NBA Grind Down: Saturday, December 19th
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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.
Every game is also broken down by our NBA experts, providing an overview of the game and a selection of players to consider from each contest.
Note: As always, if you want to try a new DFS site, be sure to click through a RotoGrinders link and use our DraftKings promo code and FanDuel promo code to receive the best perks in the industry.
L.A. Lakers at Oklahoma City – 05:00 PM
- Vegas Line – Oklahoma City -16, 209.5 Over/Under
- L.A. Lakers Proj. Starters – Clarkson-Williams-Bryant-Nance-Hibbert
- Oklahoma City Proj. Starters – Westbrook-Roberson-Durant-Ibaka-Adams
| L.A. Lakers | Oklahoma City | |||||||||||
| Vegas Total | 209 | | Vegas Total | 209 | |||||||
| Vegas Sprd | 16.0 | Vegas Sprd | -16.0 | |||||||||
| Team Proj. | 96.8 | Team Proj. | 112.8 | |||||||||
| Team Pace | 98.79 | Team Pace | 98.86 | |||||||||
| 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 | Jordan Clarkson | Lou Williams | Kobe Bryant | Larry Nance | Roy Hibbert | Proj Starter | Russell Westbrook | Andre Roberson | Kevin Durant | Serge Ibaka | Steven Adams | |
| Opp. Season | 16 | 12 | 7 | 8 | 5 | Opp. Season | 30 | 26 | 19 | 24 | 28 | |
| Opp. Last 7 | 16 | 7 | 19 | 3 | 3 | Opp. Last 7 | 9 | 30 | 25 | 27 | 29 | |
L.A. Lakers
Record: 4-22 — Road: 2-15 — Last 10: 2-8
- Thunder Defense
Points Allowed Per Game: 100.4 (14 of 30)
Defensive Efficiency: 99.9 (11 of 30)
Rebounding Differential: +7.4 (1 of 30)
Fantasy Points Allowed Per Game: 204.39 (7 of 30)
- Injury Watch:
NONE
The Lakers head on the road to face one of the better teams in the Western Conference and this has all the makings of a blowout. They are 15.5 point underdogs and the Thunder’s defense has improved recently so there’s not a lot to like on the Lakers. In particular, the Thunder’s interior defense has been elite so if you’re targeting any Lakers, I’d stick to the guards. Kobe Bryant has played good basketball over his past three games, but two of those games came against one of the worst defenses in the league in the Rockets. He is still quite affordable on DK so that is the one spot where I’d be most willing to give him a look.
I would tread lightly with the Lakers as it’s typically best to avoid blowouts, especially the teams that are likely to get blown out. However, Jordan Clarkson and Lou Williams price point are still affordable, and in terms of DVP, they draw the best matchups on the Lakers. Williams moved into the starting lineup five games ago and has averaged just over 5x salary on FD while playing 32 MPG. Clarkson returned from injury two games ago, but has seen big minutes since his return as he’s played 33 and 39 minutes. He is affordable and there are times when “(player-popup)Russell Westbrook”:/players/russell-westbrook-1083’s primary focus is on offense and not defense. Clarkson did fare well against the Thunder last season as he averaged 21 PPG, 3 rebounds and 5.5 assists in two games. Overall, there are no elite options but Kobe, Williams and Clarkson are secondary options if their salary fits into a lineup that you like.
Elite Plays
NONE
Secondary Plays
Lou Williams
FD — $5,200 — SG
DK — $5,300 — PG
Min/Game — Season: 27.3 | Last Five Games: 32.0
FP/Game — Season: 21.4 |
Jordan Clarkson
FD — $5,600 — PG
DK — $5,300 — SG
Min/Game — Season: 31.9 | Last Five Games: 33
FP/Game — Season: 23.2 |
Kobe Bryant
FD — $6,900 — SG
DK — $6,300 — SG
Min/Game — Season: 30.8 | Last Five Games: 28.8
FP/Game — Season: 27.3 |
Oklahoma City
Record: 17-9 — Home: 12-3— Last 10: 7-3
- Lakers Defense
Points Allowed Per Game: 106.8 (28 of 30)
Defensive Efficiency: 108.3 (30 of 30)
Rebounding Differential: -4.1 (26 of 30)
Fantasy Points Allowed Per Game: 227.38 (30 of 30)
- Injury Watch:
Anthony Morrow (Q)
On paper this is a terrific spot for the Thunder as the Lakers are terrible in every defensive metric. Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant should do whatever they want today, but the issue is how many minutes they will be on the court to do whatever they want. This one is very likely to get ugly as the Thunder are large 15.5 point favorites so it’s quite possible neither see the floor in the 4th quarter. I think both make for elite GPP options as either could easily go off against the Lakers non-existent defense, even in limited minutes. However, they are secondary options for cash games as their minutes in a potential blowout is worrisome.
In their most recent blowout wins, Westbrook played 27 minutes against Portland, 25 minutes against Memphis and 27 against Utah (on 11/23), while Durant played 29 minutes against Portland, 31 against Memphis, and 30 against Utah (on 11/23). Given the Thunder’s rotations, it seems like Durant grabs a few extra minutes in blowouts so if you’re debating between the two then I’d lean towards Durant based on that factor.
Serge Ibaka is typically a GPP only option as his lower offensive usage leaves him dependent on blocks to exceed value. The Lakers get blocked 5.28 times per game (17th) so it’s a positive matchup in terms of his block upside. In those same three blowouts, he played 24 against Portland, 29 against Memphis and 25 against Utah, so he is also unlikely to top 30 minutes here. If you’re looking to get weird in a large field tournament and play the blowout angle then Dion Waiters still saw solid minutes in those three blowouts (28 vs Portland, 26 vs Memphis, and 29 vs Utah), and Enes Kanter put up 25 FD points against Portland.
Elite Plays
Russell Westbrook (secondary cash game option)
FD — $10,500 — PG
DK — $10,500 — PG
Min/Game — Season: 34.4 | Last Five Games: 34.8
FP/Game — Season: 49.2 |
Kevin Durant (secondary cash game option)
FD — $10,000 — SF
DK — $10,200 — SF
Min/Game — Season: 35.7 | Last Five Games: 37.4
FP/Game — Season: 44.0 |
Secondary Plays
Serge Ibaka
FD — $6,400 — PF
DK — $6,500 — PF
Min/Game — Season: 32.3 | Last Five Games: 33.6
FP/Game — Season: 27.7 |
Charlotte at Washington – 07:00 PM
- Vegas Line – No Lines Set for This Game Yet
- Charlotte Proj. Starters – Walker-Batum-Hairston-Williams-Zeller
- Washington Proj. Starters – Wall-Neal-Porter-Dudley-Gortat
| Charlotte | Washington | |||||||||||
| Vegas Total | | Vegas Total | |||||||||
| Vegas Sprd | Vegas Sprd | |||||||||||
| Team Proj. | Team Proj. | |||||||||||
| Team Pace | 98.28 | Team Pace | 100.88 | |||||||||
| 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 | Kemba Walker | Nicolas Batum | P.J. Hairston | Marvin Williams | Cody Zeller | Proj Starter | John Wall | Gary Neal | Otto Porter | Jared Dudley | Marcin Gortat | |
| Opp. Season | 9 | 29 | 30 | 11 | 8 | Opp. Season | 5 | 15 | 9 | 26 | 22 | |
| Opp. Last 7 | 28 | 15 | 24 | 10 | 30 | Opp. Last 7 | 15 | 24 | 20 | 14 | 17 | |
Charlotte
Record: 15-10 — Road: 4-6— Last 10: 6-4
- Washington Defense
Points Allowed Per Game: 106.0 (26 of 30)
Defensive Efficiency: 105.1 (26 of 30)
Rebounding Differential: -3.5 (25 of 30)
Fantasy Points Allowed Per Game: 217.94 (23 of 30)
- Injury Watch:
Nicolas Batum (Q)
Al Jefferson (O)
The big injury news to watch here is the status of Nicolas Batum who has been sick and missed the 2nd half of Wednesday’s game and all of Thursday’s game. Given the time frame, I would expect him to play tonight and he did travel with the team. As long as he is feeling 100% this is an elite matchup for him as the Wizards are dead last in DVP against SF and 29th against SG. Washington plays at a fast pace and have struggled against wings all season long. Batum took advantage in the earlier meeting between these two teams as he piled up 16 points, 11 assists and 7 rebounds. Kemba Walker has flashed big upside recently, but also draws one of the Wizards’ few quality defenders in John Wall. I don’t love the matchup, but it’s a short slate and the Hornets are getting a pace bump so he’s playable in all formats- but a secondary option for me. Also, he has played alongside Jeremy Lin more recently so one of them will draw the weaker Wizards’ SG defense. My guess is that it would be Lin, but sometimes coaches do things that makes us scratch our head. Lin went bonkers in his start for Batum on Thursday so recency bias will be in his favor. He also has hit 5x value in five of his last seven games so he is playing well recently. Given his recent play, he deserves consideration but we also could see an ownership boost due to his Thursday night performance so a tournament fade is certainly in play.
Jeremy Lamb hasn’t played very well over his past five games and his playing time has been down so he’s a GPP only option at best. However, the uptempo style of this game suits his game and with the Wizards often playing small, he could see a few extra minutes. As mentioned the Wizards struggle against wings and Lamb put up 18 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists in their first meeting. The Hornets big men are all secondary options as their minutes can be unpredictable and the Hornets could always decide to matchup the Wizards’ small ball lineup. Frank Kaminsky and Cody Zeller have each had their moments with Al Jefferson out, and Kaminsky in particular has been solid over his past five games. However, neither’s minutes are entirely secure and the Wizards’ interior defense has been their strength. Of the Hornets big men, Marvin Williams has the safest minutes volume and was solid in the first meeting with 14 points and 11 rebounds.
Elite Plays
Nicolas Batum (if he plays)
FD — $7,000 — SF
DK — $7,500 — SF
Min/Game — Season: 33.9 | Last Five Games: 29.0
FP/Game — Season: 31.4 |
Secondary Plays
Kemba Walker
FD — $8,100 — PG
DK — $7,300 — PG
Min/Game — Season: 34.0 | Last Five Games: 34.2
FP/Game — Season: 33.4 |
Jeremy Lin
FD — $5,100 — PG
DK — $5,000 — PG
Min/Game — Season: 24.6 | Last Five Games: 31.0
FP/Game — Season: 20.7 |
Jeremy Lamb
FD — $4,500 — SG
DK — $4,600 — SG
Min/Game — Season: 22.9 | Last Five Games: 18.0
FP/Game — Season: 20.8 |
Washington
Record: 10-14 — Home: 4-7— Last 10: 4-6
- Charlotte Defense
Points Allowed Per Game: 98.5 (8 of 30)
Defensive Efficiency: 99.0 (8 of 30)
Rebounding Differential: -0.8 (19 of 30)
Fantasy Points Allowed Per Game: 211.00 (15 of 30)
- Injury Watch:
Nene Hilario (Q)
Drew Gooden (Q)
Bradley Beal (O)
Otto Porter (Q)
As you can tell by the injury watch, the Wizards are very banged up right now. Their coach has said he will tinker with the starting lineup as long as they are dealing with their injuries, so we are going to have to monitor the news as to starters. Gary Neal drew the start last game for Garrett Temple, and Kris Humphries started for Jared Dudley to matchup with the Spurs large interior. Otto Porter was also hurt last game and is questionable for this one. Rookie Kelly Oubre would be expected to start in his absence.
Given the injury situation, the only two Wizards’ starters than we can really pencil in are John Wall and Marcin Gortat. Both have had to take on a heavier load due to the injury situation, and both makes for great targets. Gortat in particular draws a nice matchup as the Hornet’s interior defense has been their weakness this season. His minutes are up as he’s averaging 33 MPG over his last five, and he had 20 points and 10 rebounds in the first meeting between these teams. Wall through up a dud against Memphis but has otherwise been on quite the roll. I like Chris Paul as the top PG option but Wall is certainly in the conversation.
As to the rest of the Wizards’ starters, we’re just going to have to monitor the news. It seems like Dudley could step back into the starting lineup for this one as Charlotte isn’t particularly big on the interior. Whoever draws the start at PF has a quality matchup as the Hornets are 26th in DVP against PF on the season. If he starts then Gary Neal is a potential punt option at SG. He does have the ability to score, and could have revenge on his mind against his former team. He played well in the first meeting with 18 points off the bench.
Elite Plays
John Wall
FD — $9,800 — PG
DK — $9.300 — PG
Min/Game — Season: 34.8 | Last Five Games: 36.0
FP/Game — Season: 39.2 |
Marcin Gortat
FD — $6,600 — C
DK — $6,300 — C
Min/Game — Season: 29.9 | Last Five Games: 33.0
FP/Game — Season: 27.5 |
Secondary Plays
Jared Dudley (if he starts)
FD — $3,600 — SF
DK — $4,000 — SF
Min/Game — Season: 26.3 | Last Five Games: 28.2
FP/Game — Season: 15.1 |
Gary Neal (if he starts)
FD — $3,800 — SG
DK — $4,200 — SG
Min/Game — Season: 22.4 | Last Five Games: 25.4
FP/Game — Season: 15.4 |
Chicago at New York – 07:30 PM
- Vegas Line – Chicago -1.5, 194 Over/Under
- Chicago Proj. Starters – Rose-Butler-Snell-Gibson-Gasol
- New York Proj. Starters – Calderon-Afflalo-Anthony-Porzingis-Lopez
| Chicago | New York | |||||||||||
| Vegas Total | 194 | | Vegas Total | 194 | |||||||
| Vegas Sprd | -1.5 | Vegas Sprd | 1.5 | |||||||||
| Team Proj. | 97.8 | Team Proj. | 96.3 | |||||||||
| Team Pace | 99.88 | Team Pace | 97.22 | |||||||||
| 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 | Derrick Rose | Jimmy Butler | Tony Snell | Taj Gibson | Pau Gasol | Proj Starter | Jose Calderon | Arron Afflalo | Carmelo Anthony | Kristaps Porzingis | Robin Lopez | |
| Opp. Season | 8 | 22 | 5 | 5 | 14 | Opp. Season | 23 | 6 | 18 | 13 | 25 | |
| Opp. Last 7 | 25 | 14 | 7 | 4 | 15 | Opp. Last 7 | 17 | 6 | 11 | 16 | 20 | |
Chicago
Record: 15-9 — Road: 4-5— Last 10: 6-4
- {color:#005C99} New York Defense*
Points Allowed Per Game: 99.3 (10 of 30)
Defensive Efficiency: 102.0 (16 of 30)
Rebounding Differential: +0.1 (16 of 30)
Fantasy Points Allowed Per Game: 203.14 (6 of 30)
- Injury Watch:
UPDATE – Pau Gasol did not travel and is out for tonight’s game. Bobby Portis could finally see some time for Chicago but Joakim Noah, Nikola Mirotic and Taj Gibson all see a substantial boost. Mirotic and Taj in particular play positions that are thin tonight so they enter the equation as elite value plays. Center isn’t as thin tonight but Noan has been playing very well recently, and should exceed value gives his expected minutes bump and cheap price point.
This game checks in with a low total of 194 points so it’s not an overly attractive game to target. There’s also the added factor that the Bulls are coming off of a four overtime game last night so their starters played huge minutes. As of Saturday morning I haven’t seen any indication that any Bulls would rest, but we could certainly see Fred Hoiberg play his bench more extended minutes tonight.
In terms of efficiency the Knicks are an average team, but they play at a slow pace and have not been a good team to target for fantasy purposes. Derrick Rose, Pau Gasol and Jimmy Butler draw the most attractive matchups for the Bulls. Of the trio I feel the best about Butler as he’s shown the ability to play huge minutes over the course of his career. Due to the 4 OT game and the back to back, I have more concerns about Gasol and Rose so they are secondary options, at best, in this one. The Bulls do have plenty of depth on the interior so maybe we see Nikola Mirotic or Joakim Noah play a few more minutes off the bench. Noah in particular has played very well recently and has at least 23 FD points in nine of his last ten games.
Elite Plays
NONE
Secondary Plays
Jimmy Butler
FD — $8,300 — SG
DK — $7,500 — SG
Min/Game — Season: 37.7 | Last Five Games: 39.6
FP/Game — Season: 36.5 |
Joakim Noah
FD — $4,900 — C
DK — $5,100 — C
Min/Game — Season: 22.3 | Last Five Games: 25.4
FP/Game — Season: 21.7 |
Derrick Rose
FD — $6,400 — PG
DK — $6,000 — PG
Min/Game — Season: 33.4 | Last Five Games: 34.0
FP/Game — Season: 25.9 |
New York
Record: 13-14 — Home: 6-7— Last 10: 5-5
- {color:#005C99} Chicago Defense*
Points Allowed Per Game: 99.0 (9 of 30)
Defensive Efficiency: 96.9 (2 of 30)
Rebounding Differential: +0.8 (14 of 30)
Fantasy Points Allowed Per Game: 215.91 (21 of 30)
- Injury Watch:
NONE
The Knicks check in with a team total of just 96 points and have mostly been a sub-par fantasy team all season. Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis are their two top options, but neither is in a particularly great spot. Porzingis’ price tag on FD is very tempting and his matchup isn’t overly tough. However, he seems to have hit the rookie wall and his minutes have been down recently. We have seen his upside this season so he’s in play for tournaments, but he’s not someone that can fully be trusted for cash games right now. If I’m rostering a Knick, my top option would be Carmelo. The Bulls are 18th in DVP against SF on the season and he’s played much better recently. The primary downside is that he could see some Jimmy Butler defense in this one so he falls behind some other higher end options for me.
Arron Afflalo has been very hot over his past two games, but he’s very scoring dependent and overall hasn’t been a good fantasy option this season.
Elite Plays
NONE
Secondary Plays
Carmelo Anthony
FD — $8,700 — SF
DK — $8,300 — SF
Min/Game — Season: 34.0 | Last Five Games: 33.2
FP/Game — Season: 36.2 |
Kristaps Porzingis
FD — $6,400 — PF
DK — $7,400 — PF
Min/Game — Season: 27.4 | Last Five Games: 24.2
FP/Game — Season: 28.1 |
Indiana at Memphis – 08:00 PM
- Vegas Line – Indiana -1, 198.5 Over/Under
- Indiana Proj. Starters – Hill-Ellis-Miles-George-Mahinmi
- Memphis Proj. Starters – Conley-Lee-Barnes-Green-Gasol
| Indiana | Memphis | |||||||||||
| Vegas Total | | Vegas Total | |||||||||
| Vegas Sprd | -1 | Vegas Sprd | +1 | |||||||||
| Team Proj. | 99.8 | Team Proj. | 98.8 | |||||||||
| Team Pace | 99.71 | Team Pace | 96.77 | |||||||||
| 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 | George Hill | Monta Ellis | C.J. Miles | Paul George | Ian Mahinmi | Proj Starter | Mike Conley | Courtney Lee | Matt Barnes | Jeff Green | Marc Gasol | |
| Opp. Season | 24 | 10 | 21 | 21 | 7 | Opp. Season | 4 | 27 | 3 | 17 | 16 | |
| Opp. Last 7 | 2 | 5 | 23 | 22 | 12 | Opp. Last 7 | 10 | 21 | 3 | 21 | 13 | |
Indiana
Record: 16-9 — Road: 6-6— Last 10: 6-4
- Grizzlies Defense
Points Allowed Per Game: 100.8 (16 of 30)
Defensive Efficiency: 104.0 (20 of 30)
Rebounding Differential: -2.4 (22 of 30)
Fantasy Points Allowed Per Game: 211.88 (18 of 30)
- Injury Watch:
NONE
This hasn’t been the same Grizzlies defense we have seen in the past as they are below average in every defensive category. They’ve also moved to a smaller lineup sending Zach Randolph to the bench and starting both Matt Barnes and Jeff Green. That should mean that Indiana sticks with their small ball lineup with C. J. Miles starting at SF and Paul George at PF. The Grizzlies have struggled against PF this season and the move to the smaller lineup hasn’t seemed to help. Paul George has slowed down recently and his price point is still elevated so it’s a little tough to pull the trigger in cash games. However, this is a plus matchup and he’s flashed that 50 to 60 fantasy point upside so he’s very much on the radar for tournaments.
The Pacers overall are a very tough team to target for fantasy. Ian Mahinmi and Jordan Hill are basically splitting minutes at center and I typically avoid Marc Gasol, who is a very good defender. George Hill, Monta Ellis and Rodney Stuckey all take away from each other’s usage. Ellis and Stuckey both are volatile options so are GPP only, while Hill has lacked upside due to the presence of Ellis and Hill. C.J. Miles rarely tops 30 minutes but has hit 5x value on FD in five of his last six, and the Grizzlies haven’t defended the SF position very well this year.
Elite Plays
Paul George (GPP)
FD — $9,600 — SF
DK — $9,200 — SF
Min/Game — Season: 35.6 | Last Five Games: 32.6
FP/Game — Season: 41.6 |
Secondary Plays
C. J. Miles
FD — $5,400 — SF
DK — $5,400 — SF
Min/Game — Season: 28.5 | Last Five Games: 27.4
FP/Game — Season: 23.0 |
Memphis
Record: 14-14 — Home: 8-6— Last 10: 4-6
- Indiana Defense
Points Allowed Per Game: 98.6 (7 of 30)
Defensive Efficiency: 98.8 (6 of 30)
Rebounding Differential: -1.3 (20 of 30)
Fantasy Points Allowed Per Game: 206.07 (8 of 30)
- Injury Watch:
Brandan Wright (O)
Tony Allen (Q)
The Pacers play solid defense so they are a tough team to target in fantasy. Their primary weakness is their ability to rebound the ball, and they have allowed some big performances to opposing centers this season. That puts Marc Gasol as the top option from the Grizzlies. He’s typically been a steady option but he has shown more volatility this season so he’s a borderline elite/secondary option on a short slate.
The Pacers have struggled against PF, but have been elite against SF. The question here is who of Matt Barnes or Jeff Green gets the misfortune of drawing the defense of Paul George. Both are cheap and have shown some upside, but have also thrown up a couple of poor performances recently. I think Jeff Green is more likely to draw George, and Barnes stuffs the stat sheet more so he’s my preferred option of the two. Mike Conley has shown very little upside for tournaments but you can typically pencil him in for 25 fantasy points. elite/secondary option on a short slate. Courtney Lee draws an elite matchup in terms of DVP, but he’s a very low fantasy point per minute producer, and typically offers very little upside. The final issue to monitor here is the status of Tony Allen as his return could cut into the minutes of Lee, Barnes and Green.
Elite Plays
Marc Gasol
FD — $7,600 — C
DK — $7,300 — C
Min/Game — Season: 34.7 | Last Five Games: 36.2
FP/Game — Season: 32.2 |
Secondary Plays
Matt Barnes
FD — $4,500 — SF
DK — $5,300 — SF
Min/Game — Season: 25.1 | Last Five Games: 29.8
FP/Game — Season: 19.1 |
Mike Conley
FD — $6,100 — PG
DK — $6,000 — PG
Min/Game — Season: 31.6 | Last Five Games: 32.4
FP/Game — Season: 28.1 |
L.A. Clippers at Houston – 08:00 PM
- Vegas Line – Houston -1, 213.5 Over/Under
- L.A. Clippers Proj. Starters – Paul-Redick-Mbah a Moute-Griffin-Jordan
- Houston Proj. Starters – Beverley-Harden-Ariza-Capela-Howard
| L.A. Clippers | Houston | |||||||||||
| Vegas Total | 213 | | Vegas Total | 213 | |||||||
| Vegas Sprd | 1.0 | Vegas Sprd | -1.0 | |||||||||
| Team Proj. | 106.3 | Team Proj. | 107.3 | |||||||||
| Team Pace | 98.61 | Team Pace | 100.42 | |||||||||
| 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 | Chris Paul | J.J. Redick | L. Mbah a Moute | Blake Griffin | DeAndre Jordan | Proj Starter | Patrick Beverley | James Harden | Trevor Ariza | Clint Capela | Dwight Howard | |
| Opp. Season | 22 | 21 | 28 | 30 | 17 | Opp. Season | 10 | 14 | 13 | 7 | 21 | |
| Opp. Last 7 | 1 | 22 | 29 | 30 | 10 | Opp. Last 7 | 13 | 10 | 9 | 19 | 18 | |
L.A. Clippers
Record: 16-11 — Road: 6-6— Last 10: 7-3
- Houston Defense
Points Allowed Per Game: 106.3 (27 of 30)
Defensive Efficiency: 105.0 (25 of 30)
Rebounding Differential: -2.8 (23 of 30)
Fantasy Points Allowed Per Game: 226.98 (29 of 30)
- Injury Watch:
NONE
It’s a small four game slate so this game sets up as the top game to target, followed by the Charlotte/Washington matchup. The Clippers draw the elite matchup on the board as the Rockets are terrible across the board defensively. The Clippers are coming off of a tough loss to the Spurs last night, but should be well motivated to avenge last year’s second round playoff loss to the Rockets.
Chris Paul has struggled with injuries this season, which has resulted in uneven performances and a depressed price point. However, he’s started to look much better recently as he’s topped 38 FD points in five of his last six games. The Rockets have defended PGs well over the past seven games, but when Chris Paul is right, he’s basically matchup proof. Given the short slate, his depressed price point and the Rockets weak team defense, he’s an elite play at PG. While the matchup is good for Paul, it’s even better for Griffin. The Rockets are dead last in DVP against PF on the season and over the last seven days, and have no one capable of slowing Blake. He piled up 35 points, 11 rebounds and 5 assists in the first meeting and also took apart the Rockets in the playoff s last year (26.9 PPG, 12.3 rebounds and 4.9 assists).
DeAndre Jordan has picked up his play recently and will be returning to his hometown of Houston. Center is actually somewhat deep on a four game slate so he’s not must play, but his price is very low on DK so he’s a rock solid option. He put up 11 points and 14 rebounds in the first meeting and is a great bet for a double double. Outside of their big 3, the Clippers are very tough to predict, but J. J. Redick would be the next in line. The Rockets could stick Trevor Ariza on him, which would not be ideal, but he also could draw the weak defense of James Harden.
Elite Plays
Chris Paul
FD — $8,500 — PG
DK — $7,800 — PG
Min/Game — Season: 32.1 | Last Five Games: 33.4
FP/Game — Season: 35.2 |
Blake Griffin
FD — $9,200 — PF
DK — $8,800 — PF
Min/Game — Season: 34.8 | Last Five Games: 35.4
FP/Game — Season: 41.9 |
Secondary Plays
DeAndre Jordan
FD — $7,400 — C
DK — $6,800 — C
Min/Game — Season: 32.7 | Last Five Games: 33.4
FP/Game — Season: 33.2 |
J. J. Redick
FD — $4,500 — SG
DK — $4,700 — SG
Min/Game — Season: 26.9 | Last Five Games: 29.6
FP/Game — Season: 19 |
Houston
Record: 13-14 — Home: 7-7— Last 10: 6-4
- Clippers Defense
Points Allowed Per Game: 101.0 (17 of 30)
Defensive Efficiency: 101.5 (15 of 30)
Rebounding Differential: -4.3 (27 of 30)
Fantasy Points Allowed Per Game: 207.90 (10 of 30)
- Injury Watch:
Ty Lawson (O)
The Rockets check in as small favorites, but as a Rockets fan, I would be somewhat surprised if they won as they’ve mostly played terrible basketball this season. They did beat the Clippers earlier this year 109-105, but the Clippers were without Chris Paul. James Harden has typically had his struggles with the Clippers as they typically load up on him and make the other Rockets beat them. However, that wasn’t the case earlier this year as he poured in 46 points. I’m personally giving priority to Paul and Griffin, but Harden is right there with him and an elite option.
I’d expect to see Dwight Howard top 30 minutes in this one as the Rockets aren’t in a back to back situation. His offensive usage has been way down this year and he’s been very volatile so he’s a risky cash game option. However, he’ll still provide the occasional big game and the Clippers defense against centers has been their weakness. He put up 20 points and 20 rebounds in the earlier meeting between the teams and also averaged 17.6 PPG and 13.9 rebounds against them in the playoffs.
I’m typically not a fan of rostering Patrick Beveley as he’s not the typical PG and receives low offensive usage. However, Ty Lawson has been suspended for this one so he should be in line for a ton of minutes. If you’re in need of a value PG, his minute security makes him a viable value option on a short slate. Trevor Ariza is in a similar boat as he’s never exciting to roster, but should see plenty of minutes in what should be the highest scoring game of the night.
Elite Plays
James Harden
FD — $10,700 — SG
DK — $10,700 — SG
Min/Game — Season: 38.4 | Last Five Games: 35.6
FP/Game — Season: 47.1 |
Secondary Plays
Dwight Howard
FD — $7,500 — C
DK — $7,100 — C
Min/Game — Season: 32.1 | Last Five Games: 29.6
FP/Game — Season: 32.3 |
Patrick Beverley
FD — $4,300 — PG
DK — $5,000 — PG
Min/Game — Season: 24.8 | Last Five Games: 31.4
FP/Game — Season: 17.2 |
Trevor Ariza
FD — $5,700 — SF
DK — $5,900 — SF
Min/Game — Season: 34.5 | Last Five Games: 34.8
FP/Game — Season: 24.0 |
