NBA Grind Down: Saturday, April 7th

by Travis Mangone (Mangone) Last Updated 2024-09-16 18:39:01

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 Implied 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.

If you want to try a new DFS site, be sure to click through a RotoGrinders link and use promo code “GRINDERS” to receive the best perks in the industry.

Legend & FAQ

Denver Nuggets at Los Angeles Clippers – 3:30 PM ET

Denver Nuggets							Los Angeles Clippers
			Vegas Total		223.0					Vegas Total		223.0
			Vegas Spread		1.0					Vegas Spread		-1.0
			Implied Team Total		111.0					Implied Team Total		112.0
			Pace Projection +/-		1.6					Pace Projection +/-		-0.3
Projected Starters	Jamal Murray	Will Barton	Wilson Chandler	Paul Millsap	Nikola Jokic		Projected Starters	Austin Rivers	Tyrone Wallace	Sindarius Thornwell	Tobias Harris	DeAndre Jordan
Opponent Rank	PG	SG	SF	PF	C		Opponent Rank	PG	SG	SF	PF	C
DvP	15	29	28	19	24		DvP	26	4	20	28	18
DRPM Rat.	24	2	1	18	8		DRPM Rat.	27	26	22	3	11

Denver Nuggets

The Nuggets are in a tight playoff race and coming off a big win at home against Minnesota. Every game counts here and I expect them to play a tight rotation against the Clippers on Saturday. This is a 223 total and the Nuggets are one-point road underdogs. This is expected to be a high scoring close game by Vegas, which means this is a game to heavily target. The problem is this game is at 3:30 and is an island game and is likely only played on a one game slate.

Nikola Jokic is my favorite option on the Nuggets side of the ball. In his last five games he has played 35 or more minutes which is high for him. He also has 50 or more fantasy points in each game making him my favorite spend up option on this one game slate. With Gary Harris still injured I really like targeting the guard value in Denver. Jamal Murray and Will Barton are my favorite plays to target at their price. They not only have a nice floor but have massive upside, especially against the Clippers in this fast paced and high scoring game environment. If you need a value play on the Nuggets look no further than Devin Harris and Wilson Chandler. They have been the most productive cheap options and seeing the safest number of minutes. You can expect around 20 minutes for Harris and 27 minutes for Chandler. There is upside for more and at their prices we could use some value to jam in an option like Jokic. Last play I want to talk about is Paul Millsap and personally I think he is a great fade. He can have a big game, but we have to take some stands on this slate and I would prefer to find the money for DeAndre Jordan or target the Nuggets guards than pay for Millsap.

Notable Injuries

Gary Harris (Out)

Denver Nuggets Offense

Points Per Game: 110.2 (6 of 30)
Implied Implied Team Total: 111.0 (5 of 10)
Projected Point Differential: 0.8 ( of 10)

Matchup vs. Los Angeles Clippers

Points Allowed Per Game: 108.4 (21 of 30)
Defensive Efficiency: 107.0 (17 of 30)
Rebounding Differential: + 0.2 (17 of 30)
Pace of Play: 101.1 (6 of 30)

Elite Plays – Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and Will Barton

Secondary Plays – Wilson Chandler

Los Angeles Clippers

The Clippers are 2.5 games out of the playoff race and likely out of it. They could still make it, but It is unrealistic that they will pull this off. That doesn’t mean Doc Rivers is going to fold over and play wonky rotations in this spot though. I expect the Clippers to play their normal rotations and this should be a good game to target. I wanted to note that I am breaking this game down as if it is for just the single game slate as well.

On FanDuel I really don’t like the price on Tobias Harris on the one game slate. I think he is a great fade over there but on DraftKings he would be an elite play. He is the second highest priced play on FanDuel and the sixth highest on DraftKings. DeAndre should be needed a ton in this game to mathcup against Jokic. I don’t think Jordan is a must play or anything, but he is a solid option that I would get some exposure to if I can. We just can’t pay for everyone on a one game slate so if you missed out on him I wouldn’t be mad, but I do like him. If you force me to pick between Nuggets or Clippers guards I no doubt prefer to get exposure to the Nuggets ones. If I must pick between Lou Williams and Austin Rivers though I think paying down for Rivers make the most sense. Lou Williams has not been the same in the second half of the year and feels a bit overpriced, especially on FanDuel. If you have the money and like Williams over Rivers I won’t talk you out of it but, I think I like Rivers from a point per dollar perspective. If you don’t like DeAndre Jordan in this spot and need a value forward Montrezl Harrell is a great option to consider. Harrell has been playing great lately and has been eating into Jordan’s minutes. I think Harrell is a nice secondary value play and make sure you don’t play Jordan and Harrell on the same team because they eat into each other’s production.

Notable Injuries

Milos Teodosic (Out)
Danilo Gallinari (Out)

Los Angeles Clippers Offense

Points Per Game: 109.3 (8 of 30)
Implied Implied Team Total: 112.0 (4 of 10)
Projected Point Differential: 2.7 ( of 10)

Matchup vs. Denver Nuggets

Points Allowed Per Game: 109.0 (24 of 30)
Defensive Efficiency: 109.1 (27 of 30)
Rebounding Differential: + 2.8 (2 of 30)
Pace of Play: 99.2 (15 of 30)

Elite Plays – Tobias Harris (DK)

Secondary Plays – Austin Rivers and Montrezl Harrell

Milwaukee Bucks at New York Knicks – 7:30 PM ET

Milwaukee Bucks							New York Knicks
			Vegas Total		219.5					Vegas Total		219.5
			Vegas Spread		-9.5					Vegas Spread		9.5
			Implied Team Total		114.5					Implied Team Total		105.0
			Pace Projection +/-		-0.3					Pace Projection +/-		-1.2
Projected Starters	Eric Bledsoe	Tony Snell	Khris Middleton	Giannis Antetokounmpo	John Henson		Projected Starters	Trey Burke	Frank Ntilikina	Tim Hardaway	Michael Beasley	Kyle O’Quinn
Opponent Rank	PG	SG	SF	PF	C		Opponent Rank	PG	SG	SF	PF	C
DvP	25	17	22	15	15		DvP	3	10	5	13	28
DRPM Rat.	28	19	20	25	5		DRPM Rat.	12	26	26	3	7

Milwaukee Bucks

The Bucks are right where they want to be in the playoff race sitting at the seven seed. If they could lock in a matchup against Boston now, I’m sure they would. It’s tough to decide what they will do here so I’m assuming they will play this game out as normal. This is a matchup against a horrific Knicks team that will be without some of their best players. I expect this to be a high scoring game and Vegas agrees with the total at 219.

Giannis Antetokounmpo is a stud that I don’t want to play on FanDuel but love his price on DraftKings. He is $11200 on FanDuel and $10300 on DraftKings. I think it is simple, spend up for Giannis on DraftKings and avoid him on FanDuel. If you have the money for Giannis on FanDuel I wouldn’t talk you out of it, but I prefer him at a discount. Kris Middleton and Eric Bledsoe are fine plays, but they feel a bit pricey on this slate. If you are deciding between the two I would prefer to target Eric Bledsoe who I feel has more upside and the better matchup. Jabari Parker is one of my favorite options to target on the Bucks. In his last three games he has 31 or more minutes in each game. This is the consistency in minutes that we have been looking for all year and at his current price that is too cheap for the number of minutes he is seeing. He also has more than 20 shots in two of those games and for $5600 and $6200 it’s hard to find a 30 minute per game player shooting 20 or more shots per game. This is a great price on Jabari Parker, making him an elite play for me. The last player I want to discuss is John Henson. Henson has been safe and consistent recently, but I don’t think this the right slate to target him. There are just better upside plays here and safer options at his price.

Giannis out for this game and this will give a nice bump to Eric Bledsoe, Jabari Parker and Kris Middleton. This news just makes me love Parker even more and he will be someone that I will want in most my lineups. After that I like Eric Bledsoe simply for his floor and upside. Scoring guards have also given the Knicks problems all year long and I like this spot a lot for him. The point guard position doesn’t have a ton of spend up options and if I decide to do so, he would be my guy. Kris Middleton is a safe secondary play that I don’t hate but I just prefer the other two Bucks over Middleton.

Notable Injuries

Malcolm Brogdon (Questionable) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (out)

Milwaukee Bucks Offense

Points Per Game: 106.5 (14 of 30)
Implied Implied Team Total: 114.5 (2 of 10)
Projected Point Differential: 8.0 ( of 10)

Matchup vs. New York Knicks

Points Allowed Per Game: 108.1 (20 of 30)
Defensive Efficiency: 108.6 (23 of 30)
Rebounding Differential: + 1.3 (10 of 30)
Pace of Play: 99.2 (15 of 30)

Elite Plays – Jabari Parker

Secondary Plays – Eric Bledsoe

New York Knicks

The Knicks are dealing with a long list of injuries with Michael Beasley and Tim Hardaway Jr. questionable, along with Enes Kanter, Emmanuel Mudiay and Lance Thomas already ruled out. This is a banged up and bad Knicks team, but I think it is easy to project who are the main beneficiaries if these players are out. This may not be the greatest matchup against the Bucks, but the Knicks are so banged up there is value that we need to consider.

Happy Kyle O’Quinn Day!! What could go wrong right?? The famous last words every owner says when they click on Kyle O’Quinn’s name. His last three games have been great though and productive so now he is safe, and I swear nothing will go wrong! All kidding aside he has been great putting up 31 or more fantasy points in his last three games. He even had 44.5 fantasy points in only 21 minutes! The absence of Enes Kanter and Michael Beasley has benefitted him a ton and if Beasley sits, he will be tough to fade. We know how bad the Bucks are at defending opposing bigs which makes Kyle O’Quinn one of my favorite plays on the slate. Trey Burke has been great for the Knicks but gets a tough matchup and is way too overpriced right now. They also seem to be giving Frank Ntilikina more run, and I think if you need a Knicks point guard he is the guy you want. From a point per dollar perspective give me Ntilikina over Burke. Another value guard that I like is Damyean Dotson. In his last game he played 35 minutes and had 50.7 fantasy points! Now I am not expecting those numbers again but if they give him 35 minutes again at around minimum price around the industry, he would be an elite play. I am assuming the Knicks have mailed it in and will give Dotson a ton of run and if that is the case you are going to want him in your lineups. Other than that, I would prefer to stay away from the Knicks and not get too over exposed to them. A possible chalky Kyle O’Quinn is enough Knicks sweat for one slate.

Notable Injuries

Enes Kanter (Out)
Lance Thomas (Out)
Emmanuel Mudiay (Out)
Michael Beasley (Questionable)
Tim Hardaway Jr. (Questionable)

New York Knicks Offense

Points Per Game: 104.5 (18 of 30)
Implied Implied Team Total: 105.0 (10 of 10)
Projected Point Differential: 0.5 ( of 10)

Matchup vs. Milwaukee Bucks

Points Allowed Per Game: 106.7 (16 of 30)
Defensive Efficiency: 107.2 (18 of 30)
Rebounding Differential: -2.8 (27 of 30)
Pace of Play: 98.3 (22 of 30)

Elite Plays – Kyle O’Quinn and Damyean Dotson

Secondary Plays – Frank Ntilikina

Brooklyn Nets at Chicago Bulls – 8:00 PM ET

Brooklyn Nets							Chicago Bulls
			Vegas Total		216.0					Vegas Total		216.0
			Vegas Spread		-5.0					Vegas Spread		5.0
			Implied Team Total		110.5					Implied Team Total		105.5
			Pace Projection +/-		0.7					Pace Projection +/-		1.4
Projected Starters	D’Angelo Russell	Allen Crabbe	Joe Harris	Rondae Hollis-Jefferson	Jarrett Allen		Projected Starters	Cameron Payne	Justin Holiday	David Nwaba	Lauri Markkanen	Cristiano Felicio
Opponent Rank	PG	SG	SF	PF	C		Opponent Rank	PG	SG	SF	PF	C
DvP	21	28	21	24	25		DvP	28	7	14	27	30
DRPM Rat.	10	4	20	26	30		DRPM Rat.	29	21	27	14	26

Brooklyn Nets

I expect the Bulls to lose this game because they are tanking for a better draft pick. The Nets don’t have to worry about that and expect them to play this game hard. They are also banged up a bit and making this situation a little easier to target. The matchup is juicy too, against a Bulls team that’s ranked 25th in points allowed per game, 25th in defensive efficiency and 11th in pace.

D’Angelo Russell is in a great spot against the Bulls who are ranked 28th at defending the point guard position. Russell not only has a great price but has a ton of upside in this spot. He is an elite play for me on DraftKings for only $6100 and I prefer to get my exposure to him over there. I think he is fine at $6900 on FanDuel, but I would rather take advantage of that elite price on DraftKings instead. DeMarre Carroll is still out with an injury and that opens some decent value at the wing position for Allen Crabbe and Caris Levert. I think they are both fine plays but if you force me to pick I would rather take the savings and go with Allen Crabbe who seems safer to play more minutes than Levert. The injury to Carroll not only helps Crabbe but it will also benefit Rondae Hollis-Jefferson. This matchup is great for RHJ and I think he is an elite forward play on this slate. The Bulls also struggle against opposing bigs just like the Bulls. This puts Jarrett Allen in play as a possible option to consider at center. I like his price and think he is a solid secondary option, the problem is I think there are just other center options that I prefer. If you land on Allen I don’t hate it but there just might be other center options I like more like Kyle O’Quinn and some others that we will discuss.

Notable Injuries

DeMarre Carroll (Out)

Brooklyn Nets Offense

Points Per Game: 106.4 (15 of 30)
Implied Implied Team Total: 110.5 (6 of 10)
Projected Point Differential: 4.1 ( of 10)

Matchup vs. Chicago Bulls

Points Allowed Per Game: 109.5 (25 of 30)
Defensive Efficiency: 108.8 (25 of 30)
Rebounding Differential: -0.9 (20 of 30)
Pace of Play: 100.2 (11 of 30)

Elite Plays – D’Angelo Russell

Secondary Plays – Allen Crabbe and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson

Chicago Bulls

Here we are the most anticipated game of the night, we have the Chicago Bulls and Brooklyn Nets!! I am obviously kidding, and this is a game that only DFS players will be tuning into and even DFS players might stay away from watching this game. This game is bad, but it still has some good DFS value with the Bulls going up against a very DFS friendly matchup. The Nets are ranked 28th in points allowed per game, 24th in defensive efficiency and 7th in pace. The Bulls still have a ton of injuries as well and are a team that we can get exposure to.

Kris Dunn, Zach Lavine, Denzel Valentine and Robin Lopez are all expected to miss this game. Lauri Markkanen has only played 24 minutes in his last four games and 24 minutes to be exact. They are only going to play him 24 minutes here and at this price his upside is sort of capped. Sure, he could barely exceed that x5 price that we talk about a lot but in tournaments no chance I am playing a guy with a 24 minutes cap. Bobby Portis is clearly getting less run too because they know if he is in there he will crush and help them win games. Bobby Portis is still trapped and won’t be freed by the Bulls. He only saw 13, 22 and 15 minutes in his last three games and is an easy fade. Since this frontcourt is so limited, Cristiano Felicio is going to benefit a ton here. Noah Vonleh is likely out for this game too and if he misses and the forwards being limited, Felicio is an elite value play. We have been targeting the Nets all season long at center and I think this is another great spot to do it. David Nwaba is a solid play on this slate. He should see a reasonable number of minutes, but I do worry that he might not get the production that I am expecting because the Bulls are tanking. He isn’t my favorite play on the Bulls by I think he is a nice secondary option. I am sure everyone is wondering when I am going to bring up Narrative street and we have reached that point with a Sean Kilpatrick REVENGE game! He was shipped out of town by the Nets this season and finally found a home with the Bulls. He has seen consistent number of minutes recently and is producing well when giving the opportunity. Sean Kilpatrick is an elite value play that I would make sure to get exposure to on this slate. Justin Holiday is cheap and has been forced into minutes his last two games, playing 27 and 31 minutes. I don’t hate getting Holiday exposure, but I do worry that the Bulls giving him serious run because they have pulled the plug on him before and they could easily do it again. Last plays to talk about in this game are Cameron Payne and Jerian Grant. They are basically splitting the point guard minutes right down the middle. They draw a good matchup against a Nets team that can’t defend opposing guards. I don’t think they are must plays but I think if you are making multiple lineups you can mix both throughout your lineups.

Notable Injuries

Kris Dunn (Out)
Zach Lavine (Out)
Denzel Valentine (Out)
Paul Zipser (Out)
Robin Lopez (Out)
Noah Vonleh (Questionable)

Chicago Bulls Offense

Points Per Game: 103.0 (26 of 30)
Implied Implied Team Total: 105.5 (9 of 10)
Projected Point Differential: 2.5 ( of 10)

Matchup vs. Brooklyn Nets

Points Allowed Per Game: 110.5 (28 of 30)
Defensive Efficiency: 108.7 (24 of 30)
Rebounding Differential: -1.8 (23 of 30)
Pace of Play: 100.9 (7 of 30)

Elite Plays – Sean Kilpatrick

Secondary Plays – Cristiano Felicio, Jerian Grant and David Nwaba

New Orleans Pelicans at Golden State Warriors – 8:30 PM ET

New Orleans Pelicans							Golden State Warriors
			Vegas Total		224.0					Vegas Total		224.0
			Vegas Spread		7.0					Vegas Spread		-7.0
			Implied Team Total		108.5					Implied Team Total		115.5
			Pace Projection +/-		2.4					Pace Projection +/-		3.1
Projected Starters	Rajon Rondo	Jrue Holiday	E’Twaun Moore	Nikola Mirotic	Anthony Davis		Projected Starters	Quinn Cook	Klay Thompson	Kevin Durant	Draymond Green	Zaza Pachulia
Opponent Rank	PG	SG	SF	PF	C		Opponent Rank	PG	SG	SF	PF	C
DvP	12	23	12	22	12		DvP	20	27	24	20	17
DRPM Rat.	22	9	23	2	5		DRPM Rat.	20	2	30	11	1

New Orleans Pelicans

The Pelicans are another team that are only one game ahead of the nine seed and fighting to hang onto a playoff spot. They get a matchup against a banged-up Warriors team that isn’t the same without Stephen Curry. They are not the same but are still a great team and projected as seven-point home favorites. This game has a 224 total and is going to be one that we are looking to target on today’s slate.

Anthony Davis is one of the best spend up options on the slate. They Pelicans are on a four-game win streak and are in must win mode. I want to target teams that are going to have tight rotations and are in must win games. Davis is likely going to have to shoulder the load and have a big game for the Pelicans to win. Davis has also averaged 62.5 DraftKings points per game in his two games against the Warriors this year. If I am looking to spend up Davis is one of the elite studs you want to have on this slate. Jrue Holiday is another Pelicans option that I would trust even at his price of $7900 and $8200. It feels pricey for him but in this fast-paced game I like him to have a big game. If I am paying in this price range for guards I really like going to Jrue on this slate and he is an elite option that I would target. Rajon Rondo can be a frustrating roster and at his price I think he will be again today. I don’t like his price for this matchup and think there are better options to target on this slate. I think you can take shots on plays like E’Twaun Moore and Nikola Mirotic in tournaments, but I really think there are better value plays on this slate elsewhere. I will keep it simple when rostering Pelicans and stick to Davis and Jure as my main targets. Their production seems safe, guaranteed and could have massive upside games in their matchups.

Notable Injuries

Ian Clark (Out)

New Orleans Pelicans Offense

Points Per Game: 111.1 (4 of 30)
Implied Implied Team Total: 108.5 (7 of 10)
Projected Point Differential: -2.6 ( of 10)

Matchup vs. Golden State Warriors

Points Allowed Per Game: 107.0 (17 of 30)
Defensive Efficiency: 103.6 (5 of 30)
Rebounding Differential: + 1.6 (8 of 30)
Pace of Play: 101.9 (4 of 30)

Elite Plays – Anthony Davis and Jrue Holiday

Secondary Plays – Nikola Mirotic (GPP)

Golden State Warriors

The Warriors are limping their way into the playoffs with the two-seed locked down and are just trying to do their best to get healthy as quick as possible. This game is meaningless to the Warriors, but I don’t expect them to fold over and not compete. This is still a 224 total with the Warriors as favorites, so we must have some interest in some Warriors options. The Pelicans are a team that I love to target because they are ranked 29th in points allowed per game and the third fastest paced team in the league. This is a team that allows a lot of fantasy points and are great to target.

Kevin Durant is the biggest beneficiary with Stephen Curry out. He sees a big usage upgrade but is certainly priced up for that. He gets a great matchup though against the 24th ranked team at defending opposing small forwards so how do we fade him in this spot?? It is tough, and I don’t think he is worth fading. I think he is an elite play on this slate but when it comes down to it I will jam in Westbrook and Davis over Durant. That is just the stand that I will take but if you are making multiple lineups make sure to get exposure to Durant because this is one of the best spots you will see him in. Draymond Green will be needed defensively but is pricey and has struggled recently. Durant’s usage eats into Green’s production a bit and I think Green is not worth paying up for on this slate. Quinn Cook has been impressive for the Warriors, but he is overpriced, and I prefer other guards in his price range and other value guards instead. The only other Warrior that I really like here is Klay Thompson. I am going to list him as a secondary tournament play only though because I think the price is fair, but I just love the matchup and upside. In Klay’s last six games he has at least 29.75 fantasy points and gets a matchup against the 27th ranked team at defending opposing shooting guards. Klay seems like he should have a safe floor and if he gets going from downtown we know his upside is immense.

Notable Injuries

Stephen Curry (Out)
Patrick McCaw (Out)
Omri Casspi (Out)

Golden State Warriors Offense

Points Per Game: 113.9 (1 of 30)
Implied Implied Team Total: 115.5 (1 of 10)
Projected Point Differential: 1.6 ( of 10)

Matchup vs. New Orleans Pelicans

Points Allowed Per Game: 110.9 (29 of 30)
Defensive Efficiency: 106.1 (15 of 30)
Rebounding Differential: -1.2 (21 of 30)
Pace of Play: 102.6 (3 of 30)

Elite Plays – Kevin Durant

Secondary Plays – Klay Thompson

Oklahoma City Thunder at Houston Rockets – 8:30 PM ET

Oklahoma City Thunder							Houston Rockets
			Vegas Total		219.0					Vegas Total		219.0
			Vegas Spread		6.5					Vegas Spread		-6.5
			Implied Team Total		106.3					Implied Team Total		112.8
			Pace Projection +/-		0.3					Pace Projection +/-		-0.4
Projected Starters	Russell Westbrook	Corey Brewer	Paul George	Carmelo Anthony	Steven Adams		Projected Starters	Chris Paul	James Harden	Trevor Ariza	P.J. Tucker	Clint Capela
Opponent Rank	PG	SG	SF	PF	C		Opponent Rank	PG	SG	SF	PF	C
DvP	7	13	10	6	19		DvP	8	24	8	10	2
DRPM Rat.	2	14	13	10	3		DRPM Rat.	7	20	7	26	17

Oklahoma City Thunder

The Thunder are still in a tight playoff race in the West and are in a must win game against a Rockets team that has mailed it in but are still finding ways to win games. This is an important game for the Thunder and one I expect them to show up big for. This is a 219 total with the Thunder listed as six-point underdogs in a must win spot.

Russell Westbrook in a must win game against the guy that everyone is talking about as this year’s MVP. Where do I sign?? Sure, he is expensive but between him and Anthony Davis I just want to jam them into my lineups and mix in all the value plays. This is a great spot for Westbrook even if he must deal with Chris Paul defense because Russell Westbrook in a must win game is an elite plug and play for me. If you read my content you know I have a rule to not play Carmelo Anthony or Paul George. I will say that I am tempted by the price of Paul George at $7,400, but the way I am building I don’t think I need to go that route. I will likely fade both again but PG-13’s price is starting to become appealing. Steven Adams for only $6100 is a great price and tough to pass up on. In his two games against Houston this year Adams is averaging 34.5 DraftKings points and is just underpriced right now. I’m assuming he will be needed a ton to matchup against Capela and is an elite play for me. Other than that, the Thunder are tough to roster besides their core four. Corey Brewer revenge can get an honorable mention because of how great he has been, but I don’t see myself playing him when I have great value plays already and am looking to jam in the elite spend up options.

Notable Injuries None

Oklahoma City Thunder Offense

Points Per Game: 107.4 (12 of 30)
Implied Implied Team Total: 106.3 (8 of 10)
Projected Point Differential: -1.2 ( of 10)

Matchup vs. Houston Rockets

Points Allowed Per Game: 104.1 (8 of 30)
Defensive Efficiency: 103.9 (7 of 30)
Rebounding Differential: + 1.8 (6 of 30)
Pace of Play: 99.8 (14 of 30)

Elite Plays – Russell Westbrook and Steven Adams

Secondary Plays – None

Houston Rockets

The Rockets are locked into the one seed and seem to be just coasting the rest of the way. They continue to play their starters normal run because they don’t want to skip a beat come playoff time, but they have certainly eased off them a bit. I wouldn’t expect Harden, Paul and Capela to see 40 minutes of run like this is a playoff game or anything. This game is a 219 total with the Rockets as six-point favorites. This is normally a game I would be all over but with the Rockets easing back a bit I will temper my expectations on some of these plays.

Chris Paul and James Harden have cheaper price tags then we normally see because they seem to be dialing it back a bit down the stretch. I think there are better options to spend on this slate and I will stay away from both Paul and Harden. My favorite play on the Rockets today would be Clint Capela for only $6400. The price on Capela is way too cheap and he has a tough matchup but that won’t stop me from getting exposure to Capela. $6400 is too cheap on him and I like him on FanDuel as well. I just love a bargain and that price is tough to pass on his talent playing over 28 minutes. At this price Capela is an elite option that we should look to get exposure to. Eric Gordon is still questionable for this game. If he misses this game I think you can look to Gerald Green as an interesting contrarian tournament option. He isn’t the safest play but if you are looking for a high upside dart throw in tournaments in this game I don’t mind Green because if his shots falling he’s not afraid to shoot. The Rockets are a team that I don’t want too much exposure to but really like targeting Capela here at this cheap price.

Notable Injuries

Eric Gordon (Questionable)
Ryan Anderson (Out)

Houston Rockets Offense

Points Per Game: 113.1 (2 of 30)
Implied Implied Team Total: 112.8 (3 of 10)
Projected Point Differential: -0.3 ( of 10)

Matchup vs. Oklahoma City Thunder

Points Allowed Per Game: 104.3 (9 of 30)
Defensive Efficiency: 104.6 (11 of 30)
Rebounding Differential: + 2.8 (2 of 30)
Pace of Play: 99.1 (17 of 30)

Elite Plays – Clint Capela

Secondary Plays – None