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NBA Grind Down: Friday, April 4th

by Ethan Haskell (Ethan) Last Updated 2014-04-04 19:25:34

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: Any Fantasy Point Average Listed Uses FanDuel Scoring. For more info on FanDuel’s NBA Scoring System, check out the scoring systems section of our FanDuel Review

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Click ‘Stat Chart’ Buttons Below for Pop-Ups of Essential Game-Specific Statistics including Defense vs. Position and Pace

Note: Today’s Grind Down will focus on the DFBBC Final Tonight. Check out more punt plays and full details on FanDuel’s basketball championship in our DFBBC Preview Article

Denver at Memphis

Denver

Games like this are always hard to predict, when both teams play such differing paces. Denver wants to push the tempo but Memphis is one of the best in the league at forcing opponents to play to their style, which is why I’d lean towards this game being lower scoring and Denver’s weapons struggling mightily. The only soft spot in terms of defense vs. position stats for Memphis has been against the SG slot over the last 15 days, where they rank 19th.

Memphis

I typically try to avoid anyone on Memphis, but the Nuggets play close to no defense so there could be some options here who are outside-the-box for tonight’s DFBBC. Denver ranks no better than 18th against every position for both the season and last 15 days splits. Their biggest weakness though has been defending the paint, where injuries have forced Denver to log significant minutes for Mozgov, Arthur and Randolph of late. The Randolph on the other side is licking his chops.

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Orlando at Charlotte

Orlando

Orlando will have their hands full against Charlotte on Friday considering the Bobcats rank 7th in the NBA in points allowed over their last 10 games. Orlando has also dropped 7 of their last 9 and the only positive matchup in terms of DvP is for Jameer Nelson against Kemba. Nelson’s upside has been severely limited all season long, including since returning from injury where he hasn’t topped 23 FP in 3 games. Unfortunately Nelson’s return has also put a damper on the production of rookie Victor Oladipo, as he too hasn’t topped 23 FP in those three games.

Charlotte

The Bobcats are on pace to make the NBA Playoffs! Look out world, hell has frozen over. But in all seriousness the push this team has made behind Big Al and Kemba has been really impressive. Tonight their daily fantasy appeal though comes with some risk since there’s serious blowout potential here. The other big news of note is that Josh McRoberts won’t play, leaving Cody Zeller as a nice punt play filling in as the starter.

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Indiana at Toronto

Indiana

This game is going to be a challenge to figure out. Typically I like to target games with tight spreads, but when the O/U is just 186 I have my rightful concerns. The Pacers are also a team that is struggling heavily offensively. Over the last 10 games, no team is averaging less points per game than the Pacers. Indiana has averaged an absurd 84 PPG in that span and Toronto’s defense isn’t perfect, but it’s better than teams like Cleveland and Detroit who have given Indiana fits in that span.

Toronto

For Toronto, the probable absence of Kyle Lowry leaves Greivis Vasquez as a prime bargain option tonight. The decision will likely come down to whether you want to spend less on Greivis in a tough matchup or more on McCallum in a much better matchup. The obvious move is McCallum, but if you want to beat the field tonight in the DFBBC you should try and zig when they zag at a couple of positions. Greivis could be a nice zig that pays off, especially when Indiana’s biggest defensive weakness is against the PG slot.

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Cleveland at Atlanta

Cleveland

Cleveland has been streaking of late and this game has huge playoff implications. At this juncture in the season, finding teams in meaningful games is essential. Both of these teams need a W tonight and that means you can safely target options on both sides. For Cleveland, they’ll get an Atlanta defense that ranks in the bottom half of the NBA in DvP splits against PGs, PFs and Cs over the last 15 days. They also saw Kyrie Irving return to the lineup on Wednesday and Dion Waiters still managed 32 fantasy points as a starter. Last, Anderson Varejao is doubtful again, leaving Spencer Hawes in a great spot to get added minutes.

Atlanta

On the flip side is Atlanta at home against a similarly porous defense in Cleveland. Backcourt defense specifically has been a concern for Cleveland, as they rank in the bottom 10 in the league over the last 15 days against PGs, SGs and SFs. That leaves nice matchups for Teague, Korver and Carroll who are all expected to play tonight with a healthy Hawks starting five. The final thought on the Hawks tonight is that the Cavs without Anderson Varejao are significantly worse at defending the paint and Paul Millsap might be able to find some breathing room, although I won’t be actively targeting him on such a busy night.

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Philadelphia at Boston

Philadelphia

The Sixers got their win, and have now pretty much just quit on the season. They just got smoked by the Bobcats by 30 at home and while they won’t lose that badly tonight, the effort level they showed on Wednesday was embarrassing. The only positives recently have been the development of MCW and the emergence of Henry Sims. Sims is coming off 26 FPs on Wednesday and he’s seen between 25-33ish minutes in every game over his last ten. MCW has topped 35 FPs in each of his last three games despite admitting mass fatigue in an interview earlier this week.

Boston

As a Celtics fan, I can safely say my jaw dropped when I saw that they were ever 9.5 point favorites. The Sixers are bad, but the Celtics aren’t all that much better. Regardless, that’s the case tonight but I’d be shocked if this turned into a true blowout. I expect it to be close throughout and while the Celts might pull away late, don’t expect any of the big time producers to be riding the pine late. The last noteworthy piece for Boston is that Avery Bradley is questionable to play tonight and if he sits then Jerryd Bayless should see more minutes again.

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About the Author

Ethan
Ethan Haskell (Ethan)