NBA Grind Down: Sunday, February 9th
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
New York at Oklahoma City
- Vegas Line – Oklahoma City -9.5, 200.5 Over/Under
- New York Proj. Starters – Felton-Prigioni-Smith-Anthony-Chandler
- Oklahoma City Proj. Starters – Jackson-Sefolosha-Durant-Ibaka-Perkins
New York
We have 2 day games today so we will cover those first. The Knicks are 9.5 point underdogs tonight against the Thunder in OKC. The Thunder have been very solid defensively recently. Over the last 15 days, the Thunder rank 8th or better against SG’s, SF’s, PF’s, and Centers. The only position that they have struggled to defend all season long is the PG position. While Carmelo Anthony is always in play thanks to his ability to score the ball, he has a tough matchup and I like other players better that are in the same price range.
- Raymond Felton – Felton has a favorable matchup today against Jackson. The Thunder have given up the 5th most FP’s to opposing PG’s this season and Felton is pretty cheap across the industry. I think he has a good shot topping 25 FP’s in this game.
Oklahoma City
The Thunder are big favorites tonight at home and while this game does have the potential to turn into a blowout, the Knicks have been playing much better of late and I think it stays close enough that the starters all see their full complement of minutes. The Knicks are ranked in the top 5 in terms of fantasy points allowed to PG’s, PF’s, and Centers. That hurts the value of both Serge Ibaka and Reggie Jackson.
- Kevin Durant – If you are going to spend on a superstar today, Durant is a great way to go. Durant seems to be a lock for 45+ FP’s every night with the potential for a lot more. The Knicks have not defended the position well and Durant should be able to fill up all areas of the stat sheet. He will want to put on a show in this nationally televised game.
Chicago at L.A.Lakers
- Vegas Line – Chicago -2, 195 Over/Under
- Chicago Proj. Starters – Augustin-Butler-Dunleavy-Boozer-Noah
- L.A.Lakers Proj. Starters – Nash-Blake-Johnson-Kelly-Sacre
Chicago
The Bulls are probably my favorite team to target today. They have a terrific matchup against this Lakers defense that is ranked 26th or worse in terms of fantasy points allowed to every position on the floor. They also have Coach Thibs on their side who loves to play his guys 40+ minutes.
One injury note to watch is Carlos Boozer. He missed last game and is currently listed as day to day. If he can’t go, make sure to get Taj Gibson in your lineups. D.J. Augustin and Kirk Hinrich are splitting minutes at PG, while that’s not great for fantasy production, they are both still in play against this defense. Mike Dunleavy and Jimmy Butler also make great plays in this one.
- Joakim Noah – Noah should be used in all lineups today. The Lakers are not a good rebounding team and they are terrible defensively. Noah could have one of his classic Noah games where he scores 15 points, grabs 18 rebounds, dishes out 5 assists, and picks up a few blocks and steals. He’s my top play at Center.
L.A.Lakers
The Lakers have a tough matchup against the Bulls today. The total is very low for a Lakers game and with the roulette wheel that they seem to be playing at PG, I don’t know if I love any of the options on the Lakers. Wesley Johnson and Ryan Kelly should both see big minutes once again. They make decent plays if their prices are still cheap on the site(s) that you are playing on.
Dallas at Boston
- Vegas Line – Dallas -4.5, 199 Over/Under
- Dallas Proj. Starters – Calderon-Ellis-Marion-Nowitzki-Dalembert
- Boston Proj. Starters – Rondo-Bradley-Green-Sullinger-Bass
Dallas
The Mavericks have a solid matchup tonight against the Celtics in what should be a fairly high scoring game. There are a lot of slower paced games on the schedule tonight and this game is a sneaky one to target. You can pretty much take your pick against the Celtics, they have been average at defending all positions on the floor.
Shawn Marion makes a decent punt option at SF. While he hasn’t been great in his last 10 games, his price is cheap across the industry and the matchup isn’t bad. Monta Ellis value hinges on the health of Avery Bradley though. If Bradley suits up, I think you can safely avoid Ellis. If Bradley sits out, I love his matchup against Bayless/Wallace/Pressey.
- Dirk Nowitzki – Dirk could be in for a big game tonight against Bass and the Celtics. While Bass is a physical defender, Dirk will use that to his advantage by drawing some easy fouls against him. Dirk does most of his damage on the perimeter too which bodes well for his matchup against Bass.
Boston
The Celtics may have Rajon Rondo available tonight, but we won’t know his status until after their shootaround. Avery Bradley status is also in question. Their availability affects the fantasy value of Jerryd Bayless, Gerald Wallace, and Phil Pressey. Check for an update later and adjust your lineups accordingly.
The Mavericks are ranked between 14th and 19th at defending all positions this season so there aren’t any great matchups and there aren’t any terrible matchups. Jeff Green looks like he is in a good spot, but he has burned many of us in the past and may be a better GPP option than a cash game option.
- Jared Sullinger – Sullinger has really found his rythym lately. In his last 4 games, he is averaging over 45 FP’s per game. His price has gone up on some sites, but he is still extremely affordable on others. I think he has a nice chance to top 30 FP’s here.
New Orleans at Brooklyn
- Vegas Line – Brooklyn -5, 194 Over/Under
- New Orleans Proj. Starters – Roberts-Gordon-Aminu-Davis-Ajinca
- Brooklyn Proj. Starters – Williams-Livingston-Johnson-Pierce-Blatche
New Orleans
The Pelicans are 5 point underdogs tonight in Brooklyn. This game will likely be played at a very slow pace. Both of these teams play at well below the league average in terms of pace of play. Both average less than 95 possessions per game. Looking at the DvP rankings, the two positions to target against the Nets are the PG and SG positions, however, I don’t think Brian Roberts nor Eric Gordon provides much upside in this matchup. The only play that I would really consider here is Anthony Davis, but I think Blake Griffin is a better play in the same price range.
Brooklyn
The Nets should get Kevin Garnett back tonight which means Andray Blatche will head back to the bench. This doesn’t affect his fantasy value much though as he should still see around 25 minutes. Paul Pierce will be locked up with Aminu, Joe Johnson has been nowhere to be found, and the bigs are very inconsistent. If you are going to target any Nets tonight, I think the two guards are your best bet.
- Deron Williams – D-Will was not a very highly owned player in the morning leagues, but I think he is in a great position tonight against the Pelicans. If you take out his last game where the Nets were blown out from the start, D-Will had scored at least 26 FP’s in 7 of his last 8 games. I think he makes a great play tonight against the Pelicans who are ranked 22nd against PG’s this season.
Memphis at Cleveland
- Vegas Line – Memphis -3.5, 185 Over/Under
- Memphis Proj. Starters – Calathes-Lee-Prince-Randolph-Gasol
- Cleveland Proj. Starters – Irving-Jack-Deng-Thompson-Varejao
Memphis
This game features the lowest total of the night. The Grizzlies continue to impose their style of play on their opponents. With Marc Gasol back in the lineup, the Grizzlies have played some great defense that rivals that of the Pacers. As far as their matchups go, it’s hard to find a bad matchup on the Grizzlies tonight. Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol both provide decent plays down low, but the guards are the players to target here.
- Courtney Lee / Nick Calathes – Tony Allen and Mike Conley are both expected to miss tonight’s game once again which means big minutes for Lee and Calathes once again. They have averaged over 45 FP’s per game combined as the starting back-court and I like taking them both again tonight. They are still cheap across the industry and taking them both allows you around 75 minutes of playing time against a defense that has really struggled to defend PG’s and SG’s this season.
Cleveland
You may be tired of reading the same paragraph every time he Grizzlies are on the schedule, but once again I do not like taking any players against them. The Grizzlies are ranked 9th or better at defending every position on the floor except for PF’s. Tristan Thompson has the best matchup here, but he is way too inconsistent to trust tonight.