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NBA Grind Down: Friday, November 4th

by Derek Farnsworth (Notorious) Last Updated 2016-11-05 01:37:41

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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.

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Atlanta Hawks at Washington Wizards – 7:00 PM ET

Atlanta Hawks Washington Wizards
atlantanba Vegas Total 209.5 washingtonnba Vegas Total 209.5
Vegas Spread 2.0 Vegas Spread -2.0
Team Total 103.8 Team Total 105.8
Pace +/- -1.6 Pace +/- 1.8
Proj. Starter Dennis Schroder Kyle Korver Kent Bazemore Paul Millsap Dwight Howard Proj. Starter John Wall Bradley Beal Otto Porter Markieff Morris Marcin Gortat
Opponent DvP Rank PG SG SF PF C Opponent DvP Rank PG SG SF PF C
2016-17 18 26 16 13 18 2016-17 20 11 19 8 6

Atlanta Hawks

The Hawks are coming off of an embarrassing loss at home against the Lakers. While I won’t say that it’s excusable, the Lakers are a talented young team that is capable of beating a lot of teams on their best nights. Despite the loss, Atlanta is still 3-1 on the season. They are ranked tenth in pace and seventh in points scored per game. Paul Millsap and Dennis Schroder lead the team in adjusted usage rate, but they are a well-balanced offense that is capable of getting big outings from a number of players.

The Hawks are 2-point underdogs tonight against the Wizards in Washington. This is a slightly above-average matchup, even though the Wizards have played at a slower pace. The Wizards are ranked 28th in points allowed per game and 25th in fantasy points allowed per game. Dennis Schroder has been a fantasy bust in his first four games post the Jeff Teague era, but the talent is there. He is still averaging 0.87 fantasy points per minute and he’s capable of a lot more. Kyle Korver is off to a decent start this season, but he is so reliant on scoring that he is a risky fantasy option. Kent Bazemore price and matchup are appealing, but he is only averaging 27 minutes per game. Paul Millsap draws a nice matchup against Markieff Morris. In what is expected to be a close game, Millsap could play 35+ minutes. He always seems to get overlooked in DFS. Marcin Gortat has been a tough matchup in each of the last few seasons, but the Wizards are currently ranked 18th against centers and 24th in rebounding differential. Dwight Howard is worth a look on DraftKings at a price of $7,700.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Position FD Salary DK Position DK Salary Rosters Pos Rosters Sal. Minutes FP/Game FP/Min Adj. Usage True Usage DvP
Dennis Schroder PG $5,900 PG $6,100 PG $10,400 28.4 24.7 0.87 22.6% 50.3% 18
Kyle Korver SG $3,700 SG $4,000 SG $8,000 26.4 16.5 0.63 12.4% 19.4% 26
Kent Bazemore SF $4,600 SG/SF $4,900 SF $8,900 27.2 18.7 0.69 17.4% 27.1% 16
Paul Millsap PF $8,100 PF $7,700 PF $13,700 31.2 35.2 1.13 23.7% 33.4% 13
Dwight Howard C $8,300 C $7,700 C $11,200 27.8 36.0 1.29 17.3% 22.1% 18
Mike Muscala PF $4,200 C $3,600 C $6,700 20.7 21.4 1.03 14.7% 22.2% 13

Elite Plays – Paul Millsap (DK)

Secondary Plays – Paul Millsap (FD), Dennis Schroder (GPP), Dwight Howard (DK)

Washington Wizards

The Wizards do not look like a playoff-bound team right now. They are 0-3 on the season with a point differential of -11.3 per game. Their offense hasn’t been very efficient and their defense is nowhere to be found. A win against the Hawks at home could be the kickstart that this team needs. Washington is currently ranked in the bottom 12 in both pace of play and points scored per game. I wouldn’t be surprised if Scott Brooks tries a more uptempo style of play moving forward. When you have John Wall and Bradley Beal, you want to give them as many opportunities in transition as possible. Part of the problem is that it’s tough to get anything going in transition when you are constantly taking the ball out of the basket.

The Wizards are 2-point favorites tonight against the Hawks in a game that features an over/under of 209.5 points. The Hawks typically aren’t an ideal matchup for fantasy production, but Vegas likes the Wizards’ offense in this one. They have an implied total of 105.8 points, which is the second highest in the slate and 4.1 points above their season average. The way to attack Atlanta this season has been with a talented point guard. D’Angelo Russell carved this defense up the other night and I expect John Wall to do the same. Wall has always had better splits at home and his price is down to a playable level on both FanDuel and DraftKings. Bradley Beal hasn’t added a lot to the stat sheet other than scoring, but I like his upside at $5,300. He is an intriguing GPP play that should be less than 5% owned. Marcin Gortat is averaging 37.7 minutes per game this season, which is a full five minutes higher than his career high. I would typically jump on the minute boost in DFS, but the Wizards have three games in the next four nights and I’m not a fan of his matchup against Dwight Howard.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Position FD Salary DK Position DK Salary Rosters Pos Rosters Sal. Minutes FP/Game FP/Min Adj. Usage True Usage DvP
John Wall PG $9,000 PG $8,500 PG $13,200 34.8 44.8 1.29 30.4% 53.8% 20
Bradley Beal SG $5,300 SG $5,300 SG $10,300 34 20.6 0.61 19.6% 33.9% 11
Otto Porter SF $5,100 SF $4,800 SF $8,400 33.5 26.9 0.80 14.5% 20.7% 19
Markieff Morris PF $5,500 SF/PF $5,500 PF $9,100 33.1 23.9 0.72 14.1% 31.4% 8
Marcin Gortat C $6,000 C $5,900 C $9,300 37.7 28.2 0.75 9.0% 23.0% 6

Elite Plays – John Wall

Secondary Plays – Bradley Beal (GPP), Marcin Gortat

Miami Heat at Toronto Raptors – 7:30 PM ET

Miami Heat Toronto Raptors
miaminba Vegas Total 200.5 torontonba Vegas Total 200.5
Vegas Spread 7.5 Vegas Spread -7.5
Team Total 96.5 Team Total 104.0
Pace +/- -3.2 Pace +/- -1.9
Proj. Starter Goran Dragic Dion Waiters Justise Winslow Luke Babbitt Hassan Whiteside Proj. Starter Kyle Lowry DeMar DeRozan DeMarre Carroll Pascal Siakam Jonas Valanciunas
Opponent DvP Rank PG SG SF PF C Opponent DvP Rank PG SG SF PF C
2016-17 11 1 6 7 9 2016-17 4 5 17 15 27

Miami Heat

The Heat are off to a start that most of us expected. They should be close to a .500 team this season, give or take five games depending on their health. There was a lot of talk about pushing the tempo this season, but that has yet to take place. Miami is ranked 22nd in pace of play and 20th in points scored per game. With a lack of depth (partly due to injuries), Erik Spoelstra has been forced to keep a tight rotation. Four of the five starters are averaging over 30 minutes per game and three of them are averaging over 34 minutes. The Heat could have Josh McRoberts and Josh Richardson back in the mix tonight. Both are listed as questionable.

The Heat come into this game as 7.5-point underdogs against the Raptors in a game that features a low over/under of 200.5 points. You may be tired of hearing this, but playing the Raptors in Toronto is one of the worst possible matchups for fantasy production. The Heat have an implied total of only 96.5 points, which is the fourth lowest in the slate and five points below their season average. If you look at the DvP chart above, you can see that the Raptors are ranked 11th or better in fantasy points allowed to every position on the floor. Goran Dragic, Dion Waiters, Justise Winslow, and Hassan Whiteside have all been viable fantasy plays this season, but are all deep GPP dart throws in this matchup.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Position FD Salary DK Position DK Salary Rosters Pos Rosters Sal. Minutes FP/Game FP/Min Adj. Usage True Usage DvP
Goran Dragic PG $7,200 PG $7,100 PG $9,900 34.4 37.0 1.07 24.9% 38.1% 11
Dion Waiters SG $4,700 SG $4,800 SG $8,300 35.9 23.8 0.66 17.0% 23.9% 1
Justise Winslow SF $5,000 SF $5,600 SF $8,200 36.4 27.7 0.76 20.5% 17.9% 6
Luke Babbitt PF $3,700 PF $3,200 SF $7,000 22 13.5 0.61 18.0% 22.3% 7
Hassan Whiteside C $8,400 C $8,400 C $13,200 30.1 41.4 1.38 19.3% 22.5% 9

Elite Plays – NONE

Secondary Plays – Dion Waiters

Toronto Raptors

The Raptors are 3-1 to start the season and their only loss came against the defending champion Cavaliers. If you look at their statistics thus far, nothing really leaps off the page at us other than their play on the defensive end of the floor. Offensively, they are ranked 25th in pace of play and 14th in points scored per game. One of my least favorite things to see on the NBA schedule is a team that plays at a slow pace and has a dominant defense. DeMar DeRozan has been on a tear to start the season and while many expect him to cool off, it’s worth noting that his adjusted usage rate is third in the NBA behind James Harden and Russell Westbrook.

There is only one game on the schedule tonight that is projected to be played at a slower pace. That’s typically not a ringing endorsement when it comes to DFS. To make matters worse, the Raptors are facing a Heat defense that is ranked tenth or better in points allowed per game, defensive efficiency, and fantasy points allowed per game. Kyle Lowry is still underpriced across the industry, but point guard is always the deepest position in the sport. It’s hard to make room for him in any lineups outside of a large GPP. DeMar DeRozan has been incredible to start the season, but I don’t want to overpay for him in a bad matchup. The only appealing fantasy option here is Jonas Valanciunas. He is averaging over 30 minutes and over 30 fantasy points per game and the Heat are surprisingly ranked 27th against centers this season.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Position FD Salary DK Position DK Salary Rosters Pos Rosters Sal. Minutes FP/Game FP/Min Adj. Usage True Usage DvP
Kyle Lowry PG $7,500 PG $7,300 PG $12,300 37.1 31.0 0.84 22.6% 41.5% 4
DeMar DeRozan SG $8,500 SG $8,000 SG $11,800 37.2 46.3 1.24 32.5% 40.6% 5
DeMarre Carroll SF $4,400 SF/PF $4,300 SF $7,800 29.1 18.6 0.64 13.6% 20.9% 17
Pascal Siakam PF $3,500 PF $3,000 PF $7,200 17.4 10.2 0.58 6.4% 15
Jonas Valanciunas C $6,200 C $6,500 C $10,300 31.9 30.5 0.95 17.2% 23.1% 27
Patrick Patterson PF $3,800 PF $3,900 PF $7,600 30.9 18.7 0.60 11.8% 17.7% 15
Cory Joseph PG $3,500 PG $3,500 PG $7,000 20.7 13.7 0.66 14.1% 29.7% 4

Elite Plays – NONE

Secondary Plays – Kyle Lowry (GPP), Jonas Valanciunas (GPP)

Charlotte Hornets at Brooklyn Nets – 7:30 PM ET

Charlotte Hornets Brooklyn Nets
charlottenba Vegas Total 206.0 brooklynnba Vegas Total 206.0
Vegas Spread -6.5 Vegas Spread 6.5
Team Total 106.3 Team Total 99.8
Pace +/- 2.7 Pace +/- -1.1
Proj. Starter Kemba Walker Nicolas Batum Michael Kidd-Gilchrist Marvin Williams Cody Zeller Proj. Starter Isaiah Whitehead Bojan Bogdanovic Rondae Hollis-Jefferson Trevor Booker Brook Lopez
Opponent DvP Rank PG SG SF PF C Opponent DvP Rank PG SG SF PF C
2016-17 29 24 26 26 21 2016-17 3 18 9 1 24

Charlotte Hornets

The Hornets are 3-1 to start the season. They have played some great defense thus far, holding opponents to only 96 points per game. Offensively, they are ranked right around the league average in both pace of play and points scored per game. Roy Hibbert has already been ruled out of tonight’s game, which means more minutes for the likes of Cody Zeller, Marvin Williams, and Frank Kaminsky. Kemba Walker leads the team in adjusted usage rate, but Nicolas Batum isn’t far behind. It could be a nice time to buy low on Batum after a quiet start to the season.

The Hornets come into tonight’s game as 6.5-point favorite against the Nets. Brooklyn has been one of the best matchups for fantasy production this season, ranking 22nd in points allowed per game and 30th in fantasy points allowed per game. If you look at their DvP chart above, you can see that they are ranked in the bottom ten in fantasy points allowed to every position on the floor. Kemba Walker is typically a player that I’d rather target when he is playing at home, but he’s worth a look in tournaments against Isaiah Whitehead. As I mentioned earlier, this is a great time to buy low on Nicolas Batum. He can fill up all areas of the stat sheet and he has one of the best individual matchups in the slate. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Marvin Williams, and the rotating centers have been a little too inconsistent to use in cash games, but you can pick your spots with them in GPPs.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Position FD Salary DK Position DK Salary Rosters Pos Rosters Sal. Minutes FP/Game FP/Min Adj. Usage True Usage DvP
Kemba Walker PG $7,800 PG $7,500 PG $11,300 33.8 35.3 1.04 26.8% 41.9% 29
Nicolas Batum SG $6,400 SG/SF $6,600 SG $10,800 32.9 29.5 0.90 21.4% 36.6% 24
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist SF $5,600 SF $5,400 SF $9,100 30 26.7 0.89 12.4% 22.8% 26
Marvin Williams PF $5,300 PF $5,200 PF $8,400 30.7 24.8 0.81 15.5% 21.8% 26
Cody Zeller C $4,700 C $4,300 C $6,800 21.3 20.5 0.96 16.4% 20.0% 21
Frank Kaminsky PF $4,000 PF $4,100 C $7,300 24.4 20.4 0.84 18.8% 23.0% 26

Elite Plays – Nicolas Batum

Secondary Plays – Kemba Walker, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (GPP), Marvin Williams, Frank Kaminsky

Brooklyn Nets

The Nets may be 2-3 to start the season, but I don’t see many wins in their future. Jeremy Lin has been superb for Brooklyn, but he is going to miss at least two weeks with a hamstring injury. With Greivis Vasquez ruled out of this game, the Nets are expected to turn to Isaiah Whitehead, who has played a total of 53 minutes in his NBA career. While I expect Whitehead to start, I don’t know how many minutes we can expect from him. Brooklyn used Sean Kilpatrick as the backup point guard the other night and they will also have Randy Foye back in the lineup tonight.

The Nets are only 6.5-point underdogs here. While I’m usually a fan of the home underdog, I wouldn’t be surprised if the line moves in favor of the Hornets. Brooklyn just doesn’t have the talent to compete on a nightly basis. They have an implied total of only 99.8 points, which is the fifth lowest in the slate. Backup point guards that draw a spot start are typically a lock for me in cash games, but I’m not sure I want to take the plunge with Isaiah Whitehead. He has very little NBA experience and the Nets could easily turn to Randy Foye and Sean Kilpatrick. Foye is a bit risky in his first game back, but Kilpatrick makes a lot of sense at shooting guard. He is averaging nearly a fantasy point per minute and could play upwards of 30 minutes tonight against the Hornets. Trevor Booker has been ultra-productive this season, but is still averaging under 27 minutes per game. We are asking for such high efficiency at that price point. Brook Lopez is coming off of a monster game, but I will not be chasing those points in a full slate.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Position FD Salary DK Position DK Salary Rosters Pos Rosters Sal. Minutes FP/Game FP/Min Adj. Usage True Usage DvP
Isaiah Whitehead PG $4,500 PG $3,600 SG $6,000 13.3 7.0 0.52 10.5% 3
Bojan Bogdanovic SF $4,200 SG/SF $4,600 SG $7,900 27.1 21.0 0.78 17.8% 24.3% 9
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson SF $3,500 SF $3,600 SG $7,700 24.6 10.7 0.43 9.3% 20.1% 9
Trevor Booker PF $5,100 PF $4,700 PF $7,900 26.2 26.4 1.01 13.4% 21.3% 1
Brook Lopez C $7,300 C $6,700 C $11,600 24.4 27.0 1.11 24.1% 33.6% 24
Randy Foye SG $4,500 SG $3,000 PG $6,700 25.6% 18
Sean Kilpatrick SG $4,700 SG $4,400 SG $6,000 24.9 24.6 0.99 21.3% 16.4% 18

Elite Plays – Sean Kilpatrick

Secondary Plays – Isaiah Whitehead, Randy Foye (DK), Bogan Bogdanovic, Trevor Booker

Los Angeles Clippers at Memphis Grizzlies – 8:00 PM ET

Los Angeles Clippers Memphis Grizzlies
laclippersnba Vegas Total 198.0 memphisnba Vegas Total 198.0
Vegas Spread -5.5 Vegas Spread 5.5
Team Total 101.8 Team Total 96.3
Pace +/- -3.5 Pace +/- 1.8
Proj. Starter Chris Paul J.J. Redick Luc Richard Mbah a Moute Blake Griffin DeAndre Jordan Proj. Starter Mike Conley Tony Allen James Ennis JaMychal Green Marc Gasol
Opponent DvP Rank PG SG SF PF C Opponent DvP Rank PG SG SF PF C
2016-17 17 15 3 10 9 2016-17 5 3 12 12 2

Los Angeles Clippers

The Clippers suffered their first loss of the season, as they fell short to the Oklahoma City Westbrooks. One loss isn’t going to change my opinion about any team, especially this early in the season. I fully expect the Clippers to contend for the two seed in the Western Conference. They have their own version of the big three and they are dominant defensively. I expect their offense to improve moving forward, as they are currently ranked tenth in pace of play, but only 21st in points scored per game.

The Clippers face one of my least favorite teams in daily fantasy basketball – the Grizzlies. This will be a pace-down game for Los Angeles and it doesn’t help that Memphis is ranked at or above the league average in points allowed per game, defensive efficiency, and rebounding differential this season. The Clippers have an implied total of 101.8 points, which is the seventh lowest in the slate. Chris Paul is still underpriced on DraftKings, but Mike Conley is an excellent on-ball defender. DeAndre Jordan draws one of the worst possible matchups for a center, as Marc Gasol is a former winner of the Defensive Player of the Year award. Blake Griffin has the most fantasy appeal of anyone on this side, but I would much rather find the extra cap space and get up to Anthony Davis.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Position FD Salary DK Position DK Salary Rosters Pos Rosters Sal. Minutes FP/Game FP/Min Adj. Usage True Usage DvP
Chris Paul PG $9,000 PG $8,600 PG $12,900 31.2 41.5 1.33 26.7% 53.8% 17
J.J. Redick SG $4,200 SG $4,000 SG $8,600 27.3 13.2 0.48 13.9% 27.4% 15
Luc Richard Mbah a Moute SF $3,500 SF $3,000 PF $6,800 19.3 7.4 0.38 8.4% 12.2% 3
Blake Griffin PF $8,900 PF $8,200 PF $12,900 33 40.1 1.22 24.4% 42.1% 10
DeAndre Jordan C $7,300 C $7,000 C $11,200 29.8 27.3 0.92 12.3% 17.4% 9
Jamal Crawford SG $4,700 SG $4,100 SG $8,600 24.8 19.7 0.79 21.5% 32.8% 15

Elite Plays – NONE

Secondary Plays – Blake Griffin

Memphis Grizzlies

The Grizzlies are 3-2 to start the season despite having a point differential of -4.8. The main reason for that discrepancy was the game against the Wolves where the Grizzlies decided to rest Mike Conley and Marc Gasol and were eventually blown out. This is one of the least exciting teams from a fantasy standpoint, as they are ranked 26th in both pace of play and points scored per game. Chandler Parsons says that he is nearing a return. When he does return to the floor, he will cut into the minutes of James Ennis and Vince Carter.

The Grizzlies are listed as 5.5-point underdogs at home tonight against the Clippers in what should be one of the slowest paced games in the slate. Memphis has an implied team total of only 96.3 points, which is the third lowest on the board. If you look at the DvP chart above, you can see that the Clippers are ranked 12th or better in fantasy points allowed to every position on the floor. I’m not a fan of targeting point guards against Chris Paul, which makes Mike Conley an easy fade. If I absolutely had to play someone from this game it would be Marc Gasol, who is averaging 34.4 fantasy points per game this season.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Position FD Salary DK Position DK Salary Rosters Pos Rosters Sal. Minutes FP/Game FP/Min Adj. Usage True Usage DvP
Mike Conley PG $6,500 PG $6,600 PG $10,800 32.3 29.3 0.91 23.9% 41.1% 5
Tony Allen SG $4,000 SG $3,600 SF $6,800 23.2 10.5 0.45 13.7% 21.2% 3
James Ennis SF $4,500 SG/SF $4,800 SG $7,400 29.6 22.1 0.75 12.0% 7.7% 12
JaMychal Green PF $4,700 SF/PF $4,800 PF $7,500 31.2 21.5 0.69 13.7% 24.6% 12
Marc Gasol C $7,000 C $6,700 C $10,800 32.7 34.4 1.05 25.1% 36.4% 2

Elite Plays – NONE

Secondary Plays – Marc Gasol

Phoenix Suns at New Orleans Pelicans – 8:00 PM ET

Phoenix Suns New Orleans Pelicans
phoenixnba Vegas Total 212.5 neworleansnba Vegas Total 212.5
Vegas Spread 3.0 Vegas Spread -3.0
Team Total 104.8 Team Total 107.8
Pace +/- 3.6 Pace +/- 4.4
Proj. Starter Eric Bledsoe Devin Booker T.J. Warren Jared Dudley Tyson Chandler Proj. Starter Tim Frazier E’Twaun Moore Solomon Hill Dante Cunningham Anthony Davis
Opponent DvP Rank PG SG SF PF C Opponent DvP Rank PG SG SF PF C
2016-17 15 15 29 23 24 2016-17 26 9 25 21 4

Phoenix Suns

The Suns finally picked up their first win of the season. While they aren’t going to challenge for a playoff spot in the West anytime soon, they will continue to be one of my favorite teams to see on the schedule. They are ranked third in pace of play, 15th in points scored per game, and 27th in points allowed per game. Despite the quick pace, fantasy options have been scarce on the Suns to start the season. Eric Bledsoe leads the team in adjusted usage rate, but they have four players with an adjusted usage of at least 20% – Bledsoe, Brandon Knight, Devin Booker, and T.J. Warren.

The Suns come into tonight’s game as 3-point underdogs in what projects to be the second fastest-paced game in the slate. They have an implied total of 104.8 points, which is the seventh highest of the 18 teams in action. Their matchup against the Pelicans can only be described as favorable, as New Orleans is ranked below the league average in points allowed per game, rebounding differential, and fantasy points allowed per game. Eric Bledsoe has somewhat quietly averaged 32.6 fantasy points per game this season, but he plays a position that is always littered with options. If Bledsoe was shooting guard-eligible, he would make a lot more of my lineups. Devin Booker is going to start making shot eventually. He is currently shooting under 40% from the field and his peripheral stats have been non-existent. I’m not willing to use him in cash games, but I see him as an elite GPP play on a night where he should be 5-10% owned at most. After five games, it’s safe to say that T.J. Warren isn’t a flash in the pan. He has taken at least 14 shots in every game this season and he has yet to score less than 20 fantasy points.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Position FD Salary DK Position DK Salary Rosters Pos Rosters Sal. Minutes FP/Game FP/Min Adj. Usage True Usage DvP
Eric Bledsoe PG $7,600 PG $7,000 PG $11,200 35 32.6 0.93 22.5% 44.2% 15
Devin Booker SG $5,600 SG/SF $5,900 SG $9,700 33.8 21.1 0.62 20.0% 33.1% 15
T.J. Warren SF $5,900 SF $6,300 SF $8,600 36 34.4 0.96 21.0% 24.1% 29
Jared Dudley PF $3,800 PF $3,400 SF $8,500 23.6 15.4 0.65 10.4% 20.4% 23
Tyson Chandler C $4,500 C $4,400 C $8,700 27.1 21.8 0.81 5.3% 17.3% 24
Brandon Knight SG $5,400 PG/SG $5,200 PG $9,200 30.1 19.2 0.64 20.0% 39.2% 15

Elite Plays – T.J. Warren, Devin Booker (GPP)

Secondary Plays – Eric Bledsoe

New Orleans Pelicans

The Pelicans are coming off of a loss against the Grizzlies in Memphis. They are now 0-5 on the season and are one of only four teams without a win on their resume. Jrue Holiday is expected to rejoin the team some time in the next couple of weeks, but until then, it will continue to be the Anthony Davis show. While New Orleans has been inefficient on the offensive end of the floor, they are ranked sixth in pace of play. Tonight’s game against the Suns should be high scoring and given the small spread, it should be close throughout.

The Pelicans draw a favorable matchup tonight against the Suns in a game that features an over/under of 212.5 points. They are 3-point favorites with an implied total of 107.8 points. I always like to compare team totals to season averages and as you can see below, there is a 9.6-point differential between the two for the Pelicans tonight (the highest in the slate). I was hoping the sites would raise the price of Anthony Davis before this game, as he should be incredibly popular in this matchup. You can make the case to fade him in tournaments, but he is locked and loaded in my cash game lineups. A player with that high of usage in this matchup is too good to pass up. Tim Frazier played only 15 minutes against the Grizzlies the other night, but the starting lineup was getting smoked and they were playing in the second half of a back-to-back. I expect him to see 30+ minutes in a favorable matchup tonight against the Suns. He remains an elite play on FanDuel at only $5,500.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Position FD Salary DK Position DK Salary Rosters Pos Rosters Sal. Minutes FP/Game FP/Min Adj. Usage True Usage DvP
Tim Frazier PG $5,500 PG $6,400 PG $9,200 29.5 30.9 1.05 23.3% 41.6% 26
E’Twaun Moore SG $4,200 SG $3,900 SG $7,500 28.4 17.6 0.62 14.9% 23.5% 9
Solomon Hill SF $3,800 SF $3,500 SF $7,700 24.8 14.1 0.57 12.4% 20.4% 25
Dante Cunningham SF $3,500 SF/PF $3,000 SF $6,000 21.4 10.9 0.51 11.0% 14.2% 25
Anthony Davis PF $11,200 PF/C $10,900 PF $15,700 37.1 57.7 1.55 29.6% 34.7% 21
Lance Stephenson SF $4,000 SF $4,200 SF $6,200 26.9 19.7 0.73 15.9% 29.9% 25

Elite Plays – Anthony Davis, Tim Frazier (FD)

Secondary Plays – Tim Frazier (DK), Lance Stephenson

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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 X – @RG_Notorious