NBA Grind Down: Monday, April 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: Any Fantasy Point Average Listed Uses FanDuel Scoring. For more info on FanDuel’s NBA 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
Boston at Philadelphia
- Vegas Line – Boston -2.5, 211 Over/Under
- Boston Proj. Starters – Rondo-Bradley-Green-Bass-Olynyk
- Philadelphia Proj. Starters – Carter-Williams-Anderson-Thompson-Young-Sims
Boston
- Key Injuries: Rajon Rondo (Questionable), Kris Humphries (Out), Jerryd Bayless (Out), Jared Sullinger (Out)
Tonight feels like a Jeff Green kind of night. The Celtics are nursing all kinds of injuries and Green may end up having to play 40 minutes against the worst defense in the NBA. This is expected to be a very high scoring game and it may not be a bad idea to stack up the C’s. Brandon Bass and Kelly Olynyk will likely both be asked to play major minutes tonight as both Sully and Hump are both out. Rajon Rondo would make a great play if he is in the lineup, but he is currently listed as questionable. Check his status closer to tip-off and plug in Phil Pressey if Rondo sits.
- Jeff Green – Green is one of my favorite plays on the board tonight. The C’s are shorthanded and Green has a great track record against the Sixers this season. While Green has been the ultimate let down player this season, maybe he can end his DFS season on a high note.
Philadelphia
The Sixers should be at full strength for tonight’s game, but we have learned over the last week that anything can change so just make sure to double check their player news before this one tips off. This game is expected to be high scoring and it may be a great night to target the bigs of the Sixers as the Celtics front-court is very depleted. Michael Carter-Williams makes a great play here as well, he has topped 35 FP’s in 7 of his last 8 games and is making a strong case for Rookie of the Year.
- *Thaddeus Young – Young can be very frustrating because he doesn’t grab many rebounds and he often settles for jump shots. That said, he has incredible upside for a player in his price range. The C’s are short-handed down low and I think Young makes a very nice play here as his price is depressed across the industry.
- Henry Sims – SIM CITY has been great for the Sixers down the stretch. I really like his matchup against Olynyk who is not one of the better big man defenders in the league. Look for Sims to continue to make a nice value play at Center. He has 30 FP potential tonight.
Milwaukee at Toronto
- Vegas Line – Toronto -11, 206 Over/Under
- Milwaukee Proj. Starters – Knight-Sessions-Middleton-Adrien-Pachulia
- Toronto Proj. Starters – Lowry-Derozan-Ross-Johnson-Valanciunas
Milwaukee
The Bucks have plenty of injuries, but should be with their usual cast of characters for tonight’s game against the Raptors. This is not a great matchup for the Bucks as the Raptors own a top 10 defense in terms of points allowed per game and the Bucks are 11 point underdogs. The Raptors are ranked 13th or better against all five positions on the floor. Jeff Adrien is really the only Bucks player worth taking an extra look at, but he has a tough matchup and is coming off of two subpar games in a row.
Toronto
The Raptors are one of the few teams that still have something to play for. They are tied with the Bulls right now and need to win to continue their hold on the 3 seed in the East. That certainly bodes well for the starter’s fantasy values. The Bucks are not great defensively as they are ranked 19th or worse against SG’s, SF’s, PF’s, and Centers. Jonas Valanciunas has really stepped up his game lately and makes a nice play against this weak interior. Kyle Lowry is also in play as he had played well against top notch defenders all season long.
- DeMar DeRozan – DeRozan is the best cash game play here. He has topped 33 FP’s in 5 of his last 6 games and doesn’t look like he is going to get any rest down the stretch. His price is affordable across the industry and the Bucks are ranked 19th against SG’s this season.
Miami at Washington
- Vegas Line – Washington -5.5, 187 Over/Under
- Miami Proj. Starters – Chalmers-Douglas-James-Haslem-Bosh
- Washington Proj. Starters – Wall-Beal-Ariza-Booker-Gortat
Miami
- Key Injuries: LeBron James (Out), Chris Bosh (Out), Dwyane Wade (Probable)
It sounds like the Heat will concede the #1 seed to the Pacers and get LeBron James and Chris Bosh some much needed rest down the stretch. The line for this game has moved quite a bit with the news that James and Bosh will sit. It does sound like Dwyane Wade will play, but he will likely only see limited minutes and is not a recommended fantasy option. The best targets here are the Heat’s role players. Mario Chalmers, Udonis Haslem, Michael Beasley, and Norris Cole all make nice punt options tonight against the Wizards.
Washington
Typically this would not be a great matchup, but with the Heat resting two of their big three, the Wizards actually have a pretty decent matchup. This is still expected to be played at a slow pace, but I don’t mind a couple of Wizards players here. Marcin Gortat has a terrific matchup against the Heat who are ranked 25th against Centers and now will be without Bosh. The Heat are also one of the worst rebounding teams in the league. Trevor Ariza also sees a nice fantasy boost now that LeBron has been ruled out.
- John Wall – Wall has had a down month overall, but he is starting to piece it together and he loves playing against the Heat. Wall’s price across the industry is depressed and this is a great time to buy low on him. The Wizards need a win to stay in the 6 spot in the East so Wall should play his usual amount of minutes.
Charlotte at Atlanta
- Vegas Line – Charlotte -5, 187 Over/Under
- Charlotte Proj. Starters – Ridnour-Henderson-Kidd-Gilchrist-McRoberts-Jefferson
- Atlanta Proj. Starters – Teague-Korver-Carroll-Millsap-Brand
Charlotte
This is not a game that I am very excited about. Both of these teams are going to make it into the playoffs, but the Hawks have nothing to play for and the Bobcats only have an outside shot of moving into the 6 seed. It sounds like the Hawks will rest Korver, Millsap, and Carroll tonight and I wouldn’t be surprised to see this game turn into a blowout. If the Bobcats get up big, they will likely rest their starters as well. I’m not going to be spending up for any players in cash games, but you could target Kemba Walker and Al Jefferson in tournaments.
Atlanta
- Key Injuries: Paul Millsap (Out), Kyle Korver (Out), DeMarre Carroll (Out), Pero Antic (Questionable)
The Hawks are locked into the 8th seed so they are going to take it easy tonight against the Bobcats. As of now, Paul Millsap, Kyle Korver, and DeMarre Carroll have already been ruled out and I wouldn’t be surprised to see Jeff Teague get ruled out as well. Even if Teague does play, it is very likely that he would see very limited minutes. This really opens the door for the backups on the Hawks tonight. Lou Williams, Mike Scott, and Shelvin Mack all make terrific value plays. Don’t be afraid to use 2-3 of them in cash games tonight.
Orlando at Chicago
- Vegas Line – Chicago -12, 185 Over/Under
- Orlando Proj. Starters – Oladipo-Afflalo-Harkless-Harris-O’Quinn
- Chicago Proj. Starters – Hinrich-Butler-Dunleavy-Boozer-Noah
Orlando
- Key Injuries: Nikola Vucevic (Out)
The Magic are 12 point underdogs here and draw a tough matchup against the Bulls who are still fighting for seeding in the East. The Bulls are one of the slowest paced teams in the league and are holding opponents to the 2nd fewest points per game this season. The Bulls are ranked 5th or better against all five positions on the floor in terms of fantasy points allowed and all Magic players should be avoided in cash games. Kyle O’Quinn makes a decent GPP play with Vucevic out, but this is an awful matchup.
Chicago
If there is any team that needs rest before the playoffs, it’s the Bulls. But with a shot at the 3 seed, the starter’s are not going to be resting any time soon. The Bulls have a great matchup tonight against the Magic. The Magic are ranked 12th or worse against every position on the floor this season. Jimmy Butler continues to play well and makes for a very safe cash game play at SG. D.J. Augustin makes a great GPP play as the Magic are ranked 18th against PG’s.
- Joakim Noah – If you are spending up to get a Center tonight, Noah is by far your best options. Jefferson and Howard both may see limited minutes. Noah continues to top 40 FP’s almost every night he takes the floor and is a great expensive option that allows you to get some of the cheaper players into your lineup.