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NBA Grind Down: Saturday, February 25th

by Chirag Hira (INSPYR) Last Updated 2017-02-26 03:32:00

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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.

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Charlotte Hornets at Sacramento Kings – 5:00 PM ET

Charlotte Hornets Sacramento Kings
Article Image Vegas Total 208.0 Article Image Vegas Total 208.0
Vegas Spread -2.5 Vegas Spread 2.5
Team Total 105.3 Team Total 102.8
Pace +/- -2.1 Pace +/- 0.2
Proj. Starter Kemba Walker Nicolas Batum Michael Kidd-Gilchrist Marvin Williams Frank Kaminsky Proj. Starter Darren Collison Ben McLemore Arron Afflalo Anthony Tolliver Kosta Koufos
Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C
Adj. DvP 11 27 9 18 4 Adj. DvP 17 20 26 19 25
DRPM -2.03 -1.30 -2.62 -1.02 2.77 DRPM -0.53 -0.06 2.31 0.28 0.35

Charlotte Hornets

The Hornets travel to Sacramento after losing in overtime to the Detroit Pistons on Thursday. Kemba Walker has played over 40 minutes in three of his last four starts. Even if you take out the five extra minutes from his line on Thursday, he still played 37 minutes. Considering the heavy minutes and -2.03 DPRM of Darren Collison, Walker should be looked at as an elite option in the early slate. Nicolas Batum also has been logging heavy minutes but has been in a minor slump. His salary has dipped a bit, and this is a perfect time to take a shot on Batum. The Kings are terrible against shooting guards, and if they start both Lawson and Collison, they’ll be at a severe disadvantage. Even though Batum’s been struggling, the security in minutes make him safe for cash games.

Marvin Williams has logged 38 minutes in consecutive games and with Cody Zeller doubtful again, he’ll likely play 36 minutes again. Yes, the numbers are slightly skewed due to the overtime game, but Williams is still a lock to play over 34 minutes with the Hornets so depleted. Frank Kaminsky has also been logging major minutes but DraftKings keeps bumping his price up. He’s a reliable fantasy option for this game but lacks elite upside on DraftKings. FanDuel brought him down $100 since he did not crush against Detroit, and he should be able to hit his salary-based floor. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist has also been locked in but, due to his lack of offensive polish, is only viable in GPPs. We can’t expect MKG to pick up 14 rebounds again tonight. The defensive stats and efficient game keep his floor solid, but his ugly jumper makes him a liability on offense.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L5 +/- FP/Game L5 +/- True Usage L5 +/- DvP DRPM
Kemba Walker $8,000 $8,000 1.06 34.3 5.7 36.4 2.8 30.1% -5.2% 11 -2.03
Nicolas Batum $7,100 $6,900 0.95 34.6 1.5 33.0 -0.8 23.5% -0.6% 27 -1.30
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist $5,800 $5,200 0.77 29.7 4.7 22.9 5.7 14.3% -3.3% 9 -2.62
Marvin Williams $5,200 $4,900 0.74 28.5 7.7 21.2 -1.7 16.6% -4.8% 18 -1.02
Frank Kaminsky $5,900 $6,500 0.83 25.0 9.0 20.9 10.2 21.2% 1.6% 4 2.77

Elite Plays – Kemba Walker, Nicolas Batum

Secondary Plays – Frank Kaminsky, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Marvin Williams

Sacramento Kings

The Kings surprised a lot of people defeating the Denver Nuggets in their first game without DeMarcus Cousins. Willie Cauley-Stein played like the top-10 pick that he was coming out of Kentucky. If you’re playing the early slate, you’re going to have to lock in WCS on FanDuel. He’s still under $5k and should be able to make salary-based expectations. DraftKings is not playing around and spiked his salary $2k. He’s still a viable option on DK but the lack of upside due to his salary is slightly concerning. Cauley-Stein should still play 30+ minutes regardless of the score but we can’t expect him to score a career-high in points again. His game is severely lacking outside of the paint, and even though he made some nice moves against Denver, he still missed a ton of easy shots. Another thing to note about WCS: he did not start the game on Thursday. The Kings went with a two-PG look in Ty Lawson and Darren Collison and started Anthony Tolliver at PF. With Marvin Williams starting as the opposite power forward, I’d expect Tolliver to remain in the starting lineup.

Both Lawson and Collison were able to play over 30 minutes since both players started, and there’s no reason that can’t continue. Lawson is the substantially cheaper option, and we should look in his direction to lock in the value. Collison is not a bad selection, it’ll just be tough for him to greatly exceed value against a team that ranks seventh in defensive efficiency. Tyreke Evans and Buddy Hield both played 26 minutes off the bench, but due to the blowout, we were not able to get a great feel for their rotation. Hield had two more fantasy points than Evans, but Evans had more overall peripherals. Don’t expect Hield to grab 6+ rebounds and shoot 60% on a consistent basis. Evans is now $6.1k on FanDuel, making it tough for him to greatly exceed value in his limited minutes. It’s reasonable to assume that Kosta Koufos will play more than 21 minutes tonight, as well. It’s possible the blowout and Cauley-Stein’s career-game kept him on the pine. Skal Labissiere also had a fantastic game in 14 minutes and will be a key part of this rotation moving forward. He is still a rookie, so don’t expect him to play more than 18 minutes unless there is an injury. Ben McLemore is the starting small forward and did not look bad against Denver, but he did not actually do anything great. I don’t recall watching that game and seeing McLemore at power forward, so don’t expect him to be there tonight. Arron Afflalo is still out along with Malachi Richardson, Garrett Temple, and Rudy Gay.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L5 +/- FP/Game L5 +/- True Usage L5 +/- DvP DRPM
Darren Collison $6,000 $6,800 0.75 30.9 6.0 23.2 8.6 21.9% 1.2% 17 -0.53
Ben McLemore $3,900 $4,000 0.55 17.9 14.0 9.9 11.0 18.1% -2.0% 20 -0.06
Arron Afflalo $3,500 $3,500 0.48 25.6 3.0 12.2 1.2 14.0% -2.1% 26 2.31
Anthony Tolliver $3,900 $4,000 0.61 23.2 2.7 14.1 1.6 13.1% 0.6% 19 0.28
Kosta Koufos $4,000 $3,900 0.78 19.1 -0.7 15.0 -2.1 14.1% -0.6% 25 0.35
Buddy Hield $4,600 $4,600 0.70 20.4 0.3 14.2 3.5 20.6% -2.2% 20 N/A
Tyreke Evans $6,100 $5,000 1.07 18.2 5.1 19.4 1.0 30.6% -4.0% 20 N/A
Willie Cauley-Stein $4,800 $5,600 0.86 13.0 8.8 11.2 11.6 19.0% 6.6% 19 N/A

Elite Plays – Willie Cauley-Stein (FD), Ty Lawson

Secondary Plays – Willie Cauley-Stein (DK), Darren Collison, Buddy Hield, Tyreke Evans (DK GPP)

Atlanta Hawks at Orlando Magic – 7:00 PM ET

Atlanta Hawks Orlando Magic
Article Image Vegas Total 208.0 Article Image Vegas Total 208.0
Vegas Spread -3.0 Vegas Spread 3.0
Team Total 105.5 Team Total 102.5
Pace +/- -0.4 Pace +/- 0.8
Proj. Starter Dennis Schroder Kent Bazemore Thabo Sefolosha Paul Millsap Dwight Howard Proj. Starter Elfrid Payton Evan Fournier Terrence Ross Aaron Gordon Nikola Vucevic
Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C
Adj. DvP 25 25 18 15 18 Adj. DvP 15 26 28 9 8
DRPM -1.00 -0.93 -1.16 -0.82 2.10 DRPM -3.39 -0.56 3.01 3.82 2.31

Atlanta Hawks

The Atlanta Hawks got SMOKED last night against the Miami Heat. Dennis Schroder was suspended for that game due to having travel issues and not being able to report to the team in a timely manner after the All-Star break. Dennis Schroder is expected to start tonight’s game and should be considered an elite option against that Magic and their 25th-ranked adjusted DvP. Schroder had scored over 30 fantasy points in four straight starts and should also play over 30 minutes tonight. Paul Millsap only played 28 minutes against Miami but should be back over 30 against Orlando. I slightly prefer Dwight Howard to Millsap due to the discount, 24th-ranked rebounding differential for the Magic, and the fact Orlando is Howard’s former team. Howard has scored over 30 fantasy points in every meeting with the Magic this season. Thabo Sefolosha returned last night and ruined the rotation for us.

Considering the Hawks got blown out, it’ll be tough to trust Tim Hardaway Jr. at these slightly inflated salary levels. They are looking to work Sefolosha back into the starting lineup and that likely means moving THJ to the sixth-man role. Kent Bazemore is too volatile for my liking, and unless we can lock him in for 35+ minutes, I’ll look to Baze-less. Ersan Ilyasova also joined this rotation and will be used primarily as Millsap’s backup. He’s not a viable fantasy option until his salary dips some more. Mike Muscala got some garbage time run last night and greatly exceeded value, but he’s not likely to replicate that production tonight.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L5 +/- FP/Game L5 +/- True Usage L5 +/- DvP DRPM
Dennis Schroder $6,500 $6,200 0.94 30.9 2.8 29.1 2.2 30.0% 0.6% 25 -1.00
Kent Bazemore $4,600 $4,500 0.76 27.4 -0.1 20.8 -1.0 20.7% -1.0% 25 -0.93
Thabo Sefolosha $3,600 $3,500 0.72 25.8 18.7 14.0% 18 -1.16
Paul Millsap $7,700 $7,300 1.05 34.2 2.3 35.9 -1.3 24.7% -2.8% 15 -0.82
Dwight Howard $7,200 $6,800 1.13 29.5 -0.5 33.2 -3.4 18.1% -2.8% 18 2.10
Tim Hardaway $5,800 $5,700 0.79 25.1 9.7 19.9 8.1 22.5% -1.1% 25 N/A
Ersan Ilyasova $5,100 $4,900 0.90 26.9 -4.6 24.2 -4.8 22.9% 3.1% 15 N/A

Elite Plays – Dwight Howard, Dennis Schroder

Secondary Plays – Paul Millsap

Orlando Magic

The Orlando stumbled out of the All-Star break losing to Portland at home. They’ll try to right the ship against Atlanta, but it’ll take a much more efficient game to win. Elfrid Payton started against the Blazers due to C.J. Watson being out with an Achilles injury. It’s fair to expect Watson to be out again and D.J. Augustin will be used as the backup point guard. Dennis Schroder has been a poor defender all season long, evidenced by his -3.39 DPRM. Therefore, Elfrid Payton should be able to exploit Schroder, but Payton remains a GPP option due to the fact all the other point guards on the early slate are much more reliable than him. Payton will likely have the least amount of ownership and should see 30 minutes tonight. Augustin played 25 minutes against Portland and should also be considered a viable second guard for tournaments. He’s listed as a minimum-priced player on both major sites.

If I’m paying up for a center on this slate, Nikola Vucevic will not be the guy that I look towards. Vuce has not scored over 30 fantasy points against the Hawks this season but should play 30 minutes if he can stay out of foul trouble. Evan Fournier is coming off a game where he played 38 minutes and should be considered a high-floor option. Terrence Ross played 33 minutes in his start against Portland is likely the higher upside play on FanDuel. DraftKings got hip to Ross’s start and minutes and bumped his salary up. It’ll be tough to expect Ross to pick up three steals again tonight. Mario Hezonja looks like a lock for 25 minutes off the bench, but he’ll need to play over 30 minutes to really provide a substantial return on his salary. He’s cheap across the industry but lacks elite upside. Aaron Gordon is the starter at power forward and should play 30+ minutes, but I can’t trust power forwards against the Hawks and Millsap (3.82 DPRM). The sites even bumped his salary up, so he’s no longer under $5k.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L5 +/- FP/Game L5 +/- True Usage L5 +/- DvP DRPM
Elfrid Payton $5,400 $5,500 0.91 29.1 -3.1 26.5 -9.1 25.6% 1.6% 15 -3.39
Evan Fournier $5,500 $6,100 0.78 33.1 2.9 25.8 2.6 24.1% 2.0% 26 -0.56
Terrence Ross $3,700 $4,500 0.76 22.3 -1.1 16.9 -0.6 18.7% 1.8% 28 3.01
Aaron Gordon $5,000 $5,400 0.76 27.6 2.9 20.9 2.0 19.5% -2.2% 9 3.82
Nikola Vucevic $7,300 $7,400 1.13 28.5 1.7 32.2 1.0 25.0% 1.9% 8 2.31
Jeff Green $3,700 $3,700 0.65 23.2 -2.0 15.1 0.3 19.9% 0.2% 28 N/A
D.J. Augustin $3,500 $3,000 0.69 20.7 1.3 14.3 -4.5 21.3% -5.0% 15 N/A

Elite Plays – Evan Fournier (cash)

Secondary Plays – Elfrid Payton (GPP), Terrence Ross (FD GPP), D.J. Augustin (GPP)

Philadelphia 76ers at New York Knicks – 7:30 PM ET

Philadelphia 76ers New York Knicks
Article Image Vegas Total 216.5 Article Image Vegas Total 216.5
Vegas Spread 5.0 Vegas Spread -5.0
Team Total 105.8 Team Total 110.8
Pace +/- 0.6 Pace +/- 1.7
Proj. Starter T.J. McConnell Gerald Henderson Robert Covington Dario Saric Jahlil Okafor Proj. Starter Derrick Rose Courtney Lee Lance Thomas Carmelo Anthony Willy Hernangomez
Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C
Adj. DvP 12 19 20 29 16 Adj. DvP 13 22 13 4 30
DRPM -3.06 -1.14 -1.18 -1.92 1.41 DRPM 0.04 -1.79 3.68 -1.27 -1.34

Philadelphia 76ers

What a win by the Sixers last night against the Washington Wizards. Dario Saric, “The Homie,” had his second consecutive 20/10 game, and he has now picked up a double-double in three straight games. His salary actually went down $500 on FanDuel and he should be considered the chalk lock. If he continues playing like this, he’ll be over $7k very soon. Richaun Holmes outplayed Jahlil Okafor last night, but we can’t expect him to pick up five blocks again. Holmes will pick up considerable ownership today, but he’s still not going to play over 30 minutes. He’s a viable option because he’s so cheap, but I worry about the GPP viability due to expected heavy ownership. Jahlil Okafor should also play more than 21 minutes, but I can’t say that with much confidence. Robert Covington had his second-best fantasy performance of the season last night and played 38 minutes. We should expect the heavy minutes again, and he should be able to make salary-based expectations. While I don’t expect him to approach 50 fantasy points, he should be able to score over 30 against a team that is 25th in defensive efficiency.

Gerald Henderson also had a strong game against Wizards but he has rarely shown consistency. He’s still a viable option, but one who lacks elite upside. T.J. McConnell is a high-floor option who should also see 30+ minutes tonight. Justin Anderson did not debut for the Sixers last night, but I’d expect him to get some burn tonight. It’s possible his availability causes Covington to play slightly fewer minutes on the second night of a back-to-back.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L5 +/- FP/Game L5 +/- True Usage L5 +/- DvP DRPM
T.J. McConnell $6,200 $5,600 0.82 24.9 6.5 20.5 9.6 19.4% 0.0% 12 -3.06
Gerald Henderson $3,600 $3,400 0.66 24.0 1.2 16.0 -0.9 17.7% 2.6% 19 -1.14
Robert Covington $6,800 $6,400 0.81 31.1 1.6 25.2 7.2 18.1% 2.3% 20 -1.18
Dario Saric $5,700 $6,900 0.84 24.4 3.4 20.5 14.1 22.5% 4.8% 29 -1.92
Jahlil Okafor $5,400 $5,500 0.89 23.0 -1.6 20.4 -0.7 22.2% 0.0% 16 1.41
Nik Stauskas $4,100 $3,900 0.59 27.0 1.5 15.8 7.8 16.4% 1.9% 19 N/A
Richaun Holmes $3,500 $4,400 0.92 15.9 2.0 14.7 -3.1 17.6% -6.7% 29 N/A

Elite Plays – Robert Covington, Dario Saric

Secondary Plays – Richaun Holmes, T.J. McConnell

New York Knicks

The Knicks are expected to be without Kristaps Porzingis after he suffered an ankle injury on Thursday. Lance Thomas will likely start at one forward spot and Carmelo Anthony will be the other forward. Anthony has played 38 or more minutes in three straight games and should be considered an elite option against the Sixers. According to CourtIQ, Anthony has a 36.1 percent usage rate with Joakim Noah and Porzingis off the floor. It’s a 3.9 percent increase and he scores 3.21 more fantasy points per 36 minutes. Derrick Rose should also be considered an elite option against Philadelphia tonight. Rose has a 27.4 percent usage rate with Porzingis and Noah off the court and should play 30+ minutes. Willy Hernangomez continues to churn out excellent fantasy lines and should also be in play tonight against the Sixers. Philadelphia ranks 25th in rebounding differential and the HernanGOAT is averaging 10.75 rebounds in his four starts this season.

Courtney Lee is coming off his best fantasy performance of the season, and I doubt he can string it together for another game. Still, it’s against the Sixers, KP6, and Noah are out, and his salary remains under $5k on both major sites. I’d rather lock in the other three Knicks, but Lee is not a terrible option. Lance Thomas played 31 minutes with Porzingis out and should start tonight and play over 30 minutes again. He lacks elite upside but should be able to make his floor. Brandon Jennings is not a high-upside play as long as Derrick Rose is healthy.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L5 +/- FP/Game L5 +/- True Usage L5 +/- DvP DRPM
Derrick Rose $6,400 $6,700 0.90 32.2 1.0 28.8 1.1 28.0% -3.2% 13 0.04
Courtney Lee $4,800 $4,600 0.60 31.3 3.4 18.9 6.6 14.3% 0.5% 22 -1.79
Lance Thomas $3,600 $3,000 0.47 17.4 3.6 8.2 3.6 13.2% -4.5% 13 3.68
Carmelo Anthony $8,500 $8,500 1.06 34.0 4.2 35.9 3.6 29.5% -0.7% 4 -1.27
Willy Hernangomez $5,900 $6,500 1.01 15.7 7.7 15.8 9.7 18.9% -2.8% 30 -1.34
Brandon Jennings $4,900 $4,000 0.78 25.0 -3.0 19.6 -4.4 22.0% -3.3% 13 N/A

Elite Plays – Carmelo Anthony, Derrick Rose, Willy Hernangomez

Secondary Plays – Lance Thomas

Indiana Pacers at Miami Heat – 8:00 PM ET

Indiana Pacers Miami Heat
Article Image Vegas Total 208.0 Article Image Vegas Total 208.0
Vegas Spread 3.5 Vegas Spread -3.5
Team Total 102.3 Team Total 105.8
Pace +/- -1.1 Pace +/- 0.3
Proj. Starter Jeff Teague Glenn Robinson Paul George Thaddeus Young Myles Turner Proj. Starter Goran Dragic Rodney McGruder Dion Waiters Luke Babbitt Hassan Whiteside
Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C
Adj. DvP 4 5 5 10 19 Adj. DvP 19 12 16 22 6
DRPM -2.47 -1.02 -0.16 1.60 2.22 DRPM -0.25 -0.61 -0.32 2.44 1.88

Indiana Pacers

The Pacers defeated the Memphis Grizzlies last night, but no thanks to Paul George. PG-13 suffered a cramp in the game, but he is expected to play tonight. George rarely has games where he makes us really regret passing on him. With so many elite players available today, it’ll be tough to recommend and use George. Jeff Teague should play over 30 minutes and should be able to make salary-based expectations. The Heat rank fourth in adjusted DvP, but Goran Dragic carries a -2.47 DPRM on the season. Myles Turner looks like a lock for 30 minutes if he can stay out of foul trouble against Hassan Whiteside. Turner is under $6k on DraftKings, but by selecting him you’re missing out on some potentially better plays like Hernangomez and DeMarcus Cousins. Thaddeus Young returned from his absence and played 25 minutes. I’d expect him to approach 30 minutes tonight, but he’s not a high-upside play either.

C.J. Miles started against Memphis and scored over 30 fantasy points in 22 minutes. I’m not sure he can be that efficient again or hit five triples, but he’s still only $3.6k on both major sites. Monta Ellis also shot 70 percent against the Grizzlies, and I’d expect him to come back to earth considering he’s playing off the bench. He’s still averaging over 20 fantasy points in his last seven games, but I can’t convince myself to pay $5k on FanDuel for Ellis. He’s a more manageable $4k on DraftKings. Al Jefferson missed last night game due to dental pain and is questionable for tonight. Lavoy Allen returned from his three-game absence due to a sore knee and played 21 minutes. He also exceeded salary-based expectations and will likely be used if Turner gets into foul trouble. Rakeem Christmas gave the Pacers 13 solid minutes, and it led to Kevin Seraphin being limited to two minutes.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L5 +/- FP/Game L5 +/- True Usage L5 +/- DvP DRPM
Jeff Teague $6,900 $7,100 1.03 32.6 -1.6 33.6 -7.7 26.3% -5.2% 4 -2.47
Glenn Robinson $3,600 $3,000 0.58 21.9 -2.0 12.7 0.5 12.2% -1.0% 5 -1.02
Paul George $8,100 $7,900 0.99 35.7 1.1 35.4 -4.5 27.7% -1.5% 5 -0.16
Thaddeus Young $5,700 $5,200 0.79 31.1 24.5 16.2% 10 1.60
Myles Turner $6,400 $5,700 0.98 30.9 2.3 30.3 -1.4 19.6% 1.7% 19 2.22
Monta Ellis $5,000 $4,000 0.64 27.2 3.2 17.5 5.3 17.2% 0.6% 5 N/A

Elite Plays – C.J. Miles

Secondary Plays – Jeff Teague, Monta Ellis (DK), Myles Turner (DK)

Miami Heat

The Miami Heat handled the Atlanta Hawks last night and will return home tonight as favorites against Indiana. Goran Dragic only had to play 29 minutes against the Hawks, but he should be able to play 30+ minutes tonight with this game expected to be close and both teams playing on the second night of back-to-backs. Since Tyler Johnson has returned, Dragic has only greatly exceeded value in one game. I can’t pay $7.8k for the Dragon on FanDuel but he’s a much better option at $6.8k on DraftKings. Hassan Whiteside is also too expensive on FanDuel, sitting at $9.3k, but he’s only $8k on DraftKings. I still prefer Hernangomez at center, but Whiteside makes a strong case against the Pacers. They rank 27th in rebounding differential, and Whiteside has picked up 10 or more rebounds in 9 of his last 11 starts. I’d expect the ownership not to be there after his dud last night, but I’ll give him a pass due to the blowout and since he had to go against Dwight Howard. Whiteside scored 57.5 DraftKings fantasy points against the Pacers earlier this season. He grabbed 22 rebounds in that game, but Dion Waiters was not available.

Dion Waiters continues to mash out awesome lines, and he’s still relatively affordable on both major sites. I don’t consider him a high-upside play against Paul George, but he should be able to make his floor. Waiters is averaging 39.33 DKFP over his last 12 starts. Tyler Johnson had a magnificent game against the Hawks last night and only needed 26 minutes to score 40 DKFPs. We can’t expect him to shoot 82 percent again, but he should be able to exceed value on his $5.1k salary. He is slightly more expensive on FanDuel at $5.7k, but he averaging 29.6 FanDuel points over his last six games. James Johnson did not play over 30 minutes like he usually does, but he no longer an elite option with most of the team healthy.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L5 +/- FP/Game L5 +/- True Usage L5 +/- DvP DRPM
Goran Dragic $7,800 $6,800 0.98 34.3 0.5 33.6 -2.3 28.9% 1.5% 19 -0.25
Rodney McGruder $3,800 $3,300 0.52 26.2 3.0 13.7 5.5 12.4% 3.9% 12 -0.61
Dion Waiters $7,300 $7,000 0.88 30.9 4.5 27.2 11.3 26.9% 2.3% 16 -0.32
Luke Babbitt $3,500 $3,000 0.53 15.7 -2.5 8.3 -2.4 13.1% -3.1% 22 2.44
Hassan Whiteside $9,300 $8,000 1.17 32.9 -1.0 38.5 0.8 21.2% -2.5% 6 1.88
Tyler Johnson $5,700 $5,100 0.86 30.7 1.1 26.5 1.4 21.9% 0.5% 19 N/A
James Johnson $6,200 $5,800 0.93 26.6 5.4 24.9 7.5 23.0% 2.5% 22 N/A

Elite Plays – Tyler Johnson, Hassan Whiteside (DK)

Secondary Plays – Goran Dragic (DK), Dion Waiters

Chicago Bulls at Cleveland Cavaliers – 8:30 PM ET

Chicago Bulls Cleveland Cavaliers
Article Image Vegas Total 216.0 Article Image Vegas Total 216.0
Vegas Spread 11.0 Vegas Spread -11.0
Team Total 102.5 Team Total 113.5
Pace +/- 0.4 Pace +/- -1.5
Proj. Starter Jerian Grant Dwyane Wade Jimmy Butler Bobby Portis Robin Lopez Proj. Starter Kyrie Irving Iman Shumpert LeBron James Channing Frye Tristan Thompson
Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C
Adj. DvP 26 21 24 6 10 Adj. DvP 20 16 22 17 5
DRPM -1.82 -0.06 0.80 -0.93 1.91 DRPM 0.17 -0.60 1.86 -0.53 0.21

Chicago Bulls

The Bulls won in overtime last night against the Phoenix Suns. Tonight, they’ll travel to Cleveland and take on the Cavs in a nationally televised game. LeBron James is being listed as questionable, and while it does not do much to the rotation of Chicago, James’s availability will really decide if the Bulls can keep this competitive. Jimmy Butler needed overtime to salvage his fantasy performance. We’ve been able to get strong returns using small forwards against LeBron James this season, and Butler should be considered elite regardless of James’s status. Dwyane Wade played 32 minutes last night and was able to exceed value, as well; he should be able to do so once again tonight, as he might be amped up to play on national TV and against his former teammate. The Cavs have leaked against shooting guards this season, so Wade is a strong option in all formats.

Nikola Mirotic played 37 minutes last night, and if you thought Bobby Portis was freed, you thought wrong. Mirotic is a boom-or-bust option and is rarely consistent. Still, he’s not that expensive and should be able to at least hit 20 fantasy points with Taj Gibson out of town. Bobby Portis should start again and is a viable GPP play on FanDuel, where he sits at $4.2k. He’ll likely have no ownership after burning people in a heavy chalk spot. Denzel Valentine showed why Doug McDermott was so expendable. Valentine played 34 minutes and scored over 30 fantasy points. We can’t expect him to hit five three-pointers again, but he should be a part of this rotation moving forward. Valentine is listed as a minimum-salaried player on both major sites. Robin Lopez played 36 minutes with Gibson out of town and is also a viable low-end play. Cameron Payne is expected to make his debut for Chicago tonight, meaning Rajon Rondo and Jerian Grant are all unplayable. Michael Carter-Williams has also been ruled out, but he was not going to be a viable option even if he played. Expect Jerian Grant to draw the start.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L5 +/- FP/Game L5 +/- True Usage L5 +/- DvP DRPM
Jerian Grant $3,500 $3,500 0.65 16.4 5.1 10.7 2.2 17.8% -1.9% 26 -1.82
Dwyane Wade $8,000 $7,200 1.07 30.4 -2.3 32.6 0.1 31.3% -1.2% 21 -0.06
Jimmy Butler $9,300 $9,000 1.14 36.6 -0.5 41.7 -0.6 29.4% 0.6% 24 0.80
Bobby Portis $4,200 $5,000 0.80 12.1 3.3 9.7 5.4 17.9% 5.4% 6 -0.93
Robin Lopez $4,900 $4,700 0.78 28.0 -3.1 21.9 2.3 16.6% 8.2% 10 1.91
Rajon Rondo $4,700 $4,500 0.87 26.3 -3.5 23.0 -3.2 22.3% 4.1% 26 N/A

Elite Plays – Jimmy Butler, Dwyane Wade

Secondary Plays – Denzel Valentine, Nikola Mirotic (GPP), Robin Lopez

Cleveland Cavaliers

LeBron James missed shootaround this morning due to an illness and is being listed as questionable for tonight’s game. I’d expect him to play on a national TV game against his former teammate, but we likely won’t find out until after lineups lock. If LeBron James is out, we have to consider Kyrie Irving an elite option in all formats. He was already a strong play against the Bulls, but now it might be a bad idea to skip on Irving. Irving has a 47.4 usage rate with James, Love, Smith, and Andersen off. Richard Jefferson will start in place of James if he is out, but he lacks truly elite upside. Channing Frye will likely take on a heavier scoring burden with LBJ out, and he’s fairly priced on both major sites. Tristan Thompson has been putting in work over the last four games and has played 30+ minutes in nine straight games. He might not have elite upside, but he should be able to make value. If James misses, we have to also consider Derrick Williams. Williams has played over 20 minutes in five straight games and played 27 minutes against the Knicks on Thursday. He’s not safe for cash but does have some GPP appeal. Kyle Korver has been hot over his last two games, but he does not create for himself. He’ll need Irving to set him up to really exceed value. Korver has taken 12 shot attempts in consecutive games for the first time as a member of the Cavs.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L5 +/- FP/Game L5 +/- True Usage L5 +/- DvP DRPM
Kyrie Irving $8,900 $8,400 1.05 35.2 -0.9 37.1 1.9 31.7% 1.6% 20 0.17
Iman Shumpert $3,600 $3,400 0.60 25.4 -0.7 15.1 -4.3 13.9% 0.6% 16 -0.60
LeBron James $11,100 $11,000 1.28 37.5 -0.9 48.0 -1.0 32.9% -2.4% 22 1.86
Channing Frye $5,300 $5,500 0.86 18.5 4.6 15.9 4.3 19.2% 0.5% 17 -0.53
Tristan Thompson $6,400 $6,000 0.79 30.0 4.2 23.6 6.0 11.1% 1.4% 5 0.21
Kyle Korver $4,500 $4,800 0.64 27.0 0.2 17.2 5.8 14.9% 0.0% 16 N/A

Elite Plays – Kyrie Irving, LeBron James (if he plays)

Secondary Plays – Derrick Williams, Channing Frye, Kyle Korver, Tristan Thompson,

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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.