NBA Grind Down: Friday, March 30th

by Allan Lem (fathalpert) Last Updated 2018-03-31 02:18:06

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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 Implied 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 Orlando Magic – 7:00 PM ET

Chicago Bulls							Orlando Magic
			Vegas Total		211.0					Vegas Total		211.0
			Vegas Spread		6.5					Vegas Spread		-6.5
			Implied Team Total		102.3					Implied Team Total		108.8
			Pace Projection +/-		0.9					Pace Projection +/-		0.7
Projected Starters	Cameron Payne	Justin Holiday	David Nwaba	Lauri Markkanen	Cristiano Felicio		Projected Starters	D.J. Augustin	Wes Iwundu	Mario Hezonja	Aaron Gordon	Nikola Vucevic
Opponent Rank	PG	SG	SF	PF	C		Opponent Rank	PG	SG	SF	PF	C
DvP	30	26	20	23	22		DvP	21	28	23	25	25
DRPM Rat.	22	16	29	21	9		DRPM Rat.	10	4	20	26	30

Chicago Bulls

Update 3:18pm EST – Lauri Markkanen and Cristiano Felicio are probable, while Paul Zipser, Kris Dunn and Zach LaVine are OUT. This downgrades Bobby Portis and Noah Vonleh for me a bit with Felicio back so I’m moving them to secondary options.

Notable Injuries

Kris Dunn (Questionable), Cristiano Felicio (Questionable), Zach Lavine (Questionable), Lauri Markkanen (Questionble), Paul Zipser (Questionable)

Hello Grinders. We have a solid nine-game slate this Friday night and tons of injury news to sort through. As of this morning, several players are listed as questionable/probable, which makes the analysis aspect a bit tricky because things could change on a dime as several of these teams have no incentive to push their players. As such, I’m going to do my best to break down the slate with what we know so far and may do some updates later in the day as things become more clear. I’m also doing this early to get this in your hands and help you digest some of the information. I highly encourage you to follow the RG alerts to stay updated throughout the day, and to tune into Court Report and Crunch Time if you can. With that said, let’s dive in.

This Bulls-Magic game is not on the FanDuel main slate, so keep that in mind. The Bulls are playing the backend of a back-to-back and several players missed Thursday’s game (Dunn, Felicio, Lavine, Markkanen, Zipser). For now I’m considering all five of them as questionable until further information, although I’d expect Markkanen to return as it sounds like it was a rest day.

I’m approaching the Bulls the same way I approached them on Thursday. If Markkanen is back, I consider him an elite play at $5,400 on DraftKings against a Magic team ranking in the bottom third of the league against power forwards. If Felicio is out, Noah Vonleh ($4,700) and Bobby Portis ($5,800) also rate as elite plays. Robin Lopez got ejected on Thursday and pulled off a comical tirade before leaving the court, so we’ll need to monitor his status too. He surprisingly played 31 minutes.

David Nwaba would be the main guard I’d look at on the Bulls. He played well on Thursday over 35 minutes and he’s still priced at just $4,500. I’m off the Cameron Payne train as I just don’t see him with enough upside to break a slate in tournaments. I will admit the matchup is elite but I’d rather use my fantasy dollars elsewhere.

Chicago Bulls Offense

Points Per Game: 103.0 (26 of 30)
Implied Implied Team Total: 102.3 (16 of 18)
Projected Point Differential: -0.8 (15 of 18)

Matchup vs. Orlando Magic

Points Allowed Per Game: 109.1 (23 of 30)
Defensive Efficiency: 108.4 (21 of 30)
Rebounding Differential: -4.2 (29 of 30)
Pace of Play: 100.4 (10 of 30)

Elite Plays – Lauri Markkanen,

Secondary Plays – David Nwaba, Bobby Portis, Noah Vonlehsi

Orlando Magic

Update 3:20 pm EST – Jonathon Simmons is OUT while Jonathan Isaac will start.

Notable Injuries

Jonathan Isaac (Probable), Wesley Iwundu (Questionable), Jonathon Simmons (Doubtful)

While this game might be ugly to watch, there’s some potential fantasy goodness on the Magic side. Jonathon Simmons is doubtful but Jonathan Isaac is probable, which may force Mario Hezonja back to the bench. Hezonja is coming off back-to-back monster games but those were with both Simmons and Isaac out, so I’m a bit hesitant to roll him out there another time with Isaac returning.

My main two targets on the Magic would be Aaron Gordon and Nikola Vucevic. My biggest obstacle is that they both cost north of $8K, and on a slate with Russell Westbrook, LeBron James, James Harden, KAT and Anthony Davis, I have a hard time prioritizing them. Both have fantastic matchups as the Bulls are awful against big men, making both contrarian plays who should go overlooked and underowned. In tournaments, I love the idea of getting exposure to one or both of them, especially since this game is not on FanDuel so you may see it talked about less around the industry throughout the day.

I’ll mention that Shelvin Mack has scored at least 21 DraftKings points in six straight games so he’s an option if you need a punt. The return of Jonathan Isaac does worry me a bit though so it’s likely not something I’ll chase, but I wanted to point it out in case you decide to dig further into this.

Orlando Magic Offense

Points Per Game: 104.3 (19 of 30)
Implied Implied Team Total: 108.8 (11 of 18)
Projected Point Differential: 4.5 (4 of 18)

Matchup vs. Chicago Bulls

Points Allowed Per Game: 110.1 (27 of 30)
Defensive Efficiency: 109.3 (27 of 30)
Rebounding Differential: -0.9 (20 of 30)
Pace of Play: 100.2 (11 of 30)

Elite Plays – Aaron Gordon, Nikola Vucevic

Secondary Plays – None

Philadelphia 76ers at Atlanta Hawks – 7:30 PM ET

Philadelphia 76ers							Atlanta Hawks
			Vegas Total		217.5					Vegas Total		217.5
			Vegas Spread		-7.5					Vegas Spread		7.5
			Implied Team Total		112.5					Implied Team Total		105.0
			Pace Projection +/-		1.0					Pace Projection +/-		2.3
Projected Starters	Ben Simmons	J.J. Redick	Robert Covington	Dario Saric	Richaun Holmes		Projected Starters	Isaiah Taylor	Damion Lee	Taurean Prince	John Collins	Dewayne Dedmon
Opponent Rank	PG	SG	SF	PF	C		Opponent Rank	PG	SG	SF	PF	C
DvP	27	25	30	26	29		DvP	13	18	19	11	13
DRPM Rat.	9	10	27	19	13		DRPM Rat.	1	26	1	25	11

Philadelphia 76ers

Update 3:25pm EST – Amir Johnson is expected to start but Richaun Holmes is still who I prefer between the two. I’ve seen some buzz by people I respect about Ersan Ilyasova. I also missed the double narrative of revenge here with Ilyasova and Belinelli (thanks AP for reminding me). I’m going to list Ersan as a secondary play.

Notable Injuries

Joel Embiid (Out at least next two games), Amir Johnson (Questionable – missed last game with an illness)

The big news with the 76ers is that Joel Embiid suffered a facial injury and will miss at least the next two games, but other reports are saying he could be out 2-4 weeks. The 76ers have plenty to play for too over their last eight games as they currently occupy the 4th seed in the Eastern Conference but a drop to the 5th seed could potentially force them to play the Cavaliers in the first round. Embiid is not even traveling with the team so his absence has a big trickle down effect.

Using CourtIQ here, we see that Dario Saric gets the biggest usage bump and averages 1.06 fantasy points per minute with Embiid off the court, while Ben Simmons leads the team with an average of 1.21 fantasy points per minute. We saw Saric’s usage bump on full display in the 76ers’ last game when he went off 54.3 FanDuel points in 36 minutes as Embiid left the game early. Simmons’ price is fairly high so I prefer Saric over Simmons factoring in price, but both are elite plays.

Richaun Holmes also benefits from Embiid’s absence and it was Holmes who started the second half in his place. Holmes finished with 24.9 FanDuel points over 21 minutes and interestingly enough, Amir Johnson was a DNP-CD last game. It’s possible Johnson is revived from the dead for this game but Holmes would be the guy I’d want.

Update 9:55am EST – it was brought to my attention in comments that Amir Johnson was not a DNP-CD but rather had an illness. So I’ll add him as questionable to the injury report.

Robert Covington also sees a usage bump but averages around 0.95 fantasy points per minute with Embiid out. I’m viewing Covington more as a secondary play but I’ll admit his matchup is elite against the Hawks, who are dead last in defending small forwards. I feel the same way about J.J. Redick – he gets a usage bump and averages 0.91 fantasy points per minute. He is coming off a dominant 37.7 FanDuel point performance so he seems safe for cash games considering the matchup, with some upside in tournaments. But I’m also viewing him more as a secondary piece.

The 76ers have some amazing bench players you could look to for salary relief, which we may need on this slate. Marco Belinelli, Ersan Ilyasova and even Markelle Fultz have been solid as of late. Fultz has impressed in his last two games but he’s only seen 14 minutes in each game and has seen his salary now rise. I’m not going to list them as secondary plays but again, I don’t mind them if you need to save without sacrificing upside, as all three players have it when given minutes and now they will be playing without Embiid soaking up the usage.

Philadelphia 76ers Offense

Points Per Game: 108.9 (9 of 30)
Implied Implied Team Total: 112.5 (5 of 18)
Projected Point Differential: 3.6 (5 of 18)

Matchup vs. Atlanta Hawks

Points Allowed Per Game: 109.2 (24 of 30)
Defensive Efficiency: 108.7 (23 of 30)
Rebounding Differential: -2.5 (26 of 30)
Pace of Play: 100.5 (8 of 30)

Elite Plays – Richaun Holmes, Dario Saric, Ben Simmons

Secondary Plays – Robert Covington, Ersan Ilyasova, J.J. Redick

Atlanta Hawks

Notable Injuries

Dennis Schroder (Doubtful)

This is not an easy matchup for the Hawks but at least they don’t have to worry about the hulking presence of Joel Embiid down low.

Dennis Schroder is doubtful so I’m approaching this writeup as if he’s out. His absence should mean Isaiah Taylor would draw another start. Taylor has been fantastic lately, scoring 30 or more DraftKings points in three of his last four games. I do want to point out that Josh Magette (26 minutes) and Tyler Dorsey (18 minutes) are still getting some playing time, which is the only way I could see Taylor not being the slam dunk play he was last game. His price also rose to account for his recent role change and I respect the 76ers’ defense against point guards, so I’m cautiously optimistic here. I’m calling him an elite play once again assuming Schroder is out, but like I said, it’s not a slam dunk play this time.

Taurean Prince and Dewayne Dedmon are the two others I have interest in on this team. Prince sees a massive usage bump when Dennis Schroder and Kent Bazemore are off the court. Per CourtIQ here, Prince sees a 31.7% usage rate and averages 1.05 fantasy points per minute. Prince is a fine tournament play that you’ll likely get at low ownership on this slate but he has upside here. As for Dedmon, he’s now quietly posted 29 or more DraftKings points in five of his last six games. Similar to Prince, nobody is going to play him but he’s got upside in tournaments.

Atlanta Hawks Offense

Points Per Game: 103.7 (22 of 30)
Implied Implied Team Total: 105.0 (15 of 18)
Projected Point Differential: 1.3 (12 of 18)

Matchup vs. Philadelphia 76ers

Points Allowed Per Game: 105.5 (13 of 30)
Defensive Efficiency: 102.6 (4 of 30)
Rebounding Differential: + 5.0 (1 of 30)
Pace of Play: 101.8 (5 of 30)

Elite Plays – Isaiah Taylor

Secondary Plays – Dewayne Dedmon, Taurean Prince

Denver Nuggets at Oklahoma City Thunder – 8:00 PM ET

Denver Nuggets							Oklahoma City Thunder
			Vegas Total		224.0					Vegas Total		224.0
			Vegas Spread		3.5					Vegas Spread		-3.5
			Implied Team Total		110.3					Implied Team Total		113.8
			Pace Projection +/-		-0.5					Pace Projection +/-		-0.2
Projected Starters	Jamal Murray	Will Barton	Wilson Chandler	Paul Millsap	Nikola Jokic		Projected Starters	Russell Westbrook	Corey Brewer	Paul George	Carmelo Anthony	Steven Adams
Opponent Rank	PG	SG	SF	PF	C		Opponent Rank	PG	SG	SF	PF	C
DvP	8	24	7	9	2		DvP	26	5	17	28	19
DRPM Rat.	7	20	7	26	17		DRPM Rat.	27	26	22	3	11

Denver Nuggets

Notable Injuries

Gary Harris (Out)

The Nuggets are two games back of the final playoff spot with just seven games to go, so they have no margin for error. The Nuggets rolled out a nine man rotation last game and with Gary Harris still out, Will Barton should continue to start. In their last game, each starter played between 30-40 minutes so I would expect the starters to see heavy run once again.

I have interest in four of the five starters:Jamal Murray, Will Barton, Paul Millsap and Nikola Jokic. It’s hard not to have interest in a bunch of starters getting heavy run while other teams are taking part in the Tank-A-Thon madness. In terms of my level of interest, Jokic, Murray and Barton are my primary targets in that order. Jokic has a difficult matchup against Steven Adams but pulled off a triple-double the last time these teams met. Granted, that game was without Millsap so the dynamics of the offense were different, but I could still see Jokic being the focal point of the offense. Murray dropped 33 real-life points against the Thunder last time they met and he’s finally seeing heavy minutes. And Barton is going to keep shooting, although my only hesitation is he’ll see Corey Brewer and (maybe?) Paul George defense.

I like the fact Paul Millsap will go up against Carmelo Anthony defense, but I’m seeing him more as a secondary tournament play. Millsap has random explosions like an ending to a MacGruber SNL sketch so I don’t want to discount him, but I don’t see him as someone I’m targeting heavily outside of a possible game stack. And speaking of a game stack, it might not be the craziest idea in a tournament. The last time these teams met the final score was 127-124, so a lot of fantasy points were scored.

I’m probably not going to have much, if any, exposure to Wilson Chandler. He was hot a week ago but he’s scored 8 or fewer real-life points in his last three games, so that’s a bit concerning.

Denver Nuggets Offense

Points Per Game: 109.7 (7 of 30)
Implied Implied Team Total: 110.3 (9 of 18)
Projected Point Differential: 0.5 (14 of 18)

Matchup vs. Oklahoma City Thunder

Points Allowed Per Game: 104.0 (8 of 30)
Defensive Efficiency: 104.5 (9 of 30)
Rebounding Differential: + 2.8 (2 of 30)
Pace of Play: 99.0 (17 of 30)

Elite Plays – Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray

Secondary Plays – Will Barton, Paul Millsap

Oklahoma City Thunder

Notable Injuries

None

There are several ways the Thunder could go here, which makes pinpointing the fantasy production somewhat hard. If you look at the previous game logs, you had Carmelo Anthony go off in a #revengegame, Paul George go off for 43 real-life points, and Russell Westbrook go off for a 20/21/9 crazy line. I’m sticking to my guns here and focusing my attention on Westbrook and George. If Carmelo Anthony decides to have another #revengegame then so be it, but I’m not going to chase it on this slate.

The case for Westbrook – he’s facing a rookie point guard, the Nuggets are a bottom-five team in DvP against opposing point guards, the Nuggets are without their best on-ball defender (Gary Harris) and Westbrook is really good.

The case for George – he’s also really good.

There are a lot of other centers on this slate I have more interest in, so I’m not a huge fan of Steven Adams on this slate. He’s more of a fringe secondary play in my eyes. And I think I’m hopping off the Corey Brewer bandwagon for now.

Oklahoma City Thunder Offense

Points Per Game: 107.1 (12 of 30)
Implied Implied Team Total: 113.8 (3 of 18)
Projected Point Differential: 6.7 (1 of 18)

Matchup vs. Denver Nuggets

Points Allowed Per Game: 108.5 (22 of 30)
Defensive Efficiency: 109.0 (26 of 30)
Rebounding Differential: + 2.8 (2 of 30)
Pace of Play: 99.3 (15 of 30)

Elite Plays – Paul George, Russell Westbrook

Secondary Plays – Steven Adams

New Orleans Pelicans at Cleveland Cavaliers – 8:00 PM ET

New Orleans Pelicans							Cleveland Cavaliers
			Vegas Total		229.5					Vegas Total		229.5
			Vegas Spread		4.0					Vegas Spread		-4.0
			Implied Team Total		112.8					Implied Team Total		116.8
			Pace Projection +/-		0.5					Pace Projection +/-		3.1
Projected Starters	Rajon Rondo	Jrue Holiday	E’Twaun Moore	Anthony Davis	Emeka Okafor		Projected Starters	George Hill	Rodney Hood	LeBron James	Jeff Green	Kevin Love
Opponent Rank	PG	SG	SF	PF	C		Opponent Rank	PG	SG	SF	PF	C
DvP	23	21	29	18	20		DvP	20	27	21	20	17
DRPM Rat.	26	29	25	16	19		DRPM Rat.	20	2	30	1	16

New Orleans Pelicans

Notable Injuries

Rajon Rondo (Questionable)

The big news we’ll need to monitor is whether Rajon Rondo plays. Rondo is set to be a game time decision with a sprained wrist and if he’s out, Ian Clark would likely draw the start. Clark would profile more as a secondary play on this slate if he started, but the main focus for us should be Anthony Davis and Jrue Holiday. Both have been amazing lately and the Pelicans are still fighting to keep their playoff spot, so I’d expect them to continue seeing big minutes as long as Brow isn’t getting hurt.

One of the biggest questions of the day is whether you want to prioritize a stud like LeBron James or Anthony Davis. I’m not great with ownership projections but if I had to guess, I would think Davis draws less ownership than LeBron given LeBron’s recent form and Davis’ injury history. Davis also sprained his ankle last game but it doesn’t sound like it was serious. I love both LeBron and Davis. If you want exposure to both sides of this game, you could stack LeBron/Holiday for a cheaper option.

Outside of Davis and Holiday, my main interest would be E’Twaun Moore simply because of the minutes he’s been getting.

New Orleans Pelicans Offense

Points Per Game: 111.3 (4 of 30)
Implied Implied Team Total: 112.8 (4 of 18)
Projected Point Differential: 1.5 (11 of 18)

Matchup vs. Cleveland Cavaliers

Points Allowed Per Game: 110.0 (26 of 30)
Defensive Efficiency: 109.7 (28 of 30)
Rebounding Differential: -1.9 (24 of 30)
Pace of Play: 100.0 (13 of 30)

Elite Plays – Anthony Davis, Jrue Holiday

Secondary Plays – E’Twaun Moore

Cleveland Cavaliers

Update 3:24pm EST – J.R. Smith is questionable, which would help George Hill, Jordan Clarkson and Rodney Hood if he’s out.

Notable Injuries

Kyle Korver (Out), Kevin Love (Questionable)

On the Cleveland side, we’ll need to monitor the status of Kevin Love, who left the last game with a concussion. Last I’ve seen is that he’s in the concussion protocol so he’s going to need to clear it in order to play. I would be shocked if they rushed him back for this game so I’m under the assumption he misses this game. If he does, LeBron James would see even greater responsibilities on offense. He’s my favorite play on this slate.

Outside of LeBron, I don’t have a ton of interest in the guys around him, which is weird considering this game environment is fantastic for fantasy production. The Pelicans continue to play at the league’s fastest pace since the DeMarcus Cousins injury. I suppose Jeff Green has some appeal if he starts but he’s not a play I’m excited about. Rodney Hood and Jordan Clarkson doesn’t see enough minutes for me to want to roster them on a nine-game slate. George Hill continues to see big minutes but he’s not a high usage player in this offense. I guess Tristan Thompson and Larry Nance are the guys I’d have the most interest in, but Nance hasn’t seen more than 22 minutes since he’s returned from his injury and Thompson hasn’t seen more than 17. I’d rather target the potential value on the Rockets, 76ers and Suns.

Cleveland Cavaliers Offense

Points Per Game: 110.7 (5 of 30)
Implied Implied Team Total: 116.8 (2 of 18)
Projected Point Differential: 6.1 (2 of 18)

Matchup vs. New Orleans Pelicans

Points Allowed Per Game: 111.0 (29 of 30)
Defensive Efficiency: 106.2 (15 of 30)
Rebounding Differential: -1.2 (21 of 30)
Pace of Play: 102.6 (3 of 30)

Elite Plays – LeBron James

Secondary Plays – Larry Nance (GPP if Kevin Love is out)

Phoenix Suns at Houston Rockets – 8:00 PM ET

Phoenix Suns							Houston Rockets
			Vegas Total		217.0					Vegas Total		217.0
			Vegas Spread		17.0					Vegas Spread		-17.0
			Implied Team Total		100.0					Implied Team Total		117.0
			Pace Projection +/-		0.5					Pace Projection +/-		3.2
Projected Starters	Tyler Ulis	Troy Daniels	Josh Jackson	Dragan Bender	Marquese Chriss		Projected Starters	Chris Paul	James Harden	Trevor Ariza	P.J. Tucker	Clint Capela
Opponent Rank	PG	SG	SF	PF	C		Opponent Rank	PG	SG	SF	PF	C
DvP	7	13	9	5	18		DvP	29	30	24	30	28
DRPM Rat.	2	14	13	10	3		DRPM Rat.	23	30	25	27	15

Phoenix Suns

Update 3:21pm EST – Devin Booker and Alex Len are OUT, while Jared Dudley is questionable. Elfrid Payton is still a game decision but he missed practice so that’s not a good sign. I’m upgrading Marquese Criss and Troy Daniels as elite options if you need salary savers, while still leaving Tyler Ulis as a secondary option but is a nice GPP play if you think Payton misses the game.

Notable Injuries

Devin Booker (Questionable), Alex Len (Questionable), Elfrid Payton (Questionable), T.J. Warren (Out)

The Suns are a hot mess on the injury front so I’m going to keep this writeup somewhat brief until we have more clarity on their situation. T.J. Warren is out so that makes Josh Jackson an elite play given he’ll be forced into heavy minutes once again. He’s scored at least 29 DraftKings points in eight straight games now and is my favorite target on this team.

Outside of that, we have Devin Booker, Alex Len (no relation, I promise) and Elfrid Payton as questionable. If Booker is out, Troy Daniels is a fine punt. If Len is out, Marquese Chriss is a fine punt (I’m probably not going down the Alan Williams route but I get it if you decide to). And if Payton is out, Tyler Ulis is a fine punt. There’s a ton of potential (great) value here, so we’ll need to wait and see. I’m going to list them in the Secondary Plays section for now until there’s more clarity.

Phoenix Suns Offense

Points Per Game: 103.8 (21 of 30)
Implied Implied Team Total: 100.0 (17 of 18)
Projected Point Differential: -3.8 (17 of 18)

Matchup vs. Houston Rockets

Points Allowed Per Game: 104.2 (9 of 30)
Defensive Efficiency: 103.8 (7 of 30)
Rebounding Differential: + 1.8 (6 of 30)
Pace of Play: 100.0 (13 of 30)

Elite Plays – Marquese Chriss, Troy Daniels, Josh Jackson

Secondary Plays – Tyler Ulis (if Elfrid Payton is out)

Houston Rockets

Update 6pm EST – The Rockets are a mess. Chris Paul and Nene are OUT, while Eric Gordon popped up on the injury report as questionable. Right now we need to be very careful with them but some potential value could open up with guys like P.J. Tucker and Gerald Green.

Notable Injuries

Trevor Ariza (Questionable), Clint Capela (Expected to play), James Harden (Expected to play), Luc Mbah a Moute (Questionable), Chris Paul (Questionable)

Speaking of a hot mess, the Houston Rockets are trying to one-up the Suns in the injury department. James Harden and Clint Capela are expected back, while Chris Paul, Trevor Ariza and Luc Mbah a Moute are listed as questionable. It would not surprise me to see one or two or all three rest as a way to save their bodies for the playoffs.

If we see Paul rest, this may be a contrarian take, but I love the idea of stacking up some of the Rockets in tournaments. We saw several of the Rockets go off in their last game against the Bulls. Here are the DraftKings points:

Not shown is also the fact Tarik Black scored 18.25 DraftKings points. Just wanted to get a Tarik Black reference in here.

But going back to my original point, Harden will probably be the lowest owned of the studs today because of blowout risk. I don’t hate the idea of playing him in tournaments if Paul is out since you’ll get him at low ownership. If you think this game blows out and he doesn’t meet value, you could stack some of the pieces around him like Eric Gordon, P.J. Tucker, Clint Capela, etc. I think the point I’m trying to make is that we need to monitor this game as it could have some sneaky upside as opposed to just ignoring it because it may blowout. The absence of Paul, Ariza and Mbah a Moute would have a trickle down effect so lets keep an eye on it.

Houston Rockets Offense

Points Per Game: 113.6 (2 of 30)
Implied Implied Team Total: 117.0 (1 of 18)
Projected Point Differential: 3.4 (7 of 18)

Matchup vs. Phoenix Suns

Points Allowed Per Game: 113.7 (30 of 30)
Defensive Efficiency: 110.8 (30 of 30)
Rebounding Differential: -2.2 (25 of 30)
Pace of Play: 102.7 (2 of 30)

Elite Plays – TBD on injury news

Secondary Plays – TBD on injury news

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