NBA Grind Down: Sunday, December 7th
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.
Click ‘Stat Chart’ Buttons Below for Pop-Ups of Essential Game-Specific Statistics including Defense vs. Position and Pace
Washington at Boston
- Vegas Line – Washington -3.5, 207 Over/Under
- Washington Proj. Starters – Wall-Beal-Pierce-Hilario-Gortat
- Boston Proj. Starters – Rondo-Bradley-Green-Sullinger-Zeller
| Washington | Boston | |||||||||||
 | Vegas Total | 207 |  | Vegas Total | 207 | |||||||
| Vegas Sprd | -3.5 | Vegas Sprd | 3.5 | |||||||||
| Team Proj. | 105.3 | Team Proj. | 101.8 | |||||||||
| Team Pace | 95.69 | Team Pace | 100.48 | |||||||||
| 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 | Brad Beal | Paul Pierce | Nene Hilario | Marcin Gortat | Proj Starter | Rajon Rondo | Avery Bradley | Jeff Green | Jared Sullinger | Tyler Zeller | |
| Opp. Season | 23 | 13 | 1 | 30 | 5 | Opp. Season | 2 | 4 | 19 | 4 | 4 | |
| Opp. Last 7 | 9 | 22 | 1 | 27 | 9 | Opp. Last 7 | 12 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 22 | |
Washington
The Wizards have been rolling a bit as of late with 4 straight wins and an overall 13-5 record on the year. They score around the league average of 100.1 points per game, but have been really getting it done on the defensive end as they have allowed only 95.6 points to opponents. This will come into play as they travel to Boston who plays a very high paced offense. The Wizards are favored by 4 points and the total is set at 208.
Elite Plays
John Wall – If you are playing in the early slate, Wall looks like he could be one of the highest scoring players of the day. He takes on Rondo and the Celtics who are ranked 23rd in the league against the PG. I think Wall comes out strong against Rondo today and makes a great play if you can fit him in.
Bradley Beal – Simply a price play. He is still cheap at certain sites and it may be the last time to get him for a discount. He has finally looked good in his last two games and should continue that going forward.
Secondary Plays
Marcin Gortat – Gortat makes a pretty safe cash game play. If we throw out the last game as it was a blowout, Gortat has been very consistent when getting the minutes. He will look to matchup against Zeller today in a high paced game. There should be some extra shots as well as some extra rebounds today for Gortat.
Boston
Boston plays a very high-paced game, but wins have not come easy to them playing that way. They are currently 6-11 on the season and are coming off a confidence booster against the Lakers. They allow the 28th most points in the league on the defensive end at 106.6. This makes those Wizards players a bit more intriguing.
Elite Plays
Rajon Rondo – Another player that has a bit of a discount on certain sites is Rondo. He is priced under the top PG, but always has a pretty high ceiling as he can do everything on the floor. The team runs through him and a triple double is always a possibility.
Secondary Plays
Tyler Zeller – His 24 point, 14 rebound game is pretty hard to ignore here. I don’t suggest completely chasing this game, but he needs to show up in some of your lineups today.
Denver at Atlanta
- Vegas Line – Atlanta -5.5, 212 Over/Under
- Denver Proj. Starters – Lawson-Afflalo-Gallinari-Faried-Mozgov
- Atlanta Proj. Starters – Teague-Korver-Carroll-Millsap-Horford
| Denver | Atlanta | |||||||||||
 | Vegas Total | 212 |  | Vegas Total | 212 | |||||||
| Vegas Sprd | 5.5 | Vegas Sprd | -5.5 | |||||||||
| Team Proj. | 103.3 | Team Proj. | 108.8 | |||||||||
| Team Pace | 99.21 | Team Pace | 95.86 | |||||||||
| 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 | Ty Lawson | Aaron Afflalo | Danilo Gallinari | Kenneth Faried | Timofey Mozgov | Proj Starter | Jeff Teague | Kyle Korver | DeMarre Carroll | Paul Millsap | Al Horford | |
| Opp. Season | 24 | 20 | 10 | 11 | 14 | Opp. Season | 13 | 5 | 21 | 26 | 22 | |
| Opp. Last 7 | 26 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 28 | Opp. Last 7 | 17 | 25 | 8 | 12 | 30 | |
Denver
The Nuggets are very similar to the Celtics as they are scoring like crazy (104.4 PPG), but are allowing far to many points to be successful and win games (27th in the league, 105.9 PA). This has resulted in a 9-10 record as they go into Atlanta for the other day game. This game has the highest total of the day at 213’ which should open up a few extra plays for us.
Elite Plays
Ty Lawson – There are always a good number of PG options and today is no different. Lawson has been playing very good basketball for a few weeks now which has resulted in a high price. It is hard to argue with the fact that he has scored over 30 FD points in his last 10 games and gets a decent matchup against the Hawks who allow the 24th most points to PGs.
Secondary Plays
Wilson Chandler – A decent cash came option is Chandler today as he seems to score at the 25-35 FD point range on most nights. His price is set perfectly for that value and if you are avoiding the high priced options, makes a great play.
Atlanta
The Hawks have played very well this season and have a 12-6 record to show for it. They are playing a fast paced offensive game at 103.9 PPG and have played pretty good defends to go along with that as they are at 18th in the league in points allowed (100.2). The Hawks players get a bit of a bump here today as the Nuggets play awful defense like usual.
Elite Plays
Paul Millsap – Since I can remember, attacking big men against the Nuggets has been a pretty successful strategy. That continues this year as they are currently ranked 27 against the PF position. Millsap should have a field day today against them and is priced at a big time discount compared to the big PF names today.
Secondary Plays
Jeff Teague – I do not usually like to play Teague in my cash games as he is a bit inconsistent at times, but he should make a contrarian GPP play today against the Nuggets. Lawson has never been known for his defensive prowess so Teague should be able to get to the basket at ease and get a few extra fantasy points due to the pace today.
Kyle Korver – Another GPP play for me today is Korver who finally started to hit his shot again after a string of bad games a week or two ago. If he in on, this is a perfect game for him as he should be able to launch a few extra open threes today.
Oklahoma City at Detroit
- Vegas Line – Oklahoma City -8.5, 194 Over/Under
- Oklahoma City Proj. Starters – Westbrook-Lamb-Durant-Ibaka-Adams
- Detroit Proj. Starters – Jennings-Caldwell-Pope-Singler-Smith-Drummond
| Oklahoma City | Detroit | |||||||||||
 | Vegas Total | 194 |  | Vegas Total | 194 | |||||||
| Vegas Sprd | -8.5 | Vegas Sprd | 8.5 | |||||||||
| Team Proj. | 101.3 | Team Proj. | 92.8 | |||||||||
| Team Pace | 93.88 | Team Pace | 94.56 | |||||||||
| 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 | Russell Westbrook | Jeremy Lamb | Kevin Durant | Serge Ibaka | Steven Adams | Proj Starter | Brandon Jennings | Kentavious Caldwell-Pope | Kyle Singler | Josh Smith | Andre Drummond | |
| Opp. Season | 7 | 25 | 9 | 23 | 28 | Opp. Season | 14 | 6 | 2 | 9 | 19 | |
| Opp. Last 7 | 19 | 6 | 24 | 22 | 27 | Opp. Last 7 | 21 | 1 | 21 | 30 | 20 | |
Oklahoma City
It is really funny to see the Thunder with a 6-13 record on the season as if they were healthy they might be close to the best record in the league. Well, they are finally healthy and KD and Westbrook are looking to start to chip away at the playoff race. This is a perfect spot to do that as the Pistons have been one of the worst teams in the league this year. It may still be a bit early to play KD as he is priced high for possibly only getting 30 minutes, which still makes Westbrook a top option. OKC are 9 point favorites today with a total of 196’.
Elite Plays
Russell Westbrook – If news comes out that KD has his minutes restriction taken away, it will decrease value a little bit from Westbrook. If he still has the restriction, then Russell is a top option as his usage is incredibly high this year. He has an extremely great matchup tonight against Jennings who is awful at defending other PGs.
Secondary Plays
It is tough to pay up for anyone else today. None.
Detroit
The Pistons are bad, but that has not meant that they are not fantasy worthy. They are heavy underdogs today against what should start shaping up as one of the premier teams in the NBA. They are GPP plays only if you are taking any chances with them, but I do not think I will be using many roster spots for Pistons tonight.
Elite Plays
None
Secondary Plays
Andre Drummond – Drummond and Monroe are very tough to gauge on a normal basis, but especially this year with the rotations being all over the place. Drummond has shown his upside at points this year which is why I still have to mention him as a GPP option.
Miami at Memphis
- Vegas Line – Memphis -8.5, 192 Over/Under
- Miami Proj. Starters – Cole-Wade-Deng-McRoberts-Bosh
- Memphis Proj. Starters – Conley-Lee-Allen-Randolph-Gasol
| Miami | Memphis | |||||||||||
 | Vegas Total | 192 |  | Vegas Total | 192 | |||||||
| Vegas Sprd | 8.5 | Vegas Sprd | -8.5 | |||||||||
| Team Proj. | 91.8 | Team Proj. | 100.3 | |||||||||
| Team Pace | 92.24 | Team Pace | 94.62 | |||||||||
| 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 | Norris Cole | Dwyane Wade | Luol Deng | Josh McRoberts | Chris Bosh | Proj Starter | Mike Conley | Courtney Lee | Tony Allen | Zach Randolph | Marc Gasol | |
| Opp. Season | 5 | 14 | 7 | 22 | 3 | Opp. Season | 15 | 30 | 12 | 1 | 26 | |
| Opp. Last 7 | 8 | 29 | 17 | 29 | 1 | Opp. Last 7 | 24 | 17 | 12 | 3 | 15 | |
Miami
Miami has been on a downward swing as of late. They have a 9-10 record on the season and are looking to bounce out of this slump which will be very difficult against a very quality Grizzlies squad. Check the news as Deng and Cole are currently on the Injury report and it looks like both could play on Sunday which decreases a few players value today.
Elite Plays
None – Struggling Heat against a good defensive Grizzlies team.
Secondary Plays
None
Memphis
Memphis is also on a losing streak of it’s own, but it is only a 2 game losing streak which is their first of the season. Even with the two games in a row lost, the Grizzlies are 15-4 on the season and are going to come out committed to a win. They are 8 point favorites today with a total of 192.
Elite Plays
Marc Gasol – Gasol seems to be fine after a minor knee injury and makes a great play today. The Heat are ranked 24th against the center position and Gasol has been arguably one of the best centers in the NBA this year. He is coming off another monster game (28 points, 12 rebounds) and I expect something similar today.
Secondary Plays
None
Milwaukee at Dallas
- Vegas Line – Dallas -9, 207 Over/Under
- Milwaukee Proj. Starters – Knight-Antetokounmpo-Middleton-Parker-Sanders
- Dallas Proj. Starters – Nelson-Ellis-Parsons-Nowitzki-Chandler
| Milwaukee | Dallas | |||||||||||
 | Vegas Total | 207 |  | Vegas Total | 207 | |||||||
| Vegas Sprd | 9.0 | Vegas Sprd | -9.0 | |||||||||
| Team Proj. | 99.0 | Team Proj. | 108.0 | |||||||||
| Team Pace | 95.87 | Team Pace | 96.23 | |||||||||
| 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 | Brandon Knight | Giannis Antetokounmpo | Khris Middleton | Jabari Parker | Larry Sanders | Proj Starter | Jameer Nelson | Monta Ellis | Chandler Parsons | Dirk Nowitzki | Tyson Chandler | |
| Opp. Season | 25 | 19 | 14 | 13 | 7 | Opp. Season | 11 | 22 | 25 | 7 | 30 | |
| Opp. Last 7 | 20 | 28 | 5 | 25 | 13 | Opp. Last 7 | 14 | 5 | 30 | 1 | 17 | |
Milwaukee
The Bucks have been a bit of a surprise so far this year as they are actually over .500 at 11-10. That may quickly change as they have to travel into Dallas today to take on the Mavericks and their high powered offense. The Bucks, like last year, are one of the worst teams to predict for fantasy purposes as they seem to play their whole team at times. They are heavy underdogs today which is another reason to avoid some of the lesser stars of the Bucks.
Elite Plays
Brandon Knight – I am not the first to say it, but Knight is really the only trustable Buck this year. He will get his minutes no matter what (except for last game when he had some foul trouble), and has a great matchup today against the Mavs who throw a number of bad defenders at the PG position.
Secondary Plays
None
Dallas
Dallas is ranked number 1 in the league in points per game at a very high clip of 110 PPG. They are making this offense a successful one as they are 15-6 on the year and lately it has been the Monte Ellis show and not the Dirk show. This hot run should continue against the Bucks whose early great defensive play has started to regress just a bit and I think will continue to do that as the season goes on. The Mavs are 9 point favorites while the total is set at 209 tonight.
Elite Plays
Monte Ellis – Like I said in the preview, Ellis is on a heater right now. He has scored over 32 FD points in each of his last 5 games while going for 42+ in 3 of those 5. He seems to be scoring at will and his price has yet to reflect this recent performance at some sites.
Secondary Plays
Tyson Chandler – I don’t like to play Dirk in games like this as the blowout seems like a good possibility which may result in some extra rest. Chandler on the other hand has been playing great and has a good matchup against the undersized Bucks squad. They are ranked 30th in the league against the Center and Chandler has scored over 30 FD points in each of his last 6 games.