NBA Grind Down: Friday, May 8th
Welcome to the RotoGrinders NBA Grind Down Article. Each day, we’ll break down all of the matchups with a focus on defense vs. position stats. The Grind Down shows you Vegas lines, defense stats and projected starting lineups for each and every game.
The analysis should point you in the right direction, but it is still up to you to decipher the information and make your own selections. Use this article to help you gain a better understanding of the matchups for the coming week and build from there. We have everything you could possibly need on our Daily Research console for you to be a successful daily fantasy player!
Note: Fantasy point averages listed use FanDuel scoring. For more info on FanDuel’s NBA scoring system, check out the scoring systems section of our FanDuel review.
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Cleveland at Chicago – 8:00 PM ET
- Vegas Line – Chicago -2, 196 Over/Under
- Cleveland Proj. Starters – Irving-Smith-James-Thompson-Mozgov
- Chicago Proj. Starters – Rose-Butler-Dunleavy-Gasol-Noah
| Cleveland | Chicago | |||||||||||
 | Vegas Total | 196 |  | Vegas Total | 196 | |||||||
| Vegas Sprd | 2.0 | Vegas Sprd | -2.0 | |||||||||
| Team Proj. | 97.0 | Team Proj. | 99.0 | |||||||||
| Team Pace | 94.07 | Team Pace | 94.48 | |||||||||
| 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 | Tristan Thompson | Timofey Mozgov | Proj Starter | Derrick Rose | Jimmy Butler | Mike Dunleavy | Pau Gasol | Joakim Noah | |
| Opp. Season | 25 | 3 | 24 | 8 | 7 | Opp. Season | 10 | 21 | 22 | 9 | 11 | |
| Opp. Last 7 | 5 | 5 | 9 | 1 | 3 | Opp. Last 7 | 9 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 2 | |
Cleveland
The Cavaliers picked up an important win in Game 2 to tie the series at one game apiece, but the hits just keep coming for Cleveland. Iman Shumpert suffered a groin injury early in the third quarter and his status for tonight’s game is in question. The good news is that J.R. Smith will return from his two-game suspension. He should make an immediate impact in daily fantasy, especially if Shumpert is unable to suit up. The Cavaliers are two-point underdogs tonight in Game 3 with their team total set at 97 points.
Opponent Breakdown (Chicago)
Points Allowed Per Game: 98 (Rank: 10)
Defensive Efficiency Rank: 11
Rebounding Differential Rank: 5
Elite Plays
LeBron James (FanDuel: $11300, DraftKings: $11200 / MPG: 36 / Usage Rate: 32.5)
James has been very consistent this postseason. He has scored at least 52 fantasy points in each of his last four games and he will continue to carry the load offensively with Kevin Love out for the season. James does everything on the floor well and he’s the second best play of the night, right behind Blake Griffin. If you are paying up for a Cavaliers’ player tonight, James is the preferred option over Kyrie Irving. He has been more consistent game-to-game.
J.R. Smith (FD: $5000, DK: $4600 / MPG: 30 / Usage Rate: 19.1)
Smith will return from his two-game suspension tonight and he should immediately push for around 40 minutes of playing time. He played well in their first-round matchup against the Celtics, scoring at least 22 fantasy points in two of the four games. Smith is cheap and may get overlooked in his first game back. Given his expected playing time and increased role in the offense, he is an elite play tonight against the Bulls.
Secondary Plays
Kyrie Irving (FD: $9500, DK: $8700 / MPG: 37 / Usage Rate: 26.1)
Tristan Thompson (FD: $5300, DK: $4700 / MPG: 27 / Usage Rate: 13.9)
Timofey Mozgov (FD: $4500, DK: $5500 / MPG: 26 / Usage Rate: 16.1)
Chicago
The Bulls accomplished their goal of getting a split in Cleveland, but they can’t be happy with the way that they played in Game 2. They looked content to head back to Chicago with the series tied. The Bulls should have a much better outing tonight in Game 3. Vegas is expecting a very close contest tonight, as the Bulls are only favored by two points. After the way that they played the other night, the Bulls’ players may be under-owned in both cash games and tournaments tonight.
Opponent Breakdown (Cleveland)
Points Allowed Per Game: 98.5 (Rank: 12)
Defensive Efficiency Rank: 20
Rebounding Differential Rank: 8
Elite Plays
Derrick Rose (FD: $8100, DK: $7700 / MPG: 31 / Usage Rate: 30.9)
Rose was the only Bulls’ player that was able to do anything offensively in Game 2. He finished with 14 points, 7 rebounds, and 10 assists. He has now scored at least 37 fantasy points in each of the first two games in this series. He has a good chance to keep that streak alive tonight, as the Cavaliers have had no answer for his ability to attack the rim. Dollar for dollar, Rose is the better play of the two point guards in this game.
Joakim Noah (FD: $5500, DK: $5900 / MPG: 31 / Usage Rate: 13.7)
Noah has not played well in this series. In fact, he has been downright awful. After scoring only 17 fantasy points in Game 1, he could only muster up 18 fantasy points in Game 2. Tonight is the perfect opportunity to buy low on a player that we know is going to bounce back shortly. Noah typically sees around 35 minutes per game when he is playing well and I’m expecting him to be fired up for the Bulls first home game in this series.
Mike Dunleavy (FD: $4300, DK: $4900 / MPG: 29 / Usage Rate: 14.3)
Dunleavy remains one of the top value plays on the board. He is priced under $5,000 on both FanDuel and DraftKings and he’ll likely push for around 40 minutes of action tonight. At his price point, Dunleavy could realistically reach value on points scored alone. He has scored at least 23 fantasy points in five of his last seven games and he has a good chance to hit that mark tonight in Game 3.
Secondary Plays
Jimmy Butler (FD: $8900, DK: $8400 / MPG: 39 / Usage Rate: 21.7)
Pau Gasol (FD: $8700, DK: $8500 / MPG: 34 / Usage Rate: 24.4)
Houston at L.A. Clippers – 10:30 PM ET
- Vegas Line – L.A. Clippers -4.5, 216.5 Over/Under
- Houston Proj. Starters – Terry-Harden-Ariza-Jones-Howard
- L.A. Clippers Proj. Starters – Paul-Redick-Barnes-Griffin-Jordan
| Houston | L.A. Clippers | |||||||||||
 | Vegas Total | 216 |  | Vegas Total | 216 | |||||||
| Vegas Sprd | 4.5 | Vegas Sprd | -4.5 | |||||||||
| Team Proj. | 106.0 | Team Proj. | 110.5 | |||||||||
| Team Pace | 105.68 | Team Pace | 98.25 | |||||||||
| 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 | Jason Terry | James Harden | Trevor Ariza | Terrence Jones | Dwight Howard | Proj Starter | Chris Paul | J.J. Redick | Matt Barnes | Blake Griffin | DeAndre Jordan | |
| Opp. Season | 2 | 18 | 28 | 18 | 12 | Opp. Season | 3 | 20 | 19 | 29 | 22 | |
| Opp. Last 7 | Opp. Last 7 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 10 | ||||||
Houston
Rockets’ fans had to have been nervous halfway through the third quarter of Game 2. The Rockets were down by double digits at home and were in danger of falling behind 0-2 in the series. Luckily for Houston, Dwight Howard and James Harden took over and they eventually won the game by a decent margin. The Rockets are listed as 4.5-point underdogs tonight in Game 3, as the series shifts to Los Angeles.
Opponent Breakdown (L.A. Clippers)
Points Allowed Per Game: 100.1 (Rank: 16)
Defensive Efficiency Rank: 15
Rebounding Differential Rank: 16
Elite Plays
Dwight Howard (FD: $9000, DK: $8300 / MPG: 30 / Usage Rate: 23.3)
The Clippers have held James Harden in check, but they have had no answer for Howard. After scoring 46 fantasy points in Game 1, he backed it up with 55 fantasy points in Game 2. It’s nice to see his price come up on FanDuel, but he’s still too cheap on DraftKings. He’s the chalk play at center for cash games.
Trevor Ariza (FD: $6200, DK: $5700 / MPG: 36 / Usage Rate: 16.8)
Ariza was quiet in the series against the Mavericks, but he’s been terrific so far against the Clippers. He has averaged 34 fantasy points in 42 minutes per game through the first two. His price is extremely affordable on both FanDuel and DraftKings and with the abundance of options at small forward, he will likely have a low ownership level tonight in Game 3.
Secondary Plays
James Harden (FD: $10000, DK: $10100 / MPG: 37 / Usage Rate: 31.3)
Jason Terry (FD: $3000, DK: $3500 / MPG: 21 / Usage Rate: 14.1)
L.A. Clippers
The big question surrounding the Clippers tonight is the status of Chris Paul. He went through some on-court drills yesterday, but it sounds like he may be headed for another game-time decision. If he is unable to play tonight, Austin Rivers and Jamal Crawford would continue to handle the point guard duties, while the offense would continue to run through Blake Griffin. If Paul is able to play, he should be avoided, as it’s hard to know what to expect from him at this point.
Opponent Breakdown (Houston)
Points Allowed Per Game: 100.6 (Rank: 17)
Defensive Efficiency Rank: 6
Rebounding Differential Rank: 15
Elite Plays
Blake Griffin (FD: $11300, DK: $10500 / MPG: 35 / Usage Rate: 28.1)
Griffin has been a man amongst boys so far in the postseason. The Spurs didn’t have an answer for him and neither do the Rockets. Griffin has scored 59 fantasy points in back to back games and even though his price has come up, it still doesn’t match his recent level of production. Griffin is a tough fade tonight, especially in cash games.
DeAndre Jordan (FD: $8500, DK: $7800 / MPG: 34 / Usage Rate: 13.4)
If you are looking to differentiate your tournament lineups tonight, I’d start with Jordan. He has been very productive in this series, although his Game 2 performance was hampered by foul trouble. On a per minute basis, he has almost been as productive as his opponent, Dwight Howard, but Jordan is much cheaper across the industry.
Matt Barnes (FD: $4500, DK: $5300 / MPG: 30 / Usage Rate: 14.6)
Barnes has really stepped up in the last three games. He has scored 32, 40, and 23 fantasy points over that stretch and he has played some great defense on James Harden. Barnes is one of the many great options at small forward tonight and he should be able to reach value with ease, especially on FanDuel where he is priced at $4,500.
Secondary Plays
Jamal Crawford (FD: $5100, DK: $4900 / MPG: 27 / Usage Rate: 28.2) – Move him up to an elite play if Chris Paul is out.
J.J. Redick (FD: $5000, DK: $5000 / MPG: 31 / Usage Rate: 20.5)