NBA Grind Down: Monday, January 19th - Page Three
Sacramento at Portland – 10:00 pm EST
- Vegas Line – Portland -10.5, 204 Over/Under
- Sacramento Proj. Starters – Collison-McLemore-Gay-Thompson-Cousins
- Portland Proj. Starters – Lillard-Matthews-Batum-Aldridge-Kaman
| Sacramento | Portland | |||||||||||
 | Vegas Total | 204.0 |  | Vegas Total | 204.0 | |||||||
| Vegas Sprd | 10.5 | Vegas Sprd | -10.5 | |||||||||
| Team Proj. | 96.75 | Team Proj. | 107.25 | |||||||||
| Team Pace | 96.84 | Team Pace | 96.48 | |||||||||
| 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 | Darren Collison | Ben McLemore | Rudy Gay | Jason Thompson | DeMarcus Cousins | Proj Starter | Damian Lillard | Wesley Matthews | Nicolas Batum | LaMarcus Aldridge | Chris Kaman | |
| Opp. Season | 20 | 11 | 11 | 3 | 8 | Opp. Season | 22 | 27 | 9 | 20 | 25 | |
| Opp. Last 7 | 27 | 17 | 29 | 15 | 8 | Opp. Last 7 | 7 | 11 | 20 | 13 | 22 | |
Sacramento
The biggest question surrounding this game is the availability of DeMarcus Cousins. He sat out on Saturday with an ankle injury. Hopefully, we will have an update on his status early in the day. If Cousins is forced to sit out again, Jason Thompson would see the biggest boost. He finished with 53 fantasy points against the Clippers the other night. The Kings draw a tough matchup against the Blazers tonight, who are ranked fourth in defensive efficiency this season.
Opponent Breakdown (Portland)
Record: 30-11
Points Allowed Per Game: 97
Defensive Efficiency Rank: 4
Rebounding Differential Rank: 11
Elite Plays
None
Secondary Plays
None
Portland
The Blazers have the third best record in the NBA. They have played well on the road, but have been dominant at home with a record of 18-4. Tonight they host the Kings who may be without their best player in DeMarcus Cousins. If Cousins is forced to sit out, this game could potentially turn into a blowout. LaMarcus Aldridge and Damian Lillard both draw favorable matchups, but paying a premium for them in a potential blowout is risky. They are best suited as tournament plays tonight.
Opponent Breakdown (Sacramento)
Record: 16-24
Points Allowed Per Game: 103.9
Defensive Efficiency Rank: 24
Rebounding Differential Rank: 1
Elite Plays
None
Secondary Plays
Chris Kaman (FD: $4800, DK: $4500 / MPG: 20 / Usage Rate: 25.5)
Kaman is one of the many value options at center. He’s in the same category as Andrew Bogut, Alex Len, and Bismack Biyombo. Kaman has seen an uptick in minutes recently, yet his price has yet to budge. He should see 25+ minutes of action against the Kings and he would see a small fantasy boost if DeMarcus Cousins is forced to sit out again.
L.A. Lakers at Phoenix – 10:00 pm EST
- Vegas Line – Phoenix -11.5, 215 Over/Under
- L.A. Lakers Proj. Starters – Lin-Bryant-Johnson-Davis-Hill
- Phoenix Proj. Starters – Dragic-Bledsoe-Tucker-Morris-Len
| L.A. Lakers | Phoenix | |||||||||||
 | Vegas Total | 215 |  | Vegas Total | 215 | |||||||
| Vegas Sprd | 11.50 | Vegas Sprd | -11.50 | |||||||||
| Team Proj. | 101.75 | Team Proj. | 113.25 | |||||||||
| Team Pace | 97.22 | Team Pace | 99.02 | |||||||||
| 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 | Jeremy Lin | Kobe Bryant | Wesley Johnson | Ed Davis | Jordan Hill | Proj Starter | Goran Dragic | Eric Bledsoe | P.J. Tucker | Markieff Morris | Alex Len | |
| Opp. Season | 7 | 18 | 24 | 7 | 23 | Opp. Season | 30 | 19 | 12 | 15 | 26 | |
| Opp. Last 7 | 3 | 13 | 26 | 17 | 4 | Opp. Last 7 | 13 | 24 | 13 | 11 | 14 | |
L.A. Lakers
The Lakers travel to Phoenix to take on the Suns in what is yet another potential blowout. Kobe Bryant did travel with the team, but his status for tonight’s game is uncertain. Wesley Johnson and Wayne Ellington would both see a boost if he is forced to sit. Ronnie Price is considered doubtful for this game, which means Jeremy Lin will see all of the minutes he can handle at point guard. There aren’t any plays that stand out on the Lakers tonight, but the injuries do provide some potential value plays against the uptempo Suns.
Opponent Breakdown (Phoenix)
Record: 24-18
Points Allowed Per Game: 104.7
Defensive Efficiency Rank: 17
Rebounding Differential Rank: 24
Elite Plays
None
Secondary Plays
None
Phoenix
The Suns are double-digit favorites tonight against the Lakers at home. On paper, this is one of the best matchups on the schedule. The Lakers are ranked 28th in defensive efficiency this season, giving up 106.5 points per game to their opponents. The issue is the potential for a blowout, especially if Kobe Bryant sits this game out. Goran Dragic, Eric Bledsoe, and Markieff Morris all draw favorable matchups, but it looks like a good night to take the value train to Phoenix.
Opponent Breakdown (L.A. Lakers)
Record: 12-29
Points Allowed Per Game: 106.5
Defensive Efficiency Rank: 28
Rebounding Differential Rank: 21
Elite Plays
None
Secondary Plays
Alex Len (FD: $5300, DK: $4800 / MPG: 20 / Usage Rate: 13.5)
Len will have a bad stretch every now and then, but he always seems to reel us back in. He has really played well over his last six games, averaging 9 points, 11 rebounds, and 3 blocks per game. During that stretch, he has played at least 22 minutes and has scored at least 24 fantasy points in every game. There is some concern that Brandan Wright will cut into his minutes, but until he cools off, he makes an excellent value play at center.
P.J. Tucker (FD: $4500, DK: $4000 / MPG: 28 / Usage Rate: 12.6)
Tucker has to be one of the top value plays available tonight. Not only does he get to face the Lakers, but he only needs to score 20-22.5 fantasy points to reach value. Tucker has scored at least 21 fantasy points in six of his last ten games.