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NBA Grind Down: Saturday, December 10th

by Chirag Hira (INSPYR) Last Updated 2016-12-11 03:45:20

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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 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.

Editor’s Note: Don’t yet have a Rosters account? Click here to create one. You’ll receive free access to our premium Rosters strategy content, which will build upon the guide below. Create your Rosters account now!

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Milwaukee Bucks at Washington Wizards – 7:00 PM ET

Milwaukee Bucks Washington Wizards
milwaukeenba Vegas Total 209.5 washingtonnba Vegas Total 209.5
Vegas Spread 4.0 Vegas Spread -4.0
Team Total 102.8 Team Total 106.8
Pace +/- 0.3 Pace +/- 0.2
Proj. Starter Giannis Antetokounmpo Matthew Dellavedova Tony Snell Jabari Parker John Henson Proj. Starter John Wall Bradley Beal Otto Porter Markieff Morris Marcin Gortat
Opponent DvP Rank PG SG SF PF C Opponent DvP Rank PG SG SF PF C
2016-17 12 10 16 23 18 2016-17 4 12 24 22 21

Milwaukee Bucks

Welcome to the Saturday edition of the Grind Down. It’s a huge slate for a Saturday, so let’s get right into it. The Bucks travel to Washington and play on the second night of a back-to-back. Giannis Antetokounmpo was owned quite a bit last night and let everyone down. He was dealing with foul trouble and only played 24 minutes. He should be in a prime bounce back spot tonight against the Wizards. The Greek Freak was averaging 51.63 FanDuel points over his last eight games with a usage rate of 29.2% before last night’s dud. We should take it as a blip on the radar due to foul trouble and look to put him in our lineups. It might be slightly risky in cash games since his salary is slightly inflated on FanDuel, but he is back under $10k on DraftKings, making him viable in all formats.

Jabari Parker’s minutes are trending back in the right direction, and he played 39 minutes last night. Fatigue could be a factor since this is the Bucks’ third game in four nights, but Parker is a young Buck that should be able to handle Markeiff Morris and that 23rd-ranked DvP matchup. He’s scored 22 or more actual points in four of his last five starts but is averaging 23.06 FanDuel points on the second night of a back-to-back this season. Consider him a viable tournament option since he is playing well but just know there is a chance that he comes out flat. John Henson and Greg Monroe are in a timeshare at the center position. Monroe is averaging more fantasy points (28.87) over their last four games, but Henson is the starter and has been playing slightly more minutes. Both players lack a ton of upside but are in nice spots. Henson is cheaper on FanDuel, but they are the same over on DraftKings. Michael Beasley and Malcolm Brogdon have played over their last two games but are too risky for cash and should only be considered if looking for a bottom-of-the-barrel punt play in tournaments .

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary Rosters Sal. FP/Min Minutes L3 +/- FP/Game L3 +/- True Usage L3 +/- DvP
Giannis Antetokounmpo $10,300 $9,900 $14,200 1.38 34.5 0.0 47.5 0.7 29.9% -4.6% 12
Matthew Dellavedova $4,200 $4,000 $7,500 0.72 28.4 -0.9 20.4 -0.6 19.7% 1.8% 10
Tony Snell $3,500 $3,300 $7,600 0.52 29.3 1.0 15.4 -3.7 13.4% -2.2% 16
Jabari Parker $6,400 $6,400 $10,300 0.95 32.6 1.2 31.0 3.0 25.6% 0.5% 23
John Henson $4,700 $4,400 $7,700 0.94 19.8 6.1 18.7 6.3 16.2% 0.8% 18
Greg Monroe $5,000 $4,400 $8,300 1.21 18.8 2.9 22.7 5.0 22.4% 1.9% 18

Elite Plays – Giannis Antetokounmpo (GPP)

Secondary Plays – John Henson, Greg Monroe, Jabari Parker

Washington Wizards

John Wall was in a similar position to Antetokounmpo and let a lot of people down in an extremely chalky spot on Thursday. He was coming off a career game, so it’s fair that he was off a little. Bradley Beal was picking up the scoring burden and the Wizards still won the game. Wall will look to bounce back in a huge way against the Bucks and saw his salary get discounted $500 on DraftKings but only $200 on FanDuel. Considering Wall leads the team with a true usage rate of 35.6%, he should be considering an elite tournament option. His salary might be a little bit too high for cash games on a full slate, but he’s a strong tournament play, especially on DK. Bradley Beal will look to keep his hot shooting going and outside of few bad games, Beal is averaging 34.90 FanDuel points since returning from injury 11 games ago. He has yet to show that he has a 50 burger in him, but he’s scored over 42 points on four separate occasions.

Otto Porter has seen over 36 minutes in five of his last seven starts and should be in line for a huge chunk again tonight. He’s a great spot with a 24th-ranked DvP matchup and is not as scoring-dependent as Beal. Since he has been off the last two games he might be too risky for cash, but this is a great spot for him to bounce back as he was averaging 33.8 DraftKings points over his last six games before those two duds. Markieff Morris continues to be perplexing and has played 33 or more minutes in six straight contests but has scored over 30 DK points twice. He’s still a cheap $4.8k on FanDuel, making it easier to stomach, but he has yet to prove he can be an elite tournament play and has shown he carries risk for cash games. Marcin Gortat is also in a slight slump but the minutes have been there. Kelly Oubre is starting to come on, but we’ve seen him pick up minutes before and then be stuck on the bench as soon as we go to roster him.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary Rosters Sal. FP/Min Minutes L3 +/- FP/Game L3 +/- True Usage L3 +/- DvP
John Wall $9,600 $9,000 $13,600 1.25 35.9 2.8 44.7 6.1 35.6% 0.5% 4
Bradley Beal $6,900 $6,900 $11,000 0.88 34.7 1.9 30.4 0.5 26.3% -0.2% 12
Otto Porter $5,900 $6,100 $9,900 0.88 34.4 -1.2 30.2 -9.2 15.7% -3.6% 24
Markieff Morris $4,800 $5,200 $9,100 0.76 31.7 1.4 23.9 1.3 20.2% -2.5% 22
Marcin Gortat $6,100 $5,800 $9,900 0.86 35.3 0.3 30.5 -7.0 14.0% -1.5% 21
Marcus Thornton $3,500 $3,000 $6,500 0.69 19.5 -3.9 13.5 4.7 19.7% 3.5% 12

Elite Plays – Otto Porter, Bradley Beal

Secondary Plays – John Wall (DK GPP), Markieff Morris, Marcin Gortat

Portland Trail Blazers at Indiana Pacers – 7:00 PM ET

Portland Trail Blazers Indiana Pacers
portlandnba Vegas Total 216.0 indiananba Vegas Total 216.0
Vegas Spread 1.0 Vegas Spread -1.0
Team Total 107.5 Team Total 108.5
Pace +/- 1.6 Pace +/- 1.7
Proj. Starter Damian Lillard C.J. McCollum Maurice Harkless Meyers Leonard Mason Plumlee Proj. Starter Jeff Teague Monta Ellis Paul George Thaddeus Young Myles Turner
Opponent DvP Rank PG SG SF PF C Opponent DvP Rank PG SG SF PF C
2016-17 19 14 23 26 26 2016-17 11 23 19 30 21

Portland Trail Blazers

The Blazers will continue their road trip tonight in Indiana after losing in Memphis and Milwaukee their previous two contests. The Blazers have one of the top implied team totals on the slate and also see a slight pace bump in this game. Vegas projects to be the top scoring game on the slate, so we’ll definitely need some exposure. Damian Lillard is still slightly too expensive on FanDuel but is an extremely playable $8.4k on DraftKings. He’s shown he’s either going to really help you or really hurt you this season, making him too risky for cash. Since Lillard leads the team with a true usage rate of 32.7% and gets a 19th ranked DvP matchup, he should be a strong tournament option for tonight. C.J. McCollum has not greatly exceeded salary-based expectations in a long time but continues to provide a high floor. He’s over $7k on FanDuel but under it on DraftKings, making him a better play on DK.

Mason Plumlee looks like a lock for 30 minutes and should be a viable tournament option with the Pacers ranking 29th in rebounding differential. He’s not the best rebounding center but did pick up nine rebounds against the Pacers 10 days ago. He scored 37.8 DraftKings points in that game and has seen his salary dip $500 on DK since that game. He’s at a season-high $6.1k on FanDuel, making him a slightly riskier tournament option. Cash game specialist Moe Harkless is probable to return tonight after missing one game due to an ankle injury. He should be able to start again and play his normal 30+ minutes. I would consider him a low-end tournament option since he’ll have to deal with Paul George all night. Evan Turner is not an elite option coming off the bench, but he’s proven he can light it up. Meyers Leonard started at PF against the Grizzlies, but Ed Davis played better than him. Davis is the better play if he starting tonight since the Pacers are a poor rebounding team.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary Rosters Sal. FP/Min Minutes L3 +/- FP/Game L3 +/- True Usage L3 +/- DvP
Damian Lillard $9,500 $8,400 $12,800 1.18 35.7 0.9 42.2 -0.5 32.7% -3.1% 19
C.J. McCollum $7,300 $6,900 $11,000 0.97 34.5 -0.1 33.3 -3.5 26.9% -2.7% 14
Maurice Harkless $5,200 $5,000 $7,800 0.74 31.1 0.4 23.0 2.7 16.6% 4.6% 23
Meyers Leonard $3,500 $3,000 $7,200 0.73 15.8 -1.2 11.5 -2.0 17.6% -2.5% 26
Mason Plumlee $6,100 $5,300 $9,200 1.00 27.5 1.5 27.6 0.1 19.2% 2.1% 26
Evan Turner $4,600 $4,800 $8,100 0.76 24.9 2.4 19.0 1.6 19.4% -1.0% 23

Elite Plays – Damian Lillard (DK GPP)

Secondary Plays – C.J. McCollum (DK), Ed Davis (IF starting), Moe Harkless

Indiana Pacers

The Pacers return home after a five-game road trip and play on the second night of a back-to-back. Paul George played 40 minutes last night and is averaging only 31.1 FanDuel points on second nights of back-to-backs this season. He has only scored over 40 fantasy points once since returning from his injury absence. Since the Blazers rank 26th in fantasy points allowed per game and Paul George is in a 19th-ranked DvP matchup with a true usage rate 26.5%, he should be considered a strong tournament option. He has yet to show he can consistently get the job done, so he’s too risky for cash. Jeff Teague has a usage rate of 24.7% since George returned four games ago and is still somewhat too expensive on FanDuel. He’ll continue to be a better play on DraftKings, although he did light up the Blazers for 43 FanDuel points with George out of the lineup last week.

Myles Turner also took advantage of George’s absence against the Blazers and put up a double-double but has been in a slight slump since George returned. Thaddeus Young and Monta Ellis are in a major slump and have seen their minutes drop substantially. Rodney Stuckey and C.J. Miles have taken advantage of the opportunity and are the better plays off the bench tonight. Stuckey is cheaper than Miles and theoretically has the higher upside. Still, Miles has proven once he gets hot he stays hot for a handful of games, so we might want to go back to the well after he hit six triples in Dallas.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary Rosters Sal. FP/Min Minutes L3 +/- FP/Game L3 +/- True Usage L3 +/- DvP
Jeff Teague $7,100 $6,500 $10,400 1.03 31.6 0.6 32.7 -0.6 26.5% -0.4% 11
Monta Ellis $4,500 $4,100 $9,700 0.64 32.4 -3.7 20.8 -5.6 18.2% -3.1% 23
Paul George $8,400 $8,000 $13,200 1.04 34.8 -0.4 36.3 3.1 26.4% -1.5% 19
Thaddeus Young $4,800 $4,700 $9,900 0.77 29.8 -2.2 23.0 -3.3 16.7% 1.0% 30
Myles Turner $5,900 $5,800 $10,600 1.03 28.4 -1.2 29.3 -7.3 19.7% -0.5% 21

Elite Plays – C.J. Miles, Jeff Teague (DK), Paul George (GPP)

Secondary Plays – Rodney Stuckey

Denver Nuggets at Orlando Magic – 7:00 PM ET

Denver Nuggets Orlando Magic
denvernba Vegas Total 203.5 orlandonba Vegas Total 203.5
Vegas Spread -1.0 Vegas Spread 1.0
Team Total 102.3 Team Total 101.3
Pace +/- -2.3 Pace +/- 2.5
Proj. Starter Emmanuel Mudiay Will Barton Danilo Gallinari Kenneth Faried Jusuf Nurkic Proj. Starter D.J. Augustin Evan Fournier Aaron Gordon Serge Ibaka Bismack Biyombo
Opponent DvP Rank PG SG SF PF C Opponent DvP Rank PG SG SF PF C
2016-17 24 7 6 9 21 2016-17 28 30 8 16 7

Denver Nuggets

Emmanuel Mudiay did not play in the Nuggets’ previous contest due to an ankle injury. Jameer Nelson started in his place and played 36 minutes. Nelson has been a strong option over his last four games but did not see a huge bump in fantasy points due to the start. Nelson is not expected to start again tonight, but he should be considered a strong cash game option in a 24th-ranked DvP matchup facing his former team. He has proven he has 40+ fantasy upside but is slightly risky coming off the bench. Wilson Chandler and Will Barton disappointed owners on Thursday, but both players should be able to bounce back tonight. The only concern is that this is a pace down game for the Nuggets and the Magic are a solid defensive team. Still, since Barton played a season-high 43 minutes against the Wizards on Thursday, he should be considered a strong cash game option who has shown tournament upside.

Nikola Jokic seems to have displaced Jusuf Nurkic but is still coming off the bench. He has a double-double in consecutive games and saw almost 28 minutes on Thursday. He’s trending in the right direction and could be in a great spot to exceed value if the Magic do miss some of their big men due to injury. Kenneth Faried seems to have fallen out of the rotation since Darrell Arthur started their last game, but Arthur was not able to make a huge impact in 20 minutes.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary Rosters Sal. FP/Min Minutes L3 +/- FP/Game L3 +/- True Usage L3 +/- DvP
Emmanuel Mudiay $5,000 $4,800 $9,100 0.78 30.2 -10.4 23.5 -17.4 26.0% -2.0% 24
Will Barton $5,600 $6,700 $8,700 0.82 31.0 8.3 25.4 5.3 23.1% -0.8% 7
Danilo Gallinari $5,700 $5,500 $10,900 0.73 35.4 -4.6 25.8 -3.1 18.9% 2.7% 6
Kenneth Faried $5,000 $4,600 $8,600 1.01 23.0 -10.6 23.3 -15.6 17.0% -6.9% 9
Jusuf Nurkic $4,400 $4,200 $9,200 1.01 21.4 -0.8 21.7 -0.8 23.0% -1.0% 21
Nikola Jokic $5,400 $5,200 $8,600 1.00 23.4 1.0 23.4 7.8 19.0% 4.3% 9
Wilson Chandler $6,300 $6,400 $10,400 0.99 31.1 0.1 30.9 -4.1 24.6% 0.0% 6
Jameer Nelson $4,800 $5,300 $7,600 0.72 26.6 5.2 19.3 8.5 20.1% 4.4% 24

Elite Plays – Will Barton, Nikola Jokic

Secondary Plays – Jameer Nelson, Wilson Chandler

Orlando Magic

The Magic play on the second night of a back-to-back after losing a couple big men in Charlotte last night. Nikola Vucevic only played 23 minutes due to a back injury, Bismack Biyombo only played 16 minutes due to a shoulder injury, and Jeff Green was limited to 24 minutes due an ankle injury. If all these players miss, get ready for some extended Aaron Gordon and Serge Ibaka run. Ibaka had a huge game against Detroit last week but has been a middling option for most of December. If he can get back over 30 minutes, he should be considered a strong tournament option due to his inflated salary.

Aaron Gordon played 29 minutes last night and still did not make much of a fantasy impact. If Biyombo and Vucevic are out, Serge might start at the center spot, moving Gordon to his more comfortable PF spot. Gordon should be considered an elite punt option if he plays PF and a viable tournament play if only one of the Magic big men miss the game. Evan Fournier is back to being cold, but if the other plays miss the game, he’ll be asked to carry a larger scoring burden. This team’s fantasy value lies in a lot of questionable situations, so stay tuned to our DFS alerts page as we should have news before lineups lock.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary Rosters Sal. FP/Min Minutes L3 +/- FP/Game L3 +/- True Usage L3 +/- DvP
D.J. Augustin $3,800 $3,700 $7,400 0.73 20.2 2.9 14.8 2.3 23.3% -5.9% 28
Evan Fournier $5,300 $5,300 $9,900 0.76 33.4 -3.7 25.3 -8.9 24.0% -2.5% 30
Aaron Gordon $4,000 $4,000 $8,600 0.75 25.9 -0.6 19.4 -1.3 19.9% -0.8% 8
Serge Ibaka $6,200 $6,000 $9,600 0.91 30.2 0.0 27.4 3.8 20.2% -0.7% 16
Bismack Biyombo $4,400 $4,800 $7,800 0.73 25.8 3.1 18.8 3.7 12.7% 0.0% 7
Elfrid Payton $5,400 $4,600 $8,700 0.87 29.0 -0.5 25.1 4.1 23.4% -0.2% 28
Nikola Vucevic $7,000 $5,900 $9,900 1.15 27.6 -0.9 31.6 -1.1 24.5% 1.1% 7

Elite Plays – Aaron Gordon (if Biyombo, Green, and Vucevic are out), Serge Ibaka

Secondary Plays – Evan Fournier

Charlotte Hornets at Cleveland Cavaliers – 7:30 PM ET

Charlotte Hornets Cleveland Cavaliers
charlottenba Vegas Total 205.0 clevelandnba Vegas Total 205.0
Vegas Spread 9.0 Vegas Spread -9.0
Team Total 98.0 Team Total 107.0
Pace +/- 0.7 Pace +/- 0.3
Proj. Starter Kemba Walker Nicolas Batum Michael Kidd-Gilchrist Marvin Williams Cody Zeller Proj. Starter Kyrie Irving DeAndre Liggins LeBron James Kevin Love Tristan Thompson
Opponent DvP Rank PG SG SF PF C Opponent DvP Rank PG SG SF PF C
2016-17 25 27 18 4 14 2016-17 18 7 19 14 16

Charlotte Hornets

The Hornets are on a three-game winning streak due to the strong play of Nicolas Batum. Batum is averaging 43.47 DraftKings points over his last four games, and that number could be even higher had the Magic not gotten blown out in their previous game. Batum had a double-double against the Pistons and Mavericks and be able to keep it going tonight against the Cavaliers. Batum scored 42.8 DKP in their previous meeting and is likely a better option on DK since his salary is slightly cheaper there. Kemba Walker has been in a fantasy slump but has been performing well in December, averaging 19.8 actual points and 5.2 assists. He’s also a better option on DK since his salary is cheaper and has lower salary-based expectations.

Marvin Williams has not been able to make an impact since returning from injury but should play 26+ minutes tonight against the Cavs. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist seems to have found an offensive groove, scoring in double figures in ten of his last twelve games, but continues to be without a reliable jumper and does not have a steal in five consecutive games. Since MKG will be needed heavily for defensive purposes, there is a chance that he approaches 30 minutes tonight. Jeremy Lamb is back on the radar after playing 19 minutes against the Magic and should be able to exceed value if he can get 20 minutes. Since he’ll need an injury to secure the minutes, he’s simply a tournament option who could play well against a team that is 19th in defensive efficiency. Frank Kaminsky and Marco Belinelli are both risky options against the Cavs but have an outside shot at getting some extended garbage time run.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary Rosters Sal. FP/Min Minutes L3 +/- FP/Game L3 +/- True Usage L3 +/- DvP
Kemba Walker $8,000 $7,500 $12,000 1.13 33.5 1.8 37.7 -2.9 31.2% 0.3% 25
Nicolas Batum $7,100 $6,600 $10,700 0.90 34.8 2.9 31.5 9.6 21.3% 1.3% 27
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist $5,000 $4,400 $8,200 0.75 30.3 -4.5 22.7 -1.8 14.3% 1.1% 18
Marvin Williams $4,400 $4,300 $8,200 0.73 27.5 -1.5 20.0 0.0 17.5% -1.6% 4
Cody Zeller $4,500 $4,100 $7,700 0.87 25.1 5.1 21.8 -0.9 16.5% -2.6% 14
Frank Kaminsky $4,400 $4,000 $7,300 0.82 26.1 -0.7 21.4 1.2 21.0% -1.1% 4

Elite Plays – Nicolas Batum

Secondary Plays – Kemba Walker, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist

Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cavs destroyed the Heat last night but still had all members of their “Big 3” play over 30 minutes. LeBron James has been on a mission since losing to the Bulls and has scored over 50 fantasy points in two of his last three games. He scored 45.7 FanDuel points against the Knicks in a blowout, and that looks like his floor as long as he plays over 32 minutes. Even though the Cavs are large favorite at home tonight, we should expect a competitive game for more than three quarters. James has multi-position eligibility on DK and is cheaper over there compared to FanDuel. Kevin Love gave it a real try last night, putting up one of his best games of the season against the Heat. He’ll be a solid option, but I expect this to be the Kyrie Irving show.

Kyrie Irving only played 33 minutes last night and has shot 50% or better in three consecutive games. He has not had that huge performance in a while but has scored over 20 actual points in every game since the last time they played Charlotte almost a month ago. Irving is averaging 37.2 DraftKings fantasy points on the second night of a back-to-back this season. Tristan Thompson did not play over 30 minutes against the Heat but should have a much better game tonight. The Hornets rank 18th in rebounding differential, and considering they are fifth in defensive efficiency, there should be some extra offensive rebounding opportunities for Thompson. Iman Shumpert was able to make an impact with Smith out of the lineup, but Smith is expected to play tonight.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary Rosters Sal. FP/Min Minutes L3 +/- FP/Game L3 +/- True Usage L3 +/- DvP
Kyrie Irving $7,300 $7,200 $11,800 1.02 34.0 1.1 34.7 1.0 31.1% 0.2% 18
DeAndre Liggins $3,500 $3,000 $6,000 0.60 10.3 10.6 6.1 6.3 12.2% -4.2% 7
LeBron James $9,800 $9,400 $14,800 1.26 36.4 3.3 46.0 2.9 32.7% -0.7% 19
Kevin Love $7,800 $7,800 $12,400 1.16 31.9 3.6 37.1 -2.8 25.9% -2.3% 14
Tristan Thompson $5,100 $4,900 $7,500 0.82 29.3 0.7 24.0 2.6 9.2% 1.4% 16
Iman Shumpert $3,600 $3,500 $6,900 0.63 21.7 -0.6 13.6 1.3 14.0% 1.3% 7

Elite Plays – Kyrie Irving, LeBron James, Kevin Love

Secondary Plays – Tristan Thompson

Miami Heat at Chicago Bulls – 8:00 PM ET

Miami Heat Chicago Bulls
miaminba Vegas Total 197.5 chicagonba Vegas Total 197.5
Vegas Spread 10.5 Vegas Spread -10.5
Team Total 93.5 Team Total 104.0
Pace +/- -1.1 Pace +/- -2.6
Proj. Starter Goran Dragic Wayne Ellington Rodney McGruder Josh McRoberts Hassan Whiteside Proj. Starter Rajon Rondo Dwyane Wade Jimmy Butler Taj Gibson Robin Lopez
Opponent DvP Rank PG SG SF PF C Opponent DvP Rank PG SG SF PF C
2016-17 8 10 10 23 19 2016-17 3 5 21 6 26

Miami Heat

The Heat will travel to Chicago with nine healthy bodies, hoping for Josh Richardson back to make it 10. Last night, the Heat played with only eight men since Udonis Haslem was also excused due to personal reasons. He’s expected to join the team tonight but is not a viable DFS option. Hassan Whiteside was benched last night and should come out with some more fire tonight. Still, considering the Heat are huge underdogs, Whiteside is only a GPP option tonight. Goran Dragic has been doing his best to keep this team propped up but will need to turn in a huge game to keep them afloat. He’s also too risky for cash since he’s somewhat overpriced right now. Tyler Johnson played 38 minutes last night and still barely made a fantasy impact. He simply met his salary-based expectations and Josh Richardson could be back tonight, cutting into his minutes.

Wayne Ellington was not able to keep his hot shooting going and also seems overpriced due to his lack of potential upside in this spot. Josh McRoberts continues to start but is a defensive liability for the Heat. His minutes are not secure and he lacks much fantasy upside. Derrick Williams played 31 minutes last night and is a better tournament option than McRoberts. Williams is the minimum salary on DK and simply $200 over it on FD. Rodney McGruder continues to start at SF but will be a huge defensive liability against Jimmy Butler tonight. Still, he seems like a lock for 30+ minutes and has shown cash game viability due to the minutes. Keep an eye on the status of Josh Richarson before locking McGruder in your lineups.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary Rosters Sal. FP/Min Minutes L3 +/- FP/Game L3 +/- True Usage L3 +/- DvP
Goran Dragic $7,300 $7,300 $11,100 0.96 33.5 3.2 32.1 5.7 29.0% 2.1% 8
Wayne Ellington $4,800 $4,700 $7,200 0.65 34.0 3.4 22.3 -0.1 17.4% 0.9% 10
Rodney McGruder $4,200 $3,900 $7,100 0.56 24.6 10.3 13.8 7.5 13.8% 0.7% 10
Josh McRoberts $3,900 $4,000 $7,000 0.71 17.1 12.3 12.2 5.8 19.7% -0.7% 23
Hassan Whiteside $8,800 $8,600 $13,900 1.21 33.5 4.6 40.7 1.8 22.4% -0.3% 19
Tyler Johnson $5,500 $5,600 $7,900 0.85 30.4 4.6 25.7 5.2 21.3% 1.0% 8

Elite Plays – N/A

Secondary Plays – Hassan Whiteside (GPP), Goran Dragic (GPP), Derrick Williams

Chicago Bulls

The Bulls were able to defeat the Spurs on Thursday on the due to the near triple-double of Rajon Rondo. It looks like he’s back to being a viable option but has proven that he’ll let you down when you most expect him to come through. Tonight against the Heat might not be the best spot for Rondo. With Dwyane Wade’s former team visiting Chicago, expect Wade to make up for that poor performance in Miami. Wade has played 34 or more minutes in his last four starts and is averaging 37.6 FanDuel points in those games. He’s a solid cash game option that has shown 45+ fantasy points upside.

Jimmy Butler was quiet against Kawhi Leonard and the Spurs but will also be in a nice bounce back spot tonight. Even though the Bulls are large favorites, Butler has proven that he will play even if the Bulls are up big. He’ll remain a tournament option in one of the slower lower scoring affairs of the night. Robin Lopez had a strong game against the Heat in their previous game but is now slightly more expensive than he was in that game. He’ll still be a viable option but is not mandatory on a full slate.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary Rosters Sal. FP/Min Minutes L3 +/- FP/Game L3 +/- True Usage L3 +/- DvP
Rajon Rondo $6,200 $5,900 $9,500 0.87 30.9 5.5 26.9 -0.4 21.6% -0.9% 3
Dwyane Wade $7,200 $6,500 $10,600 1.03 31.2 3.3 32.0 6.2 29.8% 2.2% 5
Jimmy Butler $8,600 $8,200 $13,100 1.15 36.2 3.1 41.8 -1.0 29.4% -2.5% 21
Taj Gibson $5,600 $5,100 $8,900 0.89 28.9 -1.0 25.8 -3.7 18.8% -1.5% 6
Robin Lopez $5,100 $4,600 $8,600 0.83 28.3 3.1 23.6 0.1 17.1% -4.0% 26
Nikola Mirotic $4,200 $3,900 $7,900 0.86 22.6 1.4 19.3 4.2 18.6% 0.2% 6

Elite Plays – Dwyane Wade, Jimmy Butler (GPP)

Secondary Plays – Rajon Rondo, Robin Lopez

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About the Author

INSPYR
Chirag Hira (INSPYR)

Chirag Hira, DFS alias “INSPYR”, has been playing fantasy basketball since 2001. He picked up DFS during the 2015 playoffs and has never looked back. In charge of DFS Alerts for the NBA, Chirag takes it as a daily challenge to break news before anyone else in the industry. He graduated with a degree in sports journalism and his career highlights include interviewing Kobe Bryant and Joe Torre. You can find Chirag on Twitter at C_Hira24.