play on Wednesday night. He was a bit of a disappointment as he only finished with only 23 fantasy points against the Bucks. The good news is that he played 36 minutes. If he sees anywhere over 30 minutes tonight against the Lakers, he should be able to reach value on both FD and DK.
L.A. Lakers
The Lakers can be a great team to target in daily fantasy basketball when the matchup is right. They have no problem getting into track meets with opponents. Tonight they face the Timberwolves, who also like to play at a fast-pace (98.5 possessions per game). The Timberwolves have struggled defensively this season, ranking 29th in defensive efficiency and allowing opponents to score 109.1 points per game.
Elite Plays
Kobe Bryant (FD: $9300, DK: $9200 / MPG: 36 / Usage Rate: 36.5)
Bryant’s usage rate is off the charts this season. It’s currently at 36.5 which is easily the highest of any active player in the NBA. Bryant continues to get all of the shots that he could possibly want. He should be in for a monster fantasy outing tonight against the Timberwolves, who are as allergic to defense as the Lakers are. The total for this game is set at 214 points, which seems a bit low considering the lack of defense that these two teams have.
Jordan Hill (FD: $6600, DK: $6600 / MPG: 31 / Usage Rate: 19.4)
Hill has been remarkably consistent this season. He’s developed a nice offensive skill-set that has served him well in the first month of the season. He has topped 20 points in each of his last ten games and has topped 30 fantasy points in five of those contests. Tonight he draws a favorable matchup against the Timberwolves, who are currently ranked dead last in fantasy points allowed to centers per 48 minutes.
Secondary Plays
Jeremy Lin (FD: $5600, DK: $5300 / MPG: 31 / Usage Rate: 18.5)
Lin has been fairly inconsistent this season, but he has topped 28 fantasy points (FD scoring) in each of his last three games. He makes a solid tournament play tonight against the Wolves in what is expected to be a very high scoring game.