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NBA Grind Down: Christmas Edition

by Chirag Hira (INSPYR) Last Updated 2016-12-26 03:08:10

Welcome to the RotoGrinders NBA Grind Down. In this all-encompassing preview of today’s NBA action, every game will be broken down statistically, with several key elements highlighted in our charts.

Vegas lines are broken down to show projected team totals, to give you an idea of who is favored to win, and often more importantly, how many points they’re expected to score. We also provide pace numbers, so you can spot a game that might have a few extra possessions and more opportunities for fantasy points.

We also provide position-by-position matchup rankings for every team, to give you an idea of the players who will be in better situations to succeed. Using Defense versus Position data, every projected starter is listed along with his opponent’s rank in points allowed to players of his position. These color-coded charts will help you spot the best matchups of the night at a glance.

If you want to try a new DFS site, be sure to click through a RotoGrinders link and use promo code “GRINDERS” to receive the best perks in the industry.

Click here to follow INSPYR on Twitter!

Boston Celtics at New York Knicks – 12:00 PM ET

Boston Celtics New York Knicks
bostonnba Vegas Total 212.5 newyorknba Vegas Total 212.5
Vegas Spread -2.0 Vegas Spread 2.0
Team Total 107.3 Team Total 105.3
Pace +/- 1.0 Pace +/- -0.4
Proj. Starter Isaiah Thomas Avery Bradley Jae Crowder Amir Johnson Al Horford Proj. Starter Derrick Rose Courtney Lee Carmelo Anthony Kristaps Porzingis Joakim Noah
Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C
DvP 14 28 19 12 28 DvP 11 7 23 18 24
DRPM -1.94 -0.21 -1.38 0.76 1.98 DRPM -2.98 -2.29 1.51 1.09 1.90

Boston Celtics

Merry Christmas, Grinders! Hope everyone is able to enjoy time with their loved ones today. With games being played the entire day in multiple sports, make sure to take some time to connect with someone other than your devices. We have a nice slate on tap and hopefully someone that reads this can take down a GPP. I’m still honored that I’m the one that gets to write the Grind Down and strive to provide the best analysis that I can. So, let’s get right into it. The Celtics travel to the Mecca to tip things off and Isaiah is coming in as hot as any guard in the league outside of Westbrook. He’s averaging 35.33 actual points over his last three games (50.9 FDFP) and continues to get to the line a ton. Thomas leads the team with a true usage rate of 34.8% and faces an exploitable matchup in Derrick Rose (-1.94). Of all the PGs on the slate, Thomas faces the third easiest DPRM matchup, ironically behind Rose and obviously behind Curry. For cash games, it begins with Russell Westbrook so Thomas is more of a GPP option.

Al Horford was off against the Pacers on Thursday but bounced back in a tough matchup against the Thunder on Friday. He’s averaged 40.42 DraftKings points over his last five games and actually saw his salary dip on both major sites. He has a safe floor today and has flashed 50+ fantasy points upside a couple times this season. He didn’t play in the first meeting this season due to a concussion and is more of an elite option on DK due to the 3PM bonus and $1k cheaper salary. The DPRM and DvP are on opposite ends but Kelly Olynyk was able to torch them for 32.9 FD points in his spot start for Horford, making Horford extremely appealing.

Avery Bradley has been in a funk over the past five games and is still relatively expensive. The minutes are a lock over 30 but due to his slump, he’s only a GPP option in one of the best DvP matchups on the team, proven by the 39.5 DK points he put up against the Knicks the last time they played. Jae Crowder and Amir Johnson deserve honorable mentioned here. Crowder because he has averaged 30.65 FD points over his last six games against the Knicks and Johnson because he’s played over 23 minutes in three straight games. Also, keep in mind Marcus Smart hung 39.5 DK points on the Knicks in November when Horford was out.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L3 +/- FP/Game L3 +/- True Usage L3 +/- DvP DRPM
Isaiah Thomas $8,400 $8,100 1.18 33.3 -0.5 39.2 5.8 34.8% -1.2% 14 -1.94
Avery Bradley $6,400 $6,000 0.89 35.2 -1.0 31.2 -4.6 22.1% -2.2% 28 -0.21
Jae Crowder $5,300 $5,100 0.79 31.2 5.2 24.6 1.1 17.2% -1.6% 19 -1.38
Amir Johnson $3,600 $3,100 0.77 19.7 2.7 15.2 0.8 14.4% -0.9% 12 0.76
Al Horford $7,500 $6,500 1.07 33.0 1.7 35.5 -0.5 23.0% 0.4% 28 1.98
Marcus Smart $4,400 $4,000 0.73 30.0 -5.0 21.8 -3.3 19.8% -0.6% 28 N/A

Elite Plays – Al Horford (DK), Isaiah Thomas (GPP)

Secondary Plays – Avery Bradley, Jae Crowder, Amir Johnson (GPP)

New York Knicks

The Knicks are on a two-game winning streak since Rose’s return from a back injury. Kristaps Porzingis suffered a knee injury against the Magic on Thursday and was unable to finish that game. He said that he’s probable for this game and we’ll have confirmation before lineups lock. Porzingis has not been this cheap on DraftKings in over a month while his salary is still slightly inflated on FanDuel. He deserves GPP consideration on both sites but more so on DK due to the 3PM and double-double bonus. Carmelo Anthony was ejected from their previous meeting but has averaged 37.59 FanDuel in 12 games as a member of the Knicks against the Celtics. Even if he hits average, that won’t allow us to have much profit and due to his potential downside, I’d reserve either LeBron James or Kevin Durant as the SF cash plays and Anthony the GPP play.

Derrick Rose is the other GPP play I’d consider from the Knicks. He’s played well since returning from injury and did have decent performances against the Celtics as a member of the Bulls. He has a higher true usage rate (27.6%) than Porzingis (23.4%) and costs considerably much less. There is some temptation to chase after Kyle O’Quinn or Willy Hernangomez but Joakim Noah is still the starting C and the only reason O’Quinn and Hernangomez were really able to make an impact was because Porzingis was unable to finish their previous game. Out of all three big men, I trust Noah the most and O’Quinn the least. He’s had huge games followed by really poor performances but it’s not entirely his fault. The big man rotation is anything but consistent so in a tournament setting, I’d have to take the one that allows me the most potential profit.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L3 +/- FP/Game L3 +/- True Usage L3 +/- DvP DRPM
Derrick Rose $6,400 $6,100 0.91 31.0 0.0 28.1 5.5 27.6% 3.6% 11 -2.98
Courtney Lee $4,000 $3,800 0.59 30.6 3.1 18.0 -1.3 14.1% -0.5% 7 -2.29
Carmelo Anthony $7,600 $7,600 1.02 34.1 -0.2 34.9 3.7 28.5% 0.2% 23 1.51
Kristaps Porzingis $7,500 $7,200 1.00 34.3 -1.7 34.3 -2.6 23.4% 0.1% 18 1.09
Joakim Noah $4,200 $3,900 0.90 21.6 -0.5 19.5 -1.9 14.2% 2.0% 24 1.90

Elite Plays – Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah (GPP)

Secondary Plays – Carmelo Anthony, Kristaps Porzingis

Golden State Warriors at Cleveland Cavaliers – 2:30 PM ET

Golden State Warriors Cleveland Cavaliers
goldenstatenba Vegas Total 222.5 clevelandnba Vegas Total 222.5
Vegas Spread -2.0 Vegas Spread 2.0
Team Total 112.3 Team Total 110.3
Pace +/- -0.4 Pace +/- 4.0
Proj. Starter Stephen Curry Klay Thompson Kevin Durant Draymond Green Zaza Pachulia Proj. Starter Kyrie Irving DeAndre Liggins LeBron James Kevin Love Tristan Thompson
Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C
DvP 18 26 8 3 12 DvP 8 16 8 20 6
DRPM -2.41 0.36 1.22 1.47 1.88 DRPM -0.78 -2.75 2.08 4.38 2.82

Golden State Warriors

Welcome to your Christmas present from the NBA. This game is by far the most appealing contest on the slate and should stay close throughout. With the top implied total on the slate, we’ll have to target the Warriors. This is only the second time in two seasons that Stephen Curry has been $8.6k on FanDuel. Curry has not exceeded salary-based expectations in almost a month on FanDuel and now is a good time to buy low as any. Curry still leads the team with a true usage rate of 29.7% and gets a -2.41 matchup against Kyrie Irving. We can expect Curry to play 33-38 minutes and at 1.20 FP/Min he should be able to make salary-based expectations. Klay Thompson will have to deal with DeAndre Liggins and not J.R. Smith, making him slightly risky since Liggins is primarily known as a defender. The only thing that concerns me about Liggins is that he has not been in a high stakes game like this before, which could lead to some costly mistakes that Thompson could easily exploit.

Kevin Durant will be facing LeBron James for the first time as a member of the Warriors and if we remove the blowout victory over the Jazz last week, Durant is averaging 49.35 FanDuel points over his last four games. Durant has not been this cheap on FanDuel in six weeks and you should take advantage of the discount. Draymond Green is also a viable option that played over 37 minutes against the Pistons on Friday. He’s a solid cash game option that has triple-double upside for DraftKings. Andre Iguodala is your cheap entry into this game and he’s averaged 16.12 DK points over his last seven games. He’s played over 25 minutes in five out of those seven games and is a key piece when the Warriors go to their “Death Lineup”.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L3 +/- FP/Game L3 +/- True Usage L3 +/- DvP DRPM
Stephen Curry $8,600 $8,500 1.20 33.0 -2.9 39.7 -4.5 29.7% -1.8% 18 -2.41
Klay Thompson $6,200 $6,500 0.87 33.6 -3.0 29.3 -1.2 24.6% -0.2% 26 0.36
Kevin Durant $9,500 $9,500 1.36 34.0 -4.3 46.3 -0.1 27.9% 4.0% 8 1.22
Draymond Green $7,900 $8,000 1.13 32.8 -2.9 37.2 2.9 19.3% 0.4% 3 1.47
Zaza Pachulia $3,900 $3,300 0.93 17.7 1.7 16.4 3.9 14.2% -0.1% 12 1.88
Andre Iguodala $3,900 $3,400 0.68 24.7 -1.4 16.9 -0.2 12.6% -0.4% 8 N/A

Elite Plays – Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant

Secondary Plays – Draymond Green, Klay Thompson, Andre Iguodala (DK)

Cleveland Cavaliers

Kyrie Irving has been on a tear since he got a week off and is averaging 51.02 DK points over his last four games and is still under $8K on DraftKings. He actually has a higher true usage rate (30.6%) than Curry and he’s $800 cheaper than Curry. Irving should be considered an elite option regardless of format. Kevin Love returned from a knee injury and only played 25 minutes against the Nets. He was still able to put up 36.8 DK points and is slightly more expensive than Draymond Green. He also has a higher true usage rate (26.3%) than his Warriors counterpart and also the higher ceiling.

LeBron James is also obviously an elite option but he is also more expensive than Durant. I think both players come to within a couple fantasy points of each other and it’ll depend on your build which player to fit in. Channing Frye has also been playing well lately but is no more than a low-end punt option on DK due to the 3PM bonus. Tristan Thompson is back to playing solid ball, grabbing a double-double in two out of his last three games. His salary has not spiked considerably and he’s a solid game stack option in tournaments. He disappears randomly and has played over 30 minutes only twice this month but I’ll expect to see him out there when it matters.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L3 +/- FP/Game L3 +/- True Usage L3 +/- DvP DRPM
Kyrie Irving $8,000 $7,700 1.02 34.7 4.8 35.3 13.1 30.6% -0.1% 8 -0.78
DeAndre Liggins $3,500 $3,200 0.57 14.5 3.9 8.3 -0.4 11.8% -3.6% 16 -2.75
LeBron James $10,100 $10,300 1.29 37.1 3.2 47.8 6.0 33.3% -1.7% 8 2.08
Kevin Love $8,400 $8,200 1.20 32.2 0.9 38.7 14.7 26.3% 3.6% 20 4.38
Tristan Thompson $5,000 $4,900 0.80 28.9 -2.4 23.3 1.0 9.9% 4.0% 6 2.82

Elite Plays – Kyrie Irving, LeBron James, Kevin Love

Secondary Plays -Tristan Thompson, Channing Frye (DK)

Chicago Bulls at San Antonio Spurs – 5:00 PM ET

Chicago Bulls San Antonio Spurs
chicagonba Vegas Total 199.0 sanantonionba Vegas Total 199.0
Vegas Spread 9.0 Vegas Spread -9.0
Team Total 95.0 Team Total 104.0
Pace +/- -2.4 Pace +/- -1.5
Proj. Starter Rajon Rondo Dwyane Wade Jimmy Butler Taj Gibson Robin Lopez Proj. Starter Tony Parker Danny Green Kawhi Leonard LaMarcus Aldridge Pau Gasol
Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C
DvP 8 19 2 4 3 DvP 6 14 15 20 18
DRPM -0.90 0.63 0.90 0.47 1.61 DRPM -0.53 0.37 1.31 1.63 0.50

Chicago Bulls

The Bulls continue their road trip in San Antonio and are the team with the lowest implied total. These players will be nice tournament options because they’ll likely have the lowest ownership on the slate. Jimmy Butler has not exceeded salary-based expectations in five straight games and is now $7.5k on DraftKings. He’ll have to deal with Kawhi Leonard all game and there’s better ways to spend your funds at SF today. If you’re making multiple team, give Butler some consideration but I’d rather have Anthony over Butler. Dwyane Wade is also cheap again on DraftKings. Wade has not been $6.2k or cheaper in a month and has the best DvP matchup on the team. I can understand going there in GPPs but would rather go to Rajon Rondo.

Rajon Rondo scored 41.5 DK points against the Spurs earlier this season and almost had a triple-double. He’s nice and cheap again but you know what you’re getting into when using Rondo. He carries considerable risk and is not for the faint of heart. Doug McDermott has averaged 20.2 DK points over his last three games. He played a season-high 33 minutes on Friday and should be considered an viable option on DK since he’s only $3.2k. He’s fine on FanDuel as well but better over on DK due to the 3PM bonus. McDermott has hit a three-pointer in four out of his last five games. McDermott has averaged 11.66 FGA and has a usage rate of 20.3%, only 4.3% behind Jimmy Butler in the Bulls’ last three games.

Nikola Mirotic has also been reliable over the last three games but I’d rather do something else on Christmas than sweat Nikola Mirotic on FanDuel. Over on DraftKings, it’s a totally different story. He’s only $3.6k and has multi-position eligibility. He has not played over 23 minutes in seven straight games, so he carries considerable risk. If I’m forcing a punt from this team, I’d take the path with the highest potential profit and highest potential minutes and that’s Doug McDerrmott. Robin Lopez also deserves a mention because he’s played over 32 minutes in back-to-back games. He has not been doing much with the minutes but if the Bulls can keep this game close he’ll play over 30 minutes again.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L3 +/- FP/Game L3 +/- True Usage L3 +/- DvP DRPM
Rajon Rondo $5,400 $5,700 0.88 31.0 -1.6 27.3 -0.5 21.8% 2.9% 8 -0.90
Dwyane Wade $6,600 $6,200 1.03 31.0 -4.7 31.9 -6.1 29.9% -0.6% 19 0.63
Jimmy Butler $7,800 $7,500 1.13 36.2 -3.2 40.9 -8.2 29.0% -2.9% 2 0.90
Taj Gibson $4,900 $4,900 0.89 28.0 -3.9 25.0 0.6 19.3% 1.2% 4 0.47
Robin Lopez $4,500 $4,500 0.79 28.5 0.5 22.5 -5.3 16.2% -0.7% 3 1.61

Elite Plays – N/A

Secondary Plays – Rajon Rondo (GPP), Nikola Mirotic (GPP), Dwyane Wade, Doug McDermott (DK)

San Antonio Spurs

The Spurs are coming home after a three-game road trip and return with Kawhi Leonard playing great ball. Leonard is averaging 44.46 DK points in his last three games and has averaged 45.26 in his last three games against the Bulls. Leonard leads the Spurs with a true usage rate of 29.5% and has played over 31 minutes in three straight games. I am concerned that the Spurs will blow the Bulls out since Chicago is slumping but Leonard is the safest option. LaMarcus Aldridge got his sweet revenge against the Blazers and is averaging 34.87 FanDuel points over his last four games. He has the best DvP matchup but the toughest DPRM matchup, making him only safe for GPPs.

With not many elite center options on the slate, Pau Gasol also deserves consideration. He was rested against the Blazers but had been averaging 33.31 FanDuel points in his last seven starts. This will be his second “revenge” game against the Bulls this season and I don’t think it really matters for him with the game being played in San Antonio. Still, he’s a solid C option with a slate that lacks a ton of elite options at the position. David Lee and Dewayne Dedmon have been consistent minutes as well but they’re too risky for cash. Manu Ginobili will return from his two-game absence and deserves a look on DK. He’s only 3.4k over there and is averaging 21.77 DK points in his last four games. The minutes are far from secure but he was hot before his rest games and is cheap.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L3 +/- FP/Game L3 +/- True Usage L3 +/- DvP DRPM
Tony Parker $4,000 $3,700 0.70 25.3 0.1 17.7 -2.0 22.7% -3.1% 6 -0.53
Danny Green $3,700 $3,600 0.63 25.4 4.3 15.9 5.2 12.5% 0.2% 14 0.37
Kawhi Leonard $8,000 $7,800 1.17 33.4 -1.8 39.2 -5.0 29.5% 1.4% 15 1.31
LaMarcus Aldridge $6,400 $6,800 0.91 31.7 -3.6 29.0 0.7 23.8% 4.0% 20 1.63
Pau Gasol $6,500 $6,000 1.04 26.5 0.8 27.7 4.6 21.4% -0.2% 18 0.50
Patty Mills $3,800 $3,900 0.82 22.9 -2.7 18.8 -2.6 21.8% -1.4% 6 N/A

Elite Plays – Kawhi Leonard

Secondary Plays – LaMarcus Aldridge, Pau Gasol, Manu Ginobili (DK)

Minnesota Timberwolves at Oklahoma City Thunder – 8:00 PM ET

Minnesota Timberwolves Oklahoma City Thunder
minnesotanba Vegas Total 209.5 oklahomacitynba Vegas Total 209.5
Vegas Spread 5.0 Vegas Spread -5.0
Team Total 102.3 Team Total 107.3
Pace +/- 2.0 Pace +/- -1.0
Proj. Starter Ricky Rubio Zach LaVine Andrew Wiggins Gorgui Dieng Karl-Anthony Towns Proj. Starter Russell Westbrook Anthony Morrow Andre Roberson Domantas Sabonis Steven Adams
Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C
DvP 24 2 11 17 5 DvP 22 14 11 11 10
DRPM -0.69 -1.48 2.04 1.58 1.65 DRPM 0.48 -2.79 -2.43 2.71 -1.91

Minnesota Timberwolves

The Timberwolves travel to Oklahoma City to take on the Thunder. Karl-Anthony Towns has a double-double in ten straight games and is playing heavy minutes. He’s averaging 51.73 DK points over his last six games and is actually extremely discounted at $8.3k on DraftKings. He’s 9.1k over on FanDuel and I would not really consider him a high-upside option over there. He’s not even safe for cash on DK since he’s in a fifth ranked DvP matchup and faces Steven Adams and his 1.65 DPRM. That’s not a recipe for success but as we saw with Al Horford, who scored 43 DK points on the Thunder, it’s possible to attack them with a big that can stretch the floor.

Zach LaVine had a career-high 40 actual points against the Kings on Friday and also saw his salary drop $500 on DK. He fell slightly on FD as well but it was more noticable to me on DK. Coming off a career game and possibly having to face Anthony Morrow, I’d like to go back to the well. LaVine has been playing solid ball over his last 14 games and consistently sees heavy minutes. He’s averaging 36.83 DK points in those 14 games and looks like a strong cash game play as long as he’s cheaper than LaVine. My only concern here is that the Timberwolves have one of the second lowest team total on the slate. Andrew Wiggins faces a tough defender in Andre Roberson and didn’t even grab a rebound in the T-Wolves’ previous game. I can’t take that kind of empty player on my team in a tough matchup.

Gorgui Dieng is playing heavy minutes as well but he’s not producing elite lines. He’s fine for cash games since he’s not busting your lineup, but he’s lacked upside all season long. Last but not least, we have Ricky Rubio. It’s a known fact to play PGs against Russell Westbrook that was further proven by Isaiah Thomas’ great game on Friday. While Ricky Rubio is not the elite scorer that Thomas is, Rubio is still averaging 34.18 DK points over his last five games. He’s a lock for 33+ minutes and is averaging 9 assists a game in the last five games. Once again the low total is a concern here but since he’s starting and expected to be in a close game, I’d have to give him the nod over Rondo.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L3 +/- FP/Game L3 +/- True Usage L3 +/- DvP DRPM
Ricky Rubio $5,800 $5,900 0.75 31.5 5.5 23.5 6.1 17.2% 0.4% 24 -0.69
Zach LaVine $6,500 $6,400 0.77 37.9 1.9 29.3 1.6 23.1% 0.0% 2 -1.48
Andrew Wiggins $6,400 $6,600 0.83 36.8 3.6 30.5 3.8 27.3% -3.8% 11 2.04
Gorgui Dieng $5,600 $5,500 0.80 32.2 5.3 25.7 -0.8 15.5% -4.2% 17 1.58
Karl-Anthony Towns $9,100 $8,300 1.16 35.4 3.0 41.0 10.6 27.6% 6.1% 5 1.65

Elite Plays – Karl-Anthony Towns (DK), Zach LaVine, Ricky Rubio

Secondary Plays – Gorgui Dieng

Oklahoma City Thunder

Welcome to the obvious part of the slate. Lock in Russell Westbrook in cash and move on. You can try to be different in GPPs but remember it’s just playing with fire. Westbrook has scored over 40 actual points in his last three triple-doubles and has four triple-doubles in a row. I don’t see the T-Wolves stopping him from getting another one on Christmas. He’s scored over 80 fantasy points on DraftKings in two out of his last four starts and is actually cheaper than he’s been in all of four of those games. Why fade? I get you want exposure to Curry and Irving but figure it out with Westbrook. Victor Oladipo is being listed as questionable but has not played in six straight games. Don’t expect an update before the main slate locks.

Steven Adams scored over 30 FanDuel points in two out of his last four starts and KAT has a -1.91 DPRM. He’s a solid punt option at C on FanDuel that should see nearly 30 minutes if he can stay out of foul trouble. It has not really been an issue this year but it’s always in consideration going against an elite big man like Karl-Anthony Towns. Enes Kanter is the better play over on DraftKings because he’s barely $4.3k and has multi-position eligibility, unlike Adams. Kanter has been rolling over his last two games and has proven to have a solid floor, averaging 27.12 over his last five games. Andre Roberson continues to be cheap and continues to play heavy minutes. He might not have a huge offensive game but his all-around contributions make him fantasy worthy.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L3 +/- FP/Game L3 +/- True Usage L3 +/- DvP DRPM
Russell Westbrook $12,600 $12,500 1.64 35.1 -0.8 57.7 9.9 45.8% 2.5% 22 0.48
Anthony Morrow $3,500 $3,000 0.55 16.9 2.6 9.4 0.9 15.4% -5.1% 14 -2.79
Andre Roberson $3,900 $3,900 0.58 31.6 2.9 18.2 2.3 10.8% 2.4% 11 -2.43
Domantas Sabonis $3,500 $3,000 0.63 20.8 -4.5 13.2 -3.7 14.6% 1.4% 11 2.71
Steven Adams $5,200 $5,000 0.81 29.7 -2.0 24.2 1.8 16.1% 3.3% 10 -1.91
Enes Kanter $5,100 $4,300 1.14 19.4 1.7 22.2 2.4 24.7% -3.5% 11 N/A

Elite Plays – Russell Westbrook, Enes Kanter (DK)

Secondary Plays – Steven Adams, Andre Roberson

Los Angeles Clippers at Los Angeles Lakers – 10:30 PM ET

Los Angeles Clippers Los Angeles Lakers
laclippersnba Vegas Total 213.5 lalakersnba Vegas Total 213.5
Vegas Spread -6.0 Vegas Spread 6.0
Team Total 109.8 Team Total 103.8
Pace +/- 2.4 Pace +/- 0.0
Proj. Starter Chris Paul J.J. Redick Luc Richard Mbah a Moute Paul Pierce DeAndre Jordan Proj. Starter D’Angelo Russell Nick Young Luol Deng Julius Randle Timofey Mozgov
Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C
DvP 24 26 29 28 28 DvP 16 2 16 5 6
DRPM -0.71 -1.49 0.39 0.05 -0.41 DRPM 2.72 -1.34 2.63 0.71 2.60

Los Angeles Clippers

Our Christmas late hammer could not have been any worse. With Chris Paul questionable, there’s no way anyone can build lineups without some sort of guessing involved. Paul did not play on Friday after pulling his hamstring on Thursday. It seemed minor during the game but we have no idea what to expect. Raymond Felton started in place of Paul on Friday and played 34 minutes. He did not make a huge fantasy impact but minutes = $ and he’s a viable option if he starts against the Lakers. Austin Rivers also saw about 29 minutes off the bench and scored more fantasy points than Felton. He’s also much more expensive than Felton and even more expensive than Crawford on both sites. Crawford had his best game of the season against the Mavs and will be a viable GPP option. DeAndre Jordan needs CP3 to set him up for some lobs otherwise, his upside is capped. Jordan had 17 rebounds against the Mavs but his lack of offensive game kept him from exceeding salary-based expectations. I’d only use Jordan in the later slates, once we find out the status of Paul. Marreese Speights and Brandon Bass deserve some consideration but I’d feel more comfortable using them with Paul available.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L3 +/- FP/Game L3 +/- True Usage L3 +/- DvP DRPM
Chris Paul $9,600 $9,300 1.30 31.5 -2.5 41.0 -0.3 28.6% 4.0% 24 -0.71
J.J. Redick $4,500 $5,300 0.71 26.8 -2.7 19.1 3.9 21.3% 1.0% 26 -1.49
Luc Richard Mbah a Moute $3,500 $3,600 0.54 22.7 -1.9 12.3 0.5 10.9% 3.3% 29 0.39
Paul Pierce $3,500 $3,000 0.43 12.2 2.0 5.3 -2.2 14.3% 2.9% 28 0.05
DeAndre Jordan $7,300 $7,400 1.00 31.5 -1.2 31.5 0.3 14.0% -0.2% 28 -0.41
Jamal Crawford $4,300 $4,000 0.66 25.2 -0.2 16.7 -6.1 22.2% -3.9% 26 N/A
Austin Rivers $4,400 $4,400 0.63 23.6 0.4 14.9 2.4 18.1% 1.6% 24 N/A
Raymond Felton $3,600 $3,500 0.64 17.4 0.3 11.1 2.8 16.3% 4.4% 24 N/A

Elite Plays – Austin Rivers (if Paul is out), Jamal Crawford (if Paul is out)

Secondary Plays – Raymond Felton (if Paul is out), DeAndre Jordan

Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers return home after a seven-game road trip and face the Clippers after having lost 12 of their last 13 games. D’Angelo Russell seems to be kicking into high gear and has played 30 minutes in back-to-back games. Russell is averaging 30.9 DK points over his last four starts and would be an elite option against Raymond Felton. Chris Paul lowers his ceiling considerably, so if you’re playing Russell on the all day slate, be prepared for it to only be viable in GPPs. Julius Randle will join the team after being away from the team for the birth of his child. Randle is much more playable on DraftKings and has not been this cheap all season. Consider Randle a high-upside GPP option if the Clippers start Paul Pierce again. I’d consider him cash game worthy on DraftKings.

Luol Deng has been getting over 30 minutes in 8 out of his last 9 games and is averaging 24.66 FanDuel points. His salary is still not over $5k on either site but he’s a strong play on FanDuel. Lou Williams was cold in Orlando but should be back to his scoring ways at home. Williams averages 3.9 more fantasy points at home vs the road. Nick Young and Jordan Clarkson are almost the same salaries on both sites but I’d go with the starter if I had to pick one. Timofey Mozgov has seen over 24 minutes in back-to-back games and should once again if Tarik Black is out. Thomas Robinson played well in the absence of Randle but will no longer be an upside play with Randle back.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L3 +/- FP/Game L3 +/- True Usage L3 +/- DvP DRPM
D’Angelo Russell $6,000 $5,600 1.01 25.9 2.9 26.3 3.1 31.0% 0.9% 16 2.72
Nick Young $4,700 $4,700 0.78 25.9 7.8 20.1 10.4 19.8% 1.9% 2 -1.34
Luol Deng $4,700 $4,900 0.72 26.5 7.3 19.0 8.4 15.2% -0.3% 16 2.63
Julius Randle $6,200 $5,700 0.97 28.7 1.2 27.8 -0.6 23.5% 3.5% 5 0.71
Timofey Mozgov $3,600 $3,900 0.74 21.2 -2.5 15.7 -3.0 16.9% -0.9% 6 2.60
Jordan Clarkson $4,900 $4,800 0.78 28.5 0.5 22.2 3.9 24.1% -4.1% 16 N/A
Lou Williams $5,700 $5,800 1.11 25.3 2.2 28.0 1.3 30.6% -1.3% 2 N/A

Elite Plays – Julius Randle, Luol Deng

Secondary Plays – D’Angelo Russell (elite if Paul is out), Lou Williams

About the Author

INSPYR
Chirag Hira (INSPYR)

Chirag Hira, DFS alias “INSPYR”, has been playing fantasy basketball since 2001. He picked up DFS during the 2015 playoffs and has never looked back. In charge of DFS Alerts for the NBA, Chirag takes it as a daily challenge to break news before anyone else in the industry. He graduated with a degree in sports journalism and his career highlights include interviewing Kobe Bryant and Joe Torre. You can find Chirag on Twitter at C_Hira24.