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NBA Grind Down: Saturday, January 28th

by Chirag Hira (INSPYR) Last Updated 2017-01-29 02:38:38

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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.

Click here to follow INSPYR on Twitter

Sacramento Kings at Charlotte Hornets – 7:00 PM ET

Sacramento Kings Charlotte Hornets
Article Image Vegas Total 208.5 Article Image Vegas Total 208.5
Vegas Spread 6.5 Vegas Spread -6.5
Team Total 101.0 Team Total 107.5
Pace +/- 0.1 Pace +/- -1.9
Proj. Starter Darren Collison Arron Afflalo Garrett Temple DeMarcus Cousins Kosta Koufos Proj. Starter Kemba Walker Nicolas Batum Michael Kidd-Gilchrist Marvin Williams Roy Hibbert
Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C
Adj. DvP 18 24 22 6 25 Adj. DvP 24 23 20 11 12
DRPM -0.65 0.72 2.04 0.50 1.51 DRPM -2.19 -2.10 0.41 0.60 2.87

Sacramento Kings

Greetings, Grinders! We have an odd seven-game slate to get started on for this weekend. The news was crazy on Friday, and we can expect it to consistently be like that after All-Star break. The teams that are not in the playoff picture will start running their young guys out for 30+ minutes and the teams at the top will take strategic rest days. It’s only going to get tougher with all the injury news piled on top of that. So, I’m hoping it’s been a profitable year for you guys so far, because we’re approaching a time in the season where it’s really easy to lose because you’ll get hit with a random donut no one saw coming.

Anyways, on to the games. The Kings are in the middle of a massive eight-game road trip and tonight will be game number six. They have played in overtime games in consecutive games and are playing their fifth game in seven nights. Fatigue could be a factor in this game. Still, since the Hornets also played last night, this game should remain competitive, but I think it’ll get off to a slow start. Darren Collison is locked in as the starting point guard and is still relatively cheap with his salary sitting a shade under $5k on both major sites. DeMarcus Cousins should be able to dominate the Hornets, but I’m slightly concerned about the upside after consecutive overtime games. He still has a high floor, but if I’m spending this much on a player, I’d rather lock in Giannis Antetokounmpo or Karl-Anthony Towns. And there are other high-end options, as well, that make Boogie even less playable; if Stephen Curry doesn’t play and Hassan Whiteside remains out, we can also look to spend our money on Kevin Durant or fill the center position with Andre Drummond.

Kosta Koufos was also serviceable against Indiana, but he’s more of a last-resort type of guy than someone you build around. Garrett Temple will go completely overlooked after his poor performance in 32 minutes, but the Kings will need to rely on their youth if they want to stay competitive. Malachi Richardson is also someone that could get burn but let’s see if the Kings decide to rest anyone.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L3 +/- FP/Game L3 +/- True Usage L3 +/- DvP DRPM
Darren Collison $4,900 $4,900 0.75 29.4 -0.6 21.9 1.9 21.4% 0.9% 18 -0.65
Arron Afflalo $3,500 $3,000 0.48 24.3 10.3 11.7 5.0 14.0% -2.0% 24 0.72
Garrett Temple $4,500 $4,300 0.64 26.5 7.6 17.0 5.7 14.4% 0.2% 22 2.04
DeMarcus Cousins $10,900 $11,000 1.43 34.6 1.1 49.4 10.3 36.8% 4.5% 6 0.50
Kosta Koufos $3,500 $3,000 0.79 19.3 -1.0 15.2 -1.6 13.8% -2.9% 25 1.51
Ty Lawson $4,500 $4,000 0.78 24.7 -3.7 19.3 2.8 21.9% 4.9% 18 N/A

Elite Plays – N/A

Secondary Plays – DeMarcus Cousins, Darren Collison

Charlotte Hornets

The Hornets return home after losing to the Knicks in New York last night. Kemba Walker performed like an All-Star, and he’ll be a strong option against the Kings tonight. Walker has upped his fantasy output in four consecutive games and has played over 35 in his last three. He’s a solid option that leads the team with a true usage rate of 30.8 percent and gets Darren Collison (-2.19 DPRM) and the Kings’ 24th-ranked DvP matchup, which means that he still has some potential upside at this salary level. I’d expect Walker to soak up a healthy amount of ownership since he’s not THAT expensive and is coming off a huge game. The team has been without Jeremy Lamb, but he was available and did not play last night. The team was also without Cody Zeller last night, and that led to Roy Hibbert starting, although he only played 18 minutes. Spencer Hawes is the preferred center play if Zeller is out again, but he’s not that appealing of an option in a slow-paced game.

Nicolas Batum also played well against the Knicks and has seen 35+ minutes in four consecutive games; you have to pay for those minutes, though, as he’s most expensive shooting guard on DK. He’s only behind the Greek Freak on FD and is not as mandatory to the position as Antetokounmpo is. With all the minutes that Batum is playing, he’s a high-floor option who has an exploitable matchup against the Kings’ 23rd-ranked defense against the position, and more specifically, Arron Afflalo (-2.10 DPRM). Michael Kidd-Gilchrist has also been seeing heavy minutes, but he lacks a true offensive game. He’s still a viable option as a second forward or someone who could fit, but even though he’s getting the minutes, his fantasy production is not guaranteed.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L3 +/- FP/Game L3 +/- True Usage L3 +/- DvP DRPM
Kemba Walker $8,300 $7,800 1.08 33.8 1.7 36.7 -2.9 30.8% 2.6% 24 -2.19
Nicolas Batum $7,500 $7,300 0.95 34.6 2.5 32.9 -1.8 23.5% -3.4% 23 -2.10
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist $5,700 $5,300 0.77 29.8 2.6 23.0 6.4 14.5% 1.7% 20 0.41
Marvin Williams $5,200 $4,800 0.78 27.1 1.1 21.1 5.3 17.4% 0.6% 11 0.60
Roy Hibbert $3,500 $3,000 0.76 16.1 -1.6 12.2 -6.5 13.6% -2.4% 12 2.87
Frank Kaminsky $4,100 $3,800 0.80 24.2 -3.3 19.4 -4.8 20.6% -1.1% 11 N/A

Elite Plays – Kemba Walker

Secondary Plays – Nicolas Batum, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist

Detroit Pistons at Miami Heat – 7:30 PM ET

Detroit Pistons Miami Heat
Article Image Vegas Total 200.0 Article Image Vegas Total 200.0
Vegas Spread -1.0 Vegas Spread 1.0
Team Total 100.5 Team Total 99.5
Pace +/- -1.4 Pace +/- -2.2
Proj. Starter Reggie Jackson Kentavious Caldwell-Pope Marcus Morris Jon Leuer Andre Drummond Proj. Starter Goran Dragic Rodney McGruder Dion Waiters Luke Babbitt Willie Reed
Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C
Adj. DvP 6 9 15 12 11 Adj. DvP 21 4 14 5 21
DRPM -2.35 -1.04 -0.12 1.63 1.44 DRPM -2.17 0.17 0.66 1.07 1.65

Detroit Pistons

Andre Drummond has picked up double-digit rebounds in 11 of his last 12 games and is back in the good graces of Stan Van Gundy. Drummond played 36 minutes against the Kings on Monday, and the Pistons have been off since then. We don’t have anything concrete on Hassan Whiteside, but I don’t expect him to play. Willie Reed is a serviceable player, but he’s not stopping Drummond from picking up 10+ rebounds. Drummond put up 51.6 FanDuel points against the Heat when he faced them earlier this month, and I’d consider him an elite option against them again tonight. Reggie Jackson has found his groove of late, but I’m concerned about his potential ceiling with the Pistons having the 11th-ranked team total on the slate. This game is likely not going to be a high-scoring run-and-gun affair. Both teams play at a slow pace, and that does not leave a ton of upside for Jackson.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope returned from his shoulder injury against the Kings on Monday and had a strong game. With Dion Waiters and Devin Booker playing well along with Klay Thompson and Zach LaVine in KCP’s salary range, expect his ownership to be somewhat low compared to the other guys. I like him as a strong tournament play since he contributes in multiple categories and will be out there a ton to try and slow down the scorching Neon Dion. Marcus Morris has averaged about 37 minutes in his last five games and is also a high-floor option against the Heat. With Jon Leuer back in the picture, Tobias Harris is not playing as well, and Leuer drew the start over him on Monday. However, Harris has played well off the bench this season, so he remains a viable GPP play. Leuer also produced now that he’s back in the rotation, but he lacks elite upside.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L3 +/- FP/Game L3 +/- True Usage L3 +/- DvP DRPM
Reggie Jackson $6,600 $6,400 0.92 29.3 3.6 27.1 6.8 31.2% 1.9% 6 -2.35
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope $5,700 $5,500 0.74 33.6 3.1 24.9 9.1 19.9% 0.8% 9 -1.04
Marcus Morris $5,400 $5,700 0.71 32.6 4.5 23.1 9.7 20.0% -0.8% 15 -0.12
Jon Leuer $4,600 $4,500 0.82 26.7 -0.6 21.8 2.6 17.2% 1.3% 12 1.63
Andre Drummond $7,700 $7,400 1.17 30.5 -4.8 35.6 -5.5 22.0% 1.8% 11 1.44
Jon Leuer $4,600 $4,500 0.82 26.7 -0.6 21.8 2.6 17.2% 1.3% 12 N/A

Elite Plays – Andre Drummond, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

Secondary Plays – Reggie Jackson, Marcus Morris

Miami Heat

Editor’s Note: Hassan Whiteside WILL PLAY tonight against the Pistons.

The viability and upside of most of this team will rest on the ankle of Hassan Whiteside and the shoulder of Tyler Johnson. We’ve seen that Goran Dragic and Dion Waiters have been lighting it up with all these guys out, but we’ll have to confirm that they are still out before plugging them in. I’m also concerned about Waiters’ upside against KCP (0.17 DPRM). If Whiteside and Johnson continue to be out, the minutes and shots will be there for Waiters, but the efficiency probably won’t be. If Whiteside and Johnson are out again, we’ll have to continue going back to the Dragon. He’s been money in the bank with all these injuries and is a lock for 33+ minutes. The pace could be concerning, as is his playing the third game in four nights, but he’s still a high-floor option.

James Johnson FINALLY stopped fouling people and had a strong showing against the Bulls. Power forward has some enticing options above him and underneath him in salary, and in a slow-paced game with the Pistons ranking 10th in rebounding differential, I worry about his upside. He had nine assists last night and that’s not something we can lock in every night. The Heat also have the 12th-ranked implied team total, meaning there is not much fantasy goodness to have here. Add on top of the fact that the Pistons rank sixth in fantasy points allowed per game, and it might not be the best time to go back to the neck tat. Willie Reed started in place of Hassan Whiteside and will start again if Whiteside remains out. His salary has spiked a bit, and I don’t expect him to shoot 9-for-11 and score 20 points against Andre Drummond. Additionally, there is some potential foul trouble looming, making him too risky for cash tonight. Okaro White saw 21 minutes last night, and with Whiteside potentially missing and Reed potentially in foul trouble, he’s a sneaky GPP play.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L3 +/- FP/Game L3 +/- True Usage L3 +/- DvP DRPM
Goran Dragic $7,500 $7,500 0.95 34.6 1.4 32.8 2.5 28.8% -0.2% 21 -2.17
Rodney McGruder $3,500 $3,000 0.51 25.6 -2.5 12.9 -1.7 11.8% 1.3% 4 0.17
Dion Waiters $6,500 $6,900 0.83 30.2 3.9 25.0 16.4 26.8% 4.2% 14 0.66
Luke Babbitt $3,500 $3,000 0.53 16.0 3.4 8.4 5.1 13.4% -2.9% 5 1.07
Willie Reed $4,300 $4,800 0.96 14.0 3.4 13.4 3.6 15.2% -1.6% 21 1.65
James Johnson $5,900 $5,600 0.89 25.8 1.1 22.9 -5.2 22.0% -2.1% 5 N/A

Elite Plays – Goran Dragic (if Whiteside and T. Johnson are out)

Secondary Plays – Dion Waiters, James Johnson, Okaro White (if Whiteside is out), Willie Reed

Boston Celtics at Milwaukee Bucks – 8:00 PM ET

Boston Celtics Milwaukee Bucks
Article Image Vegas Total 218.5 Article Image Vegas Total 218.5
Vegas Spread 0.0 Vegas Spread 0.0
Team Total 109.3 Team Total 109.3
Pace +/- -1.0 Pace +/- -0.1
Proj. Starter Isaiah Thomas Jaylen Brown Jae Crowder Jonas Jerebko Al Horford Proj. Starter Giannis Antetokounmpo Matthew Dellavedova Tony Snell Jabari Parker Miles Plumlee
Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C
Adj. DvP 3 26 28 20 16 Adj. DvP 22 27 9 21 17
DRPM 2.32 -1.18 -0.53 -1.72 1.65 DRPM -4.64 0.23 0.89 0.21 0.90

Boston Celtics

The Celtics decided to have Al Horford sit out last night due to a groin injury. He is expected to play tonight, but we’ll have to get confirmation from the team before locking it in. The Celtics dominated the Magic last night and that led to Isaiah Thomas only playing about 25 minutes. He’ll be plenty rested and should play 35-38 minutes tonight. Thomas leads the league in fourth quarter scoring and according to CourtIQ, leads the team with a 38 percent usage rate with Bradley out of the lineup. Jae Crowder has also found his groove over the last couple games. He was a high-floor player before the last two games and now has started flashing his upside. Also according to CourtIQ, Crowder sees the biggest usage rate increase (4.9 percent) on the team with Horford and Bradley out, so we’ll have to confirm that Horford is out of the lineup before locking Crowder in for tournaments. He still makes sense for cash games because he’ll play heavy minutes defending Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Jonas Jerebko and Jaylen Brown started last night for the second consecutive game, and both players really took advantage of the garbage time last night, meaning they’ll likely stay in the starting lineup again tonight. If Horford is back, I’m concerned with the potential upside of Brown and Jerebko. Kelly Olynyk also 17 minutes with Horford out, and Amir Johnson drew the start, but that would also change with Horford back. Terry Rozier and Marcus Smart are the two guards off the bench but neither of them is getting heavy burn with Thomas playing 35+ minutes and Brown starting over the last two games.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L3 +/- FP/Game L3 +/- True Usage L3 +/- DvP DRPM
Isaiah Thomas $10,000 $9,400 1.20 34.3 4.6 41.1 9.2 35.3% 2.4% 3 2.32
Jaylen Brown $3,500 $3,000 0.65 13.5 3.3 8.8 -0.2 17.5% -1.2% 26 -1.18
Jae Crowder $6,000 $5,800 0.77 32.3 4.2 24.7 7.2 16.3% 2.3% 28 -0.53
Jonas Jerebko $3,500 $3,000 0.63 16.8 3.8 10.6 6.4 12.0% -2.2% 20 -1.72
Al Horford $7,700 $7,000 1.03 33.2 1.8 34.3 3.1 22.7% -1.6% 16 1.65
Marcus Smart $5,700 $5,700 0.75 30.7 4.2 23.0 4.8 20.0% 1.4% 3 N/A

Elite Plays – Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder

Secondary Plays – Jaylen Brown, Al Horford (if he plays and only on DK)

Milwaukee Bucks

So many teams are playing their third game in four nights, and the Celtics and Bucks are joining the trend. The Bucks have lost two consecutive games and seven of their last eight. Giannis Antetokounmpo has not had a huge game in about 10 days, but he still continues to be a solid high-floor option. I’ll be plugging him in on tournament teams along with considering him a cash game lock today. The only thing that can really keep him down is foul trouble, but hopefully, he got rid of that issue last night. Jabari Parker has been playing heavy minutes over the last three games and is also an elite fantasy option for this contest. Greg Monroe does not start, so his minutes are hard to project, but he’s a viable GPP play with the Celtics ranking 27th in rebounding differential. Miles Plumlee has started the last three games but only plays 15 minutes, so he’s not an option at all. John Henson has not played in the last three games. Malcolm Brogdon has lost his starting spot to Matthew Dellavedova and is not a high-upside play either. The Delly is not cooking and he does provide a ton of upside at a loaded position.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L3 +/- FP/Game L3 +/- True Usage L3 +/- DvP DRPM
Giannis Antetokounmpo $10,500 $10,300 1.34 35.0 2.9 46.9 -1.5 29.9% -0.5% 22 -4.64
Matthew Dellavedova $4,200 $4,400 0.68 26.7 5.3 18.1 6.1 19.3% -1.2% 27 0.23
Tony Snell $3,500 $3,100 0.51 29.0 -2.5 14.9 -1.7 11.6% -2.9% 9 0.89
Jabari Parker $7,900 $7,100 0.96 34.3 2.0 33.0 5.6 25.5% 1.2% 21 0.21
Miles Plumlee $3,500 $3,000 0.64 9.5 8.9 6.1 9.4 14.8% 1.1% 17 0.90
Greg Monroe $5,800 $5,400 1.14 21.3 3.5 24.2 5.2 24.3% 5.6% 17 N/A

Elite Plays – Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jabari Parker

Secondary Plays – Greg Monroe

Los Angeles Clippers at Golden State Warriors – 8:30 PM ET

Los Angeles Clippers Golden State Warriors
Article Image Vegas Total 224.5 Article Image Vegas Total 224.5
Vegas Spread 12.5 Vegas Spread -12.5
Team Total 106.0 Team Total 118.5
Pace +/- 4.4 Pace +/- -0.2
Proj. Starter Austin Rivers J.J. Redick Luc Richard Mbah a Moute Blake Griffin DeAndre Jordan Proj. Starter Stephen Curry Klay Thompson Kevin Durant Draymond Green Zaza Pachulia
Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C
Adj. DvP 7 21 7 16 26 Adj. DvP 5 6 17 14 18
DRPM 0.12 -1.03 2.25 4.30 3.20 DRPM -2.23 -1.52 2.61 1.25 2.56

Los Angeles Clippers

The Clippers will have Blake Griffin back for his second start tonight against the Warriors. He only played 29 minutes against the Sixers on Tuesday and should play about 30 minutes again tonight. This game is really interesting because the blowout potential hinges on the availability of Stephen Curry, who is dealing with quad soreness. I don’t expect Curry to play, but as of right now, the team has not said anything official. Griffin still put up a serviceable fantasy performance in 29 minutes in his last start, but he’s only a GPP play as long as his minutes are restricted. With Griffin back, DeAndre Jordan also sees his value diminish. Austin Rivers has been playing 39 or more minutes in back-to-back games, and he’ll be a high-floor option against the Warriors. If this game stays close, Rivers could return some potential profit but his salary is now over $6k on DraftKings, and he’s nearing that point on FanDuel, where he’s $5.9k.

J.J. Redick has also seen 34 minutes in back-to-back games, but he’s not going to score over 30 fantasy points with Blake back. Jamal Crawford finally found his legs and is a viable GPP option tonight but is not safe for cash since his game is so scoring-dependent. Raymond Felton is the odd guard out with Redick, Crawford, and Rivers getting all the minutes. Marreese Speights (Mo Buckets) will be facing will be facing his former team for the second time this season. He had 26.3 FanDuel points against them in 16 minutes last time, but his game is extremely boom-or-bust, especially now that Griffin is back in the lineup.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L3 +/- FP/Game L3 +/- True Usage L3 +/- DvP DRPM
Austin Rivers $5,900 $6,000 0.69 27.1 8.2 18.6 11.3 20.4% 3.0% 7 0.12
J.J. Redick $5,100 $5,200 0.73 28.1 3.7 20.5 3.4 21.6% 0.5% 21 -1.03
Luc Richard Mbah a Moute $3,600 $3,000 0.54 23.5 0.5 12.8 1.7 11.3% -4.3% 7 2.25
Blake Griffin $8,700 $7,700 1.17 33.5 -4.0 39.0 -10.3 29.6% 3.2% 16 4.30
DeAndre Jordan $8,400 $7,500 1.07 32.0 -0.9 34.2 0.4 14.8% -1.5% 26 3.20
Jamal Crawford $4,900 $4,500 0.69 26.4 2.1 18.1 7.8 23.7% 4.9% 21 N/A

Elite Plays – N/A

Secondary Plays – Blake Griffin, Austin Rivers, DeAndre Jordan

Golden State Warriors

The entire slate basically hinges on the quad of Stephen Curry. If he is unable to play, we’ll want to jam in the Warriors; if he is able to play, we have to worry about a potential blowout. According to CourtIQ, Kevin Durant sees the biggest usage rate increase at 5.5 percent with Curry off the court and leads the team with a 34.9 percent usage rate in that situation. If Curry is unable to play, Durant is a lock. Draymond Green and Klay Thompson will also become strong GPP plays, and an argument could be made for all three Warriors together, since they have the top implied team total on the slate. Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston should also be considered if Curry is out, with Iguodala being the higher upside play. Ian Clark and Patrick McCaw will also hop back in the rotation with Curry out but are low-end options.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L3 +/- FP/Game L3 +/- True Usage L3 +/- DvP DRPM
Stephen Curry $9,000 $8,600 1.18 33.6 0.5 39.7 0.3 30.0% 1.0% 5 -2.23
Klay Thompson $6,300 $6,500 0.85 34.3 0.1 29.3 0.9 23.5% -1.2% 6 -1.52
Kevin Durant $10,400 $9,500 1.36 34.4 -0.4 46.8 -4.3 27.9% 2.0% 17 2.61
Draymond Green $7,800 $7,700 1.09 33.4 2.6 36.5 -8.9 18.9% -2.5% 14 1.25
Zaza Pachulia $4,200 $3,800 0.92 18.8 1.3 17.3 1.7 14.6% 0.3% 18 2.56
Andre Iguodala $4,200 $3,700 0.68 25.3 4.2 17.2 3.4 11.8% -2.2% 17 N/A

Elite Plays – Kevin Durant, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson (if Curry is out)

Secondary Plays – Andre Iguodala

Brooklyn Nets at Minnesota Timberwolves – 9:00 PM ET

Brooklyn Nets Minnesota Timberwolves
Article Image Vegas Total 217.5 Article Image Vegas Total 217.5
Vegas Spread 11.5 Vegas Spread -11.5
Team Total 103.0 Team Total 114.5
Pace +/- -1.8 Pace +/- 5.4
Proj. Starter Spencer Dinwiddie Randy Foye Bojan Bogdanovic Trevor Booker Brook Lopez Proj. Starter Ricky Rubio Zach LaVine Andrew Wiggins Gorgui Dieng Karl-Anthony Towns
Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C
Adj. DvP 9 8 6 7 13 Adj. DvP 30 29 30 28 29
DRPM 1.44 -3.31 -2.02 3.10 -0.84 DRPM -0.41 -1.56 -3.39 2.10 -0.33

Brooklyn Nets

The Nets rested Brook Lopez and Caris LeVert last night since they knew they had no chance of beat the Cavs. Trevor Booker was also out due to an illness, and Joe Harris was out due to an ankle injury. I’d expect Lopez and LeVert to be back in the lineup tonight, but they are simply GPP plays against the T-Wolves tonight. Vegas has listed Minnesota as huge favorites, but I still think it takes them over three quarters to blow the Nets out. Lopez was playing really well before being rested, scoring over 40 fantasy points in four of his last five games. He also played 31-plus minutes in three of those games, so he should be considered a viable GPP option tonight. Lopez is MUCH cheaper on DK and is the better play over there. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson started in place of Trevor Booker and could start again. We’ll have to confirm Booker is out before even considering the low-end viability of RHJ.

Caris LeVert and Sean Kilpatrick are hurting each other’s value off the bench, and I’d expect Randy Foye to start at SG against his former team coming off a nice game against the Cavs. None of them are high-end options as long as all three are playing. Spencer Dinwiddie is a low-end point guard punt play if you need some salary savings, as he should play 30+ minutes if this game remains competitive into the fourth quarter.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L3 +/- FP/Game L3 +/- True Usage L3 +/- DvP DRPM
Spencer Dinwiddie $3,900 $3,500 0.66 20.5 8.8 13.6 3.7 16.1% -3.1% 9 1.44
Randy Foye $3,500 $3,000 0.61 18.0 9.3 10.9 2.3 17.0% -2.9% 8 -3.31
Bojan Bogdanovic $4,400 $4,200 0.77 26.5 -0.6 20.3 -0.6 21.3% 1.0% 6 -2.02
Trevor Booker $5,100 $4,600 0.96 26.9 -3.7 25.8 -9.1 17.1% -1.4% 7 3.10
Brook Lopez $7,500 $6,300 1.12 29.2 -0.6 32.6 -0.5 28.3% 3.3% 13 -0.84
Sean Kilpatrick $4,000 $4,400 0.84 26.8 -2.3 22.4 -1.0 24.2% 0.2% 8 N/A

Elite Plays – N/A

Secondary Plays – Brook Lopez, Spencer Dinwiddie

Minnesota Timberwolves

The T-Wolves get a massive pace bump tonight, and we have to consider all the options here. Karl-Anthony Towns has been playing heavy minutes, and he’s the high floor/ceiling play on this team. He’s grabbed a double-double in five straight games and in 15 of his last 16 games. He also brings the defensive stats and has not played under 36 minutes in 12 straight games. Do I need to say anything more? The only player I like more than KAT tonight is the Greek Freak. Kevin Durant is also on this radar, but that depends on the status of Curry. Andrew Wiggins continues to be a scoring-dependent fantasy performer, and with Zach LaVine finally out of his slump, Wiggins will be a GPP option with more potential downside than upside at his slightly elevated salary. He’ll need to score 30+ actual points to really exceed value, which he did against them earlier in the season.

LaVine played over 41 minutes against the Pacers on Thursday, so he’s fully back from his hip injury. While the blowout potential is there, I still expect this game to be competitive, meaning LaVine has a high floor and should return some potential profit on his salary. Ricky Rubio is slightly overpriced but against the Nets, he’s still a viable option. Gorgui Dieng has played 33 minutes in back-to-back games, and while he’ll never amaze you with his fantasy output, we have to consider him, especially if Booker is out again.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L3 +/- FP/Game L3 +/- True Usage L3 +/- DvP DRPM
Ricky Rubio $6,700 $7,000 0.83 31.7 1.4 26.4 5.7 18.5% 0.0% 30 -0.41
Zach LaVine $6,300 $6,700 0.75 37.2 -1.0 28.1 -5.3 22.3% -4.5% 29 -1.56
Andrew Wiggins $7,300 $7,200 0.83 37.0 1.7 30.7 6.0 27.5% 0.4% 30 -3.39
Gorgui Dieng $5,700 $5,700 0.79 32.2 -4.2 25.6 -0.3 15.4% -1.7% 28 2.10
Karl-Anthony Towns $10,700 $10,600 1.19 36.2 2.6 43.1 6.2 27.2% 0.2% 29 -0.33

Elite Plays – Karl Anthony-Towns, Zach LaVine

Secondary Plays – Andrew Wiggins, Ricky Rubio, Gorgui Dieng

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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.