NBA Grind Down: Saturday, January 18th
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: Any 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
Click ‘Stat Chart’ Buttons Below for Pop-Ups of Essential Game-Specific Statistics including Defense vs. Position and Pace
Miami at Charlotte
- Vegas Line – Miami -7, 195 Over/Under
- Miami Proj. Starters – Cole-Wade-James-Battier-Bosh
- Charlotte Proj. Starters – Walker-Henderson-Kidd-Gilchrist-McRoberts-Jefferson
Miami
The Heat ended their 3-game losing streak and will now look to make it 2 wins in a row tonight against the Bobcats. Both of these teams average less than 95 possessions per game which isn’t great from a fantasy point of view. While it’s not a great matchup, the Heat will be without Dwyane Wade tonight which helps the value of Mario Chalmers, LeBron James, and Ray Allen. All 3 are in play if their prices are reasonable.
- Chris Bosh – The Bobcats have really struggled to defend Centers this season as they are giving up the 5th most fantasy points to that position. Bosh is coming off of a big game last night and should build on that tonight. Jefferson is not a great defender and Bosh should get some extra shot attempts with Wade out.
Charlotte
The Bobcats are in a tough position tonight. When the Heat are locked in, there aren’t many teams in the NBA that can keep up with them. I could easily see this game getting out of hand. Not only that, but the Heat rank in the top 12 against every position on the floor except for the Center position. There is really only one viable fantasy option on the Bobcats tonight.
- Al Jefferson – Jefferson has been on a tear. He has scored at least 45 fantasy points in each of his last 3 games and has a solid matchup tonight against Bosh who is really more of a PF than he is a Center. Jefferson should be able to dominate in the post and put up some big rebounding numbers tonight.
L.A.Clippers at Indiana
- Vegas Line – Indiana -8.5, 197.5 Over/Under
- L.A.Clippers Proj. Starters – Collison-Redick-Dudley-Griffin-Jordan
- Indiana Proj. Starters – Hill-Stephenson-George-West-Hibbert
L.A.Clippers
The Clippers travel to Indiana to take on the Pacers in a game that favors the home team more than the Clippers. The Pacers play at a slower pace than the Clippers and also have a much better defense than the Clippers. While I expect this game to stay close, I don’t like any of the matchups for the Clippers. The Pacers have been solid at defending every position this season: PG’s – 6th, SG’s – 1st, SF’s – 4th, PF’s – 2nd, Centers – 4th.
Indiana
The Pacers are in a favorable position tonight. The Clippers average almost 4 more possessions per game than the Pacers so we could see the Pacers with a couple of extra possessions in this one. Looking at the Clippers DvP rankings, they have defended the SF position well, but have struggled against the other 4 positions. I don’t think you can rule out Paul George, but he has the worst matchup of the starters.
- Lance Stephenson – Stephenson is finally getting the credit that he deserves around the league. He has been one of the Pacers best players all season long and people are finally starting to notice. He is a spark plug for this offense and I love the matchup for him tonight against Redick.
- David West – West has scored over 23 fantasy points in each of his last 7 games and should easily top that mark tonight against this Clippers defense. West should top 30 minutes as long as this game stays relatively close.
Detroit at Washington
- Vegas Line – Washington -5.5, 201.5 Over/Under
- Detroit Proj. Starters – Jennings-Caldwell-Pope-Smith-Monroe-Drummond
- Washington Proj. Starters – Wall-Beal-Ariza-Hilario-Gortat
Detroit
The Pistons and Wizards are two teams that don’t mind getting into a shootout. I don’t see much defense being played in this game tonight. Both PG’s like to push the pace and there are great options from both teams tonight. The Wizards have been very average defensively this season and there aren’t any matchups that really stand out here. The bigs of the Pistons are going to be in a tough matchup against Gortat and Nene, but I do think Josh Smith has nice upside here.
- Brandon Jennings – Jennings had a rough outing last night against the Jazz, but I expect him to bounce back in a big way tonight. Look for him to push the tempo and create some easy shots for his teammates. Even with his inconsistent play of late, I think he makes a solid cash game and GPP play.
Washington
The Wizards have a great matchup tonight. This game should be close and high scoring. The Pistons have been awful defensively, especially over the last 15 days. I think all 5 starters are in play tonight. Both Marcin Gortat and Nene Hilario have favorable matchups in the post. Bradley Beal is also worth a look at the SG position.
- John Wall – Wall has really stepped up his play over the last week or so. He has topped 40 FP’s in each of his last 4 games. Wall has a terrific matchup against Jennings who has never been known for his defense.
- Trevor Ariza – Ariza makes a great play tonight. He is one of those players that can do a little bit of everything on the floor. When he is locked in, he is one of the few players in his price range that can potentially top 40 FP’s. The style of play in this game suits his style of play.
Philadelphia at Chicago
- Vegas Line – Chicago -7.5, 196 Over/Under
- Philadelphia Proj. Starters – Carter-Williams-Anderson-Turner-Young-Hawes
- Chicago Proj. Starters – Hinrich-Butler-Dunleavy-Boozer-Noah
Philadelphia
Talk about two contrasting styles of basketball. The league’s fastest paced team against one of the league’s slowest paced teams. This matchup bodes well for the Bulls and is awful for the Sixers. The Sixers will see far less possessions than their season average and they are facing a tough defense. That is an easy avoid for me.
Chicago
The Bulls on the other hand are in a terrific spot tonight. Anytime the Sixers are on the schedule, you should at least take note of it. They are the Coors Field of the NBA. Everyone that plays against them gets a huge fantasy boost. Kirk Hinrich makes a nice punt option at PG. Mike Dunleavy should have a nice game offensively. Carlos Boozer is a sneaky play at PF. And Taj Gibson makes an interesting GPP play off of the bench.
- Jimmy Butler – Considering price, Butler may be my favorite play on the board tonight. He is guaranteed to play 35+ minutes against the worst defense in the NBA. This type of game fits his style of play perfectly and I think he will have a big game on both ends of the floor.
- Joakim Noah – Noah’s price has gone up across the industry, but he still may be worth it tonight. You saw what Chris Bosh did against the Sixers last night. Noah should have a big game on the glass and be able to score some easy buckets underneath. 40+ FP’s is not out of the question.
Milwaukee at Houston
- Vegas Line – Houston -14, 199 Over/Under
- Milwaukee Proj. Starters – Knight-Antetokounmpo-Middleton-Ilyasova-Sanders
- Houston Proj. Starters – Lin-Harden-Parsons-Jones-Howard
Milwaukee
The Bucks are 14 point underdogs in this game. They do have a solid matchup, but the Bucks are a hard team to predict anyway and the fact that this game could be over by halftime really makes me want to avoid it altogether. I like Brandon Knight and Ersan Ilyasova as GPP plays, but I’m not trusting any Bucks in my cash games.
Houston
The Rockets are huge favorites tonight. Not only that, but they are facing a Bucks team that averages less than 94 possessions per game. With a potential blowout and a slower paced game, there aren’t many reasons to like the Rockets tonight. The Bucks do struggle to defend Centers, but I will likely only use Dwight Howard in cash games. I think Al Jefferson makes a better play than Howard and you can save some salary as well.