NBA Grind Down: Friday, March 24th

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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.

Legend & FAQ


Brooklyn Nets at Washington Wizards – 7:00 PM ET

Brooklyn Nets Washington Wizards
Article Image Vegas Total 224.5 Article Image Vegas Total 224.5
Vegas Spread 12.0 Vegas Spread -12.0
Team Total 106.3 Team Total 118.3
Pace +/- 0.9 Pace +/- 4.7
Proj. Starter Jeremy Lin Randy Foye Caris LeVert Rondae Hollis-Jefferson Brook 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 6 21 14 24 16 Adj. DvP 30 29 30 29 26
DRPM -0.44 -0.57 0.23 1.59 1.40 DRPM -0.37 -1.74 -1.09 1.24 0.30

Brooklyn Nets

Even though the Nets’ starters didn’t have to play in the fourth quarter last night, this is still the tail end of a back-to-back. Brooklyn has been competitive on the road over the last few weeks, but come into tonight’s game as 12-point underdogs against the Wizards. In terms of the actual matchup, this is a slightly favorable one for the Nets. On the season, Washington is ranked below the league average in points allowed per game, defensive efficiency, and rebounding differential. Brooklyn has an implied total of 106.3 points, which is nearly identical to their season average.

Coach speak is always hard to figure out. When the Nets said that Jeremy Lin was active last night, they said he would play “significant minutes.” Depending on who you ask, significant could mean a number of things. Lin did play 21 minutes in the first three quarters though, so he was on pace to play somewhere in the 26-28 minute range that we’ve seen from him recently. This should be a spot where we can target Lin at low ownership and he is only $5,600 on DraftKings. However, given the big spread, he is best suited as a tournament play. Spencer Dinwiddie, Isaiah Whitehead, and K.J. McDaniels have all been playing well off the bench, but are all deep tournament plays at best in a ten game slate. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson had more rebounds (16) than minutes (15) last night. His minutes are tough to predict, but he offers nice upside at his price point on both FanDuel and DraftKings. Brook Lopez has scored at least 31 fantasy points in seven of his last eight games. While I don’t mind his matchup against Marcin Gortat, he would be one of the first players on the Nets to sit if the game gets out of hand. For that reason, I will only be targeting Lopez and Lin in tournaments.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L5 +/- FP/Game L5 +/- True Usage L5 +/- DvP DRPM
Jeremy Lin $6,000 $5,600 1.10 22.9 -2.9 25.3 -3.6 28.8% -1.2% 6 -0.44
Randy Foye $3,600 $3,700 0.59 19.1 5.6 11.2 3.2 16.2% -0.6% 21 -0.57
Caris LeVert $4,300 $4,300 0.73 21.3 3.0 15.5 0.9 16.3% -0.8% 14 0.23
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson $4,300 $4,400 0.87 21.9 0.7 19.2 3.5 18.7% 2.1% 24 1.59
Brook Lopez $7,200 $6,800 1.10 29.7 0.7 32.5 0.5 28.2% 3.4% 16 1.40
Spencer Dinwiddie $3,700 $5,100 0.71 22.7 4.1 16.1 5.9 16.1% -0.3% 6 N/A

Elite Plays – Rondae Hollis-Jefferson

Secondary Plays – Jeremy Lin (DK GPP), Brook Lopez (GPP)


Washington Wizards

The Wizards have won six of their last ten games, but have somehow been terrible when it comes to fantasy production. If you scroll down to the player table below, you will see that all five six players listed have struggled recently. They may have a case of the fantasy blues, but the Nets are a common cure for this virus. Brooklyn is the fastest-paced team in the NBA and they are ranked dead last in points allowed per game. The Wizards may be double-digit favorites here, but they have a massive implied total of 118.3 points. This is one of those risk/reward type of games that should end up being a difference maker in tournaments, one way or the other.

John Wall has been dealing with a knee injury the last couple of weeks and it has seemingly hurt his production. Over his last five games, he is averaging 43 fantasy points. After missing shoot-around with a headache, Wall is listed as questionable for tonight’s game. If he is unable to suit up, we could basically load up on Brandon Jennings in all formats. Bradley Beal production has tapered off and his price has gone up. That’s usually not the combination that we are looking for. Even against the Nets, I plan to have little exposure to Beal unless Wall sits. This is the type of game that Otto Porter and Markieff Morris usually play well in (uptempo spots vs. bad defenses), but they are both secondary options at their respective positions. Marcin Gortat remains an easy fade. Dollar for dollar, Ian Mahinmi is a much better play. Bojan Bogdanovic is facing his former team for the first time since the trade. He has the revenge narrative, a good matchup, and he could see a few extra minutes in a blowout.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L5 +/- FP/Game L5 +/- True Usage L5 +/- DvP DRPM
John Wall $10,000 $9,600 1.24 36.7 -2.1 45.3 -2.8 34.7% -0.5% 30 -0.37
Bradley Beal $8,000 $7,800 0.95 34.8 -1.0 33.0 -2.1 26.5% 1.9% 29 -1.74
Otto Porter $5,800 $6,100 0.82 33.6 -2.1 27.6 -4.3 14.9% 0.6% 30 -1.09
Markieff Morris $6,000 $5,800 0.84 31.9 -0.3 26.7 -5.3 19.9% -2.8% 29 1.24
Marcin Gortat $4,900 $4,300 0.85 32.4 -9.8 27.4 -10.2 14.6% 1.9% 26 0.30
Bojan Bogdanovic $3,800 $4,800 0.75 26.3 -3.2 19.8 -4.3 22.4% 1.6% 30 N/A

Elite Plays – TBD – depends on John Wall

Secondary Plays – TBD – depends on John Wall


Cleveland Cavaliers at Charlotte Hornets – 7:00 PM ET

Cleveland Cavaliers Charlotte Hornets
Article Image Vegas Total 212.5 Article Image Vegas Total 212.5
Vegas Spread -3.0 Vegas Spread 3.0
Team Total 107.8 Team Total 104.8
Pace +/- -0.6 Pace +/- -0.2
Proj. Starter Kyrie Irving J.R. Smith LeBron James Kevin Love Tristan Thompson Proj. Starter Kemba Walker Nicolas Batum Michael Kidd-Gilchrist Marvin Williams Cody Zeller
Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C
Adj. DvP 14 19 12 21 15 Adj. DvP 16 30 19 16 25
DRPM -0.94 -0.37 2.21 0.28 3.08 DRPM -1.99 -0.47 1.22 2.20 1.22

Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cavaliers have lost six of their last ten games, which prompted LeBron James to go to the media once again. This time he said that the team wasn’t tough enough. If you don’t have enough playmakers and you aren’t tough enough, it’s hard to see them defending their title. I still think they make it out of the Eastern Conference, but the path won’t be as easy as it has been in recent years. Tonight they head to Charlotte to take on a Hornets’ team that is ranked ninth in points allowed per game this season. While the Cavaliers’ implied total is lower than their season average, I tend to give a boost to their big three anytime the spread is small.

Kyrie Irving sees the biggest decline in usage with Kevin Love back on the floor. With that said, he is only $8,100 on DraftKings and we know that Love is still playing with a minutes restriction. Kemba Walker is from from an elite defender and we’ve seen Irving drop 40+ fantasy points dressed as Uncle Drew. J.R. Smith was inserted back into the starting lineup against the Nuggets on Wednesday. While he is a volatile player that relies heavily on scoring, $3,600 for a starting shooting guard that can score 20 actual points isn’t a bad deal. LeBron James has struggled since Love returned from his injury. His price is reasonable on both FanDuel and DraftKings, but I prefer Jimmy Butler at a cheaper price point. Until Love is cleared to play 30+ minutes, I will continue fading him in all formats. The restriction clearly hurts his upside.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L5 +/- FP/Game L5 +/- True Usage L5 +/- DvP DRPM
Kyrie Irving $9,100 $8,100 1.10 35.0 -3.6 38.6 0.2 32.3% 2.3% 14 -0.94
J.R. Smith $3,600 $4,200 0.55 27.5 -1.9 15.3 2.1 15.0% 2.1% 19 -0.37
LeBron James $10,700 $10,500 1.30 37.5 -2.8 48.8 -3.8 33.0% 0.4% 12 2.21
Kevin Love $7,600 $7,500 1.15 31.3 -8.7 35.9 -8.5 25.5% -1.1% 21 0.28
Tristan Thompson $5,000 $4,600 0.77 30.0 -2.3 23.1 -4.9 11.1% -3.2% 15 3.08
Iman Shumpert $3,500 $3,400 0.58 25.8 -0.1 15.0 1.2 14.0% 2.2% 19 N/A

Elite Plays – Kyrie Irving (DK)

Secondary Plays – Kyrie Irving (FD), LeBron James, J.R. Smith (FD)


Charlotte Hornets

The Hornets basically need to win at least eight of their last 11 games to have a shot at making the playoffs. They are currently in 11th place in the standings and two and a half games behind the Heat. Tonight’s matchup against the Cavaliers could be a make or break game for Charlotte. In terms of the actual matchup, I’ve been targeting players against Cleveland for the last few months. On the season, they are ranked 20th or worse in points allowed per game, defensive efficiency, and rebounding differential. The Hornets have an implied total of 104.8 points, which is identical to their season average.

Kemba Walker has struggled in his last four games, but makes a lot of sense tonight at home against the Cavaliers. Kyrie Irving is not a good defender and Cleveland won’t be able to hide him on Nicolas Batum or Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. As long as Walker takes on a role other than the facilitator, he should be in for a nice bounce back outing. His ownership should be low, which makes him a great tournament play. Batum has yet to see a full complement of minutes since coming back from injury, but it wouldn’t surprise me to see him play 35+ minutes tonight. I also like Batum in tournaments, but prefer Devin Booker and Avery Bradley at similar price points. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist will be tasked with defending LeBron James. While that may not be an exploitable matchup, he has played at least 35 minutes in three of their last four meetings. At $4,600 on DraftKings, MKG is a sneaky play in all formats. I’m not particularly interested in the three bigs from Charlotte. Power forward and center is loaded with viable plays tonight.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L5 +/- FP/Game L5 +/- True Usage L5 +/- DvP DRPM
Kemba Walker $7,700 $7,700 1.05 34.5 -1.7 36.4 -8.3 30.2% -0.7% 16 -1.99
Nicolas Batum $6,800 $6,900 0.93 34.6 -4.6 32.3 -8.3 24.0% 0.0% 30 -0.47
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist $5,000 $4,600 0.79 29.2 -1.9 23.0 -0.7 14.1% 0.4% 19 1.22
Marvin Williams $6,500 $6,200 0.77 30.2 4.7 23.2 6.0 16.2% -4.0% 16 2.20
Cody Zeller $5,100 $4,900 0.84 27.6 1.4 23.3 3.1 16.1% 0.3% 25 1.22
Frank Kaminsky $5,700 $5,700 0.83 26.2 4.6 21.8 -0.1 21.6% -0.3% 16 N/A

Elite Plays – Kemba Walker (GPP), Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (DK)

Secondary Plays – Kemba Walker (Cash), Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (FD), Nicolas Batum


Detroit Pistons at Orlando Magic – 7:00 PM ET

Detroit Pistons Orlando Magic
Article Image Vegas Total 206.5 Article Image Vegas Total 206.5
Vegas Spread -4.0 Vegas Spread 4.0
Team Total 105.3 Team Total 101.3
Pace +/- -0.2 Pace +/- -1.8
Proj. Starter Ish Smith Kentavious Caldwell-Pope Marcus Morris Tobias Harris Andre Drummond Proj. Starter Elfrid Payton Evan Fournier Terrence Ross Aaron Gordon Nikola Vucevic
Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C
Adj. DvP 24 22 24 28 19 Adj. DvP 19 5 17 15 6
DRPM -0.49 -0.81 -1.30 -0.79 2.03 DRPM 1.02 -0.66 0.68 -0.82 1.29

Detroit Pistons

Stan Van Gundy finally made the move to get Ish Smith into the starting lineup, but he quickly picked up two fouls in the third quarter and had to come out of the game. The Bulls went on a big run after that and the Pistons ended up losing for the sixth time in their last ten games. Even though they have been struggling, they still have an excellent shot at making the playoffs. With a win over the Magic tonight, they would be right back in the mix. We always love targeting players against Orlando, as they are ranked 19th or worse in every defensive category listed above. Detroit has an implied total of 105.3 points, which is 3.8 points above their season average.

We have to assume that Ish Smith is going to remain in the starting lineup moving forward. He has been the most productive point guard on their roster for two months now. He was on his way to a big game against the Bulls before getting into foul trouble. He played 15 minutes in the first half and had over 20 fantasy points. This may be a tad optimistic, but I’m setting his minute projection in the 28-30 range tonight, which makes Lord Ishington close to a must play in my eyes. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is underpriced on FanDuel at $4,600. He should see minutes in the mid-30s tonight against a turnover-prone team. This is a decent spot for Marcus Morris, but I would rather pay a few hundred more for Tobias Harris. He has played well as a starter recently and is facing his former team. A little added motivation never hurt anybody. Andre Drummond is a lot better at home than he is on the road, but we love targeting centers against Orlando. I’m fine using Drummond in tournaments, but his range of outcomes is too wide for cash games.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L5 +/- FP/Game L5 +/- True Usage L5 +/- DvP DRPM
Ish Smith $4,700 $4,800 0.88 23.3 1.5 20.4 3.2 23.8% 2.3% 24 -0.49
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope $4,600 $5,200 0.70 33.8 -1.0 23.7 -3.5 19.3% -0.3% 22 -0.81
Marcus Morris $5,200 $5,300 0.72 33.1 1.7 23.8 -6.5 20.1% -1.2% 24 -1.30
Tobias Harris $5,600 $5,900 0.83 31.6 1.4 26.3 -2.1 21.5% -2.9% 28 -0.79
Andre Drummond $7,800 $7,600 1.20 30.2 -2.0 36.2 -3.2 22.3% -2.0% 19 2.03
Reggie Jackson $4,600 $4,900 0.89 27.5 -4.9 24.3 -7.7 29.6% 3.3% 24 N/A

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

Secondary Plays – Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (DK), Marcus Morris, Andre Drummond (GPP)


Orlando Magic

I’m going to miss the grind of the NBA season when it’s over, but I’m not going to miss trying to predict the rotations of a few teams. The Magic are on that list and are bolded and underlined. They draw a difficult matchup tonight against the Pistons, who are ranked sixth in points allowed per game and fifth in rebounding differential. Detroit also has a lot to play for, while the Magic are just counting down the days until the offseason. While I expect Orlando to keep the game close, they have the third lowest implied total in the slate. Elfrid Payton is too expensive to target with a healthy Nikola Vucevic. Evan Fournier, Terrence Ross, and Aaron Gordon all draw difficult matchups and are inconsistent to begin with. The one and only Magic player on my radar tonight is Nikola Vucevic. He is averaging 43 fantasy points in his last five games with a true usage rate close to 27%. He has 40+ fantasy point upside tonight, especially if Frank Vogel lets him play a few extra minutes in what should be a close game.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L5 +/- FP/Game L5 +/- True Usage L5 +/- DvP DRPM
Elfrid Payton $7,000 $7,100 0.96 29.2 0.9 27.9 5.2 25.2% -2.3% 19 1.02
Evan Fournier $5,500 $5,500 0.77 33.0 -1.6 25.4 -0.9 23.9% 2.7% 5 -0.66
Terrence Ross $4,000 $4,600 0.71 24.4 5.7 17.4 0.7 18.5% -0.1% 17 0.68
Aaron Gordon $5,200 $5,400 0.77 27.9 1.0 21.6 -0.4 19.9% 0.1% 15 -0.82
Nikola Vucevic $8,200 $7,800 1.17 28.8 2.3 33.7 9.3 25.4% 1.5% 6 1.29

Elite Plays – Nikola Vucevic (GPP)

Secondary Plays – Nikola Vucevic (Cash)


Denver Nuggets at Indiana Pacers – 7:00 PM ET

Denver Nuggets Indiana Pacers
Article Image Vegas Total 218.0 Article Image Vegas Total 218.0
Vegas Spread 2.0 Vegas Spread -2.0
Team Total 108.0 Team Total 110.0
Pace +/- -0.4 Pace +/- 1.6
Proj. Starter Jameer Nelson Gary Harris Danilo Gallinari Wilson Chandler Nikola Jokic Proj. Starter Jeff Teague C.J. Miles Paul George Thaddeus Young Myles Turner
Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C
Adj. DvP 7 15 20 6 24 Adj. DvP 29 28 7 7 11
DRPM 0.01 -0.51 0.01 2.39 2.20 DRPM -0.66 -2.19 0.29 -1.45 1.93

Denver Nuggets

The Nuggets have been mashing teams left and right at home. They are coming off of a big win against the Cavaliers and now hold a one game lead over the Blazers for the eighth and final playoff spot in the West. Tonight’s game against the Pacers should be a fun one, as both teams could easily fall out of the playoff picture with a few losses. Denver is listed as a 2-point underdog with an implied total of 108 points. This is a mediocre matchup at best, as the Pacers are ranked 15th in points allowed per game this season.

When given big minutes, there are eight or nine players that are playable from the Nuggets. However, when they are healthy, those minutes get spread out between too many bodies. With Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler back in the mix, we can expect Mason Plumlee, Will Barton, and Gary Harris to all see a decrease in playing time. Of the three, Harris has the most fantasy appeal. He is an excellent defender and is averaging 32 fantasy points in his last five games. It will be interesting to see what their starting lineup looks like; they can either start small with Chandler or go big with Plumlee. Either way, I will be avoiding both players in this slate. Outside of Harris, the only other Nugget on my radar is Nikola Jokic. He hasn’t shown 60 fantasy point upside in a while, but the Pacers are ranked 24th in adjusted DvP against centers and his price is down to $9,400 on DraftKings.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L5 +/- FP/Game L5 +/- True Usage L5 +/- DvP DRPM
Jameer Nelson $5,100 $5,400 0.73 27.1 5.1 19.7 5.4 19.1% -2.3% 7 0.01
Gary Harris $6,300 $6,500 0.80 30.5 6.8 24.3 7.8 19.4% 0.1% 15 -0.51
Danilo Gallinari $6,500 $6,000 0.81 33.7 -5.0 27.2 3.9 19.8% -1.2% 20 0.01
Wilson Chandler $6,600 $6,500 0.89 31.2 9.4 27.9 0.6 22.6% -5.3% 6 2.39
Nikola Jokic $10,100 $9,400 1.29 27.3 1.6 35.2 3.1 25.2% 1.0% 24 2.20
Will Barton $6,500 $6,400 0.88 28.8 3.7 25.2 10.0 22.5% 1.8% 15 N/A
Mason Plumlee $5,900 $5,700 1.03 27.4 2.2 28.3 0.8 19.4% -3.1% 24 N/A

Elite Plays – NONE

Secondary Plays – Gary Harris (FD), Nikola Jokic (DK)


Indiana Pacers

The Pacers have lost five of their last ten games, but are tied with the Bucks for sixth place in the Eastern Conference. Barring a major collapse, Indiana should be able to make the playoffs. They draw an excellent matchup tonight against the uptempo Nuggets, who are ranked 27th in points allowed per game and 29th in defensive efficiency. The Pacers have an implied total of 110 points, which is the seventh highest in the slate and 5.9 points above their season average.

Jeff Teague is one of my favorite tournament plays tonight and I may even consider him for cash games. Targeting point guards against the Nuggets is a lot like targeting hitters in Coors Field (MLB reference). The matchup is just too good to ignore and Teague is coming off of back-to-back 36+ fantasy point outings. Many will be sucked in by the good matchup for C.J. Miles, but I will not be one of them. If I end up losing because I faded Miles, so be it. What I won’t let happen is having me lose because I played Miles. Paul George will be an attractive candidate at small forward, but I hate paying a premium for players. In the upper tier of small forwards, I would rank them Jimmy Butler, LeBron James, and then George (factoring price in). Thaddeus Young continues to play big minutes, but the upside hasn’t been there. Surprisingly, power forward is loaded with value tonight, so we don’t need to use Young. Myles Turner draws a difficult matchup against Nikola Jokic and can be avoided in all formats.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L5 +/- FP/Game L5 +/- True Usage L5 +/- DvP DRPM
Jeff Teague $6,800 $7,300 1.01 32.4 -0.1 32.7 -1.3 26.4% 1.2% 29 -0.66
C.J. Miles $3,600 $4,000 0.71 23.5 -0.6 16.6 -3.2 17.1% -1.9% 28 -2.19
Paul George $8,600 $8,900 1.01 35.4 0.9 35.7 4.0 28.2% 4.1% 7 0.29
Thaddeus Young $4,600 $4,800 0.76 30.2 1.3 23.0 -3.3 16.0% -4.6% 7 -1.45
Myles Turner $6,300 $5,900 0.96 31.0 1.2 29.9 -0.8 18.9% -3.8% 11 1.93
Monta Ellis $4,300 $4,000 0.65 26.7 -1.4 17.4 3.1 18.8% 4.5% 28 N/A

Elite Plays – Jeff Teague

Secondary Plays – Paul George


Phoenix Suns at Boston Celtics – 7:30 PM ET

Phoenix Suns Boston Celtics
Article Image Vegas Total 219.5 Article Image Vegas Total 219.5
Vegas Spread 16.0 Vegas Spread -16.0
Team Total 101.8 Team Total 117.8
Pace +/- 0.1 Pace +/- 3.8
Proj. Starter Tyler Ulis Devin Booker Jared Dudley Marquese Chriss Alex Len Proj. Starter Isaiah Thomas Avery Bradley Jae Crowder Amir Johnson Al Horford
Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C
Adj. DvP 20 7 23 20 17 Adj. DvP 26 25 13 27 27
DRPM -4.25 -1.04 1.14 3.54 1.58 DRPM -0.93 -2.24 1.47 -1.19 1.33

Phoenix Suns

The Suns were up by double digits in the first quarter last night, but eventually lost to the Nets by 28 points. They have a quick turnaround tonight and have to face a much better team in the Celtics. Phoenix is listed as 16-point underdogs and their implied total is 5.3 points below their season average. They let a lot of people down last night and most DFS players will be happy to fade them in a potential blowout against the Celtics. While I do have some small concerns, the Suns are playing their young players all of the minutes that they can handle, regardless of the game’s outcome. Guaranteed minutes are hard to come by at this point in the season.

Tyler Ulis has really struggled from the floor and from an efficiency standpoint, but he is playing 40 minutes a game. If Ronnie Price is ruled out again, Ulis could play 45 minutes again. The Suns want to see what they have with Ulis and they really don’t have any other options at point guard anyway. The best part is that he finally gets to play against someone his own size in Isaiah Thomas. Devin Booker has struggled with his efficiency lately, but I’ll gladly take 40 minutes and 20+ shot attempts an uptempo game against the Celtics. He will have to deal with Avery Bradley, but that’s not enough of a reason to fade him tonight. T.J. Warren and Derrick Jones Jr. have both been ruled out of tonight’s game, which makes Marquese Chriss an elite play in all formats. He is averaging 33 fantasy points over his last five games and is finally seeing starter’s minutes. Jared Dudley and Leandro Barbosa are intriguing punt options, as both will be asked to play big minutes. A lot of people may be drawn to Alex Len after posting two big outings in a row, but Alan Williams didn’t play in the first game and he picked up three fouls in four minutes in the first half last night. While Len and Williams both have good upside when given minutes, I sort of expect a timeshare moving forward.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L5 +/- FP/Game L5 +/- True Usage L5 +/- DvP DRPM
Tyler Ulis $6,200 $7,100 0.80 14.5 27.6 11.7 21.8 23.8% -2.2% 20 -4.25
Devin Booker $6,500 $6,900 0.83 34.7 1.3 28.7 -4.5 27.7% 2.3% 7 -1.04
Jared Dudley $3,500 $3,000 0.65 20.6 0.2 13.5 1.3 14.2% 2.0% 23 1.14
Marquese Chriss $5,000 $5,900 0.81 20.6 10.1 16.6 16.6 18.7% 3.4% 20 3.54
Alex Len $4,800 $4,500 0.93 20.1 5.4 18.6 7.4 16.9% 2.5% 17 1.58
Alan Williams $5,700 $5,700 1.17 13.7 8.5 16.1 9.0 20.7% 3.4% 17 N/A
Leandro Barbosa $3,500 $3,200 0.73 14.1 5.5 10.3 4.0 20.7% 1.6% 7 N/A

Elite Plays – Tyler Ulis (FD), Devin Booker, Marquese Chriss

Secondary Plays – Tyler Ulis (DK), Jared Dudley, Leandro Barbosa


Boston Celtics

The Celtics are two games behind the Cavaliers in the loss column, but have a decent shot at catching them with only a few weeks left in the season. They draw an excellent matchup tonight against the Suns, who are ranked 29th in points allowed per game this season. Boston has an implied total of 117.8 points, which is the highest in the slate and 10.4 points above their season average. The issue here is obviously the potential blowout. This is another one of those games that could make or break the slate if you can predict what happens.

Isaiah Thomas spent 46 games with the Suns in the 2014-15 season, so technically we can call this a revenge game. Maybe not to the same level as the Kings, but close. Thomas has seen a decline in usage and fantasy production since Avery Bradley returned to the lineup, but his price is tempting on both FanDuel and DraftKings. If this game somehow stays close, Thomas could have a monster game. That’s obviously a big if though, so only use IT2 in tournaments. Avery Bradley has played well in back-to-back games and draws the defense of Devin Booker. I don’t mind targeting both shooting guards from this game, but would lean to Booker’s side if I had to pick one. Booker’s minutes are more secure. Al Horford is averaging 42 fantasy points in his last five games and the Suns are ranked 27th against centers this season. I will be constructing a number of game stacks in tournaments, but I’m not sure if will be using any Celtics in cash games.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L5 +/- FP/Game L5 +/- True Usage L5 +/- DvP DRPM
Isaiah Thomas $8,500 $8,200 1.19 34.1 -0.8 40.4 -5.2 34.9% -2.0% 26 -0.93
Avery Bradley $6,500 $6,500 0.87 33.4 1.2 29.1 -1.3 22.1% -1.6% 25 -2.24
Jae Crowder $5,900 $5,900 0.79 32.4 2.2 25.5 2.2 16.7% 1.9% 13 -2.76
Amir Johnson $3,600 $3,700 0.80 20.0 3.2 16.1 -2.0 14.4% -2.3% 27 -1.19
Al Horford $6,800 $6,600 1.00 32.6 -1.0 32.5 9.3 21.9% 2.4% 27 1.33
Marcus Smart $5,800 $4,800 0.79 30.4 -3.7 23.9 -3.5 20.9% 4.3% 25 N/A
Kelly Olynyk $4,100 $4,200 0.88 20.9 -2.4 18.4 1.9 19.2% 1.5% 27 N/A

Elite Plays – Isaiah Thomas (GPP), Avery Bradley (GPP), Al Horford (GPP)

Secondary Plays – Isaiah Thomas (Cash), Avery Bradley (Cash), Al Horford (Cash)


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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 Twitter – @RG_Notorious