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NBA Grind Down: Monday, December 21st

by Derek Farnsworth (Notorious) Last Updated 2015-12-23 18:08:53

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.

Every game is also broken down by our NBA experts, providing an overview of the game and a selection of players to consider from each contest.

Note: As always, if you want to try a new DFS site, be sure to click through a RotoGrinders link and use our DraftKings promo code and FanDuel promo code to receive the best perks in the industry.

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Sacramento Kings at Washington Wizards – 7:00 PM

Sacramento Kings Washington Wizards
sacramentonba Vegas Total 215.0 washingtonnba Vegas Total 215.0
Vegas Sprd 3.0 Vegas Sprd -3.0
Team Proj. 106.0 Team Proj. 109.0
Team Pace 101.70 Team Pace 100.80
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 Rajon Rondo Ben McLemore Rudy Gay Omri Casspi DeMarcus Cousins Proj. Starter John Wall Garrett Temple Kelly Oubre Jared Dudley Marcin Gortat
Opp. Season 9 29 30 9 7 Opp. Season 18 25 27 26 23
Opp. Last 7 19 22 30 7 30 Opp. Last 7 6 18 25 1 11

Sacramento Kings

Record: 11-16 — Road: 3-9 — Last 10: 5-5

The Kings have won five of their last ten games, but are only 3-9 on the road this season. Tonight they head to Washington to take on a Wizards’ team that is nearly as bad defensively as the Kings are. The total for this game is set at 215 points, which is the highest on the board tonight. The Kings are projected to score 106 points, which is the third highest team total on the board tonight.

As players of daily fantasy basketball, we love when two bad defenses square off against one another. On the season, the Wizards are ranked 22nd or worse in points allowed per game, defensive efficiency, rebounding differential, and fantasy points allowed per game. This should be a fast-paced game with very little effort put forth on the defensive end of the floor. It’s the perfect recipe for fantasy goodness.

Elite Plays

DeMarcus Cousins

Cousins has been surprisingly consistent recently, scoring at least 42 fantasy points in each of his last five games. While he hasn’t technically reached value during that stretch, a high floor is always an added bonus when it comes to Cousins (who has been an inconsistent fantasy option throughout his career). He draws a terrific matchup tonight against a depleted Wizards’ frontcourt.

FD — $9,900 — C
DK — $10,000 — PF
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 28.7 | Last Five Games: 25.8
Min/Game — Season: 33.2 | Last Five Games: 35.1
FP/Game — Season: 43.6 | Last Five Games: 44.3

Secondary Plays

Rajon Rondo

Rondo has played well in his last five games, averaging 42.4 fantasy points per contest. Even though the Wizards have been good at defending point guards this season, Rondo should have plenty of opportunities in a fast-paced game. He is a little too expensive to list as an elite play tonight though.

FD — $8,600 — PG
DK — $8,600 — PG
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 17.8 | Last Five Games: 15.8
Min/Game — Season: 35.7 | Last Five Games: 38.1
FP/Game — Season: 37.8 | Last Five Games: 42.4

Omri Casspi

Rudy Gay may deserve some consideration tonight, but for my money, I’d rather take Casspi (on FD anyway). He has played well as the starting power forward this season, averaging 14 points, six rebounds, and two assists per game. He is a little overpriced on DraftKings, but is a borderline elite play tonight on FanDuel.

FD — $5,000 — SF
DK — $6,000 — SF
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 14.0 | Last Five Games: 12.8
Min/Game — Season: 29.0 | Last Five Games: 37.8
FP/Game — Season: 22.3 | Last Five Games: 28.8

Washington Wizards

Record: 11-14 — Home: 5-7 — Last 10: 4-6

The Wizards have lost six of their last ten games. They continue to limp their way through the first half of the season. They are projected to score 109 points tonight, which is the highest team total on the board. We can give the Wizards a nice boost as a whole tonight, as they host the visiting Kings.

Statistically, the Kings have been one of the worst defensive teams in the NBA this season. They are ranked 25th or worse in points allowed per game, defensive efficiency, and fantasy points allowed per game. This is obviously a terrific matchup and it may only get better with all of the injuries to the Wizards. Bradley Beal and Alan Anderson have both been ruled out. Nene Hilario and Drew Gooden are both doubtful and Otto Porter is listed as questionable.

Elite Plays

John Wall

Wall’s price is almost to $10,000 on both FanDuel and DraftKings. His recent play almost justifies the price, as he has averaged 43.1 fantasy points per game in his last five. Even though his price is at a premium, he is still an elite play tonight. With all of the injuries to the Wizards, Wall has had to take over offensively. He also draws a favorable matchup against Rajon Rondo and the Kings.

FD — $9,900 — PG
DK — $9,500 — PG
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 23.9 | Last Five Games: 24.8
Min/Game — Season: 35.1 | Last Five Games: 36.7
FP/Game — Season: 39.4 | Last Five Games: 43.1

Secondary Plays

Marcin Gortat

With all of the injuries to the Wizards’ frontcourt, Gortat has seen a nice boost in minutes recently. In his last five games, he has averaged 29.9 fantasy points per game in 33.3 minutes per contest. He will have to deal with DeMarcus Cousins down low, but Gortat is usually able to stay out of foul trouble.

FD — $6,600 — C
DK — $6,400 — C
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 15.5 | Last Five Games: 16.7
Min/Game — Season: 30.2 | Last Five Games: 33.3
FP/Game — Season: 27.5 | Last Five Games: 29.9

Garrett Temple

Temple is coming off of a big game against the Hornets where he had 21 points, five rebounds, and three assists. With Bradley Beal out, he should have earned himself another start at shooting guard. If Otto Porter is also ruled out, Temple would move up into that elite play category.

FD — $3,900 — PG
DK — $4,000 — SG
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 12.9 | Last Five Games: 12.6
Min/Game — Season: 18.0 | Last Five Games: 24.0
FP/Game — Season: 11.8 | Last Five Games: 17.1

Gary Neal

Neal is a nice value play off the bench tonight. His production has been inconsistent recently, but he is a streaky shooter that can put fantasy points up on the board quickly. If I’m comparing the two, I’d rather use Neal in tournaments and Garrett Temple in cash games tonight.

FD — $3,800 — SG
DK — $4,300 — SG
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 17.1 | Last Five Games: 18.5
Min/Game — Season: 22.4 | Last Five Games: 24.6
FP/Game — Season: 15.3 | Last Five Games: 17.5

Kelly Oubre

This pick hinges on the health of Otto Porter. If Porter is unable to suit up, Oubre would likely draw another start at small forward tonight. He played well in his spot start the other night, scoring 16 fantasy points in 22 minutes of action. If Porter is able to play, he’d become a borderline elite play himself.

FD — $3,600 — SF
DK — $3,300 — SF
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 17.4 | Last Five Games: 15.6
Min/Game — Season: 9.3 | Last Five Games: 16.2
FP/Game — Season: 6.6 | Last Five Games: 12.6

Minnesota Timberwolves at Boston Celtics – 7:30 PM

Minnesota Timberwolves Boston Celtics
minnesotanba Vegas Total 205.5 bostonnba Vegas Total 205.5
Vegas Sprd 8.0 Vegas Sprd -8.0
Team Proj. 98.8 Team Proj. 106.8
Team Pace 98.30 Team Pace 101.20
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 Ricky Rubio Andrew Wiggins Tayshaun Prince Kevin Garnett Karl-Anthony Towns Proj. Starter Isaiah Thomas Avery Bradley Jae Crowder Amir Johnson Jared Sullinger
Opp. Season 1 16 23 22 16 Opp. Season 19 14 9 12 14
Opp. Last 7 4 6 15 24 22 Opp. Last 7 10 10 24 28 14

Minnesota Timberwolves

Record: 11-16 — Road: 7-6 — Last 10: 3-7

The Wolves have lost seven of their last ten games, but they do have a 7-6 record on the road this season. Tonight they head to Boston to take on the Celtics. The Wolves are listed as 8-point underdogs with their team total set at only 98.9 points. Not only is that the fifth lowest team total on the board, but it is also 3.3 points lower than their average points scored per game this season.

The Celtics have been stout defensively this season. They are ranked 13th or better in points allowed per game, defensive efficiency, and fantasy points allowed per game. This is not a great matchup to begin with and the fact that the Wolves are 8-point underdogs on the road only makes it worse. We have a large slate on tap tonight and I will be looking to fade the Wolves altogether.

Elite Plays

NONE

Secondary Plays

NONE

Boston Celtics

Record: 14-13 — Home: 7-7 — Last 10: 5-5

The Celtics are close to .500 overall, at home, and in their last ten games. They have shown flashes of brilliance this season, but they also have some ugly losses on their resume. Tonight they host the visiting Wolves, who have not been playing great basketball recently. The Celtics are projected to score 106.8 points in this matchup, which is the second highest team total on the board tonight.

The Wolves continue to fall down the defensive rankings. They are now ranked at or below the league average in points allowed per game, defensive efficiency, and fantasy points allowed per game. Amir Johnson is listed as questionable for tonight’s game. If he is unable to suit up, give a small boost to Jared Sullinger and Kelly Olynyk.

Elite Plays

Isaiah Thomas

Thomas is a little too expensive tonight on FanDuel, but he is sitting at a very playable price of $7,700 on DraftKings. The Celtics have the second highest team total on the board and with his minutes secured, it’s not a bad idea to take the floor general of the Celtics tonight. He has been playing well recently, averaging 37.1 fantasy points in his last five games.

FD — $8,200 — PG
DK — $7,700 — PG
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 25.8 | Last Five Games: 24.3
Min/Game — Season: 32.2 | Last Five Games: 36.6
FP/Game — Season: 34.6 | Last Five Games: 37.1

Secondary Plays

Jared Sullinger

Sullinger’s minutes are trending in the wrong direction, but this could be a nice spot to buy low on him. He draws a favorable matchup against the Wolves and he could see a few extra minutes if Amir Johnson is unable to suit up.

FD — $5,900 — PF
DK — $5,800 — C
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 17.3 | Last Five Games: 17.6
Min/Game — Season: 25.4 | Last Five Games: 24.5
FP/Game — Season: 27.0 | Last Five Games: 22.1

Jae Crowder

Crowder is one of those players that you never really get excited to roster, but at the same time, you never really feel worried about it either. He is a safe cash game play, as he should see minutes in the low 30’s in a favorable matchup against the Wolves.

FD — $5,600 — SF
DK — $5,600 — SF
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 14.5 | Last Five Games: 15.9
Min/Game — Season: 31.4 | Last Five Games: 35.1
FP/Game — Season: 24.4 | Last Five Games: 26.8

Kelly Olynyk

The main reason why Jared Sullinger minutes have been down recenty is the play of Olynyk. He is a spark plug off the bench that can provide instant offense. If Amir Johnson ends up being ruled out, Olynyk could draw the start. If that happens, bump him up to an elite play.

FD — $3,900 — C
DK — $4,200 — C
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 18.4 | Last Five Games: 18.0
Min/Game — Season: 18.7 | Last Five Games: 22.7
FP/Game — Season: 17.4 | Last Five Games: 16.8

Orlando Magic at New York Knicks – 7:30 PM

Orlando Magic New York Knicks
orlandonba Vegas Total 196.0 newyorknba Vegas Total 196.0
Vegas Sprd 2.0 Vegas Sprd -2.0
Team Proj. 97.0 Team Proj. 99.0
Team Pace 98.10 Team Pace 97.20
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 Elfrid Payton Evan Fournier Tobias Harris Channing Frye Nikola Vucevic Proj. Starter Jose Calderon Arron Afflalo Carmelo Anthony Kristaps Porzingis Robin Lopez
Opp. Season 7 22 5 5 15 Opp. Season 14 11 17 11 12
Opp. Last 7 16 4 7 16 23 Opp. Last 7 5 26 4 6 2

Orlando Magic

Record: 15-12 — Road: 6-7 — Last 10: 6-4

The Magic have won six of their last ten games and continue to surprise most of the NBA with a 15-12 record. Tonight they head to New York to take on the Knicks in Madison Square Garden. The Magic are 2-point underdogs and they are only projected to score 97 points, which is the fourth lowest tea total on the board tonight.

The Knicks have been better than average defensively this season. They are ranked 16th or better in points allowed per game, defensive efficiency, rebounding differential, and fantasy points allowed per game. The Magic have played well recently, but this is far from the best matchup on the board.

Elite Plays

Nikola Vucevic

In the last couple of Grind Downs that I have written, I mentioned that Vucevic’s minutes were only down because the Magic were involved in a few straight blowouts. Sure enough, in his last two games, he has averaged 35 minutes and 42 fantasy points per contest. His price has come up, but he is still a strong play tonight against the Knicks, who have struggled against centers.

FD — $7,500 — C
DK — $7,100 — C
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 21.4 | Last Five Games: 23.9
Min/Game — Season: 29.9 | Last Five Games: 29.1
FP/Game — Season: 32.2 | Last Five Games: 34.0

Secondary Plays

Elfrid Payton

Payton has also played well recently, averaging 29.5 fantasy points in his last five games. He did roll his ankle on Friday night though, and he looked awfully hobbled the rest of the game. I like the upside that he brings to the table, but see him as a secondary play tonight.

FD — $6,800 — PG
DK — $6,300 — PG
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 19.3 | Last Five Games: 20.5
Min/Game — Season: 31.7 | Last Five Games: 29.3
FP/Game — Season: 28.2 | Last Five Games: 29.5

New York Knicks

Record: 14-14 — Home: 7-7 — Last 10: 6-4

The Knicks have won six of their last ten games and are now 14-14 on the season. They are listed as 2-point favorites tonight against a red-hot Magic team. The Knicks are projected to score 99 points, which is the sixth lowest team total on the board tonight.

The Magic have really played well defensively this season. They are ranked 14th or better in points allowed per game, defensive efficiency, rebounding differential, and fantasy points allowed per game. This game lacks fantasy appeal as a whole, especially on the Knicks side of the ball. While I get all of the Kristaps Porzingis hype, we aren’t seeing enough production recently to warrant fantasy consideration at his price point.

Elite Plays

NONE

Secondary Plays

Carmelo Anthony

Anthony is coming off of one of his best five-game stretches of the season, averaging 42.9 fantasy points in 35.3 minutes per contest. He draws a decent matchup tonight against the Magic, who are ranked 17th against small forwards this season.

FD — $8,600 — SF
DK — $8,400 — SF
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 26.0 | Last Five Games: 26.5
Min/Game — Season: 34.0 | Last Five Games: 35.3
FP/Game — Season: 36.5 | Last Five Games: 42.9

Arron Afflalo

Afflalo is also coming off of an excellent five-game stretch, averaging 26.7 fantasy points in 33.3 minutes per contest. His matchup against Evan Fournier isn’t necessarily a bad one, but I like Afflalo more when he is priced in the mid-$4,000’s.

FD — $5,200 — SG
DK — $4,900 — SG
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 17.2 | Last Five Games: 18.5
Min/Game — Season: 30.6 | Last Five Games: 33.3
FP/Game — Season: 21.4 | Last Five Games: 26.7

Charlotte Hornets at Houston Rockets – 8:00 PM

Charlotte Hornets Houston Rockets
charlottenba Vegas Total 209.0 houstonnba Vegas Total 209.0
Vegas Sprd 3.0 Vegas Sprd -3.0
Team Proj. 103.0 Team Proj. 106.0
Team Pace 98.30 Team Pace 100.50
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 Kemba Walker Nicolas Batum P.J. Hairston Marvin Williams Cody Zeller Proj. Starter Patrick Beverley James Harden Trevor Ariza Clint Capela Dwight Howard
Opp. Season 24 18 28 30 19 Opp. Season 6 15 11 27 21
Opp. Last 7 9 5 27 30 17 Opp. Last 7 15 21 28 4 18

Charlotte Hornets

Record: 15-11 — Road: 4-7 — Last 10: 6-4

The Hornets have won six of their last ten games, but they are only 4-7 on the road this season. Tonight they head to Houston to take on the Rockets in what should be a pace up game for the Hornets. They are projected to score 103 points in this matchup, which is slightly higher than their average points scored per game this season.

The Rockets have been awful defensively this season. They are ranked 22nd or worse in points allowed per game, defensive efficiency, rebounding differential, and fantasy points allowed per game. We can give a boost to the Hornets as a whole, as there are few matchups more favorable than the Rockets.

Elite Plays

Kemba Walker

Walker has seen a nice usage boost with Al Jefferson out of the lineup. Over his last five games, he has a turnover-adjusted usage rate of 24.2, compared to 21.4 on the season. Even though Patrick Beverley is known as an elite defender, that has not translated into the Rockets being good at defending point guards. They are ranked 24th against the position this season.

FD — $7,900 — PG
DK — $7,400 — PG
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 21.4 | Last Five Games: 24.2
Min/Game — Season: 34.3 | Last Five Games: 36.3
FP/Game — Season: 33.1 | Last Five Games: 35.4

Secondary Plays

Nicolas Batum

Batum missed a game with an illness, but he was back in the lineup on Saturday and was able to play 32 minutes. He is one of my favorite plays on the board tonight. He should be able to fill up all areas of the stat sheet in what could end up being a shootout against the Rockets. I prefer Batum to the more expensive Carmelo Anthony.

FD — $7,100 — SF
DK — $7,500 — SF
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 19.0 | Last Five Games: 19.6
Min/Game — Season: 33.8 | Last Five Games: 29.9
FP/Game — Season: 31.6 | Last Five Games: 26.5

Cody Zeller

Zeller hasn’t played all that well recently, but he is going to start at center and he is going to see minutes in the mid-20’s against a Rockets’ team that has one of the worst defenses in the NBA. He is a viable option at power forward, especially on FanDuel.

FD — $4,100 — PF
DK — $4,700 — PF
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 13.8 | Last Five Games: 13.0
Min/Game — Season: 22.2 | Last Five Games: 24.0
FP/Game — Season: 17.2 | Last Five Games: 18.6

Frank Kaminsky

Kaminsky has made the most of his opportunity with Al Jefferson out, averaging 18.6 fantasy points in 24.4 minutes per game in his last five outings. He is a viable punt play tonight, but he is more of a secondary option at his respective position.

FD — $3,900 — PF
DK — $4,000 — C
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 12.4 | Last Five Games: 11.0
Min/Game — Season: 18.1 | Last Five Games: 24.4
FP/Game — Season: 12.6 | Last Five Games: 18.6

Houston Rockets

Record: 14-14 — Home: 8-7 — Last 10: 7-3

The Rockets have won seven of their last ten games and are finally back to .500 on the season. They draw a favorable matchup tonight against the Hornets. The Rockets are listed as 3-point favorites with an implied team total of 106 points, which is the third highest on the board tonight.

The Hornets have been pretty decent defensively this season. They are ranked 17th or better in points allowed per game, defensive efficiency, rebounding differential, and fantasy points allowed per game. Vegas doesn’t seem too worried about the matchup though, as the Rockets still have a very high team total. Ty Lawson has been suspended for tonight’s game, which only opens up more minutes for Patrick Beverley.

Elite Plays

James Harden

Harden’s production has been down a bit recently, but he is still one of the top fantasy options at any position tonight. He is a threat for 50+ fantasy points every time he steps on the court. He will likely have to deal with Nicolas Batum defense, but that’s not enough of a reason to fade Harden tonight.

FD — $10,500 — SG
DK — $10,600 — SG
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 27.7 | Last Five Games: 28.2
Min/Game — Season: 38.3 | Last Five Games: 34.5
FP/Game — Season: 46.7 | Last Five Games: 41.6

Dwight Howard

Howard has been tremendous in his last two games, scoring 38 and 40 fantasy points. The most impressive part is that he only played 26 minutes in each of those games. He draws a favorable matchup tonight against a Hornets’ frontcourt that is missing Al Jefferson. The one concern is that he may not see more than 30 minutes again.

FD — $7,700 — C
DK — $7,200 — C
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 14.5 | Last Five Games: 18.2
Min/Game — Season: 31.8 | Last Five Games: 29.2
FP/Game — Season: 32.7 | Last Five Games: 32.2

Patrick Beverley

Beverley could see upwards of 35 minutes tonight, which makes him an excellent value play. He is more of a secondary option on DraftKings, but $4,200 on FanDuel is awfully enticing.

FD — $4,200 — PG
DK — $5,100 — PG
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 13.5 | Last Five Games: 15.2
Min/Game — Season: 25.1 | Last Five Games: 30.3
FP/Game — Season: 17.0 | Last Five Games: 20.4

Secondary Plays

Trevor Ariza

Ariza has played well over his last five games, averaging 28.8 fantasy points per game. This is what Ariza does though, he has good stretches and then he puts up a couple of duds. Many may see him as an elite play tonight, but his price is a little high for my liking.

FD — $5,800 — SF
DK — $6,000 — SF
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 13.7 | Last Five Games: 13.1
Min/Game — Season: 34.5 | Last Five Games: 34.6
FP/Game — Season: 24.2 | Last Five Games: 28.8

Portland Trail Blazers at Atlanta Hawks – 8:00 PM

Portland Trail Blazers Atlanta Hawks
portlandnba Vegas Total 200.0 atlantanba Vegas Total 200.0
Vegas Sprd 10.5 Vegas Sprd -10.5
Team Proj. 94.8 Team Proj. 105.3
Team Pace 97.50 Team Pace 98.50
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 Tim Frazier Allen Crabbe Al-Farouq Aminu Noah Vonleh Mason Plumlee Proj. Starter Jeff Teague Kyle Korver Kent Bazemore Paul Millsap Al Horford
Opp. Season 23 9 20 15 17 Opp. Season 8 20 8 19 30
Opp. Last 7 22 2 21 13 13 Opp. Last 7 18 12 29 12 27

Portland Trail Blazers

Record: 11-18 — Road: 5-12 — Last 10: 4-6

Editor’s Note: Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum have both been ruled OUT for tonight.

The Blazers have lost six of their last ten games and they are now only 5-12 on the road. Tonight they head to Atlanta to take on a talented Hawks’ team. Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum were originally listed as probable for this game, but have since both been ruled out. This game has blowout written all over it.

The Hawks have not been great defensively. They are ranked near or below the league average in points allowed per game, defensive efficiency, rebounding differential, and fantasy points allowed per game. The biggest issue here is that this game will likely be a blowout, as the Blazers will be playing without their two best players. Maurice Harkless, Tim Frazier, and Gerald Henderson are all decent punts.

Elite Plays

Allen Crabbe

With their best two players out, the Blazers will turn to Crabbe offensively. Even though this game could be over by halftime, Crabbe is close to a must play tonight at this price point.

FD — $3,800 — SG
DK — $3,900 — SG
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 14.8 | Last Five Games: 16.6
Min/Game — Season: 24.2 | Last Five Games: 25.1
FP/Game — Season: 14.9 | Last Five Games: 16.7

Secondary Plays

Al-Farouq Aminu

Aminu should see a nice boost in usage with Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum out. However, his minutes are still up in the air, as he could end up sitting for the entire fourth quarter if the Blazers are down by 20.

FD — $5,100 — SF
DK — $5,100 — SF
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 14.7 | Last Five Games: 13.3
Min/Game — Season: 30.6 | Last Five Games: 28.2
FP/Game — Season: 22.9 | Last Five Games: 20.8

Atlanta Hawks

Record: 17-12 — Home: 9-6 — Last 10: 6-4

The Hawks have won six of their last ten games and are now 17-12 on the season. They are playing in the second half of a back-to-back, after beating the Magic in Orlando last night. The Hawks have an implied team total of 105.3 points tonight, which is 4.3 points higher than their average points scored per game this season. The issue here is that the Blazers are going to roll out a lineup of scrubs tonight.

The Blazers have not fared well defensively this season. They are ranked 18th or worse in points allowed per game, defensive efficiency, rebounding differential, and fantasy points allowed per game. As always with the Hawks in the second half of a back-to-back, we have to be on the lookout for them resting players, especially now that Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum are out.

Elite Plays

NONE

Secondary Plays

Paul Millsap

Millsap always brings a high floor with him, but his production has been down a bit recently. He draws a favorable matchup against the Blazers, but is a bit too expensive tonight. For that reason, I see him as a secondary play at power forward.

FD — $8,300 — PF
DK — $8,000 — PF
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 19.9 | Last Five Games: 20.1
Min/Game — Season: 33.5 | Last Five Games: 31.8
FP/Game — Season: 37.6 | Last Five Games: 34.0

Al Horford

Horford was so close to being listed as an elite play tonight, but he’s a risky option thanks to the potential blowout. The Blazers are ranked dead last against centers this season, so he should play well while he’s on the floor.

FD — $7,000 — C
DK — $6,600 — C
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 19.0 | Last Five Games: 19.1
Min/Game — Season: 31.5 | Last Five Games: 31.0
FP/Game — Season: 31.4 | Last Five Games: 30.2

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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