NBA Grind Down: Friday, May 6th
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.
Every game is also broken down by our NBA experts, providing an overview of the game and a selection of players to consider from each contest.
Note: As always, if you want to try a new DFS site, be sure to click through a RotoGrinders link and use our DraftKings promo code and FanDuel promo code to receive the best perks in the industry.
Cleveland Cavaliers at Atlanta Hawks – 7:00 PM
- Vegas Line – Cleveland -2.5, 199 Over/Under
- Cleveland Cavaliers Proj. Starters – Irving-Smith-James-Love-Thompson
- Atlanta Hawks Proj. Starters – Teague-Korver-Bazemore-Millsap-Horford
| Cleveland Cavaliers | Atlanta Hawks | |||||||||||
 | Vegas Total | 199.0 |  | Vegas Total | 199.0 | |||||||
| Vegas Sprd | -2.5 | Vegas Sprd | 2.5 | |||||||||
| Team Proj. | 100.8 | Team Proj. | 98.3 | |||||||||
| Team Pace | 95.50 | Team Pace | 99.40 | |||||||||
| Matchup – Opponent DvP Ranks and Projected Starters | Matchup – Opponent DvP Ranks and Projected Starters | |||||||||||
| DvP Rks | PG | SG | SF | PF | C | DvP Rks | PG | SG | SF | PF | C | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Proj. Starter | Kyrie Irving | J.R. Smith | LeBron James | Kevin Love | Tristan Thompson | Proj. Starter | Jeff Teague | Kyle Korver | Kent Bazemore | Paul Millsap | Al Horford | |
| Opp. Season | 8 | 19 | 14 | 12 | 22 | Opp. Season | 17 | 7 | 6 | 2 | 1 | |
| Last 3 Weeks | 24 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 23 | Last 3 Weeks | 21 | 5 | 24 | 9 | 11 | |
Cleveland Cavaliers
Record: 57-25 — Road: 24-17
- Cleveland Cavaliers Offense
Points Scored Per Game: 104.3 (8 of 30)
Implied Team Total: 100.8 (2 of 4)
The Cavaliers absolutely demolished the Hawks in Game 3. They are looking to pull off a rare sweep in three straight seasons against Atlanta. They will likely have a tougher time now that the series shifts to the Hawks’ home floor, but the Cavaliers are still listed as 2.5-point favorites. They have the second highest team total on the board at 100.8 points and we want as much exposure to their starting lineup as we can get. On FanDuel, I plan to maximize the player limit from one team (four) from the Cavaliers tonight.
- Injury Watch:
NO INJURIES
Elite Plays
| LeBron James | |||||
 | FanDuel | DraftKings | |||
| Salary: | $10,600 | Salary: | $11,000 | ||
| Position: | SF | Position: | SF | ||
| FP/Min: | 1.20 | FP/Min: | 1.25 | ||
| Statistics | Season Average | Playoffs | Playoffs +/- | Last 3 Games | Last 3 +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minutes | 35.6 | 38.9 | 3.3 | 36.7 | 1.1 |
| FPPG (FD) | 45.0 | 46.7 | 1.7 | 48.0 | 3.0 |
| TO-Adj. Usage | 27.4 | 24.4 | -3.0 | 25.1 | -2.3 |
James has been tremendous so far in the postseason, averaging 46.7 fantasy points in close to 40 minutes per game. His minutes and production would be a lot higher if it weren’t for a few blowouts. With Game 3 expected to stay close, James should top the 40 minute mark. He has as much upside as any player in this slate and he probably has a higher floor than both Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant. Fade him at your own risk.
| Kevin Love | |||||
 | FanDuel | DraftKings | |||
| Salary: | $7,600 | Salary: | $8,100 | ||
| Position: | PF | Position: | PF | ||
| FP/Min: | 1.00 | FP/Min: | 1.03 | ||
| Statistics | Season Average | Playoffs | Playoffs +/- | Last 3 Games | Last 3 +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minutes | 31.5 | 34.6 | 3.1 | 32.9 | 1.4 |
| FPPG (FD) | 32.4 | 34.5 | 2.1 | 31.5 | -0.9 |
| TO-Adj. Usage | 19.9 | 21.1 | 1.1 | 21.4 | 1.5 |
Love had a nice outing brewing in Game 2, but eventually fell short of salary expectations because of the blowout. He is averaging right around a fantasy point per minute so far in the postseason and he has 36-38 minute upside. He remains an elite play against the Hawks, who are one of the worst rebounding teams in the NBA. Dollar for dollar, I slightly prefer him over the more expensive LaMarcus Aldridge and Paul Millsap.
| Kyrie Irving | |||||
 | FanDuel | DraftKings | |||
| Salary: | $7,900 | Salary: | $8,300 | ||
| Position: | PG | Position: | PG | ||
| FP/Min: | 1.08 | FP/Min: | 0.97 | ||
| Statistics | Season Average | Playoffs | Playoffs +/- | Last 3 Games | Last 3 +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minutes | 31.5 | 34.7 | 3.2 | 32.5 | 1.0 |
| FPPG (FD) | 30.8 | 37.6 | 6.8 | 37.2 | 6.4 |
| TO-Adj. Usage | 25.7 | 26.7 | 1.0 | 26.7 | 1.0 |
Irving always seems to be a borderline elite play for me. With the series shifting to Atlanta, I am going to give him the bump and call him an elite play because we don’t have to worry about the game turning into a blowout (at least not as much as we did in the first two games). Irving draws a difficult matchup against Jeff Teague, but he is averaging close to 38 fantasy points per game in the playoffs.
| Tristan Thompson | |||||
 | FanDuel | DraftKings | |||
| Salary: | $4,800 | Salary: | $4,800 | ||
| Position: | C | Position: | PF | ||
| FP/Min: | 0.58 | FP/Min: | 0.77 | ||
| Statistics | Season Average | Playoffs | Playoffs +/- | Last 3 Games | Last 3 +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minutes | 27.7 | 28.9 | 1.2 | 32.7 | 5.0 |
| FPPG (FD) | 21.3 | 16.8 | -4.5 | 20.0 | -1.3 |
| TO-Adj. Usage | 9.9 | 7.3 | -2.6 | 8.8 | -1.1 |
Thompson got the shaft in Game 2. He played well in the first quarter, but then barely saw the court in the second quarter, as the Cavaliers went on that huge run. By the time he got back into the game in the third quarter, it was all but over and he only ended up playing 19 minutes. Look for him to bounce back in Game 3, as the Cavaliers need his rebounding down low.
Secondary Plays
| J.R. Smith | |||||
 | FanDuel | DraftKings | |||
| Salary: | $5,000 | Salary: | $5,300 | ||
| Position: | SG | Position: | SG | ||
| FP/Min: | 0.70 | FP/Min: | 0.64 | ||
| Statistics | Season Average | Playoffs | Playoffs +/- | Last 3 Games | Last 3 +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minutes | 30.7 | 34.8 | 4.1 | 33.9 | 3.2 |
| FPPG (FD) | 20.3 | 24.3 | 4.0 | 23.4 | 3.1 |
| TO-Adj. Usage | 16.0 | 13.1 | -2.9 | 12.9 | -3.1 |
Smith (like most of the Cavaliers) caught fire in Game 2. I expect his ownership to be inflated in this slate. While I still think he is a fine play at shooting guard, I don’t consider him a must play. I expect the three starts on the Cavaliers to take over offensively. Smith could certainly have another big game, but he could just as easily put up a dud. He’s still probably the best shooting guard in the slate.
Atlanta Hawks
Record: 48-34 — Home: 27-14
- Atlanta Hawks Offense
Points Scored Per Game: 102.8 (12 of 30)
Implied Team Total: 98.3 (4 of 4)
The Hawks were embarrassed by the Cavaliers in Game 2. I honestly thought that they would be confident heading into that game, after almost pulling off the upset in Game 1. Look for the Hawks to play some much better basketball now that the series shifts to Atlanta. If this game stays close, it will be the top game to target of the three in the Thursday/Friday slate. The Hawks are projected to score 98.3 points, which is the lowest team total on the board. At this point, I’m not sure what to do with the Hawks’ two point guards. Jeff Teague and Dennis Schroder have been splitting minutes with no pattern to the distribution. Schroder is still the preferred play of the two and while he is far from a must play, he is a nice value at point guard.
- Injury Watch:
NO INJURIES
Elite Plays
| Paul Millsap | |||||
 | FanDuel | DraftKings | |||
| Salary: | $8,600 | Salary: | $8,600 | ||
| Position: | PF | Position: | PF | ||
| FP/Min: | 1.04 | FP/Min: | 1.13 | ||
| Statistics | Season Average | Playoffs | Playoffs +/- | Last 3 Games | Last 3 +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minutes | 32.7 | 35.6 | 2.9 | 34.4 | 1.7 |
| FPPG (FD) | 37.5 | 37.2 | -0.3 | 38.4 | 1.0 |
| TO-Adj. Usage | 19.9 | 18.5 | -1.4 | 19.4 | -0.5 |
Millsap was the only Hawks’ player that showed up in Game 2. He has been very productive in this series, even against a tough Cavaliers’ frontcourt. He is an elite play again in Game 3, although we are going to have to make some difficult decisions at power forward. Aldridge, Love, and Millsap are all nice options at power forward.
Secondary Plays
| Al Horford | |||||
 | FanDuel | DraftKings | |||
| Salary: | $7,200 | Salary: | $7,400 | ||
| Position: | C | Position: | C | ||
| FP/Min: | 0.98 | FP/Min: | 1.05 | ||
| Statistics | Season Average | Playoffs | Playoffs +/- | Last 3 Games | Last 3 +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minutes | 32.1 | 32.1 | 0.0 | 30.4 | -1.7 |
| FPPG (FD) | 32.3 | 31.4 | -0.9 | 24.0 | -8.3 |
| TO-Adj. Usage | 17.9 | 15.7 | -2.2 | 14.3 | -3.6 |
Horford has really struggled so far in this series, scoring 27 and 15 fantasy points. While I don’t love the matchup, Game 3 presents a nice opportunity to target him at perhaps a 5% ownership in tournaments. We know that Horford has 45 fantasy point upside and maybe some home cooking will get him going in this series.
| Kent Bazemore | |||||
 | FanDuel | DraftKings | |||
| Salary: | $5,400 | Salary: | $6,300 | ||
| Position: | SF | Position: | SF | ||
| FP/Min: | 0.86 | FP/Min: | 0.79 | ||
| Statistics | Season Average | Playoffs | Playoffs +/- | Last 3 Games | Last 3 +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minutes | 27.8 | 31.9 | 4.1 | 31.5 | 3.7 |
| FPPG (FD) | 23.1 | 27.4 | 4.3 | 23.7 | 0.6 |
| TO-Adj. Usage | 16.1 | 18.4 | 2.3 | 16.9 | 0.8 |
Bazemore burned a ton of people on Wednesday night. He had his worst game of the postseason and basically it was his worst game in months. He has otherwise played very well in the playoffs and we shouldn’t hold one bad outing against him. Look for him to bounce back in what is expected to be a close game. I also like that his price has come down to $5,400 on FanDuel.
San Antonio Spurs at Oklahoma City Thunder – 9:30 PM
- Vegas Line – San Antonio -2, 200.5 Over/Under
- San Antonio Spurs Proj. Starters – Parker-Green-Leonard-Aldridge-Duncan
- Oklahoma City Thunder Proj. Starters – Westbrook-Roberson-Durant-Ibaka-Adams
| San Antonio Spurs | Oklahoma City Thunder | |||||||||||
 | Vegas Total | 200.5 |  | Vegas Total | 200.5 | |||||||
| Vegas Sprd | -2.0 | Vegas Sprd | 2.0 | |||||||||
| Team Proj. | 101.3 | Team Proj. | 99.3 | |||||||||
| Team Pace | 95.70 | Team Pace | 99.40 | |||||||||
| Matchup – Opponent DvP Ranks and Projected Starters | Matchup – Opponent DvP Ranks and Projected Starters | |||||||||||
| DvP Rks | PG | SG | SF | PF | C | DvP Rks | PG | SG | SF | PF | C | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Proj. Starter | Tony Parker | Danny Green | Kawhi Leonard | LaMarcus Aldridge | Tim Duncan | Proj. Starter | Russell Westbrook | Andre Roberson | Kevin Durant | Serge Ibaka | Steven Adams | |
| Opp. Season | 16 | 21 | 13 | 7 | 4 | Opp. Season | 4 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | |
| Last 3 Weeks | 6 | 20 | 26 | 5 | 5 | Last 3 Weeks | 19 | 2 | 9 | 4 | 3 | |
San Antonio Spurs
Record: 67-15 — Road: 27-14
- San Antonio Spurs Offense
Points Scored Per Game: 103.5 (10 of 30)
Implied Team Total: 101.3 (1 of 4)
The Spurs lost Game 2 and even though they had every right to be mad about the non-call on that last play, they still stole the ball and had a chance to win the game. They now head to Oklahoma City with the series tied at a game a piece. The Spurs are not in a situation that I would call must-win just yet, but they definitely need to pick up a split on the road. They are listed as 2-point favorites in Game 3 with the total set at 200 points. The Spurs have the highest team total on the board at 101.3 points. Danny Green and Manu Ginobili are both fine values at shooting guard, but I don’t consider either a building block in this slate.
- Injury Watch:
NO INJURIES
Elite Plays
| LaMarcus Aldridge | |||||
 | FanDuel | DraftKings | |||
| Salary: | $8,900 | Salary: | $8,700 | ||
| Position: | PF | Position: | PF | ||
| FP/Min: | 1.18 | FP/Min: | 1.11 | ||
| Statistics | Season Average | Playoffs | Playoffs +/- | Last 3 Games | Last 3 +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minutes | 30.6 | 30.8 | 0.2 | 32.8 | 2.2 |
| FPPG (FD) | 32.3 | 36.2 | 4.0 | 45.5 | 13.2 |
| TO-Adj. Usage | 22.0 | 22.8 | 0.8 | 26.0 | 4.0 |
Aldridge has been the guy to own in DFS so far in the first two games against the Thunder. He has scored a combined 108 fantasy points so far. While I’m not saying that you shouldn’t target him in Game 3, we can’t expect him to shoot 75% from the floor in the rest of the series. It’s promising that the Spurs are going to him as their main playmaker on offense, but it’s only a matter of time before he cools off.
| Kawhi Leonard | |||||
 | FanDuel | DraftKings | |||
| Salary: | $9,100 | Salary: | $9,200 | ||
| Position: | SF | Position: | SF | ||
| FP/Min: | 1.26 | FP/Min: | 1.30 | ||
| Statistics | Season Average | Playoffs | Playoffs +/- | Last 3 Games | Last 3 +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minutes | 33.1 | 30.4 | -2.7 | 28.4 | -4.7 |
| FPPG (FD) | 37.5 | 38.2 | 0.7 | 36.6 | -0.9 |
| TO-Adj. Usage | 22.3 | 22.7 | 0.4 | 24.4 | 2.1 |
Even though Aldridge has had the better series so far, Leonard is my favorite Spurs player to target in Game 3 (you can certainly use both). On the season, he is averaging 1.26 fantasy points per minute and with the Spurs needing a win on the road, he could end up playing 40 minutes. There are some decent values at small forward, but I really like the idea of pairing James with Leonard.
Secondary Plays
| Tony Parker | |||||
 | FanDuel | DraftKings | |||
| Salary: | $4,700 | Salary: | $4,700 | ||
| Position: | PG | Position: | PG | ||
| FP/Min: | 0.78 | FP/Min: | 1.00 | ||
| Statistics | Season Average | Playoffs | Playoffs +/- | Last 3 Games | Last 3 +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minutes | 27.5 | 23.7 | -3.8 | 24.9 | -2.6 |
| FPPG (FD) | 23.0 | 18.4 | -4.6 | 19.9 | -3.1 |
| TO-Adj. Usage | 18.9 | 18.9 | -0.1 | 17.5 | -1.4 |
Parker has been decent so far in this series, averaging 21 fantasy points in 27 minutes per game. That’s basically what we can expect from him moving forward, although I do think he provides a high ceiling for a player at his price point. I slightly prefer him over Dennis Schroder, whose minutes are not guaranteed coming off the bench.
Oklahoma City Thunder
Record: 55-27 — Home: 32-9
- Oklahoma City Thunder Offense
Points Scored Per Game: 110.2 (2 of 30)
Implied Team Total: 99.3 (3 of 4)
The Thunder picked up a huge win in Game 2 in San Antonio to steal homecourt advantage in this series. They now have to hold serve at home in order to maintain that advantage. The Thunder are listed as 2-point underdogs in a game that I expect to come down to the wire. They are projected to score 99.3 points, which gives them the third highest team total on the board. With the game expected to stay close, we can finally target Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant with confidence.
- Injury Watch:
NO INJURIES
Elite Plays
| Russell Westbrook | |||||
 | FanDuel | DraftKings | |||
| Salary: | $10,900 | Salary: | $10,800 | ||
| Position: | PG | Position: | PG | ||
| FP/Min: | 1.39 | FP/Min: | 1.52 | ||
| Statistics | Season Average | Playoffs | Playoffs +/- | Last 3 Games | Last 3 +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minutes | 34.4 | 35.2 | 0.8 | 35.2 | 0.8 |
| FPPG (FD) | 48.8 | 48.9 | 0.2 | 50.1 | 1.3 |
| TO-Adj. Usage | 28.3 | 30.0 | 1.7 | 31.8 | 3.4 |
Westbrook is the premier play at point guard in this slate. While I finally see him as an elite play in this series, it’s going to be tough to afford Westbrook, James, Leonard, Aldridge, Irving, and Millsap. We are going to have to make sacrifices somewhere. Westbrook is coming off of a 55 fantasy point outing in Game 2 and I expect another solid all-around game from him in Oklahoma City in Game 3.
| Steven Adams | |||||
 | FanDuel | DraftKings | |||
| Salary: | $4,900 | Salary: | $5,200 | ||
| Position: | C | Position: | C | ||
| FP/Min: | 0.81 | FP/Min: | 0.72 | ||
| Statistics | Season Average | Playoffs | Playoffs +/- | Last 3 Games | Last 3 +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minutes | 25.2 | 28.7 | 3.5 | 33.5 | 8.3 |
| FPPG (FD) | 19.3 | 23.1 | 3.8 | 28.6 | 9.3 |
| TO-Adj. Usage | 10.4 | 10.4 | 0.0 | 10.6 | 0.2 |
The Thunder have given Adams the bulk of the minutes at center so far in this series. They seem to prefer his defense over what Enes Kanter brings on the offensive end of the floor. Adams has played well so far, scoring 22 and 34 fantasy points in the first two games. In order to afford all of these superstars, we are going to have to punt somewhere. One of those spots could be with Adams at center.
Secondary Plays
| Kevin Durant | |||||
 | FanDuel | DraftKings | |||
| Salary: | $10,000 | Salary: | $9,300 | ||
| Position: | SF | Position: | SF | ||
| FP/Min: | 0.97 | FP/Min: | 1.30 | ||
| Statistics | Season Average | Playoffs | Playoffs +/- | Last 3 Games | Last 3 +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minutes | 35.8 | 38.1 | 2.3 | 38.6 | 2.8 |
| FPPG (FD) | 46.4 | 37.0 | -9.5 | 39.1 | -7.4 |
| TO-Adj. Usage | 26.3 | 26.8 | 0.5 | 23.6 | -2.7 |
Durant will end up being the lowest owned of the superstars in this slate. He has as much upside as anyone. While his floor may be lower than Westbrook’s or James’s, he is a terrific tournament play. The matchup against the Spurs isn’t great, but Durant can catch fire at any time. I also like the fact that he is only $9,300 on DraftKings.