NBA Daily Grind Down: Monday 4/15

by Derek Farnsworth (Notorious) Last Updated 2013-04-15 17:07:08

The RotoGrinders NBA Grind Down article will give you an in-depth analysis into the NBA schedule each night. This article will break down the defense vs. position rankings for every single game and give you analysis on where you can exploit these matchups.

While matchups are a major factor in daily fantasy basketball, there are plenty of other factors to consider such as injuries, minutes, and salaries. 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.

I’ve been away from fantasy basketball for the wife the last few days. For some reason the wife didn’t want me to spend hours each day researching for my teams while we were on vacation for our anniversary. Yeah I don’t get it either! Anyway, if I say the wrong thing about injuries or matchups, that’s probably why so just leave a comment and correct me.

NOTES:

1) Defense vs. Position rankings are how well a team defends against a certain position. The ranking is for the team that it is listed under, NOT the opponent.
2) Rankings are as follows: 30 is the worst defense against a position, 1 is the best.
3) Last 10 Game Data is collected at the start of each week. It will be updated each Sunday for the upcoming week.

Miami @ Cleveland – 7:00 pm EDT

• This time of year everyone is resting players and the Heat are leading the way in that category. Make sure to check to see who is playing and fill your team with the backups. They continue to see minutes and continue to produce. Especially in this matchup.
• The Cavs have plenty of injuries right now, but it doesn’t really matter with them anyway. The only players that I would think about are Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson.

Chicago @ Orlando – 7:00 pm EDT

• The Bulls just can’t seem to catch an injury break, but they are still playing for seeding so I imagine Thibadoeu is still going to be playing his guys their full minutes. I love Carlos Boozer in this matchup and Jimmy Butler continues to put up big games with all of his minutes.
• For the Magic, it’s all about three players right now. Nikola Vucevic, Tobias Harris, and Beno Udrih. All 3 are in play tonight against the Bulls.

New York @ Charlotte – 7:00 pm EDT

• The Knicks are locked into the number 2 seed in the East so don’t be surprised to see their stars either sit or play limited minutes. Don’t get caught playing Melo and having him only play 20 minutes.
• The Bobcats haven’t had anything to play for in months, but they are still playing. I like the value for Josh McRoberts tonight and maybe for Kemba Walker if he is decently priced.

Philadelphia @ Detroit – 7:30 pm EDT

• Two teams that are still playing competitive basketball should be a game that you want to target tonight. Spencer Hawes and Jrue Holiday make great plays from the Sixers.
• For the Pistons, I love the fact that Andre Drummond is finally getting around 30 minutes. He can put up points in a hurry and should dominate this frontcourt of the Sixers. I really like him tonight. Also, Brandon Knight is a good play thanks to his minutes.

Washington @ Brooklyn – 7:30 pm EDT

• The Wizards have nothing to play for but they are playing well right now and the Nets could be resting players in this one, so that helps the Wizards a lot. John Wall is a great play and I think Nene Hilario could finally be worth taking.
• The Nets may be resting players, so check your injury updates and make adjustments if you need to. I don’t recommend taking any Nets tonight unless they are backups that are going to be getting extra minutes.

Memphis @ Dallas – 8:00 pm EDT

*Memphis is one of the few teams still fighting for positioning, so you shouldn’t have to worry about their stars not getting minutes unless it somehow turns into a blowout. I like Mike Conley and Marc Gasol the most in this one.

• The Mavericks no longer have beards! At least I imagine that they don’t now that they are .500. I think they will play well in this one, but I have a hard time trusting anyone not named Dirk Nowitzki from that team.

Denver @ Milwaukee – 8:00 pm EDT

• The Nuggets need to win to keep ahold of that 3 seed, so all of the Nuggets are in play tonight. It sounds like Kenneth Faried may be out tonight, so that gives even more value to Wilson Chandler and Corey Brewer. I like both of them in this one as well as Andre Iguodala and Andre Miller. The Nuggets could be the team to stack up on.
• The Bucks are locked into the 8th seed and may be resting players tonight. If they rest players, than their backups are worth a shot, but I wouldn’t waste your money on any of the stars.

Utah @ Minnesota – 8:00 pm EDT

• The Jazz need to win their last two and have the Lakers lose their last game. Not looking too great at this point but one thing is for sure, they will go down swining. I love Mo Williams and Al Jefferson in this one tonight.
• For the T-Wolves, I thought Rubio would have a big game the other night and he did and I think he has another big game tonight. Mo Williams just doesn’t play great defense.

Sacramento @ Oklahoma City – 8:00 pm EDT

• Haven’t heard any injury info on the Kings today so I am going to guess that they will all be playing tonight. However, they will be playing in OKC, no thanks.
• The Thunder are only a game up on the Spurs so they will try to win tonight. Russell Westbrook and Durant both have great matchups but I think they get up big early and rest their stars.

Houston @ Phoenix – 10:00 pm EDT

• The Rockets need to win to keep the 6th seed, so they will be playing their starters. James Harden had a huge game against the Suns a couple weeks ago and even hit a game winner thanks to Jermaine O’Neal. He is a must play tonight I think.
• For the Suns, I like Goran Dragic and will pass on the rest of the team.

San Antonio @ Golden State – 10:30 pm EDT

• The Spurs can still catch the Thunder so they will be playing as hard as Pop lets them. All of their players are in play tonight.
• The Warriors are still trying to increase their seed so look for them to play their starters as well. I like both Stephen Curry and David Lee, especially if Bogut is out. Klay Thompson is never a bad play at home either.