NBA Grind Down Monday, December 8th - Page Two
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Utah at Sacramento
- Vegas Line – Sacramento -5, 197 Over/Under
- Utah Proj. Starters – Burke-Hood-Hayward-Favors-Kanter
- Sacramento Proj. Starters – Collison-McLemore-Gay-Thompson-Hollins
| Utah | Sacramento | |||||||||||
 | Vegas Total | 197.0 |  | Vegas Total | 197.0 | |||||||
| Vegas Sprd | 5.0 | Vegas Sprd | -5.0 | |||||||||
| Team Proj. | 96.0 | Team Proj. | 101.0 | |||||||||
| Team Pace | 92.49 | Team Pace | 95.43 | |||||||||
| 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 | Trey Burke | Rodney Hood | Gordon Hayward | Derrick Favors | Enes Kanter | Proj Starter | Darren Collison | Ben McLemore | Rudy Gay | Jason Thompson | Ryan Hollins | |
| Opp. Season | 18 | 11 | 11 | 29 | 8 | Opp. Season | 20 | 8 | 13 | 27 | 2 | |
| Opp. Last 7 | 10 | 20 | 4 | 21 | 16 | Opp. Last 7 | 23 | 16 | 3 | 15 | 10 | |
Utah
The Jazz head to Sacramento to take on the Kings. This will not be a great game to watch if you are an average basketball fan, but it could provide some intriguing fantasy options. The Kings will be without DeMarcus Cousins, which hurts their play on both ends of the floor. The Jazz are 5-point underdogs in what should be a competitive game against the Kings tonight.
Injury Note: – Alec Burks practiced with the team yesterday, but it still listed as questionable for tonight’s game.
Elite Plays
Derrick Favors (FD: $7300, DK: $7600 / MPG: 32 / Usage Rate: 22.4)
After scoring 35 and 47 fantasy points in his last two games, Favors should be back on your fantasy radar. On the season, he is averaging 16 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 assists per game. Tonight he’ll match up against the short-handed Kings who will be without DeMarcus Cousins. Instead of dealing with Cousins down low, Favors will match up with the likes of Jason Thompson, Reggie Evans, and Ryan Hollins. I like his chances in all of those matchups.
Secondary Plays
Gordon Hayward (FD: $7500, DK: $7900 / MPG: 35 / Usage Rate: 24.6)
Hayward has been a regular feature in this column and he’s left a lot of fantasy owners disappointed recently. He has scored under 31 fantasy points in each of his last three games. I won’t be targeting him in cash games tonight, but he does offer good upside as a tournament play because he’ll have a low level of ownership.
Sacramento
DeMarcus Cousins has already been ruled out for tonight’s game, which means the Kings will have to heavily rely on both Darren Collison and Rudy Gay. The Kings draw a fantasy-friendly matchup against the Jazz, who are ranked 28th in defensive efficiency, giving up an average of 102.5 points per game to their opponents. Ryan Hollins should draw another start with Cousins out, but Reggie Evans also figures to see a boost off the bench.
Elite Plays
Rudy Gay (FD: $8100, DK: $7700 / MPG: 36 / Usage Rate: 26.3)
DeMarcus Cousins is out again, which means it will be the Rudy Gay show for at least another game. Gay has at least 14 shot attempts in each of his last five games. During that stretch, he has scored at least 35 fantasy points in four of those five games. He should be the focal point of the Kings offense again tonight as they take on the Jazz, who have really struggled on the defensive end of the floor this season.
Darren Collison (FD: $7400, DK: $6600 / MPG: 35 / Usage Rate: 21.8)
Darren “Cash Game” Collison is one of the most consistent fantasy options around. He rarely has a bad game and is typically a good bet to reach 30 fantasy points every night that he steps out onto the floor. With Cousins out, Collison will need to help shoulder the load offensively. His price on DK is very appealing and he draws a good matchup against the Jazz, who are ranked 18th in fantasy points allowed per 48 minutes to opposing PGs.
Secondary Plays
Ben McLemore (FD: $4400, DK: $5000 / MPG: 33 / Usage Rate: 15)
If you are looking for a cheap player that plays a ton of minutes, McLemore certainly fits the bill. He has played at least 38 minutes in five of his last six games. Those are almost Jimmy Butler type of minutes. McLemore has scored at least 20 fantasy points in five of his last nine games.
Phoenix at L.A. Clippers
- Vegas Line – L.A. Clippers -7.5, 214.5 Over/Under
- Phoenix Proj. Starters – Dragic-Bledsoe-Tucker-Morris-Plumlee
- L.A. Clippers Proj. Starters – Paul-Redick-Barnes-Griffin-Jordan
| Phoenix | L.A. Clippers | |||||||||||
 | Vegas Total | 214.5 |  | Vegas Total | 214.5 | |||||||
| Vegas Sprd | 7.50 | Vegas Sprd | -7.50 | |||||||||
| Team Proj. | 103.5 | Team Proj. | 111 | |||||||||
| Team Pace | 99.17 | Team Pace | 95.84 | |||||||||
| 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 | Goran Dragic | Eric Bledsoe | P.J. Tucker | Markieff Morris | Miles Plumlee | Proj Starter | Chris Paul | J.J. Redick | Matt Barnes | Blake Griffin | DeAndre Jordan | |
| Opp. Season | 1 | 10 | 18 | 10 | 20 | Opp. Season | 12 | 23 | 4 | 16 | 18 | |
| Opp. Last 7 | 1 | 10 | 28 | 14 | 7 | Opp. Last 7 | 4 | 27 | 10 | 10 | 23 | |
Phoenix
The Suns head to L.A. to take on the Clippers in what is expected to be a shootout. Vegas has the Suns listed as 7.5-point underdogs in a game that features a total of 214.5 points. Matchup-wise, this isn’t an ideal spot for the Suns. The Clippers are ranked 11th in defensive efficiency and are quickly climbing up those rankings.
Injury Note: Isaiah Thomas is questionable for tonight’s game.
Elite Plays
Eric Bledsoe (FD: $7500, DK: $8400 / MPG: 32 / Usage Rate: 23.8)
Revenge game! Bledsoe did not fare well in his first meeting against the Clippers this season. He finished the game with 1 point, 6 rebounds, and 10 assists. I expect a much better performance this time around. Bledsoe has really played well recently, averaging 23 points, 3 rebounds, and 6 assists per game over his last three. He should see a small fantasy boost if Isaiah Thomas is forced to sit out again tonight.
Secondary Plays
Markieff Morris (FD: $7000, DK: $7000 / MPG: 31 / Usage Rate: 22.3)
Morris has been inconsistent this season, which has kept his price at a very playable level on both FD and DK. Morris struggled in his first meeting against the Clippers, but he was in foul trouble early and was only on the floor for 24 minutes. He should have a much better game this time around and he could be a threat for a double-double, as the Clippers are ranked 29th in rebounding differential this season.
L.A. Clippers
The Clippers host the Suns in what is expected to be a fast-paced, high scoring affair. On the season, the Suns are ranked 11th in defensive efficiency, but with their quick pace of play, they have given up an average of 103.1 points per game. The Clippers have a team total of 111 points tonight, which is a full five points higher than their season average. Chris Paul is in play, but with all of the other options at PG tonight, I’ll likely have very little exposure to him at his price point.
Elite Plays
None
Secondary Plays
Blake Griffin (FD: $9500, DK: $10000 / MPG: 34 / Usage Rate: 31.9)
Griffin has had a terrific five game stretch. He has averaged 26 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists per game over those five contests. He has also scored at least 38 fantasy points in each of those games. Griffin is easily the top power forward on the board tonight, but you are going to have to pay a pretty penny for him.
DeAndre Jordan (FD: $7100, DK: $7700 / MPG: 33 / Usage Rate: 10.2)
Jordan can be a tough player to target in DFS because he doesn’t create his own shot. His usage rate on the season is only 10.2. That said, there are very few options at center tonight. While his offensive game needs work, Jordan is still an elite rebounder and shot blocker. Jordan has topped 35 fantasy points in each of his last three games. He also draws a favorable matchup against the Suns, who are ranked 28th in fantasy points allowed per 48 minutes to opposing centers.
J.J. Redick (FD: $4600, DK: $4300 / MPG: 28 / Usage Rate: 20.5)
It took nearly a month, but Redick is finally rounding into form. Over his last four games, he is averaging 19 points and 2 assists. His price is still very affordable on FD at only $4,600. Using a 5x salary value system, Redick only needs to score 23 fantasy points tonight. He’s certainly capable of that, as he is facing a Suns team that is ranked 22nd in fantasy points allowed per 48 minutes to opposing SGs.