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NBA Grind Down: Monday, April 10th

by Travis Mangone (Mangone) Last Updated 2017-04-11 03:02:22

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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.

Legend & FAQ

Indiana Pacers at Philadelphia 76ers – 7:00 PM ET

Indiana Pacers Philadelphia 76ers
indiananba Vegas Total 211.5 philadelphianba Vegas Total 211.5
Vegas Spread -9.0 Vegas Spread 9.0
Team Total 110.3 Team Total 101.3
Pace +/- 2.2 Pace +/- -0.5
Proj. Starter Jeff Teague Monta Ellis Paul George Thaddeus Young Myles Turner Proj. Starter T.J. McConnell Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot Justin Anderson Dario Saric Richaun Holmes
Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C
Adj. DvP 15 15 21 17 30 Adj. DvP 12 10 27 14 22
DRPM 0.55 0.67 -2.33 -0.73 0.37 DRPM -0.16 -1.82 0.04 2.04 2.20

Indiana Pacers

The Indiana Pacers are still only one game ahead of Chicago and Miami for the seventh seed in the playoffs, so every game counts for the Pacers with only two advancing and one going home. The Pacers traditionally struggle on the road, so I would not expect this to be a blowout.

Paul George has taken the initiative to put the team on his back during this playoff push, averaging 51.9 DraftKings points per game with an increased usage of 3.1% over the last four weeks compared to his season average. He is priced up, but the bump in price is warranted for what he has been doing, and this is one of the highest price tags on him that we have seen all season long so people may shy away. Even at that price tag he is a safe play with upside.

Myles Turner draws the best DvP matchup in this game against the Sixers, who rank dead last against centers. Turner has been priced up, but there is still plenty of profit potential in this matchup. Thaddeus Young has looked healthier than ever, providing at least 23 or more DraftKings points in his last seven games and averaging 30.6 DraftKings points in those games. This is also a revenge game, a situation in which Young has thrived in many times. Expect the starters to play their minutes and for the Pacers to continue to run a tight rotation as they push for the playoffs.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FDFT Salary FP/Min Minutes L5 +/- FP/Game L5 +/- True Usage L5 +/- DvP DRPM
Jeff Teague $7,200 $6,900 $12,900 1.00 32.4 2.4 32.4 0.4 26.3% -2.2% 15 0.55
Monta Ellis $4,300 $4,600 $9,100 0.67 27.1 1.0 18.1 -0.1 18.3% -0.9% 15 0.67
Paul George $9,900 $9,900 $18,200 1.04 35.8 4.4 37.4 14.6 28.5% 2.5% 21 -2.33
Thaddeus Young $5,000 $5,600 $11,200 0.76 30.1 1.0 23.0 5.6 16.1% 2.1% 17 -0.73
Myles Turner $6,800 $6,400 $12,700 0.95 31.4 4.3 29.7 -4.7 18.5% -5.2% 30 0.37

Elite Plays – Myles Turner and Paul George

Secondary Plays – Jeff Teague, Thaddeus Young and Monta Ellis

Philadelphia 76ers

The Sixers are just trying to make it through the season alive. We miss Trusting the Process, but there are still many plays in this game to consider for DFS with so few bodies left to play. Dario Saric is still on a minutes limit of 24, which has opened playing time to be divided out to other players and new addition Alex Poythress.

The starters (Holmes, McConnell, Anderson, Luwawu-Cabarrot) have all been priced up, but there is still some upside in all these players even with the price bump. Many of them are still great cash plays as well, especially against the Pacers, who struggle on the road and are a pace up game for the Sixers. My favorite play of the starters would be Justin Anderson for only $4,800, as he’s drawing the best DvP matchup on the board against the Pacers, who rank 27th in the league against the small forward position. McConnell draws Jeff Teague defense, which we love to target and is a great cash play along with Richaun Holmes, who even at $5,800 can put up 40 fantasy points in one night. Luwawu-Cabarrot is a great cash option but seems like a pass for me in tournaments with not a ton of upside at $5,900. One last note on all these players I discussed is that they all are better plays on FanDuel; I have more interest in taking them over there due to their positions and cheaper price tags.

One last guy to watch in this game that could be sneaky is Alex Poythress. It is April NBA, but take a quick stroll down Narrative Street with me. Poythress was waived by the Pacers after two preseason games and then added by their D-League affiliate, until the Sixers signed him with Dario being on a minutes restriction. For only $3,700 on DraftKings, this is a spot where Brett Brown could let Poythress get extended run in this revenge matchup to show his former team why he should have been signed to the active roster instead of adding Lance Stephenson.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FDFT Salary FP/Min Minutes L5 +/- FP/Game L5 +/- True Usage L5 +/- DvP DRPM
T.J. McConnell $5,700 $5,900 $11,600 0.83 26.3 6.7 21.9 5.7 19.5% 2.1% 12 -0.16
Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot $5,500 $5,900 $11,600 0.61 16.9 20.1 10.3 17.6 17.1% 2.0% 10 -1.82
Justin Anderson $4,200 $4,800 $9,500 0.81 16.0 13.5 12.9 8.0 19.4% -4.1% 27 0.04
Dario Saric $6,300 $5,600 $11,200 0.90 26.3 -3.4 23.8 -2.6 24.3% 4.0% 14 2.04
Richaun Holmes $6,100 $5,800 $11,500 0.97 20.5 9.4 20.0 7.9 17.8% -0.4% 22 2.20
Henry Ellenson $3,500 $4,100 $8,100 0.81 5.2 20.4 4.2 25.0 24.0% 4.7% 14 N/A

Elite Plays – Justin Anderson

Secondary Plays – T.J. McConnell (cash), Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot (cash), Richaun Holmes and Alex Poythress (tournaments)

Cleveland Cavaliers at Miami Heat – 7:30 PM ET

Cleveland Cavaliers Miami Heat
clevelandnba Vegas Total 210.5 miaminba Vegas Total 210.5
Vegas Spread 4.5 Vegas Spread -4.5
Team Total 103.0 Team Total 107.5
Pace +/- -1.2 Pace +/- -0.4
Proj. Starter Kyrie Irving J.R. Smith LeBron James Kevin Love Channing Frye Proj. Starter Goran Dragic Rodney McGruder Josh Richardson James Johnson Hassan Whiteside
Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C
Adj. DvP 4 1 9 6 8 Adj. DvP 23 29 26 9 16
DRPM -1.62 -0.83 -0.20 1.40 2.33 DRPM -2.18 -0.99 1.20 2.02 -0.40

Cleveland Cavaliers

UPDATE: Kevin Love is considered questionable but appears to be closer to doubtful to play tonight.

Welp, I thought the Big 3 would play, but they are resting LeBron, Love and Kyrie, so say hello to the chalk value plays! Deron Williams for $4,600 is now the premier value play on this slate and for good reason. The Heat are good at defending opposing point guards, but with all of the Cavs studs sitting, if you look at our CourtIQ it gives Deron Williams a 40.2% usage bump with a 1.12 fantasy point per minute. That is a massive amount of usage going through Deron, and he has become an elite value play on this slate.

Iman Shumpert for $3,500 is another value play I will have interest in on this slate. With a ton of value on the slate though, I don’t know if I will be loading up on all these Cavaliers. One last play I like is Channing Frye for $4,600 if Tristan Thompson sits; he will be their main big man and I would expect Hassan Whiteside to struggle at defending him at the three-point line, allowing a lot of open looks.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FDFT Salary FP/Min Minutes L5 +/- FP/Game L5 +/- True Usage L5 +/- DvP DRPM
Kyrie Irving $8,500 $7,700 $14,200 1.09 34.9 -0.3 37.9 -0.5 32.0% -5.4% 4 -1.62
J.R. Smith $3,900 $4,300 $8,400 0.56 28.7 4.1 16.1 7.0 14.3% -1.3% 1 -0.83
LeBron James $10,900 $10,600 $18,900 1.30 37.6 2.1 49.1 7.9 32.9% 0.0% 9 -0.20
Kevin Love $7,600 $7,800 $14,300 1.15 31.1 1.4 35.7 2.3 25.3% -0.9% 6 1.60
Channing Frye $3,700 $4,600 $9,100 0.83 18.8 -1.2 15.7 2.8 18.3% -0.1% 8 2.33

Elite Plays – Deron Williams and Iman Shumpert

Secondary Plays – Channing Frye

Miami Heat

The Heat want this playoff spot more than anyone, and every game is a must win for them going forward. This game should not be close but I expect the Heat to keep their gas on the peddle as they push for the playoffs.

Goran Dragic for only $7,200 is a bargain and should get time on Deron Williams defense and the Cavs still rank 23rd in the league against the point guard, and at this price tag there is a solid floor with upside in Goran Dragic. James Johnson finally got moved to the starting lineup three games ago and since then he has scored at least 39.75 DraftKings points in each matchup. For only $6,800, Johnson is one of my favorite plays on this slate. Hassan Whiteside for only $8,100 has massive upside, and I think is strictly a tournament option for me on this slate since center is loaded as usual. That said, Whiteside always has massive upside at this price tag.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FDFT Salary FP/Min Minutes L5 +/- FP/Game L5 +/- True Usage L5 +/- DvP DRPM
Goran Dragic $7,900 $7,200 $13,600 1.00 33.6 1.4 33.5 -2.1 29.3% 0.6% 23 -2.18
Rodney McGruder $3,500 $3,100 $6,000 0.54 25.2 1.2 13.7 0.9 12.9% 2.0% 29 -0.99
Josh Richardson $5,000 $5,500 $10,900 0.66 30.0 5.1 19.9 6.2 17.8% -2.1% 26 1.20
James Johnson $6,500 $6,800 $12,700 0.95 27.2 5.5 25.9 5.8 23.6% 0.0% 9 2.02
Hassan Whiteside $8,800 $8,100 $15,000 1.17 32.6 -0.1 38.3 1.3 21.2% 1.0% 16 -0.40
Tyler Johnson $5,500 $5,000 $9,800 0.86 29.9 -0.2 25.7 -1.8 22.3% 0.5% 23 N/A

Elite Plays – James Johnson and Goran Dragic

Secondary Plays – Hassan Whiteside (Tournaments)

Brooklyn Nets at Boston Celtics – 7:30 PM ET

Brooklyn Nets Boston Celtics
brooklynnba Vegas Total 223.0 bostonnba Vegas Total 223.0
Vegas Spread 10.5 Vegas Spread -10.5
Team Total 106.3 Team Total 116.8
Pace +/- 0.4 Pace +/- 4.7
Proj. Starter Jeremy Lin Randy Foye Caris LeVert Rondae Hollis-Jefferson Brook Lopez Proj. Starter Isaiah Thomas Avery Bradley Jae Crowder Amir Johnson Al Horford
Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C
Adj. DvP 18 11 13 24 21 Adj. DvP 29 24 30 23 26
DRPM -4.17 -1.17 1.18 3.96 1.66 DRPM -0.22 -1.39 -1.54 1.29 0.31

Brooklyn Nets

As usual, the Nets are involved in one of the highest game totals of 223.5, and we should be looking at a bunch of plays in this game. In a big game for Boston where they must win, I expect the Nets to keep this game close because they are playing good ball to close out the year. When I am looking at the Brook-Lin Nets, it is simple who I play. Brook Lopez and Jeremy Lin are the main guys that I target because the Nets spread their minutes out so much.

The Celtics allow a ton of rebounds, and it hurts me to say this about my guy, but Isaiah Thomas is one of worst defenders in the league. This makes Brook and Lin the two best plays on the Nets. My only concern is the price tag is getting steep on one of these players. I really don’t want to pay $6,900 for Lin, and I am sure I am not alone on this. Lin is a talented offensive player and has averaged 36.7 DraftKings points in his last 10 games, so the price tag is warranted. Although Brook Lopez rarely rebounds the ball, this is the spot where he can grab boards because the Celtics struggle at grabbing them. I will have interest in both as cash and tournament options on this slate.

Now it’s time to spin the Nets guard roulette wheel! If there are two guys I would look to play not named Lin or Lopez, it would be Caris LeVert for $4,200 and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson for $5,000, but I don’t ever feel good about doing it so traditionally I stay away from them. Quincy Acy being out makes RHJ’s minutes more secure, and if Kilpatrick is out that will do the same for LeVert.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FDFT Salary FP/Min Minutes L5 +/- FP/Game L5 +/- True Usage L5 +/- DvP DRPM
Jeremy Lin $6,400 $6,900 $13,000 1.10 24.3 4.2 26.9 6.9 28.8% -0.8% 18 -4.17
Randy Foye $3,500 $3,000 $6,000 0.59 18.6 -4.4 11.1 -1.6 16.0% -2.2% 11 -1.17
Caris LeVert $4,200 $4,200 $8,400 0.74 21.5 0.6 15.9 4.6 16.8% 3.4% 13 1.18
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson $5,000 $5,000 $9,800 0.89 22.3 3.1 19.9 2.7 18.8% -2.9% 24 3.96
Brook Lopez $6,600 $6,700 $12,600 1.09 29.6 -0.7 32.4 -1.2 28.1% -1.0% 21 1.66

Elite Plays – Jeremy Lin and Brook Lopez

Secondary Plays – Caris LeVert and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson

Boston Celtics

My Celtics are fighting for the number one seed, and that means this is a must win against the Nets, so expect them to bring their A-game. The Nets rank in the bottom of the league against most positions and this is a big pace up game for the Celtics. They have stopped messing around with minutes, as the starters are all playing playoff type minutes, which we love in DFS.

I really think all the Celtics starters can be considered in this spot because it is the Nets, plain and simple, but the two players I am targeting the most are Isaiah Thomas and Al Horford. Al Horford is only $6,400 because DraftKings hates centers, so we need to take advantage of that. In Horford’s three games against the Nets this year, he averaged 38.5 DraftKings points and he will be guarded by Brook Lopez, who is allergic to rebounding. A note I saw on Twitter a couple weeks ago said that Stevens was trying to get both Horford and IT2 as much time away from each other on the court so they can get an increased usage. IT2 does not have much more usage to gain, but once the Celtics got healthy he lost that usage and saw a dip in production. That said, in the last four weeks it is back to where it used to be, and for $8,300 he is a great play. Since Stevens’ statement, Horford has seen a 1.8% usage bump in the last month or so, and at $6,400 I see him as a fantastic option in all formats. Avery Bradley feels too priced up and Jae Crowder is an upside tournament option only for me, but both can have big games because the Nets play such high paced games; either one of these two can have five-steal games to boost their fantasy production.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FDFT Salary FP/Min Minutes L5 +/- FP/Game L5 +/- True Usage L5 +/- DvP DRPM
Isaiah Thomas $8,800 $8,300 $15,200 1.20 34.0 -1.5 40.7 0.3 34.9% 1.2% 29 -0.22
Avery Bradley $6,400 $6,100 $12,000 0.85 33.4 0.9 28.4 -5.0 21.9% -1.4% 24 -1.39
Jae Crowder $6,000 $5,900 $11,600 0.78 32.5 -0.4 25.4 -0.5 16.8% 1.2% 30 -1.54
Amir Johnson $3,700 $3,800 $7,400 0.81 20.2 -1.1 16.4 -1.2 14.2% -1.8% 23 1.29
Al Horford $6,900 $6,400 $12,600 0.99 32.4 -2.3 32.0 -6.9 21.6% -0.9% 26 0.31
Marcus Smart $6,200 $5,300 $10,500 0.79 30.4 -0.5 24.0 1.9 20.8% -1.9% 24 N/A

Elite Plays – Isaiah Thomas and Al Horford

Secondary Plays – Jae Crowder

Washington Wizards at Detroit Pistons – 8:00 PM ET

Washington Wizards Detroit Pistons
washingtonnba Vegas Total 210.0 detroitnba Vegas Total 210.0
Vegas Spread 1.0 Vegas Spread -1.0
Team Total 104.5 Team Total 105.5
Pace +/- -1.8 Pace +/- 1.0
Proj. Starter John Wall Bradley Beal Otto Porter Markieff Morris Marcin Gortat Proj. Starter Ish Smith Reggie Bullock Tobias Harris Jon Leuer Andre Drummond
Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C
Adj. DvP 14 4 25 11 6 Adj. DvP 9 17 16 22 20
DRPM 0.80 -0.02 -0.68 0.93 1.13 DRPM -0.57 -0.70 0.22 1.55 1.26

Washington Wizards

The Wizards are struggling to stay healthy down the homestretch here, with Otto Porter, Markieff Morris being questionable and John Wall as a game-time decision. We are going to have to keep our eyes on this situation as it gets closer to lock. On the other hand, the Pistons have given up completely, but in DFS that is great for us because the bench players will lack a real defensive effort.

If John Wall is out, this will be the Brandon Jennings show, and I expect him to be a great play on this slate for only $3,500. If Wall is out, you will want exposure to Jennings, who has massive upside in this spot at that price tag. If Porter’s out, Kelly Oubre will get a bump, but I never get excited about Oubre, so he will just be a secondary play for me. If Markieff Morris is out, fire up Jason Smith, who is in a great spot against the Pistons. Since the All-Star Break, we have seen Jason Smith have his best games when Morris is ruled out, and at $3,800 he becomes an elite play in all formats. Bradley Beal would be a great play if multiple starters rest, soaking up a lot of the first team usage, but I do worry he will just defer to a lot of the bench players and get pulled early on in this game. I have listed him as a secondary play with some mild interest depending on how news shakes up.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FDFT Salary FP/Min Minutes L5 +/- FP/Game L5 +/- True Usage L5 +/- DvP DRPM
John Wall $10,100 $9,200 $16,900 1.24 36.4 -2.9 45.3 -7.3 34.8% -0.1% 14 0.80
Bradley Beal $7,400 $6,900 $12,900 0.94 34.9 0.9 32.8 -1.7 26.3% -0.2% 4 -0.02
Otto Porter $5,100 $5,100 $10,100 0.82 32.8 -9.2 26.8 -6.7 14.9% 1.1% 25 -0.68
Markieff Morris $5,400 $4,800 $9,400 0.83 31.3 -3.9 26.0 -4.8 19.7% 0.9% 11 0.93
Marcin Gortat $4,800 $4,300 $8,400 0.84 31.4 -6.1 26.4 -5.5 14.6% -1.8% 6 1.13
Bojan Bogdanovic $3,500 $4,000 $7,800 0.75 25.9 -2.6 19.5 -2.9 22.1% -2.9% 25 N/A
Kelly Oubre $3,900 $4,100 $8,000 0.62 20.0 7.6 12.4 6.7 13.8% 1.8% 25 N/A

Elite Plays – Brandon Jennings (if John Wall is ruled out) and Jason Smith (if Markieff Morris is ruled out)

Secondary Plays – Kelly Oubre and Bradley Beal (pending status of other Wizards)

Detroit Pistons

The Pistons have given up completely and the main starters have basically become unplayable because the bench players are splitting minutes with them. Last game they had 10 guys play and Henry Ellenson had a team high of 28 minutes, and that was with Marcus Morris and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope out for rest. Their statuses are unsure for tonight, so we need to hear some news on that. This situation is pretty simple with Detroit: avoid all the guys you have been playing all year, but look to these cheap bench players who are getting minutes in the mid-20s as good value options.

RELEASE THE BOBAN!! Even at a price tag of $5,000, he is still a great play on this slate, but on FanDuel for $3,600 just lock and load him in your lineups. In his two starts Boban Marjanovic has produced 29.5 and 46.5 DraftKings points in only 23 and 28 minutes played. Last week Boban has a usage of 27.9% and produced 1.45 DK points per minute on the floor. Even guys like Henry Ellenson Reggie Bullock and Darrun Hilliard will be good cheap options to consider. With Beno Udrih likely out, this makes Ish Smith the last man standing, and in a pace up game that is only a 2.5 spread, I would expect Ish Smith to still get a ton of run, making him a great option in all formats. My one cause for concern with Ish is that if newly signed Lorenzo Brown joins the team and plays tonight, that could cut into some of his production and make him unplayable, so keep an eye out for that.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FDFT Salary FP/Min Minutes L5 +/- FP/Game L5 +/- True Usage L5 +/- DvP DRPM
Ish Smith $5,600 $5,900 $11,600 0.88 23.9 6.9 21.1 10.1 24.0% 4.3% 9 -0.57
Reggie Bullock $3,500 $3,000 $6,000 0.56 14.1 9.7 7.9 6.8 13.8% -2.8% 17 -0.70
Tobias Harris $5,300 $5,600 $11,200 0.83 31.4 -2.3 26.1 2.1 21.6% 1.1% 16 0.22
Jon Leuer $3,800 $4,000 $7,800 0.76 26.4 -4.3 20.1 -6.8 17.5% -1.1% 22 1.55
Andre Drummond $7,200 $6,600 $12,300 1.19 29.9 -1.1 35.7 -8.2 21.8% -6.6% 20 1.26
Boban Marjanovic $3,600 $5,000 $9,900 1.35 7.2 20.4 9.7 34.7 24.3% 5.0% 20 N/A
Henry Ellenson $3,500 $4,100 $8,100 0.81 5.2 20.4 4.2 25.0 24.0% 4.7% 22 N/A

Elite Plays – Boban Marjanovic

Secondary Plays – Henry Ellenson, Reggie Bullock, Darrun Hilliard and Ish Smith

Orlando Magic at Chicago Bulls – 8:00 PM ET

Orlando Magic Chicago Bulls
orlandonba Vegas Total 212.0 chicagonba Vegas Total 212.0
Vegas Spread 8.5 Vegas Spread -8.5
Team Total 101.8 Team Total 110.3
Pace +/- -1.3 Pace +/- 0.1
Proj. Starter Elfrid Payton Evan Fournier Terrence Ross Aaron Gordon Nikola Vucevic Proj. Starter Jerian Grant Dwyane Wade Jimmy Butler Nikola Mirotic Robin Lopez
Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C
Adj. DvP 22 13 17 19 4 Adj. DvP 27 21 15 28 23
DRPM 0.47 -0.56 1.90 1.09 0.01 DRPM -0.47 -0.83 -1.28 -0.63 1.93

Orlando Magic

The Orlando Magic are a pain to roster and starting to get a lot of their young bench players minutes. I really do not think this a great spot to attack them, but some players are still viable. Elfrid Payton should be a low-owned tournament option for $7,400, as they continue to give him massive run here down the stretch and he has the upside to win you a tournament in this spot. He could be a great pivot off some of the other high-owned point guards towards the top. Nikola Vucevic is only $7,500, but with so many other centers I like on this slate and the Magic messing with everyone’s minutes, I think I will pass on him.

Aaron Gordon for $6,600 feels like a tough roster, but how many guys in this price range have produced 55 or more DraftKings points twice in the past ten days? The Bulls rank 28th worst in the league against power forwards, and despite the price tag, there is massive upside here and I love getting exposure to Aaron Gordon in tournaments. For $3,000, if you are in a pinch and panicking while making lineups and want to take a flier on someone, Mario Hezonja is interesting. He is the type of guy that can win you a tournament when he gets going from deep, and when he does he can’t miss. These final two games are where super Mario should get some run, and the Bulls are awful at defending the three point line. This might be a good tournament option for salary relief.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FDFT Salary FP/Min Minutes L5 +/- FP/Game L5 +/- True Usage L5 +/- DvP DRPM
Elfrid Payton $7,400 $7,400 $14,000 0.98 29.5 2.1 28.9 9.4 25.4% 0.4% 22 0.47
Evan Fournier $5,600 $5,500 $10,900 0.77 33.0 1.3 25.4 1.0 23.8% -2.1% 13 -0.56
Terrence Ross $4,600 $5,000 $9,800 0.72 25.2 7.7 18.2 4.3 18.5% -0.2% 17 1.90
Aaron Gordon $6,300 $6,600 $12,300 0.80 28.6 6.2 22.9 15.3 20.0% 3.7% 19 1.09
Nikola Vucevic $8,100 $7,500 $13,800 1.17 28.9 0.8 33.7 -0.8 25.2% -1.8% 4 0.01

Elite Plays – Elfrid Payton (Tournaments) and Aaron Gordon

Secondary Plays – Mario Hezonja (Tournaments)

Chicago Bulls

The Bulls are pushing for the playoffs and need this game badly, as they are currently tied for the eighth seed with the Heat. This is a must-win for them and I expect them to continue to run a tight rotation with this being such an important game.

Rajon Rondo has been ruled out, which will hurt a lot of the players’ fantasy value on this team. Rondo has been so great for the Bulls because he looks for the open man and tries to get others production while deferring the scoring, which gives all the other Bulls more opportunities. Jerian Grant has an average of 33 DraftKings points in the last two games Rondo was out, and for $4,700 on DraftKings he is certainly in play. The Magic rank 27th in the league against the point guard position as well, so there’s another reason to want exposure to Grant on this slate.

Dwyane Wade, if no minutes restriction for $5,500, could be a good buy-low opportunity in cash and tournaments. Historically with the Heat, Wade has had massive performances against Orlando, and since joining the Bulls he is averaging 41.1 DraftKings points against them. If no minutes limit, Wade could be an elite play on this slate. Jimmy Butler is also an elite option here and should be doing his best to shoulder the load. The rest of the Bulls are plays that we can consider, but I do not think they are worth discussing and rostering. Grant, Butler and Wade will be the three players I will target, but I do not think it is viable to play all three in the same lineup.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FDFT Salary FP/Min Minutes L5 +/- FP/Game L5 +/- True Usage L5 +/- DvP DRPM
Jerian Grant $4,000 $4,700 $9,200 0.71 16.0 6.5 11.3 11.0 17.4% -0.8% 27 -0.47
Dwyane Wade $6,500 $5,500 $10,900 1.06 30.1 -5.5 31.9 -9.5 30.6% 2.6% 21 -0.83
Jimmy Butler $10,400 $10,500 $18,800 1.13 37.1 2.1 42.0 5.2 28.6% 2.2% 15 -1.28
Nikola Mirotic $5,700 $6,200 $12,200 0.85 24.0 3.1 20.4 6.0 19.3% 0.9% 28 -0.63
Robin Lopez $4,900 $5,100 $10,100 0.78 28.1 2.8 21.8 -2.3 17.2% 0.8% 23 1.93
Bobby Portis $3,900 $4,100 $8,100 0.84 15.5 5.9 13.1 6.9 18.8% -1.1% 28 N/A

Elite Plays – Jerian Grant, Dwyane Wade (if no minutes restriction) and Jimmy Butler

Secondary Plays – None

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About the Author

Mangone
Travis Mangone (Mangone)