NBA Grind Down Monday, November 10th
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
New Orleans at Cleveland
- Vegas Line – Cleveland -6.5, 201.5 Over/Under
- New Orleans Proj. Starters – Holiday-Gordon-Evans-Davis-Asik
- Cleveland Proj. Starters – Irving-Marion-James-Love-Varejao
| New Orleans | Cleveland | |||||||||||
 | Vegas Total | 201 |  | Vegas Total | 201 | |||||||
| Vegas Sprd | 6.5 | Vegas Sprd | -6.5 | |||||||||
| Team Proj. | 97.5 | Team Proj. | 104.0 | |||||||||
| Team Pace | 97.10 | Team Pace | 92.61 | |||||||||
| 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 | Jrue Holiday | Eric Gordon | Tyreke Evans | Anthony Davis | Omer Asik | Proj Starter | Kyrie Irving | Shawn Marion | LeBron James | Kevin Love | Anderson Varejao | |
| Opp. Season | 8 | 19 | 24 | 13 | 16 | Opp. Season | 15 | 14 | 20 | 14 | 22 | |
| Opp. Last 7 | 10 | 20 | 13 | 14 | 18 | Opp. Last 7 | 13 | 18 | 16 | 17 | 6 | |
New Orleans
The Pelicans are 3-2 to start the season. They play at a relatively quick pace (97 possessions per 48 minutes), but they haven’t been very efficient offensively which has led them to scoring an average of 97.2 points per game. Tonight they travel to Cleveland to take on the Cavs. The Pelicans are currently 6.5-point underdogs with the total set at 201 points. In terms of the matchup, the Pelicans draw a favorable one as the Cavaliers are ranked 27th in defensive efficiency and 19th in rebounding differential. The Cavaliers have also given up an average of 101.4 points per game.
Prime Plays
Anthony Davis – Is it just me or does it feel like Anthony Davis is a 6th grader playing against a bunch of 1st graders? He’s taller, quicker, and more athletic than everyone else on the floor. On the season Davis is averaging 24 points, 13 rebounds, 4 blocks, and 2 steals per game which equates to 54 fantasy points (FD scoring) per game. Davis is currently averaging close to 14 fantasy points per game on blocks and steals alone. He is the top overall play tonight and at this point you should fade him at your own risk.
Tyreke Evans – Evans has always been known as a boom or bust type of player in daily fantasy basketball, but this season has been different. Evans has scored at least 30 fantasy points (FD scoring) in every single game this season. His ability to fill up multiple areas of the stat sheet contributes to his high floor. Tonight he squares off against the Cavs who are ranked 24th against opposing SFs this season.
Secondary Plays
Jrue Holiday – Holiday continues to fly under the radar despite averaging 14 points, 3 rebounds, and 7 assists per game this season. He draws a great matchup against Kyrie Irving and the Cavaliers who have been awful at defending opposing PGs over the last couple of seasons.
Omer Asik – Asik isn’t going to score 30 points anytime soon, but he is a rebounding machine that usually finds himself with a few put-backs and/or open dunks each game. Asik is averaging 10 points and 10 rebounds per game and draws a nice matchup against the Cavs who are ranked 16th against opposing centers this season.
Cleveland
The Cavaliers haven’t gotten off to the fast start that everyone in Cleveland was hoping for. LeBron’s “1, 2, 3, hard work, 4, 5, 6, together” slogan hasn’t exactly worked out thus far, but it’s still extremely early. The Cavaliers biggest issues have been sharing the ball and their play on the defensive end of the floor. Two things that LeBron James-led teams usually excel in. Tonight the Cavs host the Pelicans at home in hopes to get back on track.
The matchup doesn’t look too enticing on paper. The Pelicans do play at an above average pace, but they are ranked 9th in defensive efficiency, 14th in rebounding differential, and they have held their opponents to an average of 95.2 points per game. one quick lineup note: Shawn Marion will continue to start over Dion Waiters at SG. Both can safely be avoided for fantasy purposes though.
Prime Plays
Kevin Love – A matchup against Anthony Davis is a little scary on the surface, but Love uses his body to create shots and grab rebounds as well as anyone in the NBA. Love’s ability to stretch the floor may also cause problems for Davis as he likes to stay around the rim and block shots. Love is currently averaging 18 points and 11 rebounds per game and according to Coach David Blatt, Lebron and Love “eat first” in this offense.
Secondary Plays
LeBron James – James, like the rest of the Cavs, has gotten off to a fairly slow start. That said, he is still averaging 23 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists. He also has the 10th highest usage rate in the NBA at 28.5. For the price, I’d rather have Anthony Davis, but James is a good option at SF which is a thin position tonight.
Anderson Varejao – Varejao is one of those players that doesn’t do anything exceptionally well, but he does everything pretty well. He is a good defender, a good rebounder, and a pretty decent scorer. He’s a nice punt play at center if you are looking for some salary cap relief.
Utah at Indiana
- Vegas Line – Indiana -2, 189.5 Over/Under
- Utah Proj. Starters – Burke-Burks-Hayward-Favors-Kanter
- Indiana Proj. Starters – Sloan-Hill-Copeland-Scola-Hibbert
| Utah | Indiana | |||||||||||
 | Vegas Total | 189 |  | Vegas Total | 189 | |||||||
| Vegas Sprd | 2.0 | Vegas Sprd | -2.0 | |||||||||
| Team Proj. | 93.8 | Team Proj. | 95.8 | |||||||||
| Team Pace | 94.86 | Team Pace | 93.87 | |||||||||
| 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 | Alec Burks | Gordon Hayward | Derrick Favors | Enes Kanter | Proj Starter | Donald Sloan | Solomon Hill | Chris Copeland | Luis Scola | Roy Hibbert | |
| Opp. Season | 28 | 24 | 5 | 3 | 30 | Opp. Season | 24 | 5 | 26 | 25 | 3 | |
| Opp. Last 7 | 27 | 13 | 11 | 3 | 30 | Opp. Last 7 | 25 | 5 | 14 | 27 | 1 | |
Utah
The Jazz continue to be wildly inconsistent this season. After beating the Cavs at the buzzer, they followed it up by getting run out of the gym by the Mavericks, and then they bounced back with a come from behind win over the Pistons last night. As I always say, young talented teams are going to have a lot of ups and downs and that’s been the case with the Jazz this season. Tonight the Jazz travel to Indiana to take on the Pacers. The Jazz are currently 2-point underdogs in a game that will be played at a snail’s pace. In addition to the slow pace, this is a tough matchup as the Pacers are ranked 11th in defensive efficiency and 4th in rebounding differential.
Prime Plays
NONE
Secondary Plays
Gordon Hayward – After getting paid in the offseason, Hayward has responded nicely to start the season by averaging 18 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists per game. He offers nice upside in that mid-price range for SFs, but the Pacers have been pretty stingy against opposing SFs this season (ranked 5th in fantasy points allowed).
Derrick Favors – Both of the Jazz big men have been inconsistent this season, but Favors is averaging more minutes and has more upside than Enes Kanter. In games where he has played 35 or more minutes this season, Favors is averaging 18 points, 11 rebounds, and 2 assists per game. The problem is that he hasn’t consistently seen that many minutes which keeps him from being an elite play in cash games.
Indiana
The Pacers play at a very slow pace (93.9 possessions per 48 minutes) and they are ranked 28th in offensive efficiency. That combination is typically a recipe for disaster in daily fantasy basketball, but all of the injuries to the Pacers typical starters have opened up big minutes for their back-ups. This has led to a lot of value and in the NBA, value trumps everything else. The Pacers will be short-handed again tonight as they take on the Jazz who are ranked 28th in defensive efficiency this season (giving up 103.3 points per game). Despite the low total, there are a few great fantasy options on the Pacers tonight.
Prime Plays
Donald Sloan – Sloan’s price has crept up across the industry, but he is still outperforming the level of production needed for someone at his price point. On the season, he is averaging 15 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists per game. Even though tonight’s game has a low total, Sloan draws a favorable matchup as the Jazz are ranked 24th against opposing PGs this season. Sloan will continue to see all of the minutes he can handle with George Hill and C.J. Watson injured.
Chris Copeland – Surprisingly, Copeland’s production has gone down since being inserted into the starting lineup. That trend shouldn’t continue though as he should continue to see around 35-40 minutes per game on a team that has plenty of shots to go around. Copeland has scored at least 24 fantasy points (FD scoring) in five of his last six games. He should be in for another productive outing tonight against the Jazz who are ranked 26th against opposing SFs this season.
Secondary Plays
Roy Hibbert – Hibbert hurt his knee over the weekend, but is probable to play tonight against the Jazz. He’s been terrific for the Pacers this season averaging 12 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 blocks per game. As long as he is in the lineup tonight, he’s a solid cash game play at his price.
Solomon Hill – Hill is coming off of career game in which he posted 28 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 steals. It’s hard to expect a repeat performance, but he will continue to see major playing time with all of the injuries to the Pacers.
Atlanta at New York
- Vegas Line – Atlanta -1.5, 195 Over/Under
- Atlanta Proj. Starters – Teague-Korver-Carroll-Millsap-Horford
- New York Proj. Starters – Larkin-Shumpert-Hardaway Jr.-Anthony-Dalembert
| Atlanta | New York | |||||||||||
 | Vegas Total | 195 |  | Vegas Total | ||||||||
| Vegas Sprd | -1.5 | Vegas Sprd | ||||||||||
| Team Proj. | 98.3 | Team Proj. | ||||||||||
| Team Pace | 96.44 | Team Pace | 88.61 | |||||||||
| 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 | Shane Larkin | Iman Shumpert | Tim Hardaway Jr. | Carmelo Anthony | Samuel Dalembert | |
| Opp. Season | 23 | 9 | 4 | 27 | 4 | Opp. Season | 10 | 29 | 10 | 22 | 19 | |
| Opp. Last 7 | 19 | 17 | 5 | 21 | 11 | Opp. Last 7 | 7 | 27 | 6 | 19 | 22 | |
Atlanta
The Hawks picked up their second win of the season against the Knicks on Saturday night and now face them again tonight, only this time the game will be played in New York. On paper, this matchup leaves much to be desired. The Knicks are the slowest-paced team in the NBA. The good news is that they are ranked 29th in defensive efficiency and 20th in rebounding differential. The Hawks come into tonight’s game as 1.5-point favorites with the game’s total set at 195.
Prime Plays
Jeff Teague – Teague is playing at an extremely high level and very few people seem to be noticing. On the season, he is averaging 18 points, 3 rebounds, and 8 assists per game. He draws a favorable matchup tonight against Shane Larkin and the Knicks who are ranked 23rd against opposing PGs this season. Teague is moderately-priced and offers good upside tonight against the Knicks.
Secondary Plays
Paul Millsap – I’ve seen Al Horford as a recommended play today and I have to respectfully disagree. Samuel Dalembert is one of the best low-post defenders in the NBA and Horford has his worst game of the season the other night against this same Knicks ball club. Instead, I will be targeting Millsap who will be matched up against Carmelo Anthony. That’s a mis-match for both players as Anthony can’t defend in the post and Millsap can’t defend the quicker Anthony on the perimeter.
Kyle Korver – Korver is a tough player to predict on a nightly basis because he is a shooter and shooters are very volatile. He’s going to have nights when his shot doesn’t fall. That said, he’s coming off of a 27-point, 4-rebound outing against the Knicks the other night.
New York
The Knicks have gotten off to an awful start. They are 2-5 to open the season which has led Derek Fisher to quite a few different starting lineups. The Knicks have really struggled on both ends of the floor as they are ranked 20th in offensive efficiency and 29th in defensive efficiency. The good news is that we don’t need to worry about how they fare as a team, all we care about is if there are individual players that should play well in tonight’s matchup. The total is set at 195 points for this game which is actually pretty high for a Knicks game.
Prime Plays
Carmelo Anthony – Anthony is a “price-sensitive” play tonight meaning he’s a great play on sites where his price has come down. Anthony got off to a great start the other night against the Hawks, but then disappeared after the first quarter. He still finished with 20 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 assists which was his best fantasy performance of the season. He gets a small boost tonight if he starts at PF again as I like the matchup against Paul Millsap a lot more than a potential matchup with DeMarre Carroll.
Iman Shumpert – It’s been quite a while since Shumpert has found himself on the ‘Prime Plays’ list. He’s been one of the very few Knicks players that is actually playing up to his ability. The Knicks have him playing PG, SG, and SF this season which helps solidify his minutes. He has scored 24 and 32 fantasy points (FD scoring) over his last two games and should be able to fill up the stat sheet again tonight against the Hawks.
Secondary Plays
Tim Hardaway Jr. – Hardaway is arguably the best value at SG tonight. He has started the last two games for the Knicks and he has performed admirably. He has averaged 16 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists in those two starts and he will likely draw another start tonight against the Hawks.
Detroit at Chicago
- Vegas Line – Chicago -11.5, 191.5 Over/Under
- Detroit Proj. Starters – Jennings-Caldwell-Pope-Smith-Monroe-Drummond
- Chicago Proj. Starters – Hinrich-Butler-Dunleavy-Gasol-Noah
| Detroit | Chicago | |||||||||||
 | Vegas Total | 191 |  | Vegas Total | 191 | |||||||
| Vegas Sprd | 11.5 | Vegas Sprd | -11.5 | |||||||||
| Team Proj. | 90.0 | Team Proj. | 101.5 | |||||||||
| Team Pace | 93.69 | Team Pace | 95.34 | |||||||||
| 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 | Brandon Jennings | Kentavious Caldwell-Pope | Josh Smith | Greg Monroe | Andre Drummond | Proj Starter | ||||||
| Opp. Season | 6 | 23 | 29 | 9 | 25 | Opp. Season | 1 | 25 | 11 | 19 | 21 | |
| Opp. Last 7 | 14 | 22 | 25 | 7 | 27 | Opp. Last 7 | 1 | 29 | 22 | 6 | 28 | |
Detroit
The Pistons blew a lead to the Jazz last night to take their record to 2-4 on the season. They are a perfect example of why chemistry is so important in basketball. Despite having four borderline All-Stars, this team has yet to find a way to play with one another. Tonight they head to Chicago to take on the Bulls in what appears to be a very tough matchup. The Bulls are one of the slowest-paced teams in the NBA and have held opponents under 100 points per game. That said, the Bulls are the fourth-worst rebounding team this season so you may want to target the Pistons bigs as GPP plays.
Prime Plays
NONE
Secondary Plays
Josh Smith – Smith often gets labeled as a boom or bust player, but he’s actually been pretty consistent this season. He has scored at least 30 fantasy points (FD scoring) in five of the first six games this season. I’m still not sold on him as a cash game option tonight, but he offers nice upside as a tournament play against the Bulls who are ranked 29th against opposing SFs this season.
Chicago
Once again, we are going to have to wait until the last possible minute to know if Derrick Rose is going to play tonight. Rose has taken the place of Dwyane Wade as the player that is never officially in or out until ten minutes before tip-off. It’s definitely frustrating for us in daily fantasy basketball, but Thibs gonna Thib and we just have to learn to deal with it. Even though Rose is a game-time decision, the Bulls are listed as 11.5-point favorites tonight against the Pistons at home. This game does have the potential to turn into a blowout, but Coach Thibs typically lets his starters get a lot of run even in blowouts so we don’t need to factor that in too heavily in this one.
Prime Plays
Pau Gasol – Gasol has been a model of consistency this season. It still looks as if Joakim Noah is playing at less than 100% and the Bulls have made an effort to get Gasol more involved offensively. Gasol is averaging 19 points, 11 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 blocks per game and he has played at least 34 minutes in every game since the opener. Gasol is a safe play tonight against the Pistons who are ranked 19th against opposing PFs this season.
Jimmy Butler – Butler continues to play well game after game, but unfortunately his price has slowly come up. He’s still in play tonight though, especially if Derrick Rose is ruled out. Bulter is averaging 19 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists per game and will continue to see 38-40 minutes per game.
Secondary Plays
Joakim Noah – Noah still doesn’t look 100% healthy, but he is coming off of his best game of the season with 13 points, 11 rebounds, and 6 assists. His price is as low as it’s ever going to get and it may be a good time to employ the buy-low strategy.
Aaron Brooks – This pick hinges on the health of Derrick Rose. If he is forced to sit out, Brooks would see a nice boost in minutes and production off the bench. Brooks is coming off of a 26-point, 8-assist performance against the Celtics.
San Antonio at L.A. Clippers
- Vegas Line – L.A. Clippers -3, 203.5 Over/Under
- San Antonio Proj. Starters – Parker-Green-Leonard-Duncan-Diaw
- L.A. Clippers Proj. Starters – Paul-Redick-Crawford-Griffin-Jordan
| San Antonio | L.A. Clippers | |||||||||||
 | Vegas Total | 203 |  | Vegas Total | 203 | |||||||
| Vegas Sprd | 3.0 | Vegas Sprd | -3.0 | |||||||||
| Team Proj. | 100.3 | Team Proj. | 103.3 | |||||||||
| Team Pace | 91.49 | Team Pace | 96.56 | |||||||||
| 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 | Tony Parker | Danny Green | Kawhi Leonard | Tim Duncan | Boris Diaw | Proj Starter | Chris Paul | J.J. Redick | Jamal Crawford | Blake Griffin | DeAndre Jordan | |
| Opp. Season | 12 | 12 | 23 | 11 | 12 | Opp. Season | 19 | 13 | 6 | 23 | 13 | |
| Opp. Last 7 | 17 | 11 | 26 | 5 | 16 | Opp. Last 7 | 4 | 19 | 8 | 22 | 17 | |
San Antonio
The Spurs are in danger of losing back-to-back-to-back games tonight as they face the Clippers in Los Angeles. The Spurs come into tonight’s game as 3-point underdogs with the total for the game set at 203 points. The Spurs are always a tough team to predict in daily fantasy basketball because Coach Pop loves to play games with his opponents, the media, and even his own players. In terms of the matchup, this is a favorable one. The Clippers are ranked 23rd in defensive efficiency and have given up an average of 103.8 points per game to their opponents.
Prime Plays
Kawhi Leonard – Leonard is still dealing with his eye injury, but he says that he is just going to have to play through it. He is coming off of his best game of the season as he racked up 14 points and 14 rebounds against the Pelicans the other night. His price across the industry is still very affordable and he’s one of the few reliable options at SF tonight.
Secondary Plays
Tim Duncan – It’s amazing that Duncan is still performing at an elite level. He is averaging 14 points, 12 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 blocks in 31 minutes of action per game this season. Duncan continues to have a low percentage of ownership, but he is as reliable as ever.
Tony Parker – Parker is only averaging 4 assists per game right now which is quite a bit lower than his last season average of 5.7. I chalk it up to a small sample size more than anything else. Parker draws a tough matchup tonight against Chris Paul, but is worth a look in what should be a close, high-scoring game.
L.A. Clippers
The Clippers have bounced back nicely after a slow start to the season. They are now 4-2 as they head into tonight’s matchup against the defending-champion Spurs. The Spurs have played at a surprisingly-slow pace this season (91.5 possessions per 48 minutes), but this game still has the highest total on the board.
Prime Plays
Chris Paul – In terms of the top overall play tonight, it’s Anthony Davis and then it’s everyone else. Among the everyone else is Paul who is arguably the second best play on the board. He is averaging 17 points, 5 rebounds, and 11 assists per game this season and he draws a favorable matchup against the Spurs who are ranked 19th against opposing PGs. Paul should have his fingerprints all over tonight’s game.
Jamal Crawford – The one knock on Crawford has been that he comes off the bench and that his minutes are up and down. That’s no longer a concern as he has stepped into the starting lineup thanks to the poor play of Matt Barnes. Crawford is one of my favorite plays at SG tonight as he is a great scorer that has now developed a willingness to pass the ball. I’m predicting 30+ fantasy points from Crawford tonight against the Spurs.
Secondary Plays
Blake Griffin – Griffin squares off against a much older, much slower Tim Duncan tonight in a game that features one of the highest totals of the night. In three meetings against the Spurs last season, Griffin averaged 28 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 assists per game. A similar stat line is very possible for Griffin tonight.
DeAndre Jordan – Jordan has a mis-match tonight against Boris Diaw. He is taller, quicker, longer, and can jump higher. Jordan is also coming off of two great fantasy outings against the Warriors and Blazers in which he put up 39 and 37 fantasy points (FD scoring).