NBA Grind Down Friday, December 12th - Page Three
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Miami at Utah
- Vegas Line – Utah -3, 189 Over/Under
- Miami Proj. Starters – Cole-Chalmers-Deng-Williams-Bosh
- Utah Proj. Starters – Burke-Burks-Hayward-Favors-Kanter
| Miami | Utah | |||||||||||
 | Vegas Total | 189.0 |  | Vegas Total | 189.0 | |||||||
| Vegas Sprd | 3.0 | Vegas Sprd | -3.0 | |||||||||
| Team Proj. | 93.0 | Team Proj. | 96.0 | |||||||||
| Team Pace | 91.65 | Team Pace | 92.96 | |||||||||
| 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 | Norris Cole | Mario Chalmers | Luol Deng | Shawne Williams | Chris Bosh | Proj Starter | Trey Burke | Alec Burks | Gordon Hayward | Derrick Favors | Enes Kanter | |
| Opp. Season | 17 | 10 | 15 | 29 | 1 | Opp. Season | 19 | 30 | 9 | 1 | 21 | |
| Opp. Last 7 | 3 | 27 | 16 | 29 | 1 | Opp. Last 7 | 11 | 25 | 3 | 21 | 15 | |
Miami
Dwyane Wade and Josh McRoberts both missed shoot-around this morning and are both listed as doubtful for tonight’s game against the Jazz. Mario Chalmers and Shawne Williams will be in the starting lineup. While the Jazz are one of the slowest-paced teams in the NBA, they make up for it with a lack of a defense. The Jazz are ranked 29th in defensive efficiency this season, giving up an average of 102.1 points per game this season.
Elite Plays
Mario Chalmers (FD: $5600, DK: $5700 / MPG: 30 / Usage Rate: 21.9)
Chalmers will likely draw the start for the injured Dwyane Wade. In eight starts this season, he has really played well, averaging 17 points, 3 rebounds, and 7 assists per game. His salary is high enough that he’s not a must-play tonight, but he’s still a very strong play against the Jazz.
Secondary Plays
Chris Bosh (FD: $8500, DK: $8200 / MPG: 35 / Usage Rate: 28.9)
Bosh should see a slight uptick in production with Wade and McRoberts out of the lineup. The only thing holding him back from being an elite play tonight is his matchup. The Jazz have been surprisingly stingy against opposing centers, as they are ranked 2nd in fantasy points allowed per 48 minutes this season.
Utah
The Jazz are 6-16 on the season, but have a good chance to pick up their 7th win of the season tonight. With Wade out, the Jazz are listed as 3-point favorites in a game that features a total of 188 points. That total is easily the lowest of the night. These are two of the slowest-paced teams in the league, which doesn’t bode well for the fantasy appeal of this game.
Elite Plays
None
Secondary Plays
Derrick Favors (FD: $7300, DK: $7400 / MPG: 31 / Usage Rate: 22.7)
Favors has been too inconsistent to target in cash games, but he does have great upside as a tournament play. He has scored at least 34 fantasy points in three of his last four games. Tonight he draws a nice matchup against an under-sized Heat front-court.
L.A. Lakers at San Antonio
- Vegas Line – San Antonio -13, 207 Over/Under
- L.A. Lakers Proj. Starters – Price-Bryant-Johnson-Davis-Hill
- San Antonio Proj. Starters – Parker-Green-Leonard-Duncan-Bonner
| L.A. Lakers | San Antonio | |||||||||||
 | Vegas Total | 207.0 |  | Vegas Total | 207.0 | |||||||
| Vegas Sprd | 13.0 | Vegas Sprd | -13.0 | |||||||||
| Team Proj. | 97.0 | Team Proj. | 110.0 | |||||||||
| Team Pace | 97.77 | Team Pace | 95.69 | |||||||||
| 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 | Ronnie Price | Kobe Bryant | Wesley Johnson | Ed Davis | Jordan Hill | Proj Starter | Tony Parker | Danny Green | Kawhi Leonard | Tim Duncan | Matt Bonner | |
| Opp. Season | 6 | 4 | 17 | 13 | 7 | Opp. Season | 30 | 8 | 22 | 23 | 22 | |
| Opp. Last 7 | 9 | 21 | 14 | 4 | 23 | Opp. Last 7 | 27 | 1 | 13 | 17 | 26 | |
L.A. Lakers
The Lakers have one of the worst matchups on the board tonight. The Spurs are ranked 3rd in defensive efficiency this season, holding their opponents to only 94.3 points per game. The Spurs are also 13-point favorites in a game that could easily be over by the end of three quarters. While it’s hard to ever rule out Kobe Bryant, I will not be paying the premium for him in such a tough matchup.
Elite Plays
None
Secondary Plays
Ed Davis (FD: $4600, DK: $5000 / MPG: 22 / Usage Rate: 12.6)
Davis is the one Lakers’ player that I will likely have some exposure to tonight. In his six starts this season, he is only averaging 6 points and 7 rebounds per game, but he has played at least 26 minutes and has scored at least 19 fantasy points in each of his last three games. If you need some value at power forward, Davis is a viable option, even against the Spurs.
San Antonio
I always hate these situations with the Spurs. They have a terrific matchup, but it’s a game that could turn into a blowout. With Tony Parker and Kawhi Leonard both nursing injuries, Coach Popovich will not play them any more than absolutely necessary. The same goes for Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili, who are as old as dirt. Oh, and Tiago Splitter is now back in the mix which hurts the fantasy value of Boris Diaw.
Elite Plays / Secondary Plays
The Spurs have one of the best matchups on the board, but there is a great chance that we get “Pop’d” tonight. For that reason, I will label them as strictly tournament plays.