NBA Grind Down: Sunday, February 9th Page Two
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Indiana at Orlando
- Vegas Line – Indiana -8, 189 Over/Under
- Indiana Proj. Starters – Hill-Stephenson-George-West-Hibbert
- Orlando Proj. Starters – Nelson-Afflalo-Harris-Davis-Vucevic
Indiana
The Pacers and Magic have the 2nd lowest total tonight. However, both of these teams play at a decent pace and I really like the matchup for the Pacers. The Magic have really struggled defensively this season and are ranked 17th or worse against all five positions on the floor. The Pacers will have Lance Stephenson back for tonight’s game, but I am going to wait before using him as his injury could easily tighten up on him. Roy Hibbert has a nice matchup down low, as does David West who has been playing some of his best basketball of the year.
- Paul George – George has been in a slump over the past couple of weeks. I’ve heard that he is dealing with some personal issues and the emergence of Stephenson hasn’t helped either. That said, his salary is depressed across the industry and he makes a great play tonight against the Magic. Look for him to get back to posting 35+ FP’s here.
Orlando
The Magic are fully healthy which doesn’t bode well for their individual fantasy value. They also have a very tough matchup tonight against the Pacers who are only allowing 90 points per game to their opponents. They are also ranked 7th or better against all positions in terms of fantasy points allowed. I’m avoiding all Magic players tonight.
Sacramento at Washington
- Vegas Line – Washington -5, 203 Over/Under
- Sacramento Proj. Starters – Thomas-Thornton-Gay-Thompson-Cousins
- Washington Proj. Starters – Wall-Beal-Ariza-Hilario-Gortat
Sacramento
This should be one of the faster-paced games of the night. The Kings are hoping to have Rudy Gay back for this one and we should get an update on his status well before tip-off. The Wizards have defended the paint well all season, but have been below average at defending PG’s and SF’s. While DeMarcus Cousins has great upside, I don’t love his matchup.
- Isaiah Thomas – Thomas is another player with a depressed salary across the industry. I love the matchup against Wall and the Wizards who have given up the 4th most FP’s to opposing PG’s over the last 15 days. He has great value and nice upside.
Washington
The Wizards have a great matchup tonight against the Kings and all five starters are in play. The Kings are a very fast paced team with one of the worst defenses in the league. That is typically a recipe for fantasy gold. Trevor Ariza and Marcin Gortat both make solid plays tonight, but I like these three a bit more:
- John Wall – Wall is on fire right now and he has a very favorable matchup against Thomas and the Kings who have given up the 6th most FP’s to PG’s this season. Wall should be a lock for 40+ FP’s once again.
- Bradley Beal – Beal is flying under the radar tonight. He has a great matchup against Thornton and should be in for a nice night. Now that he is off of his minutes limit, he is seeing 35+ minutes regularly.
- Nene Hilario – Nene is also flying under the radar a bit, but he should be in for a nice game as well. The Kings are ranked 22nd against opposing PF’s this season.
Philadelphia at L.A.Clippers
- Vegas Line – L.A.Clippers -15, 220.5 Over/Under
- Philadelphia Proj. Starters – Carter-Williams-Anderson-Turner-Young-Hawes
- L.A.Clippers Proj. Starters – Collison-Redick-Barnes-Griffin-Jordan
Philadelphia
The Sixers are huge underdogs tonight against the Clippers. This game obviously has some blowout potential, but the question becomes, is it enough to avoid this game completely. As far as the Sixers go, I think it’s safe to avoid them all tonight. Big underdogs typically do not fare well in terms of fantasy production.
L.A.Clippers
The Clippers have the best matchup on the board tonight, but they are 15 point favorites and they could easily have this game in hand by halftime. Chris Paul is expected to make his return tonight. While I don’t suggest using him on most sites, SS has his price tag at $11k which puts him in play. That said, I think the Clippers will ease him back into the mix and I think it’s safer to take a wait and see approach.
Paul’s return hurts the value of Darren Collison, but I still expect him to see 25+ minutes tonight. He will likely get even more run if and when this game turns into a blowout. Matt Barnes looks like a great play tonight, he is cheap across the industry. Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan are also great plays, but can they do enough in 3 quarters to cover their value?