NBA Grind Down: Monday, December 8th
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
Atlanta at Indiana
- Vegas Line – Indiana -1.5, 193 Over/Under
- Atlanta Proj. Starters – Teague-Korver-Carroll-Millsap-Horford
- Indiana Proj. Starters – Stuckey-Hill-Copeland-West-Hibbert
| Atlanta | Indiana | |||||||||||
 | Vegas Total | 193.0 |  | Vegas Total | 193.0 | |||||||
| Vegas Sprd | 1.5 | Vegas Sprd | -1.5 | |||||||||
| Team Proj. | 95.75 | Team Proj. | 97.25 | |||||||||
| Team Pace | 95.90 | Team Pace | 94.06 | |||||||||
| 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 | Jeff Teague | Kyle Korver | DeMarre Carroll | Paul Millsap | Al Horford | Proj Starter | Rodney Stuckey | Solomon Hill | Chris Copeland | David West | Roy Hibbert | |
| Opp. Season | 27 | 18 | 5 | 3 | 25 | Opp. Season | 24 | 20 | 10 | 11 | 14 | |
| Opp. Last 7 | 30 | 2 | 13 | 18 | 11 | Opp. Last 7 | 26 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 28 | |
Atlanta
The Hawks head to Indiana to take on the Pacers, who are one of the slowest-paced teams in the NBA. With Roy Hibbert and David West back in the lineup, the Pacers are also climbing up the defensive rankings. They are currently ranked 9th in defensive efficiency this season, holding their opponents to an average of 96.3 points per game.
Elite Plays
None
Secondary Plays
Al Horford (FD: $6500, DK: $6600 / MPG: 29 / Usage Rate: 20.3)
The biggest knock on Horford this season has been his playing time, but he has played at least 30 minutes in six of his last ten games. He has been very inconsistent this season, but his bad fantasy outings have kept his price tag low. He’ll draw a favorable matchup tonight against Roy Hibbert who may have a tough time defending Horford if his jump shot is falling.
Jeff Teague (FD: $7200, DK: $8000 / MPG: 31 / Usage Rate: 25.5)
The biggest knock on Teague isn’t anything that he’s doing wrong, it’s backup PG Dennis Schroeder. There have been times this season where Schroeder has played so well that the Hawks have kept him in the entire 4th quarter. That knocks Teague down a peg tonight, despite drawing a favorable matchup against Rodney Stuckey and the Pacers, who are ranked 17th in fantasy points allowed per 48 minutes to opposing PGs.
Indiana
The Pacers will be playing in a pace-up game tonight against the Hawks. Not only will they likely see a few extra possessions over their season average, but they will get them against a Hawks team that is giving up 99.4 points per game this season. The Pacers are projected to score 97.25 points tonight, which is a full four points higher than their season average.
Elite Plays
Rodney Stuckey (FD: $5000, DK: $4600 / MPG: 23 / Usage Rate: 27.4)
Stuckey is a much better fantasy option when he starts at point guard. Not only is he more involved in the offense, but he also becomes the main play-maker. In his last two starts at PG, he has scored 27 and 29 fantasy points. His price is still very affordable on both FD and DK and he draws a nice matchup against the Hawks, who have not defended the PG position well this season. Using a 5x salary value system, Stuckey only needs to score 25 fantasy points to reach value. He’s more than capable of that tonight against the Hawks.
David West (FD: $6700, DK: $6400 / MPG: 27 / Usage Rate: 26.7)
I’ve been waiting to target West in DFS. After playing five games, he no longer has a minutes-restriction. On the season, he is averaging 14 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 assists in 27 minutes per game. He should see around 30-32 minutes tonight against the Hawks. Take advantage of West’s depressed price while you still can. He should play well tonight against the Hawks, who are ranked 17th in fantasy points allowed per 48 minutes to opposing PFs.
Secondary Plays
Roy Hibbert (FD: $6600, DK: $7000 / MPG: 29 / Usage Rate: 21.7)
Hibbert has struggled in his last few games, but he has been a player with much better splits at home over the last couple of years. Tonight he draws a home matchup against the Hawks, who have been average at defending centers this season. Hibbert’s price is more than playable. He’s a safe cash game play tonight.
Boston at Washington
- Vegas Line – Washington -9, 203.5 Over/Under
- Boston Proj. Starters – Rondo-Bradley-Green-Sullinger-Zeller
- Washington Proj. Starters – Wall-Beal-Pierce-Humphries-Gortat
| Boston | Washington | |||||||||||
 | Vegas Total | 203.0 |  | Vegas Total | 203.0 | |||||||
| Vegas Sprd | 9.0 | Vegas Sprd | -9.0 | |||||||||
| Team Proj. | 97.25 | Team Proj. | 106.25 | |||||||||
| Team Pace | 100.78 | Team Pace | 96.22 | |||||||||
| 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 | Avery Bradley | Jeff Green | Jared Sullinger | Tyler Zeller | Proj Starter | John Wall | Bradley Beal | Paul Pierce | Kris Humphries | Marcin Gortat | |
| Opp. Season | 2 | 4 | 19 | 4 | 4 | Opp. Season | 23 | 13 | 1 | 30 | 5 | |
| Opp. Last 7 | 12 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 22 | Opp. Last 7 | 9 | 22 | 1 | 27 | 9 | |
Boston
These two teams squared off yesterday in Boston and will now do it all over again, only this time they will play in Washington. The back-to-back is worse for the Celtics than it is for the Wizards. Coach Brad Stevens does not have set rotations, which could lead to a few of their best players seeing a few less minutes in the second half of back-to-back. This is also a tough matchup, as the Wizards are ranked 4th in defensive efficiency this season.
Elite Plays
None
Secondary Plays
Rajon Rondo (FD: $8200, DK: $8600 / MPG: 33 / Usage Rate: 18.4)
Rondo put up video-game type of numbers yesterday. He finished with 13 points, 13 rebounds, 11 assists, and 3 steals in a big win over the Wizards. The masses will likely flock to Rondo tonight as he gets a re-match with John Wall, but I’m not 100% sold. The Celtics are big underdogs in this game and the Wizards will likely take a different approach defensively. Rondo is in play, but I’m not expecting a repeat performance from last night.
Tyler Zeller (FD: $3900, DK: $5000 / MPG: 18 / Usage Rate: 14.7)
Zeller has really played well since being inserted into the starting lineup. In five starts, he is averaging 11 points and 9 rebounds per game. He finished yesterday’s game with 21 fantasy points, which easily payed off his cheap salary on FD. He may be a bit too expensive on DK, but is worth a look as a bargain bin special on FD.
Washington
As mentioned above, I like this matchup a lot more for the Wizards than I do for the Celtics. The Celtics are a very fast-paced team that has been awful on the defensive end of the floor. On the season, they are ranked 19th in defensive efficiency, giving up 105.9 points per game this season. As long as the Celtics can keep this game close, the Wizards will be a great team to target tonight.
Elite Plays
John Wall (FD: $9300, DK: $10300 / MPG: 35 / Usage Rate: 26)
Wall played well in yesterday’s loss to the Celtics– finishing with 17 points, 8 rebounds, and 14 assists. There is no reason to think that Wall can’t put up a similar stat line tonight, as the Celtics are ranked 28th in fantasy points allowed per 48 minutes to opposing PGs. Wall also sees a small fantasy boost with this game being played in Washington, as he has had terrific home splits over the last few seasons. This year he is averaging 19 points and 11 assists at home, compared to 16 points and 9 assists on the road.
Secondary Plays
Bradley Beal (FD: $6800, DK: $5700 / MPG: 30 / Usage Rate: 22.8)
Once again, Beal is ‘priced to move’ on DK. He’s listed at only $5,700, which means he only needs to score 27.5 fantasy points to reach value, if we are using a 5x salary value system. He is certainly capable of that. Beal did struggle yesterday against the Celtics, but is in a good spot to bounce back tonight at home.
Cleveland at Brooklyn
- Vegas Line – Cleveland -5, 200.5 Over/Under
- Cleveland Proj. Starters – Irving-Marion-James-Love-Varejao
- Brooklyn Proj. Starters – Williams-Johnson-Bogdanovic-Garnett-Plumlee
| Cleveland | Brooklyn | |||||||||||
 | Vegas Total | 200.0 |  | Vegas Total | 200.0 | |||||||
| Vegas Sprd | -5.0 | Vegas Sprd | 5.0 | |||||||||
| Team Proj. | 102.75 | Team Proj. | 97.75 | |||||||||
| Team Pace | 95.22 | Team Pace | 94.56 | |||||||||
| 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 | Deron Williams | Joe Johnson | Bojan Bogdanovic | Kevin Garnett | Mason Plumlee | |
| Opp. Season | 28 | 27 | 17 | 14 | 16 | Opp. Season | 9 | 26 | 16 | 25 | 12 | |
| Opp. Last 7 | 22 | 21 | 9 | 23 | 6 | Opp. Last 7 | 13 | 30 | 20 | 13 | 3 | |
Cleveland
The Cavaliers have won six straight games and are quickly climbing up the standings in the Eastern Conference. Tonight they head to Brooklyn to take on the Nets in a game that features a total of 200 points. On the season, the Nets have been average defensively – ranking 14th in defensive efficiency and giving up 99.4 points per game to their opponents.
Elite Plays
Kyrie Irving (FD: $8500, DK: $9100 / MPG: 38 / Usage Rate: 23.5)
Despite averaging less than five assists per game, Irving is still having a very good season. Coming into tonight’s game, he has scored at least 42 fantasy points in three of his last four games and has a good shot of reach that mark again tonight. Irving will match up against Deron Williams and the Nets, who are ranked 24th in fantasy points allowed per 48 minutes to opposing PGs.
Secondary Plays
LeBron James (FD: $10600, DK: $11700 / MPG: 38 / Usage Rate: 30.5)
Obviously, I don’t have to sit here and sell you on LeBron. He’s the best player in the world (apologies to Kevin Durant) and he’s playing elite minutes this season, averaging right around 38 per game. The only issue that I have with LeBron is his expensive price tag. He’s likely too expensive to use on DK, but he’s certainly in play on FD, where you have to take two small forwards every night.
Anderson Varejao (FD: $5000, DK: $5400 / MPG: 26 / Usage Rate: 18)
Varejao is in play on most nights, because he is always cheap and he consistently tops 20 fantasy points. He has a limited upside, but he does have a high floor for a player at his price point. That said, if you are looking to save salary cap space at center, Tyler Zeller and Mason Plumlee are better values dollar for dollar.
Brooklyn
The Nets have a big test in front of them tonight. They host the red-hot Cavaliers in what could end up being a first-round playoff preview. Fantasy-wise, this is a pretty favorable matchup. The Cavaliers are ranked 16th in defensive efficiency and 24th in rebounding differential. The Nets will be without Brook Lopez tonight, as he has been ruled out for at least a week with a back strain. Mason Plumlee will likely draw the start, while Mirza Teletovic figures to see some extended playing time as well.
Injury Note: Joe Johnson missed Sunday’s practice. He is currently questionable for tonight’s game.
Elite Plays
Mason Plumlee (FD: $3500, DK: $3700 / MPG: 13 / Usage Rate: 21.2)
Plumlee may not see a ton of minutes tonight, but 25+ certainly isn’t out of the question. Plumlee has played well off the bench this season, averaging over one fantasy point per minute. If you are looking for a value play to punt the center position with, Plumlee is a viable option tonight against the Cavaliers, who are one of the worst rebounding teams in the NBA. At close to min-salary, he should easily reach and exceed value tonight.
Secondary Plays
Mirza Teletovic (FD: $4600, DK: $5400 / MPG: 25 / Usage Rate: 19.9)
Even though he will likely still come off the bench, he does see a small fantasy boost with Brook Lopez out. Plumlee isn’t going to pick up all of those minutes. Teletovic has really played well when given big minutes this season and the Nets are going to need his sharp-shooting off the bench if they want to pull off the upset against the Cavaliers.
Denver at Toronto
- Vegas Line – Toronto -9, 216.5 Over/Under
- Denver Proj. Starters – Lawson-Afflalo-Chandler-Hickson-Mozgov
- Toronto Proj. Starters – Lowry-Vasquez-Ross-Johnson-Valanciunas
| Denver | Toronto | |||||||||||
 | Vegas Total | 216.0 |  | Vegas Total | 216.0 | |||||||
| Vegas Sprd | 9.0 | Vegas Sprd | -9.0 | |||||||||
| Team Proj. | 103.75 | Team Proj. | 112.75 | |||||||||
| Team Pace | 99.08 | Team Pace | 96.20 | |||||||||
| 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 | Ty Lawson | Arron Afflalo | Wilson Chandler | J.J. Hickson | Timofey Mozgov | Proj Starter | Kyle Lowry | Greivis Vasquez | Terrence Ross | Amir Johnson | Jonas Valanciunas | |
| Opp. Season | 16 | 3 | 26 | 8 | 17 | Opp. Season | 13 | 5 | 21 | 26 | 22 | |
| Opp. Last 7 | 7 | 14 | 23 | 26 | 4 | Opp. Last 7 | 17 | 25 | 8 | 12 | 30 | |
Denver
The Nuggets have lost three games in a row and are listed as 9-point underdogs tonight against the Raptors. The good news is that this game is expected to be played at a fast pace. Vegas has the total for the game set at 216 points, which is easily the highest total of the night.
Elite Plays
None
Secondary Plays
Ty Lawson (FD: $8900, DK: $9500 / MPG: 37 / Usage Rate: 21.6)
Lawson isn’t an elite play tonight for two reasons. First, his matchup against Kyle Lowry isn’t great, as the Raptors are ranked 7th in fantasy points allowed per 48 minutes to opposing PGs. Second, there are just so many other viable options at PG. That said, I do like Lawson as a tournament play. We have seen the type of upside that he provides and he is the motor of this Nuggets offense.
Wilson Chandler (FD: $5700, DK: $6000 / MPG: 30 / Usage Rate: 20.9)
Chandler is quietly having a terrific season. He is averaging 14 points and 6 rebounds per game. He has also scored at least 27 fantasy points in each of his last three games. His price is a bit more than I’d like to pay for him, but he does draw a favorable matchup against the Raptors, who are ranked 23rd in fantasy points allowed per 48 minutes to opposing SFs.
Toronto
The Raptors have one of the best matchups on the board tonight. The Nuggets are one of the fastest-paced teams in the league and they are ranked in the bottom ten of most defensive categories. The Raptors are projected to score 112.75 points per game, which is the second highest team total of the night.
Elite Plays
Kyle Lowry (FD: $9100, DK: $10100 / MPG: 35 / Usage Rate: 25.6)
If Lowry was in the Hunger Games, he would be the man on fire (before you say anything, the wifey dragged me to the movies). Over his last four games, he is averaging 29 points, 4 rebounds, and 9 assists per game. During that stretch, he has topped 50 fantasy points three times. His usage rate has gone way up with DeMar DeRozan out of the lineup. Lowry should be in for another terrific outing tonight against the Nuggets in what is expected to be a fast-paced, high scoring game.
Greivis Vasquez (FD: $4800, DK: $5100 / MPG: 21 / Usage Rate: 23.7)
Vasquez finally had a bad fantasy outing as a starter. This should help lower his ownership level tonight. As a starter this season, Vasquez is averaging 13 points, 2 rebounds, and 6 assists per game. Using a 5x salary value system, Vasquez only needs to score 25 fantasy points to reach value tonight. He is certainly capable of that, as he has scored at least 25 fantasy points in five of his last six games.
Secondary Plays
Amir Johnson (FD: $4800, DK: $5300 / MPG: 26 / Usage Rate: 16)
Johnson is coming off of a big game on Friday night in which he had 27 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists against the Cavaliers. The biggest knock on Johnson this season has been his playing time, but he has seen more consistent minutes recently. His price will likely go up soon, so this may be your last chance to take him at this depressed price. He should have another solid outing against the Nuggets, who are ranked 23rd in fantasy points allowed per 48 minutes to opposing PFs.
Golden State at Minnesota
- Vegas Line – Golden State -12.5, 214.5 Over/Under
- Golden State Proj. Starters – Curry-Thompson-Barnes-Green-Bogut
- Minnesota Proj. Starters – LaVine-Brewer-Wiggins-Young-Dieng
| Golden State | Minnesota | |||||||||||
 | Vegas Total | 214.0 |  | Vegas Total | 214.0 | |||||||
| Vegas Sprd | -12.5 | Vegas Sprd | 12.5 | |||||||||
| Team Proj. | 113.5 | Team Proj. | 101.0 | |||||||||
| Team Pace | 100.37 | Team Pace | 99.13 | |||||||||
| 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 | Stephen Curry | Klay Thompson | Harrison Barnes | Draymond Green | Andrew Bogut | Proj Starter | Zach LaVine | Corey Brewer | Andrew Wiggins | Thaddeus Young | Gorgui Dieng | |
| Opp. Season | 6 | 29 | 27 | 28 | 11 | Opp. Season | 19 | 21 | 3 | 24 | 1 | |
| Opp. Last 7 | 18 | 26 | 16 | 24 | 24 | Opp. Last 7 | 2 | 13 | 11 | 28 | 2 | |
Golden State
The Warriors are the largest favorites of the night. They are currently listed as 12.5-point favorites against the T-Wolves in Minnesota. I’d hate to see what the line would be if this game was being played on Golden State’s home floor. Fantasy-wise, this is an excellent matchup for the Warriors. The T-Wolves are ranked 29th in defensive efficiency, giving up 110.6 points per game to their opponents.
Elite Plays
Klay Thompson (FD: $7900, DK: $7100 / MPG: 33 / Usage Rate: 26.9)
Thompson’s salary has come up, but he’s still my favorite play at shooting guard tonight, especially on DK where he is only listed at $7,100. On the season, he is averaging 21 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists per game. He has one of the highest usage rates of any available shooting guard tonight at 26.9. He also draws a favorable matchup against the T-Wolves, who are ranked 26th in fantasy points allowed per 48 minutes to opposing SGs.
Secondary Plays
Stephen Curry (FD: $10000, DK: $10500 / MPG: 33 / Usage Rate: 28.2)
Curry has one of the best matchups on the board tonight, but again it’s hard paying up for him on a night with so many other great PG options. On the season, Curry is averaging 23 points, 5 rebounds, and 8 assists per game. He will be a staple on quite a few of my tournament lineups, but I’ll probably look elsewhere for cash games.
Draymond Green (FD: $7300, DK: $6200 / MPG: 32 / Usage Rate: 18.5)
Green is more of a DK-specific play tonight. I have a hard time paying $7,300 for him on FD, but he’s very much in play on DK at only $6,200. He’s coming off of a career game in which he dropped a 60-burger (61.25 fantasy points on DK) against the Bulls. He draws a favorable matchup tonight T-Wolves, who are ranked 28th in fantasy points allowed per 48 minutes to opposing SFs.
Minnesota
This game features one of the highest totals of the night, but don’t let that fool you into thinking the T-Wolves are in a favorable matchup. The Warriors are extremely stingy on the defensive end of the floor, ranking 1st in defensive efficiency and holding opponents to an average of 96.2 points per game. The Wolves are 12.5-point underdogs for a reason.
Injury Note: Mo Williams is out again tonight. Zach LaVine will start in his place.
Elite Plays
Zach LaVine (FD: $4900, DK: $4700 / MPG: 23 / Usage Rate: 20.5)
LaVine is one of the many options at PG tonight. He will draw another start for the injured Mo Williams and he should see all of the minutes he can handle. He’s coming off of a terrific game against the Spurs in which he 22 points, 3 rebounds, and 10 assists in 42 minutes of action. He’s basically a lock to see 35+ minutes tonight against the Warriors.
Secondary Plays
Corey Brewer (FD: $4800, DK: $5500 / MPG: 27 / Usage Rate: 19.8)
Brewer isn’t the scorer that Kevin Martin is, but he has filled in nicely while Martin has been out with his wrist injury. As a starter this season, Brewer is averaging 10 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals per game. He has scored at least 22 fantasy points in seven of his last ten games. He’s a better play on FD ($4,800) than he is on DK ($5,500).