Sign In $

NBA Grind Down: Friday, March 17th

by Derek Farnsworth (Notorious) Last Updated 2017-03-18 01:38:33

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

Chicago Bulls at Washington Wizards – 7:00 PM ET

Chicago Bulls Washington Wizards
chicagonba Vegas Total 210.0 washingtonnba Vegas Total 210.0
Vegas Spread 7.5 Vegas Spread -7.5
Team Total 101.3 Team Total 108.8
Pace +/- 0.8 Pace +/- -1.3
Proj. Starter Rajon Rondo Paul Zipser Jimmy Butler Bobby Portis Robin Lopez 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 10 16 14 28 10 Adj. DvP 27 15 17 16 5
DRPM -0.50 -0.74 0.63 1.56 1.76 DRPM -0.19 -0.26 2.15 -0.31 0.23

Chicago Bulls

The Bulls received some bad news the other day, as Dwyane Wade was ruled out for the rest of the season with a fractured elbow. There is a chance that Wade could have already played his last game as a member of the Bulls. The injury certainly puts a dent into the Bulls’ playoff chances. They are one game behind the Pistons with only 14 to play. Tonight they head to Washington to take on the Wizards in what should be a fairly high scoring game. Chicago has an implied total of 101.3 points, which is nearly identical to their season average.

Rajon Rondo is averaging nearly 0.20 more fantasy points per minute since the All-Star break. He has scored 36 and 40 fantasy points in his last two games and the Bulls will be without Dwyane Wade and Cameron Payne tonight. Rondo has 35 minute upside in this spot with a high usage rate. His price is up across the industry, but it will likely be closer to $7,000 after tonight’s game. Rondo is an elite play in all formats. The only downside is that he plays for the Bulls and every so often, they forget to show up to games. Jimmy Butler sees a massive usage boost with Wade off the floor and he is priced below $9,000 on both FanDuel and DraftKings. The recent production is concerning, but Butler is on my short list of potential small forward targets. Nikola Mirotic is everyone’s least favorite player in DFS, but he’s scored 36 and 25 fantasy points in his last two games. I love his upside in tournaments, but there are better values for cash games in this slate. Outside of those three, I’m not too interested in any of the other Bulls’ players.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L5 +/- FP/Game L5 +/- True Usage L5 +/- DvP DRPM
Rajon Rondo $5,800 $6,500 0.91 26.1 0.8 23.7 3.0 22.5% 0.4% 10 -0.50
Paul Zipser $3,500 $3,000 0.54 15.9 -2.4 8.6 -0.5 14.2% 4.6% 16 -0.74
Jimmy Butler $8,700 $8,800 1.11 36.7 -0.9 40.8 -7.2 28.6% -3.0% 14 0.63
Bobby Portis $3,900 $3,900 0.82 14.3 5.9 11.7 4.0 18.6% 2.5% 28 1.56
Robin Lopez $4,500 $4,000 0.77 27.9 -1.0 21.6 -4.3 17.0% -2.6% 10 1.76
Nikola Mirotic $4,300 $4,300 0.82 22.9 5.3 18.9 11.7 19.2% 5.1% 28 N/A

Elite Plays – Rajon Rondo, Jimmy Butler, Nikola Mirotic (GPP)

Secondary Plays – Nikola Mirotic (Cash)

Washington Wizards

The Wizards have lost two games in a row, but should be able to add another win to their resume tonight. The Bulls haven’t been playing their best basketball recently and we already covered the fact that they will be without Dwyane Wade the rest of the way. Washington comes into tonight’s game as a 7.5-point favorite with an implied total of 108.8 points. While I wouldn’t necessarily give the Wizards’ offense a boost as a whole, they do have the sixth highest team total in the slate.

John Wall missed this morning’s shoot-around, but is listed as probable for tonight’s game. If he somehow ends up being a late scratch, we can pencil in Brandon Jennings as an elite play. However, let’s assume that Wall is going to suit up. He is only $9,500 on DraftKings and draws a dream matchup against Rajon Rondo, who hasn’t cared about playing defense since he was on the Celtics. Wall has a very high floor and makes a great cash game target tonight. Bradley Beal is wildly overpriced and can be faded in all formats. Otto Porter has had a resurgence in his last five games, averaging 33 fantasy points during that stretch. Unfortunately, there are better small forward targets at similar price points. At this point, we can’t trust either of the Wizards’ big men. Markieff Morris and Marcin Gortat are easy fades against one of the best rebounding teams in the NBA.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L5 +/- FP/Game L5 +/- True Usage L5 +/- DvP DRPM
John Wall $10,400 $9,500 1.23 36.8 1.3 45.4 0.6 34.7% 1.3% 27 -0.19
Bradley Beal $8,500 $8,200 0.95 34.9 2.0 33.0 6.5 26.4% -0.2% 15 -0.26
Otto Porter $6,400 $6,500 0.84 33.9 2.4 28.3 4.7 14.7% 0.0% 17 2.15
Markieff Morris $6,100 $6,100 0.84 31.9 0.1 26.8 -3.1 20.0% -6.6% 16 -0.31
Marcin Gortat $5,400 $5,000 0.84 33.0 -5.8 27.8 -5.8 14.6% 0.5% 5 0.23
Bojan Bogdanovic $4,100 $4,500 0.76 26.6 -2.5 20.2 -3.1 22.3% 2.3% 17 N/A

Elite Plays – John Wall (DK)

Secondary Plays – John Wall (FD)

Dallas Mavericks at Philadelphia 76ers – 7:00 PM ET

Dallas Mavericks Philadelphia 76ers
dallasnba Vegas Total 204.0 philadelphianba Vegas Total 204.0
Vegas Spread -4.5 Vegas Spread 4.5
Team Total 104.3 Team Total 99.8
Pace +/- 2.2 Pace +/- -4.9
Proj. Starter Yogi Ferrell Seth Curry Dorian Finney-Smith Harrison Barnes Dirk Nowitzki Proj. Starter T.J. McConnell Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot Robert Covington Dario Saric Jahlil Okafor
Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C
Adj. DvP 19 25 25 22 30 Adj. DvP 1 7 2 11 8
DRPM 0.12 -0.14 3.66 -1.16 -1.27 DRPM -1.21 -0.19 0.09 -0.12 1.28

Dallas Mavericks

The Mavericks have won seven of their last ten games, but haven’t made up any ground on the Nuggets, who have also won seven of their last ten. Dirk Nowitzki really wants to make the playoffs, but they are three and a half games back with only 15 left to play. Tonight they head to Philadelphia to take on the Sixers, who are ranked 18th or worse in points allowed per game, defensive efficiency, and rebounding differential. The Mavericks are listed as a 4.5-point favorite with an implied total (104.3) that is six points higher than their season average.

As predicted in the Grind Down on Wednesday, J.J. Barea is seeing a bigger role in the offense with each and every game. He played 20 minutes and scored 28 fantasy points against the Wizards. While he offers decent value on DraftKings, this is a slate where we don’t need to reach. It is chock full of value. Or I suppose I could say, “chalk” full. Barea and Yogi Ferrell can both be avoided for now. Seth Curry’s price has come down a bit, but it’s hard to play him when Avery Bradley and Marcus Smart are in such great spots tonight. Harrison Barnes hasn’t been in great form and will likely draw the defense of Robert Covington, who has a DRPM of 3.66. My favorite target from Dallas is Dirk Nowitzki, who is averaging 31 fantasy points in his last five games. He and Dario Saric will likely go at each other tonight. Nerlens Noel gets the revenge factor in his favor. I don’t love his price point, but will have a share or two of him in tournaments. If Rick Carlisle decides to play him 30 minutes, his upside is massive in this spot.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L5 +/- FP/Game L5 +/- True Usage L5 +/- DvP DRPM
Yogi Ferrell $4,800 $4,500 0.71 26.2 3.6 18.5 1.7 21.5% -2.0% 19 0.12
Seth Curry $5,600 $5,900 0.73 29.2 3.0 21.3 -1.3 20.2% -1.4% 25 -0.14
Dorian Finney-Smith $3,500 $3,000 0.49 20.5 -2.7 10.1 -1.0 11.0% -0.2% 25 3.66
Harrison Barnes $6,100 $6,300 0.82 35.9 0.8 29.3 -2.1 24.7% -0.5% 22 -1.16
Dirk Nowitzki $6,300 $6,400 0.99 26.6 1.2 26.3 5.0 24.5% 1.3% 30 -1.27
J.J. Barea $4,300 $3,700 0.92 23.2 -6.4 21.3 -4.9 28.3% 2.3% 19 N/A
Nerlens Noel $6,000 $5,500 1.02 20.3 2.5 20.8 5.3 18.2% 1.8% 30 N/A

Elite Plays – NONE

Secondary Plays – Dirk Nowitzki, Nerlens Noel (GPP)

Philadelphia 76ers

The Sixers have lost eight of their last ten games, but are only listed as small underdogs tonight at home against the Mavericks. The issue here isn’t a potential blowout, it is the matchup. On the season, Dallas is ranked third in points allowed per game and 29th in pace of play. Basically, this is a pace down spot for the Sixers in a difficult matchup. They have an implied total of only 99.8 points, which is the second lowest in the slate and 2.3 points below their season average.

The entire Sixers’ lineup has been in good form over the last five games. If you look at the table below, you will see nothing but green and blue boxes in the L5 +/- columns. While that is certainly promising, their salaries are increasing and I don’t like targeting players against the Mavericks. The only two players that are even a blip on my radar are Dario Saric and Jahlil Okafor. Dallas is ranked dead last in rebounding differential and both Saric and Okafor have been on a tear over the last three games. With that said, I probably won’t end up with much exposure to either player outside of these big multi-entry tournaments.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L5 +/- FP/Game L5 +/- True Usage L5 +/- DvP DRPM
T.J. McConnell $5,500 $5,300 0.82 25.5 3.7 21.0 3.6 19.1% -3.0% 1 -1.21
Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot $3,700 $3,500 0.57 13.5 10.4 7.7 7.8 16.8% -1.2% 7 -0.19
Robert Covington $7,100 $6,900 0.84 31.5 2.3 26.4 4.2 18.3% -0.1% 2 0.09
Dario Saric $7,900 $7,900 0.89 26.0 10.3 23.1 14.2 23.7% 3.7% 11 -0.12
Jahlil Okafor $5,400 $5,300 0.90 23.1 1.9 20.9 10.1 23.3% 6.1% 8 1.28
Richaun Holmes $4,600 $5,100 0.97 17.9 4.8 17.3 7.4 17.5% 2.8% 11 N/A

Elite Plays – NONE

Secondary Plays – Dario Saric (GPP), Jahlil Okafor (GPP)

Toronto Raptors at Detroit Pistons – 7:30 PM ET

Toronto Raptors Detroit Pistons
torontonba Vegas Total 200.5 detroitnba Vegas Total 200.5
Vegas Spread 3.5 Vegas Spread -3.5
Team Total 98.5 Team Total 102.0
Pace +/- -1.8 Pace +/- -1.5
Proj. Starter Cory Joseph DeMar DeRozan DeMarre Carroll Serge Ibaka Jonas Valanciunas 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 22 4 21 12 4 Adj. DvP 9 5 4 18 7
DRPM -2.73 -0.33 0.75 0.64 1.42 DRPM -2.41 -2.19 1.22 0.91 0.40

Toronto Raptors

The Raptors are playing in the second half of a back-to-back, after being blown out by the Thunder at home. The sledding only gets tougher tonight, as they have to face a Pistons’ defense that is ranked tenth or better in points allowed per game, defensive efficiency, and rebounding differential. The Raptors have the worst projected point differential in the entire slate at -8.6. They also have the lowest implied total in the slate. Cory Joseph and DeMar DeRozan grade out as decent plays, but point guard and shooting guard are both loaded with options. Jonas Valanciunas carries a little GPP appeal. In his last four games against Andre Drummond, he has scored 27, 46, 19, and 36 fantasy points.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L5 +/- FP/Game L5 +/- True Usage L5 +/- DvP DRPM
Cory Joseph $4,800 $4,800 0.72 24.1 4.8 17.4 4.1 20.3% -0.5% 22 -2.73
DeMar DeRozan $9,300 $8,000 1.11 35.3 -2.5 39.2 -5.6 34.0% -2.5% 4 -0.33
DeMarre Carroll $4,200 $3,700 0.66 27.2 -3.3 18.0 2.7 15.2% -0.3% 21 0.75
Serge Ibaka $6,000 $6,000 0.90 30.9 -1.4 27.9 -8.7 20.1% -0.9% 12 0.64
Jonas Valanciunas $5,600 $5,000 0.98 26.0 -1.2 25.5 3.7 19.2% 2.5% 4 1.42
Norman Powell $4,100 $4,500 0.75 18.1 7.3 13.6 6.5 20.2% 1.0% 4 N/A

Elite Plays – NONE

Secondary Plays – Jonas Valanciunas (DK GPP)

Detroit Pistons

The Pistons have lost two games in a row and are now tied with the Heat for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Every game the rest of the way could end up being the difference between making and missing the playoffs. They come into tonight’s contest as 3.5-point favorites against a Raptors’ defense that is ranked eighth in points allowed per game. The Pistons’ implied total of 200 points is nearly identical to their season average.

I wish I was a Reggie Jackson whisperer, but he has let us down in a big way in two straight games. His price is all the way down to $4,900 on FanDuel though, so I have to take a few shares if nothing but for peace of mind. Jackson is not a cash game target in this slate, but he’s capable of 7x-8x at that price point. The Raptors are tough on wing players, which takes Kentavious-Caldwell-Pope and Marcus Morris out of the equation. I can’t trust the minutes for Tobias Harris unless he is in the starting lineup. Andre Drummond is also a fade tonight. He has only scored over 30 fantasy points two times in his last five games against Jonas Valanciunas.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L5 +/- FP/Game L5 +/- True Usage L5 +/- DvP DRPM
Reggie Jackson $4,900 $5,400 0.89 27.9 -2.9 24.8 -2.4 29.6% 0.9% 9 -2.41
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope $4,400 $5,300 0.71 33.8 -4.7 23.9 -8.7 19.5% -2.7% 5 -2.19
Marcus Morris $5,600 $5,300 0.73 33.0 -2.6 24.1 -5.3 20.1% -1.3% 4 1.22
Jon Leuer $4,200 $4,000 0.77 26.9 -4.5 20.6 -7.0 17.5% -0.5% 18 0.91
Andre Drummond $7,400 $7,100 1.20 30.2 -2.4 36.2 -2.6 22.3% -2.1% 7 0.40
Tobias Harris $5,500 $5,900 0.83 31.5 -0.2 26.2 4.5 21.7% 2.2% 18 N/A

Elite Plays – NONE

Secondary Plays – Reggie Jackson (FD GPP), Tobias Harris (if he starts)

Boston Celtics at Brooklyn Nets – 7:30 PM ET

Boston Celtics Brooklyn Nets
bostonnba Vegas Total 219.5 brooklynnba Vegas Total 219.5
Vegas Spread -8.0 Vegas Spread 8.0
Team Total 113.8 Team Total 105.8
Pace +/- 4.9 Pace +/- 0.0
Proj. Starter Marcus Smart Avery Bradley Jae Crowder Amir Johnson Al Horford Proj. Starter Jeremy Lin Randy Foye Caris LeVert Rondae Hollis-Jefferson Brook Lopez
Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C
Adj. DvP 30 29 30 29 26 Adj. DvP 20 6 24 14 21
DRPM -0.21 -1.83 -1.16 0.93 0.17 DRPM 0.51 -0.89 0.96 3.64 1.30

Boston Celtics

The Celtics are one of my favorite teams to target in the slate. Not only is Isaiah Thomas out, which leaves a ton of production to be made up by the rest of the team, but they draw the best possible matchup in fantasy basketball. The Nets are ranked first in pace of play and dead last in points allowed per game. They are also playing in the second half of a back-to-back. The Celtics are missing their best scorer and still have an implied total of 113.8 points, which is 6.2 points above their season average. Oh, and it’s St. Patricks Day.

If there was ever a spot to stack a team, this would be it. Marcus Smart will likely slide into the starting lineup. He sees a 5% usage boost with Isaiah Thomas off the floor and will likely see close to 35 minutes. Smart is expensive on FanDuel, but close to a lock play on DraftKings at $4,900. Avery Bradley may be my favorite play in the slate. He could see close to a 30% usage tonight against the worst defense in the NBA. I will be playing Bradley in all formats. Terry Rozier is an interesting punt at minimum salary on DraftKings. Even if he doesn’t draw the start, he should see minutes in the mid 20s with the potential for more if the game gets out of hand. Jae Crowder should also have a bigger role in the offense, but he is more of a secondary play at small forward tonight. Al Horford is another Celtics’ player that I plan to have massive exposure to tonight. He is coming off of his best game in a month, he sees a nice usage boost with Thomas out, and the Nets can’t rebound or defend the paint.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L5 +/- FP/Game L5 +/- True Usage L5 +/- DvP DRPM
Marcus Smart $6,300 $4,900 0.79 30.6 -3.6 24.1 -1.5 20.5% 4.8% 30 -0.21
Avery Bradley $6,400 $6,000 0.88 33.2 -4.7 29.1 -4.2 22.2% 2.1% 29 -1.83
Jae Crowder $5,600 $5,400 0.77 32.2 -2.0 24.9 -4.4 16.5% -0.1% 30 -1.16
Amir Johnson $3,800 $3,700 0.82 19.9 2.2 16.4 -0.7 14.2% -2.2% 29 0.93
Al Horford $6,500 $6,100 0.97 32.7 -1.1 31.8 0.1 21.6% -1.8% 26 0.17
Terry Rozier $4,100 $3,000 0.74 17.6 -3.2 13.0 -3.0 17.8% 2.8% 30 N/A

Elite Plays – Marcus Smart, Avery Bradley, Al Horford, Terry Rozier (DK)

Secondary Plays – Terry Rozier (FD), Jae Crowder

Brooklyn Nets

The Nets are playing in the second half of a back-to-back after beating the Knicks in New York. They have a quick turnaround, but at least they get to face the Celtics on a night where they will be missing their best player. The Nets are listed as 8-point underdogs, but have an implied total of 105.8 points. My concern with Brooklyn is that they could decide to rest some players in this spot. Jeremy Lin and Brook Lopez are the likely candidates, as they both played 30 minutes last night. With so many options at point guard and center, I will be avoiding those two. I do have some interest in Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, who 33 fantasy points against the Knicks. Granted, Trevor Booker was ruled out of that game, but RHJ is still only $4,000 on DraftKings.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L5 +/- FP/Game L5 +/- True Usage L5 +/- DvP DRPM
Jeremy Lin $5,900 $6,000 1.11 23.7 3.3 26.2 4.8 28.9% 1.5% 20 0.51
Randy Foye $3,600 $3,000 0.58 18.8 2.2 11.0 0.4 16.4% -3.0% 6 -0.89
Caris LeVert $4,400 $4,200 0.73 21.0 3.1 15.4 4.9 16.3% -2.0% 24 0.96
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson $4,400 $4,000 0.87 21.9 0.2 19.2 1.5 18.6% -0.8% 14 3.64
Brook Lopez $7,000 $6,800 1.09 29.6 -0.3 32.3 2.6 28.0% 2.6% 21 1.30
Trevor Booker $5,100 $5,000 0.95 25.8 -1.8 24.6 -1.9 18.3% 4.0% 14 N/A

Elite Plays – NONE

Secondary Plays – Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Brook Lopez (if active)

Minnesota Timberwolves at Miami Heat – 8:00 PM ET

Minnesota Timberwolves Miami Heat
minnesotanba Vegas Total 206.0 miaminba Vegas Total 206.0
Vegas Spread 4.5 Vegas Spread -4.5
Team Total 100.8 Team Total 105.3
Pace +/- -1.3 Pace +/- -1.8
Proj. Starter Ricky Rubio Brandon Rush Andrew Wiggins Gorgui Dieng Karl-Anthony Towns Proj. Starter Goran Dragic Rodney McGruder Dion Waiters Luke Babbitt Hassan Whiteside
Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C
Adj. DvP 6 1 7 5 6 Adj. DvP 2 10 18 3 20
DRPM -1.75 -1.05 -0.25 1.75 2.15 DRPM 1.18 0.52 -2.17 3.91 -1.21

Minnesota Timberwolves

The Wolves are playing their best basketball of the season. They have won six of their last ten games, but are likely a year away from making an actual playoff push. Tonight they face the Heat, who have also been playing some great basketball recently. This will be a pace-down game for Minnesota and the matchups isn’t all that enticing. On the season, Miami is ranked fifth in both points allowed per game and defensive efficiency. The Wolves have an implied total of only 100.8 points, which is the third lowest in the slate and 4.2 points below their season average.

Ricky Rubio has been on some kind of run over the last couple of weeks. He is averaging 42 fantasy points in his last five games and has a 27.5% true usage rate during that stretch. When a point guard sees that big of a usage boost, that only means good things. Even though the Heat are very good defensively, I still like Rubio in this spot. Goran Dragic is not a great defender and Rubio racks up fantasy production by filling up all areas of the stat sheet. I don’t see him as a must play like he has been the last couple of nights, but he still deserves the ‘elite play’ tag. Andre Wiggins continues to struggle from the floor and can be avoided again tonight. With Nemanja Bjelica out for the season, we should see more consistent minutes for Gorgui Dieng and Shabazz Muhammad. Both players should fly under the radar in this tough matchup, which makes them viable tournament plays on both FanDuel and DraftKings. In his first meeting against Hassan Whiteside this season, Karl-Anthony Towns scored 49 fantasy points. This isn’t my favorite matchup for Towns, but he does have 40 minute type of upside.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L5 +/- FP/Game L5 +/- True Usage L5 +/- DvP DRPM
Ricky Rubio $7,600 $7,700 0.91 32.4 1.2 29.5 12.8 21.0% 6.5% 6 -1.75
Brandon Rush $3,500 $3,000 0.47 20.5 7.1 9.6 3.2 10.7% 0.5% 1 -1.05
Andrew Wiggins $7,100 $6,700 0.86 37.2 0.6 31.9 -6.3 28.0% -1.9% 7 -0.25
Gorgui Dieng $5,300 $5,100 0.80 31.7 -1.6 25.3 -1.8 14.8% -1.4% 5 1.75
Karl-Anthony Towns $10,600 $10,400 1.21 36.8 0.9 44.6 3.1 27.2% -0.2% 6 2.15
Shabazz Muhammad $3,700 $3,700 0.70 19.7 3.7 13.8 2.4 19.5% 2.5% 7 N/A

Elite Plays – Ricky Rubio

Secondary Plays – Karl-Anthony Towns, Gorgui Dieng (GPP), Shabazz Muhammad (GPP)

Miami Heat

The Heat are now tied with the Pistons for the eighth and final spot in the Eastern Conference playoff picture. I really hope they end up getting in because I would love to see them battle with the Cavaliers in the first round. Miami draws a mediocre matchup tonight against the Wolves at home. They are listed as 4.5-point favorites with an implied total of 105.3 points. It’s not that they are in a bad situation tonight, but in my initial lineup builds, I’ve had zero exposure to the Heat. There are so many great plays in the slate that the Heat end up being the odd men out. It’s hard to argue for Goran Dragic with so many good point guard options (including Ricky Rubio), Dion Waiters is overpriced for the matchup, and both James and Tyler Johnson have been inconsistent off the bench. The only play that I would look at here is Hassan Whiteside on DraftKings. The Wolves have struggled a bit against centers this season and Whiteside had a 55 fantasy point outing against Karl-Anthony Towns last season.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L5 +/- FP/Game L5 +/- True Usage L5 +/- DvP DRPM
Goran Dragic $7,700 $7,300 1.01 33.4 -4.1 33.6 2.7 29.3% 2.2% 2 1.18
Rodney McGruder $3,500 $3,000 0.53 25.3 -4.5 13.4 -3.2 12.4% 0.7% 10 0.52
Dion Waiters $6,600 $6,700 0.89 30.5 1.7 27.2 5.2 27.6% 1.5% 18 -2.17
Luke Babbitt $3,500 $3,000 0.55 15.6 -0.8 8.6 0.0 13.4% 0.9% 3 3.91
Hassan Whiteside $8,700 $8,100 1.17 32.9 1.8 38.4 1.7 21.0% -2.7% 20 -1.21
James Johnson $5,800 $5,600 0.94 26.6 1.8 25.0 -0.7 23.3% -0.6% 3 N/A
Tyler Johnson $5,300 $5,200 0.87 30.0 -4.6 26.1 -8.8 22.0% 0.3% 2 N/A

Elite Plays – NONE

Secondary Plays – Hassan Whiteside (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