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NBA Grind Down: Saturday, February 27th

by Andy Smith (a25smith) Last Updated 2016-02-29 14:42:34

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.

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Miami at Boston – 03:00 PM

Miami Boston
miaminba Vegas Total 211 bostonnba Vegas Total 211
Vegas Sprd 5.5 Vegas Sprd -5.5
Team Proj. 103.0 Team Proj. 108.5
Team Pace 95.19 Team Pace 101.46
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 Goran Dragic Dwyane Wade Justise Winslow Luol Deng Amar’e Stoudemire Proj Starter Isaiah Thomas Avery Bradley Jae Crowder Amir Johnson Jared Sullinger
Opp. Season 1 9 19 26 26 Opp. Season 2 3 16 3 6
Opp. Last 7 9 16 24 9 26 Opp. Last 7 7 18 18 12 4

Miami

Record: 32-25 — Road: 14-13 — Last 10: 6-4

Miami has managed to stay afloat despite the loss of Chris Bosh, and got a boost as they signed Joe Johnson off waivers. They’ll head on the road to face a very good Boston team, but this will be a pace up game for Miami and their team total is 5.4 points higher than their season average.

With Chris Bosh out, we’ve seen several of the Heat see big fantasy boosts. Dwyane Wade, Luol Deng, Hassan Whiteside, and Goran Dragic have all had their moments since the All Star break. I’ll shy away from Dragic today as Boston has been elite against opposing PG, but Wade, Deng and Hassan all merit consideration. Each are fine options, but not quite elite options for me as today features some very high scoring games.

Elite Plays

NONE

Secondary Plays

Luol Deng

His price is on the rise so he’s not a core building block for me like he was a few games ago as SF has some quality options today. However, he’s still a rock solid option that I have no issue plugging into my lineups. The move to PF has served him very well as he’s seen a big rebounding uptick with four straight double digit rebounding games. Without Bosh, he’s also seen more usage and has attempted at least 15 FGA in four straight games (averages 9 on the season). The Celtics are 26th in DVP against PF on the season and even at his new higher salary Deng has still reached 5x value on FD in each of his past four games.

FD — $6,000— SF
DK — $6,400– SF
Min/Game —Season: 31.7 | Last Two Games: 34.4
FP/Game — Season: 21.7

Dwyane Wade

I typically shy away from PG and SG against the Celtics as they have two very good perimeter defenders in Avery Bradley and Marcus Smart so he’s not an elite option for me. However, Wade sees an elite usage boost with Chris Bosh out, which offsets the tougher matchup. If you’re being contrarian and taking more of a balanced approach then he’s a solid option, and fared just fine in the first meeting this year with 30 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists.

FD — $7,500— SG
DK — $7,000– SG
Min/Game —Season: 30.5 | Last Two Games: 36.0
FP/Game — Season: 31.3

Hassan Whiteside

He’s always a secondary cash game option for me as he can be a very volatile asset, but he does present huge upside, especially today. The Celtics struggle to rebound the ball and are 26th in DVP against centers on the season. He’s coming off of three consecutive big games and there are rumors he may move back into the starting lineup. If you’re playing the All Day Slate, he is a guy that is worth a long long in a tournament as it will be tough to pay up at center today.

FD — $8,200— C
DK — $7,900– C
Min/Game —Season: 28.6 | Last Five Games: 31.8
FP/Game — Season: 33.8

Boston

Record: 34-25 — Home: 18-10 — Last 10: 7-3

Miami has been a team that I have avoided this season as they play at a slow pace and have been very good defensively. However, Vegas is telling us that this game will be played at Boston’s pace and they have Boston projected at 2.3 points higher than their season average.

The Heat’s season long defensive numbers are all elite so it’s tough to nail down where Boston’s 108 points will come from. With Chris Bosh out, the Heat may not be the same elite defensive team and may be forced to play faster. In the four games since the All Star break, they’ve held two teams under 100 points, but allowed more than 110 points twice. It’s always tough to nail down Boston’s front court rotation but with Kelly Olynk out, the minutes for Jared Sullinger have stabilized. I do worry that with Miami starting Luol Deng at PF that we could see lots of small ball from Boston today though. I’ll avoid Isaiah Thomas as Miami has been solid against PG and he’s a little banged up, but small ball would benefit the Celtics wings like Avery Bradley, Evan Turner and Jae Crowder.

Elite Plays

NONE

Secondary Plays

Avery Bradley

I’m having a hard time nailing down where Boston’s 108 points are going to come from so I’m happy this is not a main slate game. My favorite plays here would be Bradley and Jae Crowder, and Miami has struggled against those positions recently. I have other SF ahead of Crowder, but Bradley offers elite minutes at what is typically a weak position. In close games, he’ll play upwards of 40 minutes and had 25 real points against Miami earlier this year.

FD — $5,600— SG
DK — $5,400– SG
Min/Game —Season: 33.3 | Last Five Games: 36.6
FP/Game — Season: 23.6

Minnesota at New Orleans – 07:00 PM

Minnesota New Orleans
minnesotanba Vegas Total 217 neworleansnba Vegas Total 217
Vegas Sprd +4 Vegas Sprd -4
Team Proj. 106.5 Team Proj. 110.5
Team Pace 97.00 Team Pace 98.52
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 Ricky Rubio Andrew Wiggins Tayshaun Prince Gorgui Dieng Karl-Anthony Towns Proj Starter Norris Cole Eric Gordon Dante Cunningham Anthony Davis Alexis Ajinca
Opp. Season 17 25 13 15 29 Opp. Season 22 18 15 7 8
Opp. Last 7 30 9 13 17 18 Opp. Last 7 21 26 28 2 22

Minnesota

Record: 18-40 — Road: 8-20 — Last 10: 4-6

All eyes will be on the Golden State/Oklahoma City matchup tonight (and for good reason) but that offers us the potential to get other games and elite players at reduced ownership. This game is one of the games I’m eyeing in tournaments as it checks in with a very nice 217 point total, and Minnesota with a +5.6 point differential.

Minnesota will continue to be light on the interior so Karl-Anthony Towns and Gorgui Dieng should continue to see extended run. New Orleans is a bottom ten team in every defensive metric so this is a nice spot to target the Minnesota youngsters, who are seeing extended run.

UPDATE – I always forget to talk about Andrew Wiggins as he’s not a guy I typically roster as he’s so scoring dependent. However, this game should feature plenty of points so I think he’s a solid option as the matchup is there, but he’s not a guy I’m actively targeting

Elite Plays

Karl-Anthony Towns (GPP)

It’s tough to fit him in cash games as his price is elevated and you’ll likely want at least two stars from the Warriors/Thunder. However, many will take that approach and paying up at center will be contrarian tonight due to the high salaries of Westbrook, Curry and Durant. That puts Towns (along with Drummond) in elite GPP territory for me as his matchup is perfect. The Pelicans have been shredded all year long by centers and Towns has seen a big minute and production spike.

FD — $8,900— C
DK — $8,600– C
Min/Game —Season: 30.6 | Last Five Games: 37.0
FP/Game — Season: 34.6

Gorgui Dieng

Unlike Towns, I do think we will see Dieng be highly owned on a site like FD as his salary fits alongside two high priced stars, and getting exposure to the Minnesota front court is a great idea. He makes for a great cash game option on FD as he’s playing huge minutes and has topped 29 FD points in each of his last ten games. In the last meeting with the Pelicans, he put up 12 points, 12 rebounds and 4 assists in 31 minutes.

FD — $6,500— PF
DK — $6,800– PF
Min/Game —Season: 26.3 | Last Five Games: 37.6
FP/Game — Season: 23

Secondary Plays

Ricky Rubio (elite on DK)

I had basically written him off earlier this year as his minutes were incredibly frustrating and unpredictable. However, he’s averaged a fantasy point per minute on the season, and his minutes have been on the uptick. He’s put together three quality games in a row and is averaging almost 35 MPG over his last five games. I particularly like his price on DK where he is very affordable and there is a triple double bonus.

FD — $6,900— PG
DK — $6,400– PG
Min/Game —Season: 30.6 | Last Five Games: 34.8
FP/Game — Season: 30.4

Zach LaVine

Today looks like it will take on more of a stars and scrubs approach so LaVine stands out at a potential solid value option to help fit the high priced stars. He’s moving in and out of the starting lineup with Tayshaun Prince, but is seeing minutes regardless. He’s averaging 8 MPG over his season average and while he hasn’t shown huge upside, he’s consistently producing 20 fantasy points a night.

FD — $4,900— SG
DK — $5,300– SG
Min/Game —Season: 24.8 | Last Five Games: 32.4
FP/Game — Season: 21

New Orleans

Record: 23-34 — Home: 16-12 — Last 10: 5-5

The Pelicans are in a really nice spot tonight as they’ll face a Minnesota team that has really struggled on the road and they have a team total 7.8 points higher than their season average.

The big news to note is that Eric Gordon is returning to the lineup today. I haven’t seen whether he’s on a minutes restriction, but that news should be available later today. His return could cut into the shot attempts for guys like Norris Cole and Jrue Holiday so it’s something to monitor today. I’ll stay away from Cole but do still like Holiday as a tournament option. If Gordon is not on a minutes restriction, you could take a shot with him, but I typically wait a few games for the player to get their rhythm back.

Elite Plays

Anthony Davis (GPP)

Like Karl-Anthony Towns, I like Davis as an elite tournament option tonight, but he doesn’t make the cut for cash games as he’s been too volatile and the Warriors/Thunder are in too good of a spot. However, he’s shown monster upside and Minnesota’s defense has really been slipping. In the two meetings with Minnesota, he’s averaging 31 real PPG and we can grab him at low ownership today.

FD — $10,200— PF
DK — $10,000– PF
Min/Game —Season: 35.7 | Last Five Games: 39.0
FP/Game — Season: 44.2

Secondary Plays

Jrue Holiday

He’s been terrific recently, but his minutes can still be frustrating and he’s coming off the bench. The Pelicans are also getting Eric Gordon back, which could cut into his shot attempts. I love the upside he’s shown at his price point, but view him more as a tournament option tonight.

FD — $7,700— PG
DK — $7,700– PG
Min/Game —Season: 26.5 | Last Five Games: 31.0
FP/Game — Season: 28.6

Portland at Chicago – 08:00 PM

Portland Chicago
portlandnba Vegas Total chicagonba Vegas Total
Vegas Sprd Vegas Sprd
Team Proj. Team Proj.
Team Pace 97.71 Team Pace 98.71
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 Damian Lillard C.J. McCollum Al-Farouq Aminu Noah Vonleh Mason Plumlee Proj Starter E’Twaun Moore Tony Snell Mike Dunleavy Taj Gibson Pau Gasol
Opp. Season 28 15 24 20 25 Opp. Season 16 21 7 18 20
Opp. Last 7 26 13 8 27 8 Opp. Last 7 14 30 21 7 24

Portland

Record: 30-28 — Road: 11-16 — Last 10: 8-2

The total and spread on this game are still TBD as we’re awaiting the status of Derrick Rose, who has missed the last two games. This isn’t a bad spot for Portland as they’ll face a Chicago team that is really struggling defensively and is on the back end of a back to back.

In terms of fantasy production, the Bulls have been a great to target. The problem with Portland is that outside of Damian Lillard and C. J. McCollum, the minutes of the rest of their players can be very tough to nail down. Mason Plumlee and Al-Farouq Aminu both draw quality matchups, and I’d be most interested in Plumlee. His minutes are all over the map so he’s not an elite or secondary option for me, but he does offer 6x upside as a large field tournament option.

Elite Plays

NONE

Secondary Plays

Damian Lillard

He’s been terrific but with Stephen Curry and Russell Westbrook facing off, Lillard is a secondary option tonight. The matchup is certainly there tonight though as the Bulls are terrible against opposing PG, whether it’s Derrick Rose, Aaron Brooks or E’Twaun Moore. He’s playing great offensively and while I don’t like him as a cash game option, he should be very low owned for tournaments so that is where I would look to deploy him.

FD — $9,400— PG
DK — $9,600– PG
Min/Game —Season: 36.0 | Last Five Games: 35.2
FP/Game — Season: 40.5

C. J. McCollum

He’s not a cash game option as his price is tough to fit alongside some of the elite options, but he draws a quality matchup as the Bulls perimeter defense takes a big hit without Jimmy Butler. He also offers solid minute security as he’s played at least 37 minute in three straight games.

FD — $7,500— SG
DK — $7,500– SG
Min/Game —Season: 35.1 | Last Five Games: 34.4
FP/Game — Season: 32.3

Chicago

Record: 30-27 — Home: 19-10 — Last 10: 4-6

The Bulls have really hit a rough spot and are really struggling without Jimmy Butler, and have been without Derrick Rose for the last two games. I’ve seen Rose listed some places as doubtful so his status will need to be monitored.

Portland is an averaged defensive team and they’ve really struggled on the road so this is a solid spot for the Bulls. With Rose out the past two games, E’Twaun Moore has shifted to PG, with Tony Snell stepping in at SG. Rose is the big injury to watch as there is plenty of usage to go around if he sits, and with tonight taking on a stars and scrubs approach, guys like Doug McDermott, Mike Dunleavy, E’Twaun Moore, and Bobby Portis get a boost. If Rose happens to play, he draws a great matchup against the weak defense of Damian Lillard so he’d be a tournament option but is difficult to trust in cash games.

Elite Plays

NONE

Secondary Plays

Pau Gasol

Pau has been sick and has looked a little worn down but is still posting quality numbers. His price is a little tough to squeeze in tonight alongside the Warrior/Thunder options so he’s a secondary option. However, Portland really struggles against centers and the offense will run through him if Derrick Rose sits so he falls into that category of top players that we can get at reduced ownership tonight.

FD — $9,000— C
DK — $8,500– C
Min/Game —Season: 32.0 | Last Five Games: 33.0
FP/Game — Season: 38.4

Bulls value options

If Derrick Rose sits, extra usage will trickle down to guys like Mike Dunleavy, Doug McDermott, E’Twaun Moore and Bobby Portis. Each has their moments where they’ve produced solid value and are very cheap, but they’ve also disappointed at times. Moore and Dunleavy should start regardless of whether Rose plays, while McDermott and Portis are leading the Chicago bench unit. McDermott in particular has played very well since the All Star break. Each are guys you can consider in a stars and scrubs lineup, but aren’t guys I’d go all-in on.

San Antonio at Houston – 08:00 PM

San Antonio Houston
sanantonionba Vegas Total 213 houstonnba Vegas Total 213
Vegas Sprd -6.0 Vegas Sprd 6.0
Team Proj. 109.5 Team Proj. 103.5
Team Pace 96.40 Team Pace 99.75
Matchup – Opponent DvP Ranks and Projected Starters Matchup – Opponent DvP Ranks and Projected Starters
DvP Rks PG SG SF PF C DvP Rks PG SG SF PF C
Proj Starter Tony Parker Danny Green Kawhi Leonard LaMarcus Aldridge Tim Duncan Proj Starter Patrick Beverley James Harden Trevor Ariza Josh Smith Dwight Howard
Opp. Season 15 22 28 30 17 Opp. Season 5 1 1 6 4
Opp. Last 7 2 22 19 22 1 Opp. Last 7 10 2 1 21 7

San Antonio

Record: 49-9 — Road: 21-9 — Last 10: 9-1

The Spurs head on the road, where they have at least been somewhat human, but draw a great matchup with a bad Houston defense. They are projected to score almost 110 points, and outside of a guy like Danny Green, they could go overlooked tonight.

The Rockets are awful in every defensive metric and with this game being in Houston, it is expected to remain competitive. The Spurs pasted the Rockets in the previous two meetings, but those came in San Antonio,and Houston actually won the earlier meeting between these teams in Houston.

Elite Plays

Kawhi Leonard

Kawhi has returned from injury and has averaged 41 FD PPG in just 31.5 MPG, including an impressive 45 FD points against Utah. The Rockets are 28th in DVP against SF and Kawhi put up a big outing in the only competitive game between these teams this year.

FD — $7,900— SF
DK — $7,600– SF
Min/Game —Season: 32.4 | Last Five Games: 31.5
FP/Game — Season: 36.1

Danny Green

It’s tough to list Green as an elite play as he’s been very bad for the majority of the season. However, he’s very cheap so he fits in nicely with the Warriors and Thunder top players. He also is seeing a minutes increase with Manu Ginobili out, and has torched Houston in their last two matchups with 18 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals, and 18 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals.

FD — $4,400— SG
DK — $4,700– SG
Min/Game —Season: 25.9 | Last Five Games: 27.6
FP/Game — Season: 17.2

Secondary Plays

LaMarcus Aldridge

I really like Aldridge as a tournament option tonight as he’s destroyed the Rockets over the years. His usage and minutes make him a tough roster for cash games, but he is affordable. The Rockets are dead last in DVP against PF and Aldridge has played well against them this year averaging 22.3 PPG, 9.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists.

FD — $7,000— PF
DK — $6,700– PF
Min/Game —Season: 29.9 | Last Five Games: 31.8
FP/Game — Season: 30.4

Houston

Record: 29-29 — Home: 16-13 — Last 10: 4-6

The Rockets return home and played better ball on their road trip. However, they face an elite Spurs team that has rolled them in their previous two meetings.

The Spurs are the leagues’ elite defense and I’ve just avoided targeting players against them. That won’t change today, even with James Harden being likely very low owned. The Spurs perimeter defense is elite and they’ve held Harden to just 19 PPG, 3.0 rebounds and 4.7 assists in the three meetings this year. The only guy I’d have some interest in would be Dwight Howard, but even then I much prefer guys like Drummond, Towns, and Gasol, if I’m spending at center.

Elite Plays

NONE

Secondary Plays

NONE

Golden State at Oklahoma City – 08:30 PM

Golden State Oklahoma City
goldenstatenba Vegas Total 234 oklahomacitynba Vegas Total 234
Vegas Sprd -3.5 Vegas Sprd 3.5
Team Proj. 118.8 Team Proj. 115.3
Team Pace 102.39 Team Pace 99.22
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 Stephen Curry Klay Thompson Harrison Barnes Draymond Green Andrew Bogut Proj Starter Russell Westbrook Andre Roberson Kevin Durant Serge Ibaka Steven Adams
Opp. Season 20 23 8 9 5 Opp. Season 26 12 12 12 27
Opp. Last 7 11 5 23 26 11 Opp. Last 7 23 23 3 15 30

Golden State

Record: 52-5 — Road: 28-5 — Last 10: 9-1

And finally we get to the game of the night, which is carrying a ridiculous total of 233 points as it features the two top scoring offenses in the NBA. The Warriors continue to look like a team that is set to make history, but will face one of their biggest challenges on the year as they head to OKC.

The Thunder’s defense is somewhat similar to the Warriors in that most of their metrics are solid, but because of the pace they play they allow plenty of points per game. These two teams met earlier this month, with the Warriors winning 116-108, and also met four times last year:

1. Golden State 91, Oklahoma City 86 (Durant and Westbrook DNP)
2. Golden State 114, Oklahoma City 109
3. Golden State 117, Oklahoma City 91
4. Oklahoma City 127, Golden State 115

As we can see, they’ve actually failed to hit the 233 point total, all but one time, but the stars in this obviously present elite options. The other side of the coin is that we KNOW they will be highly owned so it does present an opportunity to differentiate yourself in tournaments either through different stars or different value options. Because I’m projecting high ownership in this one, I went back and looked at some of the ownership percentages in FD Slam and $5 double up on the night they played this year, which I’ll note below.

Elite Plays

Stephen Curry

There’s not alot to say about Curry as he’s just from another planet. The Westbrook/Curry PG combo is sure to be popular, and we should see both guys really go at each other tonight. Neither has been very good defensively this season and Curry thrives in these up and down games. It is worth noting, he was just average against the Thunder last year with 21.8 PPG, 6.3 rebounds and 6.8 assists, but he put up 51.2 FD points in the matchup this season. I didn’t play on DK that night, but he was 37% owned in the Slam, and 39.5% owned in the large $5 double up.

FD — $11,100— PG
DK — $10,700– PG
Min/Game —Season: 33.8 | Last Five Games: 35.5
FP/Game — Season: 48.0

Draymond Green

I don’t love the way Green is playing right now and he’s really scuffling offensively, but his price has really come down. This is a game where he should see increased minutes and be ready to play. Given the reduced price and high total, I’m overlooking his recent struggles and at a minimum he makes for a solid cash game option, as he should rack up peripherals in a high paced game like this. He was just average in the first meeting with 9 points, 15 rebounds and 6 assists. As far as ownership he was 27% in the Slam and 33.8% in the large $5 double up.

FD — $8,100— PF
DK — $8,400– PF
Min/Game —Season: 34.1 | Last Five Games: 35.0
FP/Game — Season: 38.4

Secondary Plays

Klay Thompson

Klay is a guy I’ve mostly bumped down to tournament only this year as he’s scoring dependent and not the first option on his team. However, when he gets hot he has tournament winning upside and he’s flashed 40 to 50 fantasy upside recently. He does get a matchup downgrade as Dion Waiters has seen a reduction in minutes with Randy Foye and Andre Roberson available. Last year, he averaged 22.5, 4.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists against the Thunder last year, and he only put up 18 points and 4 rebounds this year against them. In terms of ownership he was 41% in the $5 double up, and 32% in the Slam.

FD — $7,000— SG
DK — $7,300– SG
Min/Game —Season: 32.9 | Last Five Games: 33.6
FP/Game — Season: 30.2

Harrison Barnes

He’s not a guy that is exciting and there are other SF that I prefer to pay up for, but he does provide cheap exposure to this game. He doesn’t offer much upside but in a game like this you can probably lock him in for 20 fantasy points or so and he had 19 points and four rebounds in the first meeting this year. He wasn’t highly owned earlier this year as Stanley Johnson was an elite value option that night, but I would expect higher ownership tonight.

FD — $4,400— SF
DK — $5,000– SF
Min/Game —Season: 29.5 | Last Five Games: 30.0
FP/Game — Season: 21.0

Oklahoma City

Record: 41-17 — Home: 25-7 — Last 10: 6-4

The Thunder have scuffled a bit over their last ten, but they should be ready to go for this one and the Thunder crowd should be wild. They have a team total 5.7 points higher than their season average so this is a great spot for both Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.

In terms of efficiency, the Warriors are a great defensive team but due to their pace they allow a solid amount of real points and fantasy points. The Thunder are pretty easy to break down as they are all about Durant and Westbrook. Their other players are all risky options due to low usage, and the only other options worth a peek would be their centers Steven Adams and Enes Kanter.

Elite Plays

Russell Westbrook

The Warriors have been shredded by opposing PG recently so this is a great spot for Westbrook. Against GS last year, he averaged 24 PPG, 8.3 rebounds and 9.7 assists, and he put up 51.6 FD points in the first game between these two. In terms of ownership he was by far the most popular option from this game as he was 57% owned in the Slam,and 69% in the double up.

FD — $11,000— PG
DK — $11,000– PG
Min/Game —Season: 34.4 | Last Five Games: 36.0
FP/Game — Season: 49.4

Kevin Durant

It seems like the Warriors could matchup ok with Durant as they have lots of wing defenders, but certainly wasn’t the case earlier this year as he lit them up for 40 points, 14 rebounds, and 5 assists. In games like this, he’ll play upwards of 40 minutes and is the elite option at SF. He was 28.8% owned in the $5 double up, and 30.7% in the Slam. I’m sure many will try to load up Curry, Durant and Westbrook, which is viable on FD. However I did notice the top two Slam lineups only had 2 of those three to provide more balance. The winning lineup paired Westbrook and Durant (and also third place by our own StlCardinals84), while 2nd place paired Curry and Durant.

FD — $10,400— SF
DK — $10,100– SF
Min/Game —Season: 36.1 | Last Five Games: 36.2
FP/Game — Season: 45.3

Secondary Plays

Enes Kanter

You could give a peek to Steven Adams as the Warriors are getting torched on the interior but I have him similarly projected to Brandan Wright so I’d rather save the $700 with Wright. Wright should be the chalk at center so if I’m saving at center I want someone with upside, and Kanter does provide that. His minutes are very up in the air but he does provide 30 fantasy point upside and had 14 points and 15 rebounds in the first game, in only 20 minutes. Given the minute uncertainty, he’s a GPP only option.

FD — $4,900— C
DK — $4,800– C
Min/Game —Season: 20.6 | Last Five Games: 20.0
FP/Game — Season: 21.8

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About the Author

a25smith
Andy Smith (a25smith)