NBA Grind Down: Friday, November 14th
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 Average Listed Uses FanDuel Scoring. For more info on FanDuel’s NFL Scoring System, check out the scoring systems section of our FanDuel Review.
Click ‘Stat Chart’ Buttons Below for Pop-Ups of Essential Game-Specific Statistics including Defense vs. Position and Pace
Denver at Indiana
- Vegas Line – Indiana -3, 196.5 Over/Under
- Denver Proj. Starters – Lawson-Afflalo-Chandler-Faried-Mozgov
- Indiana Proj. Starters – Sloan-Hill-Copeland-Scola-Hibbert
| Denver | Indiana | |||||||||||
 | Vegas Total | 196 |  | Vegas Total | 196 | |||||||
| Vegas Sprd | 3.0 | Vegas Sprd | -3.0 | |||||||||
| Team Proj. | 96.8 | Team Proj. | 99.8 | |||||||||
| Team Pace | 101.50 | Team Pace | 92.33 | |||||||||
| 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 | Ty Lawson | Arron Afflalo | Wilson Chandler | Kenneth Faried | Timofey Mozgov | Proj Starter | Donald Sloan | Solomon Hill | Chris Copeland | Luis Scola | Roy Hibbert | |
| Opp. Season | 28 | 26 | 5 | 1 | 30 | Opp. Season | 17 | 5 | 28 | 25 | 27 | |
| Opp. Last 7 | 25 | 5 | 10 | 1 | 29 | Opp. Last 7 | 21 | 25 | 20 | 20 | 30 | |
Denver
The Nuggets are coming off an embarrassing loss to the Blazers at home. They will look to bounce back tonight against the Pacers in Indiana. The Nuggets are 3-point underdogs in a game that features a total of 196 points which is fairly low for a Nuggets game. The matchup, in terms of fantasy potential, isn’t great. The Pacers are a slow-paced team (92.3 possessions per game) and they have been good defensively (6th in efficiency). A pace-down game doesn’t bode well for the Nuggets fantasy outlook tonight.
Prime Plays
Ty Lawson – While the matchup for the team isn’t great, Lawson does draw a favorable matchup. The Pacers are ranked 28th against PGs this season. Lawson is coming off of his best two games of the season in which he put up 39 and 48 fantasy points (FD scoring). He appears to be past his ankle injury and is really the only Nuggets player that’s in play for me tonight.
Secondary Plays
NONE
Indiana
Just as this will be a pace-down game for the Nuggets, it will be a pace-up game for the Pacers. The Nuggets average 101.5 possessions per game and have been awful defensively. The Nuggets are ranked 26th in defensive efficiency and have given up an average of 111.5 points per game to their opponents. C.J. Miles is expected to play tonight after missing the last few games with migraine headaches. He will likely come off the bench and may cut into the minutes of Solomon Hill and Chris Copeland.
Prime Plays
Roy Hibbert – The Pacers are off to an extremely slow start this season, but it hasn’t been due to Hibbert’s play. He is averaging 15 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 blocks per game, all three of which are close to career-highs. He’s seeing a lot of shots in this offense as the Pacers have very few weapons offensively. He should have another productive outing tonight against the Nuggets who have one of the worst interior defenses in the NBA.
Secondary Plays
Solomon Hill – The value plays on the Pacers have been a disappointment over the last few games, but are in a great spot to bounce back tonight. Even with C.J. Miles back, Hill should see around 35 minutes of playing time. He’s averaged 25 fantasy points over his last five games.
Chris Copeland – Copeland has really struggled ever since being inserted into the starting lineup. The good news is that he is coming off of a strong outing in which he put up 17 points and 5 rebounds. He’ll have plenty of opportunities to score tonight against the uptempo Nuggets.
Donald Sloan – I’d love to recommend Sloan as a cash game play tonight given his matchup, but he’s been a little too inconsistent lately. He has good upside for tournaments though as the Nuggets have one of the worst defenses in the NBA.
Milwaukee at Orlando
- Vegas Line – Orlando -3, 193.5 Over/Under
- Milwaukee Proj. Starters – Knight-Dudley-Parker-Ilyasova-Sanders
- Orlando Proj. Starters – Payton-Fournier-Harris-Frye-Vucevic
| Milwaukee | Orlando | |||||||||||
 | Vegas Total | 193 |  | Vegas Total | 193 | |||||||
| Vegas Sprd | 3.0 | Vegas Sprd | -3.0 | |||||||||
| Team Proj. | 95.3 | Team Proj. | 98.3 | |||||||||
| Team Pace | 96.15 | Team Pace | 96.16 | |||||||||
| 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 | Brandon Knight | Jared Dudley | Jabari Parker | Ersan Ilyasova | Larry Sanders | Proj Starter | Elfrid Payton | Evan Fournier | Tobias Harris | Channing Frye | Nikola Vucevic | |
| Opp. Season | 13 | 28 | 8 | 24 | 20 | Opp. Season | 9 | 9 | 12 | 18 | 29 | |
| Opp. Last 7 | 15 | 28 | 9 | 10 | 12 | Opp. Last 7 | 13 | 4 | 4 | 19 | 13 | |
Milwaukee
The Bucks are 3-point underdogs tonight against the Magic in a battle of two rebuilding teams. The total for this game is set at 193 points which suggests a fairly slow-paced game. The Magic average 96.2 possessions per game and are ranked 17th in defensive efficiency. With the Bucks inconsistent rotation and the expected slow pace of the game, there aren’t any must plays for Milwaukee tonight.
Prime Plays
NONE
Secondary Plays
Brandon Knight – Knight has good upside thanks to his ability to fill up the stat sheet, but he does draw a tough matchup against Elfrid Payton who won the defensive player of the year award in college. Knight does have a 27.4 usage rate which ranks 15th among all NBA players. Use him as a tournament play tonight.
Orlando
The Magic are 3-6 to start the season, but are coming off of an impressive road win against the Knicks. They will look to make it two wins in a row tonight against the Bucks. The Bucks play at a similar pace as the Magic and are actually ranked 2nd in defensive efficiency which may come as a surprise. The Bucks are also a good rebounding team, ranking 10th in rebounding differential this season.
Injury Note: Victor Oladipo is questionable for tonight’s game. If he plays, he would likely cut into the minutes of Elfrid Payton and Evan Fournier.
Prime Plays
Nikola Vucevic – Vucevic continues to dominate every team in his path. On the season, he is averaging 19 points, 12 rebounds, and 3 assists per game. He has posted a double-double in six of the first nine games of the season. Vucevic is very elusive in the post which should be an advantage for him tonight against Larry Sanders who is a shot-blocker. It also doesn’t hurt that the Bucks are ranked 29th against centers this season.
Secondary Plays
Tobias Harris – After a steady start to the season, Harris has been inconsistent over his last four games. The matchup against the Bucks isn’t ideal, but Harris has 40 fantasy point upside which puts him in play in tournaments.
Channing Frye – Over his last six games, Frye is averaging 36 minutes, 12 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 assists per game. During that stretch, he has topped 27 fantasy points three times. Tonight he faces a Bucks defense that is ranked 19th against PFs this season.
Miami at Atlanta
- Vegas Line – Atlanta -2.5, 194.5 Over/Under
- Miami Proj. Starters – Cole-Chalmers-Deng-Williams-Bosh
- Atlanta Proj. Starters – Teague-Korver-Sefolosha-Millsap-Horford
| Miami | Atlanta | |||||||||||
 | Vegas Total | 194 |  | Vegas Total | 194 | |||||||
| Vegas Sprd | 2.5 | Vegas Sprd | -2.5 | |||||||||
| Team Proj. | 96.0 | Team Proj. | 98.5 | |||||||||
| Team Pace | 93.03 | Team Pace | 95.25 | |||||||||
| 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 | Norris Cole | Mario Chalmers | Luol Deng | Shawne Williams | Chris Bosh | Proj Starter | Jeff Teague | Kyle Korver | Thabo Sefolosha | Paul Millsap | Al Horford | |
| Opp. Season | 8 | 29 | 10 | 19 | 14 | Opp. Season | 5 | 27 | 29 | 3 | 24 | |
| Opp. Last 7 | 8 | 29 | 11 | 7 | 19 | Opp. Last 7 | 3 | 9 | 26 | 8 | 24 | |
Miami
Not many would have expected this, but the Heat actually have a better record than the Cavaliers do. The Heat are 5-3 to start the season and come into tonight’s game as 2.5-point underdogs against the Hawks. The matchup in terms of fantasy value is mediocre. The Hawks play at an average pace and are ranked 10th in defensive efficiency. The Hawks biggest weakness this season has been rebounding. They are currently ranked 25th in rebounding differential.
Injury Note: Dwyane Wade will not play tonight. Mario Chalmers will get the start, but give a slight fantasy boost to Norris Cole, Luol Deng, and Chris Bosh as well.
Prime Plays
Chris Bosh – Bosh is coming off of his worst fantasy output of the season, but should be able to bounce back tonight against the Hawks who are ranked 14th against centers. Bosh’s numbers are up across the board this season, including his usage rate of 25.9. With Dwayne Wade out tonight, Bosh should easily lead the team in shot attempts. He instantly becomes one of the top plays at center tonight.
Secondary Plays
Luol Deng / Mario Chalmers / Norris Cole – All three should see a boost in minutes and production with Dwyane Wade out tonight. All are price-sensitive fantasy options tonight against the Hawks.
Atlanta
The Hawks will look to keep their undefeated home record intact tonight against the Heat. They are small favorites in a game that features a total of 194 points. The Heat play at a fairly slow pace, averaging only 93.1 possessions per game this season. The Hawks are ranked 14th in defensive efficiency, but they also struggle to rebound the ball as they are ranked 26th in rebounding differential this season.
Injury Note: DeMarre Carroll will not play tonight. Thabo Sefolosha will start in his place.
Prime Plays
NONE
Secondary Plays
Al Horford – The only thing holding Horford back from being an elite play tonight is his playing time. He has only played more than 32 minutes one time this season. He draws a prime matchup against Chris Bosh and the Heat who are ranked 24th against centers this season. The Heat are also one of the worst rebounding teams in the league.
Thabo Sefolosha – Sefolosha will draw the start at SF tonight with DeMarre Carroll out. He’s a serviceable value play at close to minimum salary. In his start the other night, he finished with 18.5 fantasy points (FD scoring) in 35 minutes of playing time. He should easily replicate that performance tonight against the Heat.
Cleveland at Boston
- Vegas Line – Cleveland -5.5, 214 Over/Under
- Cleveland Proj. Starters – Irving-Marion-James-Love-Varejao
- Boston Proj. Starters – Rondo-Bradley-Green-Sullinger-Olynyk
| Cleveland | Boston | |||||||||||
 | Vegas Total | 214 |  | Vegas Total | 214 | |||||||
| Vegas Sprd | -5.5 | Vegas Sprd | 5.5 | |||||||||
| Team Proj. | 109.8 | Team Proj. | 104.3 | |||||||||
| Team Pace | 93.32 | Team Pace | 98.04 | |||||||||
| 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 | Shawn Marion | LeBron James | Kevin Love | Anderson Varejao | Proj Starter | Rajon Rondo | Avery Bradley | Jeff Green | Jared Sullinger | Kelly Olynyk | |
| Opp. Season | 20 | 22 | 15 | 28 | 3 | Opp. Season | 10 | 19 | 20 | 27 | 10 | |
| Opp. Last 7 | 17 | 15 | 21 | 17 | 16 | Opp. Last 7 | 7 | 16 | 23 | 29 | 5 | |
Cleveland
This game has the highest total on the board. It opened at 214, but is now down to 211. Either way, it’s still expected to be a fast-paced, high-scoring affair. This is a great matchup for the Cavs as the Celtics like to push the pace (98.0 possessions per 48 minutes). The Celtics are also one of the worst defensive teams in the league ranking 26th in defensive efficiency while giving up 106.4 points per game to their opponents this season.
Injury Note: Dion Waiters is expected to play tonight which should cut into Shawn Marion’s minutes.
Prime Plays
Kevin Love – Love has had three subpar fantasy outings in a row which has dropped his price to a very playable level on both FD and DK. Love is still averaging 19 points and 10 rebounds per game and has a prime matchup against the Celtics who are ranked 28th against PFs this season. Love should get back on track tonight.
LeBron James – James has taken it upon himself to carry this team to victory. Over his last three games, he is averaging 28 points, 7 rebounds, and 8 assists per game. There is no one on the Celtics that can defend James so it really just comes down to whether or not he is going to have to take this game over. That said, Anthony Davis is still the preferred option if you can only pay up for one superstar tonight.
Secondary Plays
Kyrie Irving – After getting heat for having zero assists against the Jazz, Irving has bounce back nicely with 15 assists over his last two games. He remains an elite scorer and he has a favorable matchup against Rajon Rondo and the Celtics who are ranked 10th against PGs this season.
Anderson Varejao – Varejao isn’t going to give you 30 fantasy points, but he’s a very reliable option that is a safe value play in cash games if you are looking for some salary cap relief.
Boston
The Celtics are 3-4 to start the season. They have been good offensively, but they can’t seem to stop anyone as they are giving up 106.4 points per game. The good news is that the Celtics are going to get into a lot of shootouts this season. Tonight, the Celtics are 5.5-point underdogs against the Cavaliers who are ranked even lower than the C’s in defensive efficiency. The Cavaliers are ranked 29th in that category and have given up an average of 103.0 points per game. This game should be full of fantasy-goodness.
Prime Plays
Rajon Rondo – Rondo is playing so well that he is averaging close to a triple-double this season. In six games this season, Rondo is averaging 11 points, 8 rebounds, 11 assists, and 2 steals per game. His ability to fill up multiple areas of the stat sheet gives him a high floor because he doesn’t rely on a single stat for his fantasy production. Even though the Cavaliers are ranked 9th against PGs this season, Kyrie Irving is not known as an elite defender.
Kelly Olynyk – Olynyk has really played well since being benched in the second half of a game a couple of weeks ago. Over his last four games, he is averaging 32 minutes, 15 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 assists per game. He’s a very talented big man and he’s not priced like one. He should have another productive outing tonight against the Cavaliers in what should be a fast-paced, high-scoring game.
Secondary Plays
Jared Sullinger – Kevin Love is a great scorer and a great rebounder. One thing he’s not is a great defender. The Cavs are ranked 28th against PFs this season and Sullinger has topped 31 fantasy points (FD scoring) in five of his last six games.
Utah at New York
- Vegas Line – New York -3.5, 193 Over/Under
- Utah Proj. Starters – Burke-Burks-Hayward-Kanter-Favors
- New York Proj. Starters – Larkin-Shumpert-Anthony-Acy-Dalembert
| Utah | New York | |||||||||||
 | Vegas Total | 193 |  | Vegas Total | ||||||||
| Vegas Sprd | 3.5 | Vegas Sprd | ||||||||||
| Team Proj. | 94.8 | Team Proj. | ||||||||||
| Team Pace | 93.23 | Team Pace | 91.19 | |||||||||
| 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 | Trey Burke | Alec Burks | Gordon Hayward | Enes Kanter | Derrick Favors | Proj Starter | Shane Larkin | Iman Shumpert | Carmelo Anthony | Quincy Acy | Samuel Dalembert | |
| Opp. Season | 15 | 13 | 4 | 23 | 6 | Opp. Season | 21 | 2 | 21 | 29 | 4 | |
| Opp. Last 7 | 18 | 22 | 5 | 13 | 7 | Opp. Last 7 | 23 | 6 | 8 | 30 | 11 | |
Utah
The Jazz are 3-6 to start the season, including a 1-4 record on the road. Tonight they head to Madison Square Garden to take on the Knicks. The Jazz are currently listed as 3.5-point underdogs in a game that features a total of 193 points. This isn’t a great matchup as the Knicks are the slowest-paced team in the league. The Knicks aren’t great defensively, but again, the slow pace of play makes it tough to heavily target the Jazz tonight.
Prime Plays
NONE
Secondary Plays
Gordon Hayward – Hayward is a stat-stuffing machine. On the season, he is averaging 18 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists per game. He seems to like playing against tough opponents (see his game-winner against the Cavs) and he’ll be matched up with Carmelo Anthony tonight.
Enes Kanter – Kanter was seeing inconsistent playing time earlier in the season, but that hasn’t been the case recently. He has played at least 25 minutes in each of his last six games and he has responded well with at least 23 fantasy points in four of those six games.
New York
The Knicks have lost six straight games and will look to end the streak tonight as they face the Jazz at home. The Knicks will likely go with a bigger starting five tonight. If so, Tim Hardaway will come off the bench and Quincy Acy will likely be in the starting lineup. The Knicks matchup is a favorable one. The Jazz are ranked 28th in defensive efficiency, giving up 102.2 points per game to their opponents.
Prime Plays
Carmelo Anthony – Anthony has not had the start that he was hoping for. His team is 2-7 and he is only averaging 21 points per game which is his lowest points per game total since the 2004-05 season. The good news is that his slow start has brought his salary down to a very playable level. He draws a prime matchup tonight against the Jazz who are ranked 28th in defensive efficiency and 21st in fantasy points allowed to SFs this season.
Iman Shumpert – Shumpert had some bad luck with foul trouble the other night, but he still finished with 23 fantasy points which was his sixth straight game of at least 23 fantasy points (FD scoring). His floor has basically been reaching value. He has really played well at the point and his ability to score, rebound, and defend allows him to score fantasy points in numerous ways. Look for another productive outing from Shumpert tonight against the Jazz.
Secondary Plays
NONE