NBA Daily Grind Down: Wednesday 4/3

by Derek Farnsworth (Notorious) Last Updated 2013-04-03 17:34:00

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.

It’s getting to the point in the season where we are seeing coaches make unusual decisions. Playing time is becoming inconsistent for both starters and bench players, management is trying to get young guys all the minutes they can handle, and some teams are even resting players. It’s a tough grind right now in NBA, but that doesn’t mean that it still can’t be profitable. Hopefully tonight’s Grind Down can help you sort out the mess:

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.

New York @ Atlanta – 7:00 pm EDT

• New York looks to make it 10 wins in a row and they have gotten there by playing some great defense. They are ranked in the top 10 against every single position. For the Hawks, I would maybe think about taking Al Horford is Tyson Chandler sits this one out. Other than that it is slim pickins. Maybe Jeff Teague gets a boost with Devin Harris out.
• The Hawks defense really struggles against SG’s and PF’s and that happens to be the positions that J.R. Smith and Carmelo Anthony play. They both are solid plays tonight against this defense. Don’t expect 50 again from Melo, but 30 isn’t out of the question.

Brooklyn @ Cleveland – 7:00 pm EDT

• The Nets have dropped in the rankings over the last few weeks, but then again the Cavs aren’t exactly the best offensive team. They will however be getting Kyrie Irving back tonight so I think he really helps the value of the Cavs big men. Tristan Thompson is at an all time low price and could be a great sleeper pick.
• The Cavs defense certainly isn’t anything special. I think Deron Williams is going to want to try and prove that he is still better than Kyrie, and I expect a big game out of him tonight. Outside of D-Will I don’t trust any other Nets just because Reggie Evans takes all of Brook Lopez rebounds.

Washington @ Toronto – 7:00 pm EDT

• The Wizards are rolling right now thanks to John Wall hot streak and their defense. They have really gotten better defensively and the Raptors aren’t a team that puts up a ton of points. Even though Kyle Lowry has been down lately, he is the only play I would consider on the Raptors.
• For the Raptors, they struggle to defend SG’s and big men. The Wizards are a mess at the SG position with minutes being divided between too many people so it comes down to the big men. If Nene Hilario plays tonight, I think he is a good safe bet for 25+ fantasy points. If he is out, Emeka Okafor is a good play.

Philadelphia @ Charlotte – 7:00 pm EDT

• The Sixers aren’t the best defensive team and I think this is a game that Kemba Walker could take over. He always plays much better at home and is really their only offensive weapon other than Gerald Henderson.
• The Bobcats have the worst defense in the league. Whenever a team plays against them, it seems like every person on that team has a good game. Jrue Holiday, Evan Turner, Thaddeus Young, and Spencer Hawes are all in play today.

Detroit @ Boston – 7:30 pm EDT

• The Pistons have been really bad defensively lately and the Celtics could be short handed. KG is already out and Pierce is questionable. I like Jeff Green for all types of reasons, he is getting a ton of minutes and is their best offensive player when those two guys are out.
• The Celtics have been struggling defensively without KG in the middle. Both Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond should produce good games in this one.

Minnesota @ Milwaukee – 8:00 pm EDT

• This should be a fun one if it stays close. Neither team like to play defense all that much and it’s safe to play any position against the T-Wolves except for Centers. Brandon Jennings is still cheap on a lot of sites and is a good play, Monta Ellis continues to rack up big games, and Ersan Ilyasova hasn’t had a bad game in a long time.
• For the T-Wolves, I think Ricky Rubio should get 30+ fantasy points in an uptempo game even though the Bucks are pretty good against PG’s. The man of the hour though is Nikola Pekovic going up against the league’s worst team at defending Centers.

Orlando @ San Antonio – 8:30 pm EDT

• Orlando is not a good defensive team, but you can’t trust any Spurs at this point, especially in a game like this that should be a blowout.
• While this should be a blowout, the Magic young guys are playing 40+ minutes a night regardless. Beno Udrih, Tobias Harris, and Maurice Harkless are all solid plays if the price is right.

Denver @ Utah – 9:00 pm EDT

• This is a rare important game this time of the season. The Jazz absolutely need to win to stay ahead of the Lakers. Al Jefferson has been playing some great basketball and has a good matchup tonight. I also like the matchup for Mo Williams even though he is as frustrating as they come.
• For the Nuggets, the Jazz struggle against PG and PF which leaves us with the options of Andre Miller and Kenneth Faried. I like both of them tonight.

Memphis @ Portland – 10:00 pm EDT

• Memphis is a great defensive team and I hate taking anyone against them unless there are injuries. If Aldridge is out again, then Hickson and Leonard are both in play, but if he is back, I would avoid the Blazers.
• On the other side, the big men of the Grizzlies have been so inconsistent, they seem to trade off which of them have good games which is highly unappealing. Mike Conley is the guy to target in this one against Lillard.

Houston @ Sacramento – 10:00 pm EDT

• This should be a fun one. Two of the worst defenses in the league face off. You have to love Isaiah Thomas against Lin, Tyreke Evans against this team, and maybe even Demarcus Cousins.
• For the Rockets, it sounds like they are going to be getting both James Harden and Chandler Parsons back tonight and I think they both play well after that nice little rest. Jeremy Lin is also in play against the Kings who are known for giving up big games to PG’s.

New Orleans @ Golden State – 10:30 pm EDT

• The Hornets give up fantasy points to all positions except for PF. I like Stephen Curry and Andrew Bogut in this one, but I would be a little wary of a blowout.
• For the Warriors, you have to love Greivis Vasquez going up against Curry. As much as I love Curry, I know how bad he is defensively.

Phoenix @ L.A.Clippers – 10:30 pm EDT

• Last but not least is the Suns/Clippers. This one has blowout written all over so I recommend just avoiding it completely. If you must take someone, Blake Griffin is dirt cheap right now and has the matchup so he could have a big game even if he only plays 3 quarters.