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NBA Grind Down: Saturday, January 17th

by Ryan138 Last Updated 2015-01-20 15:30:02

Welcome to the RotoGrinders NBA Grind Down Article. Each day, we’ll break down all of the matchups with a focus on defense vs. position stats. The Grind Down shows you Vegas lines, defense stats and projected starting lineups for each and every game.

The analysis should point you in the right direction, but it is still up to you to decipher the information and make your own selections. Use this article to help you gain a better understanding of the matchups for the coming week and build from there. We have everything you could possibly need on our Daily Research console for you to be a successful daily fantasy player!

Note: Fantasy Point Average Listed Uses FanDuel Scoring. For more info on FanDuel’s NFL Scoring System, check out the scoring systems section of our FanDuel Review.

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Indiana at Charlotte – 7:00 pm EST

Indiana Charlotte
indiananba Vegas Total 188 charlottenba Vegas Total 188
Vegas Sprd 1.5 Vegas Sprd -1.5
Team Proj. 93.5 Team Proj. 95.0
Team Pace 95.55 Team Pace 95.16
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 C.J. Watson Rodney Stuckey Solomon Hill David West Roy Hibbert Proj Starter Kemba Walker Gerald Henderson Michael Kidd-Gilchrist Cody Zeller Bismack Biyombo
Opp. Season 13 20 3 12 9 Opp. Season 20 26 5 1 8
Opp. Last 7 2 29 6 14 9 Opp. Last 7 30 18 4 2 19

Indiana

We start the slate with one of the few games tonight that is featuring slow-paced teams with low totals. Indiana has continued to play stout defense this year allowing the third fewest points in the league, while keeping a low 95.5 pace. Indiana has been a tough team to predict recently as they have mixed up the starters and have had a lot of inconsistency in the minutes. No guards on the team are getting 30+ minutes and the big man rotation appears to be the same other than West getting about 30 each game. This makes it hard to target anyone heavily from this game.

Elite Plays

None

Secondary Plays

C.J. Miles – I would really only play him if he gets the start tonight, so check the news prior to tip, because he came off the bench last night. If he is starting he should get 30 minutes and launch enough shots to be able to hit value where he is cheap.

Charlotte

Kemba Walker is out for tonight’s game, and that means there is a lot of usage to go around to the rest of the Hornets with Jefferson continuing to be out as well. The total in this game is the lowest of the night at 189, but it will be a close game as the Hornets are two-point favorites.

Elite Plays

None

Secondary Plays

Brian Roberts – Roberts will get the start tonight in place of the injured Kemba Walker. I do see reports of him sharing PG duties with Stephenson and Gary Neal tonight which worries me. At the same time, Neal and Stephenson are both coming back from injuries and should not have their full compliment of minutes. I think Roberts is a safe min-salary play tonight, but may not have a huge ceiling.

Cody Zeller/Bismack Biyombo – Both of these guys are in the same boat for me. They are both coming off very good games, but are inconsistent and both have a tough match up. They are GPP fliers only, but you cannot ignore their recent performances and the availability of more shots tonight.

Philadelphia at Detroit – 7:30 pm EST

Philadelphia Detroit
philadelphianba Vegas Total 194 detroitnba Vegas Total 194
Vegas Sprd 13.5 Vegas Sprd -13.5
Team Proj. 90.5 Team Proj. 104.0
Team Pace 98.76 Team Pace 95.77
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 Michael Carter-Williams K.J. McDaniels Robert Covington Luc Richard Mbah a Moute Nerlens Noel Proj Starter Brandon Jennings Kentavious Caldwell-Pope Kyle Singler Greg Monroe Andre Drummond
Opp. Season 4 10 29 29 23 Opp. Season 24 30 21 30 30
Opp. Last 7 6 8 23 17 27 Opp. Last 7 19 14 2 12 30

Philadelphia

The 76ers come into this game as the usual double digit underdog. They are coming off a win against a depleted New Orleans team and the second game of a back to back should not affect the young squad tonight. Philadelphia will be without Wroten again tonight, but Covington did return last night from his one-game absence.

Elite Plays

Nerlens Noel – There are a few plays on each side that I feel are a bit risky when they really shouldn’t be. Noel is one of them. He has been playing his best basketball of the year recently and is also finally getting consistent minutes. He has a great matchup as the big men of Detroit have, for years, given up big time fantasy points. I do not expect him to put up 47, but hitting value at his low salary should easily be done tonight.

Michael Carter-Williams – This may turn into a point guard battle tonight between MCW and Jennings. Without Wroten, MCW really has to step up his scoring, and he clearly has with two 40+ point games since the Wroten injury. His price dropped from where it was earlier in the season and looks like a great time to put him in your lineups.

Secondary Plays

Robert Covington – His price just below the $6,000 range on FanDuel and DraftKings, and we have seen that when he is hitting his shot, he is a lock for that. I like Covington as a GPP play tonight.

Detroit

The trade of Josh Smith looks like a great deal for the Pistons as their offense has flourished without him. They are scoring about 11 points per game more without Smith and have been winning games as well. Their main plays continue to worry me for cash game settings, as we have all been burned by them before, but they have when of the best matchups on the board tonight and are 13-point favorites.

Elite Plays

Brandon Jennings – Jennings has showed actual consistency for the first time in maybe his career with the Pistons as he has scored 19+ real points in each of his last four games. He has an ideal match up tonight as the 76ers give up the 24th most points to the PG position. He has crushed us in situations like this before, but has an extremely high ceiling tonight.

Andre Drummond – Drummond is another tough cash game guy to trust, but like Jennings has an extremely high ceiling. His salary has come down a bit because of some lackluster games, but those poor performances were not due to his usual foul trouble, they were due to flu symptoms and blowouts. The 76ers give up the most points in the league to the center position and Drummond could be a nice drop down from Cousins without missing many points.

Secondary Plays

Greg Monroe – The guy who has benefited the most from Smith’s departure is Monroe. The problem is his rising price, which makes him much tougher to roster. Due to this increase salary figure, he is only a secondary play for me tonight.

Atlanta at Chicago – 8:00 pm EST

Atlanta Chicago
atlantanba Vegas Total 199 chicagonba Vegas Total 199
Vegas Sprd -2.5 Vegas Sprd 2.5
Team Proj. 101.0 Team Proj. 98.5
Team Pace 96.23 Team Pace 96.03
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 Jeff Teague Kyle Korver DeMarre Carroll Paul Millsap Al Horford Proj Starter Derrick Rose Kirk Hinrich Jimmy Butler Taj Gibson Pau Gasol
Opp. Season 14 3 27 27 12 Opp. Season 9 16 19 10 6
Opp. Last 7 11 23 19 8 20 Opp. Last 7 20 9 15 1 5

Atlanta

This should be one of the best games to watch of the night as the Hawks go to the United Center to face the Bulls. The Hawks come into this game with the best record in the Eastern Conference and take on the team that many project to win the conference come playoff time. Although Atlanta has allowed the least points per game in the league, Vegas has this game being played at a high-tempo with the total at 200 with the Hawks listed as small favorites.

Elite Plays

Jeff Teague – The defense of the Bulls has lost a step from the last few years, and some of that may be contributed to Rose being on the court. He is a middle of the road defender and Teague has been the offensive leader for the Hawks. He has had nine straight games of 30+ fantasy points with eight of the nine being 37+ points.

Paul Millsap – Noah looks to be out for tonight, which means Pau will slide over to the center spot and Taj will start at PF. Taj has played well this year, but he does not look like the lock down guy from the years past. Millsap does not have the highest ceiling tonight, but 30-35 fantasy points should be his floor.

Secondary Plays

DeMarre Carroll- Carroll is going to get a lot of minutes for a cheap price. The SF position has been the one to attack the Bulls with all year long. I like Carroll a bit more if the Bulls start Snell than if they start Hinrich, which moves Butler over to guard Carroll, so check the news prior to tip.

Chicago

Chicago was struggling a bit, losing four out of five games over the course of a week, but finally came out and won against a team they should have against Boston last night. The Bulls have been led by Rose, who has been shooting the ball much better since his game off due to knee soreness. If the Bulls want to make a statement, they need to come out right away and take control of this game.

Elite Plays

Taj Gibson – If you have played DFS for the last few years, you know the rule of Bulls’ big men. If any of them sit, Taj becomes one of the top value options of the night. That continues again tonight as he should easily reach value.

Secondary Plays

Pau Gasol – His minutes are guaranteed tonight and he has been one of the most consistent PFs all year. I like Taj more due to his price, but Gasol’s ceiling is a lot higher tonight.

Derrick Rose – I think it might be time to start playing Rose in at least some tournaments tonight. His price is great across the industry, and he has had some big games recently. This game has a high total and the Bulls need to see their star play at a high level in order for them to win this sort of matchup.

Golden State at Houston – 8:00 pm EST

Golden State Houston
goldenstatenba Vegas Total 213 houstonnba Vegas Total 213
Vegas Sprd 3.0 Vegas Sprd -3.0
Team Proj. 105.3 Team Proj. 108.3
Team Pace 100.58 Team Pace 97.99
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 Patrick Beverley James Harden Trevor Ariza Donatas Motiejunas Dwight Howard
Opp. Season 1 17 17 17 16 Opp. Season 16 11 8 15 17
Opp. Last 7 7 24 20 13 14 Opp. Last 7 13 17 17 27 10

Golden State

Golden State is coming off a crazy game against the Thunder in which 240+ points were scored. This game, on paper, looks like it could be the highest scoring of the night as both teams play at a high pace and are two of the top ten scoring teams in the league. What is interesting about the matchup is the two top options (Curry and Harden) both face elite defenders at their position. This has not impacted the two stars before, but is something to have in the back of your head.

Elite Plays

Klay Thompson – Harden has improved his defense a bit this year, but is still not a top level defender by any means. This game should produce a ton of open shots for Klay as Curry will be blanketed by Beverely.

Secondary Plays

Stephen Curry – Even with the difficult match up, the game should be very high scoring and Curry could have a lot to do with it. Due to his matchup and the fact that there are a lot of point guards for significantly less that could potentially put up the same score, Curry is a secondary play tonight.

Draymond Green – We all know Draymond’s potential, but he has not been able to hit that recently. This game should fit Green’s style, and his price is dropping to a bit more of a manageable salary. He is a GPP only if you want to fade the cheaper options at SF tonight.

Houston

The Rockets are coming off a very nice win against the Thunder on TNT behind Harden’s 31/9/10. He has been playing at an MVP level all year long and that should continue in a faced-paced game tonight. This game’s total is set at 212 and should stay close throughout with the Rockets currently showing as a two-point favorite.

Elite Plays

James Harden – Harden has posted big fantasy points in his first two matchups against the Warriors. He is playing at an extremely high level at the moment and is easily the top play at the position, if you can fit him in.

Trevor Ariza – His salary is cheap and this game will feature a ton of points. You are going to have to find some value in order to get the studs in, and Ariza gives us that with consistent 25-30 fantasy points per night.

Secondary Plays

Patrick Beverley – Beverley is not a terrible option for a value point guard play as Curry takes a lot of chances on defense, which opens up some lanes as well as open shots for the opposing point guard. His ceiling is low, but he will not kill your lineup and should be able to put up 20-25 points tonight.

Donatas Motiejunas – Motiejunas is in the same boat as Beverley. He does not have a very high ceiling, but he should be able to make value in this match up. With Bogut back, it is going to make Dwight’s job much harder inside, which should allow Motiejunas to clean up a bit tonight.

Washington at Brooklyn – 8:00 pm EST

Washington Brooklyn
washingtonnba Vegas Total 191 brooklynnba Vegas Total 191
Vegas Sprd -4.0 Vegas Sprd 4.0
Team Proj. 97.5 Team Proj. 93.5
Team Pace 95.52 Team Pace 94.31
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 John Wall Bradley Beal Paul Pierce Nene Hilario Marcin Gortat Proj Starter Jarrett Jack Bojan Bogdanovic Joe Johnson Mason Plumlee Brook Lopez
Opp. Season 18 24 6 25 5 Opp. Season 6 6 9 5 3
Opp. Last 7 23 21 8 25 7 Opp. Last 7 24 7 25 19 24

Washington

The Wizards travel to Brooklyn to take on the Nets in what should be a low-scoring, slow game. These two teams played last night and the Nets came out victorious with a 102-80 win. The Wizards will try to right the ship tonight as five-point favorites with a total of 191.

Elite Plays

John Wall – I think the lower priced options at PG will be a bit heavier owned, which makes Wall a nice option tonight. His price has dropped to a very manageable point, and he will look to do everything he can to not lose back to backs to the same squad. The Nets are 20th ranked against the point guard position.

Secondary Plays

Bradley Beal – Beal is too inconsistent to be considered an elite play, but he has shown glimpses of big fantasy point upside this year. He is a tournament play only, but if you’re looking for an option at shooting guard for a decent price, he offers a solid ceiling.

Brooklyn

Prior to last night, the Nets had been losers of seven straight games. They were led by a huge night from Jarrett Jack and a good second half from Brook Lopez. I don’t know if you could possibly trust Lopez as trade rumors fly around him, and even if he is not traded, the Nets will probably keep his minutes down for the often injured big man. If anything happens with a trade, Plumlee becomes a very good play as he will get all the minutes he can handle.

Elite Plays

Jarrett Jack – Jack gets the same matchup he torched for 26/7/6 with two steals last night. With Deron Williams injury, Jack is going to get his minutes and the opportunity to run the offense. Jack was struggling a bit prior to last night’s breakout, so there is some risk, but his price is still fair when considering his upside.

Secondary Plays

None

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About the Author

Ryan138
Ryan138

Ryan (Ryan138) is from Chicago and has been playing fantasy sports for over 10 years. He has been playing daily fantasy sports for over 2 years since he was introduced to Daily Joust in late 2010. In the last year, Ryan has risen into the Top 100 of the RotoGrinders leaderboards by playing at DraftDay, DraftKings and FanDuel in all the major sports.