Sign In $

You must be a member to view this Article.

NBA Grind Down: Friday, February 10th

by Derek Farnsworth (Notorious) Last Updated 2017-02-11 02:42:08

Jump to Page 1 2

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.

Legend & FAQ

Miami Heat at Brooklyn Nets – 7:30 PM ET

Miami Heat Brooklyn Nets
miaminba Vegas Total 215.0 brooklynnba Vegas Total 215.0
Vegas Spread -6.0 Vegas Spread 6.0
Team Total 110.5 Team Total 104.5
Pace +/- 5.1 Pace +/- -1.3
Proj. Starter Goran Dragic Wayne Ellington Rodney McGruder Luke Babbitt Hassan Whiteside Proj. Starter Spencer Dinwiddie Randy Foye Bojan Bogdanovic Rondae Hollis-Jefferson Brook Lopez
Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C
Adj. DvP 30 30 30 30 24 Adj. DvP 3 4 11 7 11
DRPM -0.58 -1.80 -3.13 0.36 0.16 DRPM -2.20 -1.19 -0.98 1.50 1.93

Miami Heat

Happy Friday everyone. We have a solid nine game on slate tonight in the association. We start with the Heat and Nets in what is expected to be a fairly close, high scoring game. Miami has now won 12 games in a row, which may be the most surprising thing to happen in the first half of the season. The crazy part is that they are still two games out of the playoffs in the East. They draw the best possible matchup tonight, as they square off against a Nets’ team that is ranked first in pace of play and dead last in points allowed per game. The Heat have an implied total of 110.5 points, which is the second highest in the slate.

Dion Waiters has already been ruled out of tonight’s game, which gives a small usage boost to Goran Dragic and a playing time boost to Rodney McGruder, Wayne Ellington, and Tyler Johnson. Dragic should be considered one of the top point-per-dollar options at point guards, as the Nets are ranked dead last against the position. Dragic also comes into the game in good form, averaging 36 fantasy points in his last three games. Wayne Ellington only played 28 minutes in his spot start the other night, but I still prefer him over Rodney McGruder. He is still the more productive player on a point-per-minute basis. James Johnson should see minutes in the high 20s against a Nets’ team that is ranked in the bottom five in rebounding differential and blocked shots allowed per game. You have to like his chances to reach 6x-7x value at $6,000. Hassan Whiteside is one of my favorite plays in the entire slate. He is averaging 46 fantasy points in his last three games and we should like him for the same reasons we like Johnson. His scoring, rebounding, and block upside are massive.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L3 +/- FP/Game L3 +/- True Usage L3 +/- DvP DRPM
Goran Dragic $8,100 $7,900 0.99 34.2 -1.9 33.7 2.6 28.9% -1.3% 30 -0.58
Wayne Ellington $3,700 $4,200 0.63 26.5 -6.5 16.8 -3.3 17.3% 2.0% 30 -1.80
Rodney McGruder $3,800 $3,900 0.52 26.1 3.8 13.5 3.7 12.3% 1.3% 30 -3.13
Luke Babbitt $3,500 $3,000 0.52 16.0 3.1 8.4 -3.1 13.3% 1.0% 30 0.36
Hassan Whiteside $9,100 $8,500 1.17 33.0 -0.8 38.5 7.5 21.5% 2.9% 24 0.16
James Johnson $6,000 $6,000 0.92 26.1 -1.1 24.1 2.5 22.7% 2.4% 30 N/A
Tyler Johnson $5,600 $5,500 0.87 30.5 -2.7 26.4 -2.9 21.9% -0.3% 30 N/A

Elite Plays – Goran Dragic, Hassan Whiteside, James Johnson, Wayne Ellington (FD)

Secondary Plays – Wayne Ellington (DK), Rodney McGruder, Tyler Johnson

Brooklyn Nets

The Nets have lost nearly as many games in a row as they Heat have won in a row. It would be a fitting end to the losing and winning streak if the Nets were able to pick up the win tonight. They have been on the wrong end of too many blowouts this season, but come into tonight’s game as only 6-point underdogs. The main issue here is that the Heat are excellent defensively, ranking fifth in points allowed per game and sixth in defensive efficiency. The other problem is that the Nets have a deep and inconsistent rotation, which makes it tough to trust any player not-named Brook Lopez. BroLo is by far my favorite target on Brooklyn tonight and we can expect him to go massively under-owned given the number of options at center. He has a great track record against Hassan Whiteside, averaging 35 fantasy points in their last six meetings. Caris LeVert is an intriguing tournament play off the bench. He has played at least 26 minutes in each of his last five games.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L3 +/- FP/Game L3 +/- True Usage L3 +/- DvP DRPM
Spencer Dinwiddie $3,500 $3,100 0.66 21.0 -1.1 13.9 -3.0 16.3% -1.1% 3 -2.20
Randy Foye $3,500 $3,000 0.61 18.9 4.6 11.5 1.5 16.6% -6.3% 4 -1.19
Bojan Bogdanovic $4,600 $4,700 0.77 26.9 3.5 20.7 5.1 21.8% 4.0% 11 -0.98
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson $4,500 $4,400 0.85 21.8 2.3 18.5 5.2 18.5% -4.0% 7 1.50
Brook Lopez $7,200 $6,800 1.10 29.4 0.7 32.3 1.7 28.2% 2.8% 11 1.93
Caris LeVert $4,400 $4,000 0.73 20.3 5.9 14.8 5.2 16.5% -0.8% 4 N/A

Elite Plays – Brook Lopez (GPP)

Secondary Plays – Brook Lopez (Cash), Caris LeVert (GPP)

Denver Nuggets at New York Knicks – 7:30 PM ET

Denver Nuggets New York Knicks
denvernba Vegas Total 229.0 newyorknba Vegas Total 229.0
Vegas Spread 2.0 Vegas Spread -2.0
Team Total 113.5 Team Total 115.5
Pace +/- 0.7 Pace +/- 1.9
Proj. Starter Jameer Nelson Gary Harris Will Barton Wilson Chandler Nikola Jokic Proj. Starter Derrick Rose Courtney Lee Carmelo Anthony Kristaps Porzingis Kyle O’Quinn
Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C
Adj. DvP 10 22 15 29 18 Adj. DvP 29 29 14 16 16
DRPM -2.48 -0.92 -1.84 1.86 0.76 DRPM -1.20 -1.44 -0.86 -1.39 0.81

Denver Nuggets

If you take a look at today’s Expert Survey, you can see that this is everyone’s favorite game to stack. There is a good reason for that; it features a 2-point spread and an over/under of 229 points. Both of these teams have massive implied totals and we can expect very little defense to be played. On the season, the Knicks are ranked 25th in points allowed per game and 28th in defensive efficiency. The Nuggets have an implied total of 113.5 points, which is the second highest in the slate and 3.4 points above their season average.

The only thing better than having a team with a massive implied total is having that same team be missing players. Kenneth Faried, Danilo Gallinari, and Emmanuel Mudiay have all been ruled out of tonight’s game, which only opens up more minutes for the rest of the team. Jameer Nelson has been quiet in his last few games, but is $4,400 on FanDuel and DraftKings and should play 30+ minutes against the Knicks. He is one of my favorite value plays in the slate and most people are going to overlook him. Gary Harris is a safe play at shooting guard, but if you can find the extra salary, I’d rather go up to Will Barton. He is averaging 36 fantasy points in his last three games and is tentatively expected to start for Faried tonight. Wilson Chandler has a revenge game brewing against his former team. Even though his price is up across the industry, he could play 35+ minutes in a game with the highest over/under in the slate. I’m willing to pay a small premium for Chandler with Faried and Gallinari both out. Nikola Jokic is one of my favorite tournament plays in the slate. While his constant foul trouble gives me pause in a cash game setting, we love targeting bigs against the Knicks and we know the type of upside that he has. Darrell Arthur should see a good chunk of minutes off the bench and is worth a look on DraftKings at a price of only $3,500.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L3 +/- FP/Game L3 +/- True Usage L3 +/- DvP DRPM
Jameer Nelson $4,400 $4,400 0.70 25.6 2.8 17.9 -2.9 19.7% -3.7% 10 -2.48
Gary Harris $5,100 $5,000 0.78 28.0 4.1 21.9 1.6 19.9% 0.0% 22 -0.92
Will Barton $5,800 $6,100 0.87 28.6 4.7 24.8 11.8 22.1% 2.9% 15 -1.84
Wilson Chandler $6,700 $7,100 0.90 30.7 3.4 27.6 0.1 22.7% -1.5% 29 1.86
Nikola Jokic $9,900 $9,200 1.26 26.1 -1.4 33.0 -5.6 24.4% 2.1% 18 0.76
Darrell Arthur $4,300 $3,500 0.81 16.0 5.1 12.9 5.5 18.3% 2.1% 29 N/A

Elite Plays – Jameer Nelson, Will Barton, Wilson Chandler, Nikola Jokic (GPP)

Secondary Plays – Nikola Jokic (Cash), Gary Harris, Darrell Arthur

New York Knicks

The Knicks have lost three games in a row and seven of their last ten. While they may not be a great basketball team, they are always one of my favorites to see on the schedule. They don’t play very much defense and they don’t mind getting into shootouts. They draw an excellent matchup tonight against the Nuggets, who are ranked 28th or worse in points allowed per game and defensive efficiency. The Knicks have an implied total of 115.5 points, which is the highest in the slate and 9.5 points above their season average. We can safely give a nice boost to the Knicks’ offense as a whole.

Derrick Rose has struggled with consistency, but he scored 39 fantasy points his last time out and he draws one of the best possible matchups for a point guard. Jameer Nelson has a DRPM of -1.20 and the Nuggets as a whole are ranked 29th against point guards. Rose makes a great tournament play on a night where he should be 10-15% owned. Courtney Lee always grades out as a nice value play in my model, but I hate using a player like him in a nine game slate. Carmelo Anthony is one of my favorite building blocks for cash games and tournaments tonight. Not only does he have a nice matchup at home in a game where the Knicks have a huge team total, but he is facing his former team. Kristaps Porzingis is coming off of his best game in weeks and looks like an elite play again tonight. His price is below $7,000 and he is basically averaging a fantasy point per minute. If he can stay out of foul trouble, he could end up playing 33-35 minutes. Kyle O’Quinn is too volatile to trust in cash games and I expect a lot of people to chase his last game. I’d rather go back to Willy Hernangomez, who has consistently been playing at a high level.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L3 +/- FP/Game L3 +/- True Usage L3 +/- DvP DRPM
Derrick Rose $6,200 $6,300 0.90 32.2 2.3 28.9 -3.5 28.2% -7.1% 29 -1.20
Courtney Lee $4,400 $3,800 0.60 31.1 -1.9 18.6 -1.8 14.1% -1.4% 29 -1.44
Carmelo Anthony $8,100 $7,700 1.04 33.8 2.6 35.3 2.0 29.7% -1.4% 14 -0.86
Kristaps Porzingis $6,800 $6,900 0.99 33.0 -3.2 32.6 -0.4 23.5% 2.1% 16 -1.39
Kyle O’Quinn $4,200 $4,600 1.13 15.1 3.0 17.1 4.0 19.5% 4.5% 16 0.81
Willy Hernangomez $5,900 $5,200 1.02 15.2 11.5 15.5 12.0 19.4% -2.5% 16 N/A

Elite Plays – Carmelo Anthony, Kristaps Porzingis, Derrick Rose (GPP)

Secondary Plays – Derrick Rose (Cash), Courtney Lee, Kyle O’Quinn (GPP), Willy Hernangomez (GPP)

San Antonio Spurs at Detroit Pistons – 7:30 PM ET

San Antonio Spurs Detroit Pistons
sanantonionba Vegas Total 209.0 detroitnba Vegas Total 209.0
Vegas Spread -4.5 Vegas Spread 4.5
Team Total 106.8 Team Total 102.3
Pace +/- -1.8 Pace +/- -1.9
Proj. Starter Tony Parker Danny Green Kawhi Leonard LaMarcus Aldridge Dewayne Dedmon Proj. Starter Reggie Jackson Kentavious Caldwell-Pope Marcus Morris Jon Leuer Andre Drummond
Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C
Adj. DvP 23 6 6 5 10 Adj. DvP 7 13 2 4 2
DRPM -2.49 0.07 0.66 0.99 1.58 DRPM -1.08 2.03 0.49 1.20 3.51

San Antonio Spurs

Whenever we have these big slates, there are usually a couple of games that we can cross off the list. The two attributes that we try to avoid in DFS are slow-paced games and bad matchups. This game has both, as the Pistons and Spurs are both ranked inside the top five in points allowed per game and inside the bottom seven in pace of play. With all of that said, the over/under for this game is a lot higher than I expected it to be. The Spurs are listed as 4.5-point favorites with an implied total of 106.8 points, which is nearly identical to their season average. I still like the chances of this being a grind it out type of game, but Kawhi Leonard always piques my interest in games that feature a low spread. He is averaging 42 fantasy points over his last three games and could see 35+ minutes tonight against the Pistons. The matchup isn’t ideal, but Leonard is underpriced on DraftKings at only $8,200.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L3 +/- FP/Game L3 +/- True Usage L3 +/- DvP DRPM
Tony Parker $4,500 $4,100 0.79 25.8 1.8 20.3 2.1 23.8% -1.8% 23 -2.49
Danny Green $3,900 $3,900 0.64 26.5 -0.6 16.9 3.3 13.4% 4.9% 6 0.07
Kawhi Leonard $9,600 $8,200 1.21 33.5 0.8 40.4 1.8 30.1% -1.9% 6 0.66
LaMarcus Aldridge $7,500 $6,400 0.97 32.3 0.3 31.5 -3.5 23.7% 0.1% 5 0.99
Dewayne Dedmon $4,000 $4,000 0.93 16.4 6.1 15.2 3.3 12.3% -3.0% 10 1.58
David Lee $5,100 $4,900 0.91 18.5 -1.2 16.9 0.1 17.5% -0.1% 5 N/A

Elite Plays – Kawhi Leonard (DK)

Secondary Plays – Kawhi Leonard (FD)

Detroit Pistons

The Pistons have won six of their last ten games and are back inside the top eight in the Eastern Conference standings. A win over the Spurs would really give them a shot of confidence heading into the All-Star break. While we can expect the game to be competitive, this is a tough matchup for Detroit. On the season, the Spurs are ranked second in points allowed per game and first in defensive efficiency. You can argue that the Pistons have a higher implied total than their season average, but it is still the lowest team total in the slate. The only play that I am looking at here is Reggie Jackson on DraftKings. His minutes and production have been way down recently, but he should push for 30+ minutes tonight against the Spurs. His price is all the way down to $4,900 on DraftKings and I don’t expect anyone to roster him in this slate. I will be avoiding Andre Drummond here, as the Spurs are an excellent rebounding team and his ownership will be inflated after his big game on Wednesday night.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L3 +/- FP/Game L3 +/- True Usage L3 +/- DvP DRPM
Reggie Jackson $5,700 $4,900 0.91 28.7 -2.6 26.1 -6.0 30.0% -6.9% 7 -1.08
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope $5,200 $5,000 0.73 33.6 -4.0 24.6 -8.7 19.7% -2.0% 13 2.03
Marcus Morris $5,800 $5,100 0.72 32.9 0.8 23.9 8.0 20.0% 0.9% 2 0.49
Jon Leuer $4,900 $4,500 0.81 26.7 1.4 21.5 2.3 17.4% 5.0% 4 1.20
Andre Drummond $8,700 $7,700 1.21 30.5 -2.0 36.9 4.3 22.3% 4.7% 2 3.51
Tobias Harris $5,500 $5,000 0.82 32.0 -7.4 26.2 -7.7 21.5% 3.8% 4 N/A

Elite Plays – NONE

Secondary Plays – Reggie Jackson (DK)

Los Angeles Lakers at Milwaukee Bucks – 8:00 PM ET

Los Angeles Lakers Milwaukee Bucks
lalakersnba Vegas Total 219.5 milwaukeenba Vegas Total 219.5
Vegas Spread 4.5 Vegas Spread -4.5
Team Total 107.5 Team Total 112.0
Pace +/- -1.0 Pace +/- 1.7
Proj. Starter D’Angelo Russell Nick Young Brandon Ingram Julius Randle Tarik Black Proj. Starter Giannis Antetokounmpo Matthew Dellavedova Tony Snell Michael Beasley John Henson
Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C
Adj. DvP 2 27 25 23 26 Adj. DvP 25 19 20 27 29
DRPM 2.24 -1.58 -0.85 -0.66 2.00 DRPM -0.80 -1.82 -2.68 -0.06 1.35

Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers have lost seven of their last ten games and are only 6-24 on the road this season. Even though the Bucks just lost one of their best players for the rest of the season, the 4.5-point spread seems a bit low. In terms of the potential fantasy production, this is a mediocre matchup. On the season, Milwaukee is ranked 11th in points allowed per game and 21st in defensive efficiency. D’Angelo Russell has shown a high ceiling and a low floor, but draws the worst matchup of the five starters. He also plays a position that is routinely the deepest one in fantasy basketball. He is an easy fade tonight, even at his $5,900 price tag. I always have a hard time gauging minutes for all of the Lakers’ guards, but if Jordan Clarkson is unable to suit up, Lou Williams would become a nice tournament play off the bench. Brandon Ingram has played well since entering the starting lineup, averaging 24 fantasy points in his last three games. My favorite play here is Julius Randle, who has been in terrible form over the last few weeks. He did play 29 minutes the other night though, and the Bucks are ranked 23rd against power forwards. Randle may be too volatile to use in cash games, but he makes an excellent tournament target. The last play of note is Larry Nance, who has topped the 30 minute mark in two of his last three games. His minutes are always tough to predict, but he could put up a monster outing if he plays 25+ minutes tonight against Milwaukee.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L3 +/- FP/Game L3 +/- True Usage L3 +/- DvP DRPM
D’Angelo Russell $5,900 $5,900 0.99 26.5 -1.7 26.4 -5.2 29.2% -7.0% 2 2.24
Nick Young $4,300 $3,900 0.73 26.4 -1.6 19.4 2.9 18.9% 4.4% 27 -1.58
Brandon Ingram $4,100 $4,400 0.60 27.8 2.9 16.6 7.2 16.3% 2.4% 25 -0.85
Julius Randle $5,700 $5,400 0.98 28.4 -5.1 27.7 -5.7 23.5% 7.5% 23 -0.66
Tarik Black $4,200 $3,900 0.91 16.3 2.8 14.8 4.8 16.2% 3.9% 26 2.00
Lou Williams $6,200 $5,300 1.08 24.3 -1.1 26.2 1.2 30.9% 2.4% 27 N/A

Elite Plays – Julius Randle (GPP)

Secondary Plays – Julius Randle (Cash), Lou Williams (if Clarkson is out), Larry Nance (GPP), Brandon Ingram

Milwaukee Bucks

The Bucks got some devastating news yesterday, as they learned that Jabari Parker tore his ACL for the second time in his career. It is the same ACL as the first injury, which is awful. While technology has gotten a lot better in recent years, it is always tough for players to come back from one of those surgeries, let alone two. I wish him the best of luck in his recovery. The Bucks draw a favorable matchup tonight against the Lakers, who are ranked 27th or worse in points allowed per game and defensive efficiency. Milwaukee has an implied total of 112 points, which is the third highest in the slate and 7.1 points above their season average.

I ran the CourtIQ tool here on RotoGrinders to see what happens with Jabari Parker off the floor. The results surprised me a little, as Giannis Antetokounmpo has a lower usage rate and a lower FP/min with Parker off the floor this season. It’s not a big dip, but I figured he would be more productive without their second best player on the floor. It could have something to do with defenses keying in on Giannis or it could be chalked up to randomness. Even without a usage boost, Giannis makes an excellent play tonight against the Lakers, who are one of the worst defensive teams in the NBA. Michael Beasley is currently projected to enter the starting lineup for Parker, but Mirza Teletovic should pick up some extra playing time as well. For DFS purposes, I definitely prefer the starter over the one coming off the bench. Spencer Hawes and Roy Hibbert both sat out the Bucks’ last game. If we hear that they are going to sit again tonight, John Henson and Greg Monroe would become viable plays in all formats. They will still be splitting time, but I like both of their chances to reach value in 24 minutes against the Lakers. Khris Middleton can continue to be avoided until we see him play 20+ minutes.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L3 +/- FP/Game L3 +/- True Usage L3 +/- DvP DRPM
Giannis Antetokounmpo $11,200 $10,800 1.31 35.2 -0.2 46.2 -1.1 29.4% 0.5% 25 -0.80
Matthew Dellavedova $4,200 $3,800 0.68 26.4 -3.6 17.9 -2.2 19.6% -1.5% 19 -1.82
Tony Snell $4,000 $3,100 0.51 28.7 -2.8 14.6 -6.8 11.2% 0.9% 20 -2.68
Michael Beasley $4,400 $3,900 0.92 16.0 -5.1 14.7 -4.0 24.2% 9.3% 27 -0.06
John Henson $3,900 $4,100 0.87 20.3 6.8 17.6 8.0 16.0% 1.6% 29 1.35
Greg Monroe $5,800 $5,100 1.13 21.3 -3.0 24.1 -5.1 23.5% -5.4% 29 N/A
Khris Middleton $4,400 $3,600 0.83 14.9 0.0 12.4 0.0 19.5% 0.0% 19 N/A

Elite Plays – Giannis Antetokounmpo

Secondary Plays – Michael Beasley, John Henson, Greg Monroe

Indiana Pacers at Washington Wizards – 8:00 PM ET

Indiana Pacers Washington Wizards
indiananba Vegas Total 214.5 washingtonnba Vegas Total 214.5
Vegas Spread 5.0 Vegas Spread -5.0
Team Total 104.8 Team Total 109.8
Pace +/- 0.3 Pace +/- 0.8
Proj. Starter Jeff Teague C.J. Miles Paul George Lavoy Allen Myles Turner Proj. Starter John Wall Bradley Beal Otto Porter Markieff Morris Marcin Gortat
Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C
Adj. DvP 4 2 16 28 4 Adj. DvP 13 10 13 17 15
DRPM -0.26 -0.47 1.07 1.76 1.65 DRPM -0.03 -0.33 0.22 -0.54 2.80

Indiana Pacers

The Pacers have cooled off a bit after their winning streak, but they have still won seven of their last ten games. Tonight they head to Washington to take on another team that has been playing its best basketball of the season in the Wizards. This is a mediocre matchup for fantasy production, as Washington is ranked 15th in points allowed per game and 12th in defensive efficiency. The Pacers have an implied total of only 104.8 points, which is the fifth lowest in the slate and a point below their season average.

The Wizards have been tough on point guards and shooting guards this season, holding them to the fourth and second fewest fantasy points per game. Jeff Teague is coming off of a monster game against the Cavaliers, but finds himself in a much tougher matchup tonight. I still have a little interest in Teague for tournaments, but he’s not the cash game lock that he was the other night. Paul George is averaging 37 fantasy points in his last three games, but his price is up across the industry. I’ll wait to target him when his price comes down or when he draws a better matchup. Everyone is going to be off of Lavoy Allen tonight, after putting up two duds in a row. With that said, he should still play 25+ minutes against a Wizards’ team that is ranked 28th against power forwards. I don’t mind going back to the Lavoy well tonight. Myles Turner’s minutes are up recently and his price has come all the way down to $5,800 on DraftKings. He doesn’t draw the best matchup against Marcin Gortat, but he still carries some tournament appeal at that price.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L3 +/- FP/Game L3 +/- True Usage L3 +/- DvP DRPM
Jeff Teague $7,700 $7,400 1.05 32.7 0.8 34.2 1.5 26.7% 1.4% 4 -0.26
C.J. Miles $4,200 $4,100 0.73 23.0 4.2 16.8 3.2 17.5% -0.7% 2 -0.47
Paul George $8,700 $8,000 1.02 35.6 -1.2 36.1 1.4 27.6% 0.5% 16 1.07
Lavoy Allen $3,800 $3,800 0.57 13.7 14.9 7.8 14.6 10.8% 4.7% 28 1.76
Myles Turner $6,400 $5,800 0.99 30.7 5.1 30.4 -3.4 19.3% -2.3% 4 1.65
Monta Ellis $3,600 $3,200 0.63 26.8 -3.4 16.8 -1.0 16.9% -2.6% 2 N/A

Elite Plays – Lavoy Allen

Secondary Plays – Jeff Teague, Paul George, Myles Turner (DK)

Washington Wizards

How about Kelly Oubre the other night? About 15 minutes before lock, Markieff Morris was ruled out and Oubre was announced the starter against the Nets. He ended up playing 33 minutes. I had 100% exposure to him in cash games and if you would have told me beforehand that he was going to play 33 minutes, I would have been counting my money. Unfortunately, he had one of his worst games of the season and scored 4.6 fantasy points. I’ll end my rant there. The Wizards draw a slightly favorable matchup tonight against the Pacers, who are ranked 17th in points allowed per game and 27th in rebounding differential. Washington has an implied total of 109.8 points, which is the sixth highest in the slate.

Even though both of these teams have played good defense over the last month of play, this game still has some shootout potential. The spread is set at only five points and the over/under is set at 214.5 points. John Wall should have success in is matchup against Jeff Teague, but he’s a little overpriced on both FanDuel and DraftKings. While Wall is certainly capable of scoring 50 fantasy points tonight, I’m not sure he has that 60-65 fantasy point outing that we are looking for in tournaments. With so many good plays at point guard, I see Wall as a secondary play tonight. Bradley Beal is averaging 40 fantasy points in his last three games and is still affordable on both FanDuel and DraftKings. I wouldn’t call Beal a core play, but he’s in that elite play territory. Otto Porter is a bit too expensive right now, even though he has been in good form. Markieff Morris is expected to be back in the lineup tonight, but we don’t get any type of discount on FanDuel or DraftKings. Marcin Gortat is worth a look on DraftKings tonight, but that can be said about most centers. Their pricing algorithm hates centers. While this game has appeal as a whole, everyone is priced up on both of these teams. Most of my exposure to this game will be in the form of a game stack.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L3 +/- FP/Game L3 +/- True Usage L3 +/- DvP DRPM
John Wall $10,500 $10,400 1.24 36.7 6.0 45.4 3.6 34.6% -2.0% 13 -0.03
Bradley Beal $7,500 $7,400 0.93 34.7 6.5 32.2 8.0 26.5% 0.2% 10 -0.33
Otto Porter $6,700 $6,600 0.84 34.0 5.6 28.4 5.3 15.2% 0.5% 13 0.22
Markieff Morris $6,900 $6,600 0.83 32.1 1.8 26.8 -2.8 20.6% 1.6% 17 -0.54
Marcin Gortat $7,000 $6,100 0.86 34.7 3.4 29.7 5.2 14.3% 1.0% 15 2.80
Kelly Oubre $3,500 $3,900 0.61 20.9 7.0 12.8 2.3 13.8% -1.0% 13 N/A

Elite Plays – Bradley Beal

Secondary Plays – John Wall, Marcin Gortat (DK)

Jump to Page 1 2

About the Author

Notorious
Derek Farnsworth (Notorious)

Derek Farnsworth (aka Notorious) is a lead RotoGrinders Expert and one of the most recognizable names and faces in all of DFS. Before joining the RotoGrinders team, Derek received a Master’s Degree from the University of Utah. When he’s not busy providing content, he’s dominating the DFS industry as evidenced by his consistent top rankings in several sports and multiple Live Final appearances. Noto provides expert NBA, NFL, MLB, and PGA analysis for RotoGrinders Premium members on a daily basis and has also been nominated for five different Fantasy Sports Writer’s Association (FSWA) awards. Follow Noto on X – @RG_Notorious