NBA Grind Down: Friday, January 10th
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 NFL Scoring System, check out the scoring systems section of our FanDuel Review
Click ‘Stat Chart’ Buttons Below for Pop-Ups of Essential Game-Specific Statistics including Defense vs. Position and Pace
Washington at Indiana
- Vegas Line – No Lines Set for This Game Yet
- Washington Proj. Starters – Wall-Beal-Ariza-Booker-Gortat
- Indiana Proj. Starters – Hill-Stephenson-George-West-Hibbert
Washington
There are 12 games on the schedule tonight so I am going to keep the team analysis short and sweet and focus more on the players that I like the most in their matchups. The Wizards are in a tough spot tonight. They are facing a Pacers defense that is ranked in the top 6 at defending every single position on the floor. That means that there isn’t one favorable matchup for the Wizards to exploit. Add in the fact that they are 9 point underdogs and the Wizards are a very easy team to avoid completely.
Indiana
The Pacers aren’t in the best position either. Both of these teams play at a below average pace, they are big favorites, and the Wizards have actually been pretty decent defensively. The Wizards are ranked in the top 14 at defending every position except for SF and if you look at their recent DvP rankings, they have been much better at defending that position. For the most part, I will be avoiding this game altogether. With Lance Stephenson expected to be back, that hurts the value of both Paul George and Danny Granger.
Detroit at Philadelphia
- Vegas Line – Detroit -2.5, 213.5 Over/Under
- Detroit Proj. Starters – Jennings-Caldwell-Pope-Smith-Monroe-Drummond
- Philadelphia Proj. Starters – Carter-Williams-Turner-Thompson-Young-Hawes
Detroit
This game is a polar opposite to the Wizards/Pacers game. This game is not only expected to be close, but it will be played at an extremely fast face and there should be a ton of points scored from both teams. The total in this game is set at 213.5 points which is one of the highest of the night. We know how bad this Sixers team is defensively. They struggle against every position so don’t be afraid to use 2-3 Pistons here.
- Greg Monroe – While Monroe may not have the shot-blocking ability of Drummond, he has a much more polished offensive game and in a game that is expected to be all about offense, I give Monroe a slight edge over Drummond. Expect him to easily top 30 FP’s tonight.
- Brandon Jennings – Jennings should really play well in an uptempo game tonight against the Sixers. I think the points are going to come easily as he will get plenty of open looks. The assists have also been there lately as Jennings has posted at least 8 assists in 7 of his last 9 games.
Philadelphia
The Sixers have an equally juicy matchup as the Pistons are one of the fastest paced teams in the league and have not been great defensively, especially in the last 15 days. This is probably the top game to target tonight so it may not be a bad idea to take a couple of players from each team. One thing is for sure: there will not be very much defense played in this one.
- Michael Carter-Williams – MCW has a fantastic matchup tonight against Jennings and the Pistons. Jennings is not known for his defense and MCW should be able to attack the rim and find his dump-offs all night long. With Drummond’s tendency to leave his man to block shots, I expect MCW to pad his assists tonight.
- Evan Turner – Josh Smith is going to be a very popular play tonight, but I actually think Turner will outplay him. Turner is a much better shooter and should really benefit from an uptempo game. Turner is around the same price as Smith and could give you a big edge on your competition as he will likely be a less popular pick.
Houston at Atlanta
- Vegas Line – No Lines Set for This Game Yet
- Houston Proj. Starters – Lin-Harden-Parsons-Jones-Howard
- Atlanta Proj. Starters – Teague-Korver-Carroll-Millsap-Antic
Houston
The Rockets will be without Chandler Parsons again tonight which means Ronnie Brewer will get another start at SF. This comes as a bit of a surprise and really limits the value of both Omri Casspi and Francisco Garcia off the bench. This game has a high total of 206 points and the Rockets are only 2.5 point favorites. Jeremy Lin makes a decent GPP play, but he just hasn’t been playing at the high level that we see when Harden is out of the lineup.
- James Harden – Harden is coming off of a monster game against the Lakers and should keep it going tonight against the Hawks in what should be a fast-paced game. Harden is the top option on the Rockets because he can create his own shot as well as create open shots for his teammates. Assuming his and Dwight’s prices are similar, I give the edge to Harden.
Atlanta
The Hawks are taking on a Rockets team that has been very bad defensively this season. A lot of that has to do with their quick pace of play, but it also has to do with their inability to defend. While the Rockets have defended PG’s well, they rank in the bottom 8 at defending the other positions on the floor.
- Paul Millsap – I still think Teague is in play despite the DvP rankings, but Millsap has the better matchup and the better upside. Millsap was a very popular play there for a few games and now seems to have fallen off everyone’s radar. I think he is in for a big game against the Rockets.
Phoenix at Memphis
- Vegas Line – Memphis -2.5, 196 Over/Under
- Phoenix Proj. Starters – Dragic-Green-Tucker-Frye-Plumlee
- Memphis Proj. Starters – Conley-Allen-Prince-Randolph-Koufos
Phoenix
The Suns will be without Eric Bledsoe again tonight which means a nice fantasy boost for both Gerald Green and Goran Dragic. The Suns matchup against the Grizzlies may not sound great, but Vegas expects this game to be fairly high scoring. Even with the Grizzlies averaging only 92 possessions per game, Veags has the total set at 196 points. I will be avoiding the Suns bigs here as the Grizzlies have really shut down opposing bigs over the last 15 days.
- Goran Dragic – Even with the DvP rankings against him, Dragic makes a solid play tonight. When Bledsoe is out, this offense is Dragic’s to run and you can see his confidence soar when he has complete control over the offense. Look for him to top 30 FP’s again here.
Memphis
The Grizzlies will be without Tony Allen for the next couple of weeks which helps the value of both James Johnson and Mike Miller. I think they both make intriguing value plays, but I can’t really give the edge to one over the other. The Suns play at an extremely quick pace which gives the Grizzlies fantasy value a nice boost in tonight’s game.
- Mike Conley – It seems like ever since Conley came out and said that he was dealing with all of these nagging injuries, he has started to play better. He has a favorable matchup against the Suns who have struggled against PG’s this season and makes a nice under the radar play tonight.
Charlotte at Minnesota
- Vegas Line – Minnesota -9, 201.5 Over/Under
- Charlotte Proj. Starters – Walker-Henderson-Douglas-Roberts-McRoberts-Jefferson
- Minnesota Proj. Starters – Rubio-Martin-Brewer-Love-Pekovic
Charlotte
The Bobcats travel to Minnesota to take on the Grizzlies in what could be a good game to target if you think this game can stay close. The Wolves love to push the tempo which adds value to the Bobcats players. The only issue is the potential blowout. Other than Al Jefferson, the starters for the Bobcats all have favorable matchups. I do like Kemba Walker here, but I will probably limit my exposure to him.
- Chris Douglas-Roberts – Roberts run as a value play is about to come to an end as MKG is nearing a return, but CDR has one last game in which he should see big minutes. CDR is close to minimum salary across the board and has played at least 30 minutes in back to back games.
Minnesota
The Wolves are in a less than favorable position tonight. They are not only big favorites, but they are also facing a Bobcats team that plays at a slower pace than the league average. The Bobcats do struggle to defend the Center position though, so Nikola Pekovic could make a nice play. Kevin Love is matchup-proof and is coming off of a terrible game, but I think he is a bit over-priced for his matchup.