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NBA Grind Down: Friday, December 2nd

by Chirag Hira (INSPYR) Last Updated 2016-12-03 04:06:43

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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.

Editor’s Note: Don’t yet have a Rosters account? Click here to create one. You’ll receive free access to our premium Rosters strategy content, which will build upon the guide below. Create your Rosters account now!

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Orlando Magic at Philadelphia 76ers – 7:00 PM ET

Orlando Magic Philadelphia 76ers
Article Image Vegas Total 196.0 Article Image Vegas Total 196.0
Vegas Spread 2.0 Vegas Spread -2.0
Team Total 97.0 Team Total 99.0
Pace +/- 0.5 Pace +/- -2.3
Proj. Starter D.J. Augustin Evan Fournier Aaron Gordon Serge Ibaka Bismack Biyombo Proj. Starter Sergio Rodriguez Gerald Henderson Robert Covington Ersan Ilyasova Joel Embiid
Opponent DvP Rank PG SG SF PF C Opponent DvP Rank PG SG SF PF C
2016-17 26 12 29 12 20 2016-17 20 15 12 15 14

Orlando Magic

Happy Friday, Grinders. Huge slate with plenty of fantasy goodness to talk about so let’s get into it. Orlando lost last night in Memphis but actually played a competitive game for most of the contest and travel to Philadelphia tonight. I hope they are able to play tonight at Wells Fargo Center after fiasco they had against the Kings the other night. Frank Vogel aka Scott Skiles continued to start the game with Nikola Vucevic and Elfrid Payton off the bench but ended up playing using four guys over 30 minutes. Vucevic, Ibaka, Fournier, and Biyombo. Fournier was lights out shooting 11/14 and playing 35 minutes. He’ll be a solid option again tonight that is more expensive on DraftKings than he is on FanDuel. With so many players in nice spots today, Fournier will depend on your roster construction.

Nikola Vucevic ceiling has been slightly lowered since he’s been coming off the bench but his minutes seem to be trending in the right direction. I can’t predict Vogel but he might just continue to stick with his starting lineup. If I had to have a center from this game, I’d rather pay for Joel Embiid. They’ll get almost the same amount of minutes and Embiid obviously has the higher usage rate. Serge Ibaka continues to play well and is a cash game PF tonight, no upside at this price. This might be the game that Elfrid Payton gets back on track, but with so many good PG options, it’s tough to trust a guy that is not a lock for 30 minutes coming off an ankle injury.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary Rosters Sal. FP/Min Minutes L3 +/- FP/Game L3 +/- True Usage L3 +/- DvP
D.J. Augustin $4,000 $4,600 $7,400 0.72 19.4 4.6 13.9 2.2 25.1% -3.9% 26
Evan Fournier $5,800 $6,000 $9,900 0.77 34.2 0.9 26.2 8.9 24.1% 1.7% 12
Aaron Gordon $4,000 $4,300 $8,600 0.73 26.8 -1.0 19.6 -4.8 19.9% 2.2% 29
Serge Ibaka $6,300 $6,200 $9,900 0.87 30.2 1.8 26.2 2.1 20.6% -0.4% 12
Bismack Biyombo $4,200 $4,300 $7,300 0.76 23.8 4.4 18.0 -5.2 12.6% -4.1% 20
Elfrid Payton $5,700 $5,000 $9,800 0.86 29.8 -1.1 25.6 -0.5 24.0% 3.4% 26
Nikola Vucevic $7,100 $6,800 $10,600 1.12 27.8 3.6 31.3 13.5 24.4% 1.2% 20

Elite Plays – Serge Ibaka (cash)

Secondary Plays – Nikola Vucevic, Elfrid Payton

Philadelphia 76ers

Jerryd Bayless (out)
Nerlens Noel (out)

The Sixers should be extra rested since they did not have to play against the Kings on Wednesday. It was announced prior to that game that The Process (Joel Embiid) would be allowed to dominate for 28 minutes, and we should look at him as a solid cash game play tonight. With so many center options tonight, Embiid should have slightly lower ownership than he usually does. Embiid has taken the crown from Boban as the leader of the DFS free world and will likely have healthy amount of ownership anytime he plays until he’s priced in the $7.5-8k range. With Cousins and Towns on the slate, I’m not sure I can fade those guys for Embiid but on FanDuel since I have to pick one center, it’ll come down to roster construction and where the value opens up for the day.

Sergio Rodriguez has played well in the absence of Jerryd Bayless but his salary has caught up to his production. He’s not a lock-and-load option that he was when he was priced $4k and lower on DraftKings. Bayless is out for tonight, making Rodriguez a viable option. Gerald Henderson gets minutes in close games but sits during blowouts. This one is expected to be close and he’s pretty cheap on both major sites. Since Embiid will be playing 28 or so minutes, Jahlil Okafor will likely play what’s left and is not a strong option on a full slate. Look for Okafor to be saved for tomorrow since the Sixers travel to Boston and Embiid will not play. Nik Stauskas continues to get the minutes along with Robert Covington but only Sauce is really cheap, while Covington is a last in type of player if I’m looking for one in that under $5k above $4k range.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary Rosters Sal. FP/Min Minutes L3 +/- FP/Game L3 +/- True Usage L3 +/- DvP
Sergio Rodriguez $4,400 $4,500 $8,000 0.79 27.0 -3.7 21.2 -2.2 23.1% 1.4% 20
Gerald Henderson $3,800 $3,500 $8,500 0.66 24.6 -2.2 16.3 -4.0 18.1% 1.4% 15
Robert Covington $4,500 $4,600 $8,000 0.72 27.7 -3.6 19.9 -1.7 17.0% 0.6% 12
Ersan Ilyasova $4,600 $4,700 $7,000 0.80 25.1 0.6 20.2 1.4 19.5% 0.7% 15
Joel Embiid $6,200 $6,700 $8,900 1.38 22.8 2.4 31.5 10.3 35.8% 4.5% 14
Jahlil Okafor $4,400 $4,900 $8,600 0.88 21.1 3.6 18.5 4.5 23.9% 0.1% 14

Elite Plays – Joel Embiid

Secondary Plays -Gerald Henderson (GPP), Sergio Rodriguez (cash)

Minnesota Timberwolves at New York Knicks – 7:30 PM ET

Minnesota Timberwolves New York Knicks
Article Image Vegas Total 210.0 Article Image Vegas Total 210.0
Vegas Spread 2.5 Vegas Spread -2.5
Team Total 103.8 Team Total 106.3
Pace +/- -0.3 Pace +/- -1.0
Proj. Starter Ricky Rubio Zach LaVine Andrew Wiggins Gorgui Dieng Karl-Anthony Towns Proj. Starter Derrick Rose Courtney Lee Carmelo Anthony Kristaps Porzingis Joakim Noah
Opponent DvP Rank PG SG SF PF C Opponent DvP Rank PG SG SF PF C
2016-17 12 29 11 8 14 2016-17 23 3 7 13 16

Minnesota Timberwolves

Karl-Anthony Towns DOMINATED the Knicks on Wednesday with 80 DKFP in the loss and gets to play them again tonight. I’m sure there will be considerable chase on a guy that just put up 80 points against the same team last time out. There’s no reason to fade him but there is reason to keep your expectations in check. I expect the ball to much more distributed in this game and KAT will come in around his season average of 43-45 points. A 50 burger is not out of the question but you’re not getting much upside at this price. He’s a better cash game option tonight but with Cousins and Davis also on the slate for big men, Towns comes in as a discount compared to those guys.

Zach LaVine played 42 minutes against the Knicks and was not able to do much damage with Towns taking all the shots. It’s not like he was really on with his jumper either but expect that to turn around tonight. A lot of people will fade him after he burned them in the previous game and that’s my favorite time to jump on board. The man played 42 minutes and with Courtney Lee not expected to start tonight, the Knicks might have to go with a two-PG look or start Justin Holiday. Either way, he’ll have the advantage. Andrew Wiggins played 40 minutes and is a solid cash game option, but with so many games on the slate, he’s not mandatory.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary Rosters Sal. FP/Min Minutes L3 +/- FP/Game L3 +/- True Usage L3 +/- DvP
Ricky Rubio $5,600 $4,900 $8,800 0.73 29.5 -3.2 21.6 -0.9 17.3% 0.4% 12
Zach LaVine $6,000 $6,000 $10,300 0.79 36.3 3.5 28.7 5.1 23.0% 2.2% 29
Andrew Wiggins $6,000 $6,600 $11,200 0.83 36.3 1.8 30.0 -5.8 28.7% -4.3% 11
Gorgui Dieng $6,000 $5,900 $10,100 0.86 31.8 3.7 27.5 3.6 16.4% -1.4% 8
Karl-Anthony Towns $9,400 $8,900 $13,600 1.11 34.7 0.0 38.6 1.6 26.0% 1.5% 14

Elite Plays – Karl-Anthony Towns, Zach LaVine

Secondary Plays – Andrew Wiggins

New York Knicks

The Knicks were able to defeat the Timberwolves on the great play of Kristaps Porzingis. PorzinGAWD has not put up a game under 32 fantasy points in almost three weeks and has scored 42 FDFP over more in three out of his last five starts. The minutes are there and the so has the production. This man is a solid cash game option that has most of his upside priced in. With such a high floor it makes sense to play him regardless of the format. It will just depend on your roster construction if you can fit him in at these inflated salary levels.

Carmelo Anthony and Derrick Rose took a backseat to Porzingis but could come out firing tonight. I think both players are too risky for cash on a nine-game slate but make viable tournament options in what is expected to be a close game. Brandon Jennings will likely be the main beneficiary of the Courtney Lee injury but expect Justin Holiday to start for Lee. With their salaries so close together, I view Jennings as the player with the higher upside. Kyle O’Quinn would likely start in place of Joakim Noah if he misses the game but expect the Knicks to play Porzingis more at the center spot, using the length on Towns.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary Rosters Sal. FP/Min Minutes L3 +/- FP/Game L3 +/- True Usage L3 +/- DvP
Derrick Rose $6,400 $6,100 $8,900 0.89 32.6 4.2 29.1 10.1 27.9% 1.0% 23
Courtney Lee $3,900 $3,800 $7,100 0.56 31.0 3.8 17.5 3.7 14.6% -1.0% 3
Carmelo Anthony $7,600 $7,300 $12,400 1.04 33.8 2.6 35.1 6.7 29.0% 2.7% 7
Kristaps Porzingis $7,900 $7,900 $11,700 1.02 33.6 3.1 34.4 2.6 23.6% 0.1% 13
Joakim Noah $4,300 $3,900 $8,000 0.92 22.5 -3.9 20.7 -5.9 13.1% -5.1% 16

Elite Plays – Kristaps Porzingis, Brandon Jennings

Secondary Plays – Carmelo Anthony, Derrick Rose

Los Angeles Lakers at Toronto Raptors – 7:30 PM ET

Los Angeles Lakers Toronto Raptors
Article Image Vegas Total 214.5 Article Image Vegas Total 214.5
Vegas Spread 10.5 Vegas Spread -10.5
Team Total 102.0 Team Total 112.5
Pace +/- -1.4 Pace +/- 3.3
Proj. Starter Jose Calderon Jordan Clarkson Luol Deng Julius Randle Timofey Mozgov Proj. Starter Kyle Lowry DeMar DeRozan DeMarre Carroll Pascal Siakam Jonas Valanciunas
Opponent DvP Rank PG SG SF PF C Opponent DvP Rank PG SG SF PF C
2016-17 18 2 15 15 11 2016-17 24 24 27 21 20

Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers have really been hit by the injury bug and now travel to Toronto to face the Raptors without their two starting guards. Brandon Ingram started in place of Young in the previous game and played a whopping 41 minutes. Ingram was not able to really make an impact on the offensive end, shooting 1 for 9, but a punt salary guy playing 41 minutes seems like an obvious spot to exploit. Since the Lakers play earlier in the day today, we can hope that we can get the starting lineup before lineups lock. It’s going to click very soon for Ingram and he’s going to have a MONSTER game, playing that many minutes. Since it has not clicked yet, Ingram is a low-upside tournament option that has been showing us that his floor is high enough for cash games. Since he is so cheap, he’s viable in all formats as a starter. If he comes off the bench, he’ll be too risky for cash.

Lou Williams continues to make the most of his minutes and is back on the hot side after his mini cold streak last week. He’ll likely play 27-30 minutes against his former team and is a solid cash game option. His upside seems priced in on DraftKings, but still has some upside left over on FanDuel. Julius Randle grabbed a career-high 20 rebounds against the Bulls and should continue to dominate the glass against the Raptors, who are 21st in rebounding differential. Randle played 30 minutes so his hip issue seems behind him. Jordan Clarkson will likely see more minutes than Lou Williams but is also more expensive. I don’t think Jose Calderon plays more than 16-18 minutes, locking Clarkson in for 30. Since Clarkson’s salary is also inflated he’s not a lock for me tonight. Larry Nance continues to play well, even with Randle back. Since it is a nine-game slate, Nance is not a lock as well but is cheap enough that he should be able to make value regardless of the score.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary Rosters Sal. FP/Min Minutes L3 +/- FP/Game L3 +/- True Usage L3 +/- DvP
Jose Calderon $3,500 $3,500 $6,000 0.82 13.7 6.5 11.2 6.8 19.7% 2.0% 18
Jordan Clarkson $5,500 $6,000 $9,600 0.87 27.7 5.6 24.2 5.1 25.0% -1.0% 2
Luol Deng $3,700 $3,800 $7,500 0.67 23.9 -1.7 16.0 -1.4 15.3% 2.0% 15
Julius Randle $6,600 $6,800 $10,500 1.03 27.7 28.6 23.3% 15
Timofey Mozgov $3,500 $3,200 $8,300 0.76 21.6 -2.5 16.4 -1.7 15.7% 2.0% 11
Lou Williams $5,200 $5,800 $8,700 1.05 23.6 1.4 24.9 -3.0 28.8% 0.2% 2
Larry Nance $4,300 $4,800 $7,700 0.85 21.8 1.8 18.5 2.0 12.9% 2.6% 15

Elite Plays – Julius Randle, Lou Williams

Secondary Plays – Brandon Ingram

Toronto Raptors

DeMar DeRozan has come down a little bit after his scorching start and this is a great spot for him tonight. It’s also a great spot for Kyle Lowry and which player you decide to use will depend on your build type. Considering that DeRozan has a 35.2% true usage rate compared to Lowry’s 27%, I’ll give the slight edge to DeRozan, but it’s razor thin. Lowry is the hotter player and the cheaper one, so expect the ownership to go there. DeRozan is $8.9k on FanDuel while he is $8.3k on DraftKings. That is a significant price difference and I’d look to roster DeRozan on DK before FD.

Jonas Valanciunas has seen his minutes fall again back to the 22 minute range after he suffered an ankle injury on Monday. He’s not listed on the injury report but if he is limited look for Lucas Nogueira to step up in his place. Nogueira is too risky for cash games but is the min salary over on FanDuel and $3.9k on DraftKings. I’m not sure I can waste a center spot on him on FD but could give him a look as a util option on DK only IF Big Val does not play. DeMarre Carroll might be rested with the Raptors playing his former team tomorrow in Atlanta. If he does sit out, Norman Powell will likely start. Powell is a risky option that has been erratic in his three starts this season. Terrence Ross looks like the player with the higher upside but both carry risk that is minimal on FD since they are both the min salary. Powell is cheaper than Ross on DK, but that should not be the tie breaker for these volatile tournament options.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary Rosters Sal. FP/Min Minutes L3 +/- FP/Game L3 +/- True Usage L3 +/- DvP
Kyle Lowry $8,700 $8,100 $12,100 1.00 38.0 -3.2 37.9 -2.4 27.0% -2.6% 24
DeMar DeRozan $8,900 $8,300 $13,000 1.16 36.4 -2.5 42.2 -4.4 35.2% -4.6% 24
DeMarre Carroll $4,300 $4,400 $8,500 0.72 25.5 -0.8 18.3 9.2 15.0% 3.2% 27
Pascal Siakam $3,500 $3,100 $7,200 0.66 19.1 3.4 12.6 -0.9 12.4% -0.5% 21
Jonas Valanciunas $5,800 $5,500 $10,300 0.97 29.3 -1.3 28.5 -0.9 19.0% 1.7% 20
Patrick Patterson $4,400 $4,200 $7,600 0.64 29.5 -5.7 18.8 0.4 11.9% -1.4% 21

Elite Plays – Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan

Secondary Plays – Norman Powell or Terrence Ross (if Carroll is out)

Sacramento Kings at Boston Celtics – 7:30 PM ET

Sacramento Kings Boston Celtics
Article Image Vegas Total 208.0 Article Image Vegas Total 208.0
Vegas Spread 6.5 Vegas Spread -6.5
Team Total 100.8 Team Total 107.3
Pace +/- -0.2 Pace +/- -1.9
Proj. Starter Ty Lawson Darren Collison Matt Barnes Rudy Gay DeMarcus Cousins Proj. Starter Isaiah Thomas Avery Bradley Jae Crowder Amir Johnson Al Horford
Opponent DvP Rank PG SG SF PF C Opponent DvP Rank PG SG SF PF C
2016-17 8 8 27 21 27 2016-17 13 24 14 28 4

Sacramento Kings

DeMarcus Cousins has been on a roll over the past four games scoring 32 or more actual points and putting up 32+ actual points in six of his last eight starts. He’s super expensive on FanDuel at a season-high $10.9k but a slightly more manageable $10.7k on DraftKings. The 3PM bonus makes him a strong option on DraftKings as Boogie has hit a three-pointer in nine straight games. As we saw Andre Drummond dominate the Celtics, expect Cousins to do that and more. Not sure what else I can say about a guy playing so well that has not played since Monday. The price is high but so will the ownership.

Rudy Gay continues to get the minutes but his scoring has taken a backseat to Cousins of late. If he can pick up some peripherals, he can exceed value but he’s been a bust in seven of his last eleven games, making him a tournament option only. Darren Collison continues to see the minutes but has yet to bust out. On a nine-game slate, we’ll need something more secure than Collison. Matt Barnes starts some games and plays off the bench in others. He’s still not greatly exceeded salary expectations in five straight games but is cheap.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary Rosters Sal. FP/Min Minutes L3 +/- FP/Game L3 +/- True Usage L3 +/- DvP
Ty Lawson $4,100 $3,900 $6,500 0.71 27.2 -3.8 19.3 1.1 18.6% 7.2% 8
Darren Collison $5,800 $5,400 $8,500 0.79 30.0 -1.3 23.6 -2.6 22.2% -3.6% 8
Matt Barnes $3,800 $4,100 $7,800 0.66 25.7 0.7 17.0 -0.8 17.3% -1.0% 27
Rudy Gay $7,200 $6,900 $11,000 0.98 34.7 0.9 33.9 -1.3 25.2% -1.7% 21
DeMarcus Cousins $10,900 $10,700 $14,800 1.41 34.0 1.4 47.8 11.9 36.0% 5.1% 27

Elite Plays – DeMarcus Cousins

Secondary Plays – Matt Barnes

Boston Celtics

The Celtics are finally healthy and able to play a normal starting five. Horford, Thomas, Crowder, and Bradley were the only guys to play over 30 minutes in their previous game and these guys are the main keys for the Celtics tonight. Thomas has been cold as of late but his salary has been stuck in the same range on FanDuel. Over on DraftKings, Thomas’ salary has been on a dive and he’s pretty cheap compared to what his upside potential is against his former team. Thomas leads the team with a 35.1% true usage rate so expect Thomas to come out firing, looking to carry the Celtics after losing to Detroit on Wednesday at home. Still, with the Celtics healthy and his salary still not exactly cheap, he’s a tournament option due to the inconsistencies.

Horford also under performed against the Pistons and could be in a nice bounce back spot against the Kings tonight. He’s a better play on DraftKings due to his cheaper salary, there but is still a viable option on FanDuel. Jae Crowder has been playing extremely solid ball since his minutes have been ramped up but his salary has not spiked. He’s actually still cheaper on FanDuel than he was when he returned from injury six games ago. His salary has spiked to a season-high $5.8k on DraftKings and since he has not shown a high ceiling but consistent floor, he’s a better cash game play than tournament. Still, we need for sure things in tournaments as well and Crowder looks like a lock for 30+ fps. Avery Bradley minutes are there but with everyone healthy and not as many rebounds available, he’s been underperforming.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary Rosters Sal. FP/Min Minutes L3 +/- FP/Game L3 +/- True Usage L3 +/- DvP
Isaiah Thomas $8,100 $7,500 $11,500 1.16 33.2 0.8 38.4 -2.0 35.1% -1.0% 13
Avery Bradley $6,500 $6,000 $10,900 0.91 36.0 1.1 32.7 0.8 22.4% -0.1% 24
Jae Crowder $5,300 $5,800 $8,700 0.89 27.1 0.1 24.2 3.4 18.4% 1.7% 14
Amir Johnson $3,600 $3,400 $7,700 0.73 21.2 -4.9 15.4 -6.3 14.3% -2.7% 28
Al Horford $7,300 $6,500 $11,200 1.12 32.0 0.9 35.7 0.3 21.3% 1.2% 4
Marcus Smart $5,100 $5,000 $8,100 0.74 31.6 -1.5 23.5 3.0 19.9% 1.0% 24

Elite Plays – Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder

Secondary Plays – Al Horford

Detroit Pistons at Atlanta Hawks – 8:00 PM ET

Detroit Pistons Atlanta Hawks
Article Image Vegas Total 201.0 Article Image Vegas Total 201.0
Vegas Spread 5.5 Vegas Spread -5.5
Team Total 97.8 Team Total 103.3
Pace +/- 2.5 Pace +/- -2.7
Proj. Starter Ish Smith Kentavious Caldwell-Pope Marcus Morris Tobias Harris Andre Drummond Proj. Starter Dennis Schroder Kyle Korver Kent Bazemore Paul Millsap Dwight Howard
Opponent DvP Rank PG SG SF PF C Opponent DvP Rank PG SG SF PF C
2016-17 25 19 18 9 2 2016-17 21 14 1 5 18

Detroit Pistons

The Pistons look to be firing on all cylinders, having won four out of their last five games after a four game losing streak. Most of that can be attributed to Tobias Harris and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. Pope has score 41.8+ DKFP in back-to-back games and has scored 32+ in six of his last nine starts. The minutes will be there and he’ll get an exploitable matchup against Kyle Korver tonight. Paul Millsap might miss the game tonight and that would mean that we should go back to the Harris well as well.

Ish Smith gets a nice matchup as well in a pace up game and this could one of his few games as a starter with Reggie Jackson practicing. He’s cheaper on DK than FD and has zero turnovers in five of his last eight games games and only one turnover in the other three. He’s not costing you points and is coming off his best game of the season. Don’t expect him to score 40+ fps again but he’s a solid cash game play. Marcus Morris and Jon Leuer have also been playing well of late but I’m not sure how many Pistons we can use with them having one of the lowest implied team totals on the slate.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary Rosters Sal. FP/Min Minutes L3 +/- FP/Game L3 +/- True Usage L3 +/- DvP
Ish Smith $5,500 $5,000 $8,100 0.81 29.6 -1.9 23.8 -3.0 23.4% -3.0% 25
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope $5,600 $5,200 $7,900 0.69 33.2 -0.6 22.9 2.9 20.1% 1.5% 19
Marcus Morris $4,900 $5,000 $8,100 0.73 31.5 -3.6 22.9 -4.5 20.6% 2.7% 18
Tobias Harris $5,700 $5,900 $9,300 0.78 32.8 1.0 25.6 1.7 22.0% 0.3% 9
Andre Drummond $7,900 $7,700 $12,600 1.20 30.1 -0.6 36.2 2.1 22.8% -4.6% 2
Jon Leuer $4,500 $4,400 $7,100 0.80 26.6 0.9 21.4 -1.9 17.2% -1.3% 9

Elite Plays – Ish Smith, Tobias Harris, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

Secondary Plays – Marcus Morris, Jon Leuer

Atlanta Hawks

The Hawks have been playing really poorly lately after their hot start to the season, losing seven of their last eight games. Paul Millsap was not able to play in their last game and is listed as questionable for tonight. Mike Muscala started in place of Millsap but did not make an impact. He’ll likely start again if Millsap misses but proved he’s too risky for cash. The player to lock in if Millsap misses is Dwight Howard. Dwight scores about 5 more fantasy points at home than the road and gets an exploitable matchup in Andre Drummond. Expect Howard to go here early and often and if Millsap misses, Dwight is one of my favorite plays at the position that should have reduced ownership due to the big names at the top. It’ll still be tough to fade Cousins on FanDuel but you can get away with both over on DraftKings.

Dennis Schroder finally has looked comfortable as the starting PG of the Hawks and has seen his minues increase. His salary has not jumped that much and he’s exceeded salary expectations on DK in four straight games. He had his best game of the season against the Suns and Ish Smith is not exactly a lock down defender. If Millsap misses, Schroder and Howard make for an elite combo. With Millsap off the court, Schroder leads the team with 32.1% usage rate and Dwight Howard is second with 28.6%. Kent Bazemore was also hot against the Suns but I usually Bazeless and not Bazemore. Thabo Sefolosha has scored 22+ DKFP in three of his last four games and is a cheap forward if you’re looking in that range.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary Rosters Sal. FP/Min Minutes L3 +/- FP/Game L3 +/- True Usage L3 +/- DvP
Dennis Schroder $5,900 $6,000 $10,400 0.86 29.5 1.8 25.4 4.4 28.8% 4.0% 21
Kyle Korver $3,500 $3,600 $7,300 0.58 28.1 1.3 16.2 -4.2 14.7% -2.0% 14
Kent Bazemore $5,200 $5,300 $8,900 0.81 27.3 -2.0 22.0 -1.5 21.4% 2.4% 1
Paul Millsap $7,500 $7,200 $12,900 1.04 32.4 -1.4 33.6 -8.8 24.4% -3.1% 5
Dwight Howard $7,800 $7,300 $12,500 1.19 28.9 3.4 34.4 -6.8 20.8% -2.0% 18

Elite Plays – Dennis Schroder, Dwight Howard

Secondary Plays – Thabo Sefolosha

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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.