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NBA Grind Down: Sunday, January 29th

by Chirag Hira (INSPYR) Last Updated 2017-01-30 10:22:51

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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.

New York Knicks at Atlanta Hawks – 3:00 PM ET

New York Knicks Atlanta Hawks
Article Image Vegas Total 211.0 Article Image Vegas Total 211.0
Vegas Spread 7.5 Vegas Spread -7.5
Team Total 101.8 Team Total 109.3
Pace +/- 0.9 Pace +/- 0.8
Proj. Starter Derrick Rose Courtney Lee Carmelo Anthony Kristaps Porzingis Joakim Noah Proj. Starter Dennis Schroder Kent Bazemore Tim Hardaway Paul Millsap Dwight Howard
Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C
Adj. DvP 16 17 16 13 4 Adj. DvP 10 30 8 26 19
DRPM -2.70 -0.51 -1.37 4.24 2.32 DRPM -2.40 -0.62 -1.72 1.62 1.26

New York Knicks

Happy Sunday! We have a full slate with games basically all day since the only football that takes place is the Pro Bowl later in the day. New York is traveling to Atlanta, and they’re expected to be without Derrick Rose tonight. He suffered a sprained ankle in Friday’s game against the Hornets and will likely need some time to recover. According to “CourtIQ“https://rotogrinders.com/courtiq, Carmelo Anthony sees substantial 6.8 percent usage rate bump with Rose off the court. Joakim Noah (+2.9%), Kristaps Porzingis (+2.4%) and Ron Baker (+2.1%) also see usage rate bumps over two percent, and it’s really interesting to see Brandon Jennings only bump up (+1.1%). Considering that Jennings does not usually start, it starts to make sense. Rose has missed five games this season, and Jennings is averaging 26.5 FanDuel points in those games, with a high of 34 fantasy points and a low of 22.3. Due to his current salary on both major sites, we’ll need at least that much tonight. He does not come exactly a bargain, but he is still considered a punt option.

Carmelo Anthony sees the biggest usage rate bump with Rose out of the lineup and is a better play over on DraftKings since his salary is $7.5k. He’s a decent option on FanDuel with his salary at $8k and will likely be passed up by most users on the early slate since they’ll be busy jamming in Russell Westbrook, LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Love. Anthony has averaged 25 field goal attempts in his last two games, and that should not change with trade rumors swirling. The Hawks best perimeter defender (Thabo Sefolosha) is also expected to out of this contest and Anthony has a considerable size advantage of Kent Bazemore.

Kristaps Porzingis has been struggling in the five games since his return from a sore Achilles, but he did see 35 minutes against the Hornets on Friday. From a GPP perspective, Porzingis has huge upside due to his suppressed salary and the expected absence of Rose. He also shot 8-for-11 from the field, which is always a good sign. While we could make a case that Paul Millsap (4.24 DPRM) is an elite defender, the minutes and opportunity are going to be there for the man Kevin Durant calls a Unicorn. Courtney Lee has also been white hot over his last four games and has played 35 or minutes in three of his last four games. Justin Holiday also deserves a look since he is so cheap across the industry. Ron Baker will also be back in the rotation, but he’ll need to start to really get enough minutes to do damage.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L3 +/- FP/Game L3 +/- True Usage L3 +/- DvP DRPM
Derrick Rose $6,500 $5,800 0.90 32.1 0.3 28.9 -5.5 28.4% -2.6% 16 -2.70
Courtney Lee $4,500 $4,200 0.60 30.9 2.1 18.4 10.8 14.0% 3.0% 17 -0.51
Carmelo Anthony $8,000 $7,400 1.05 33.6 2.3 35.2 -0.7 29.2% 3.7% 16 -1.37
Kristaps Porzingis $6,600 $6,100 0.97 33.5 -6.0 32.6 -10.8 23.1% -2.1% 13 4.24
Joakim Noah $3,500 0.93 22.4 -8.4 20.8 -10.3 14.4% -1.9% 4 2.32

Elite Plays – Carmelo Anthony, Kristaps Porzingis

Secondary Plays – Brandon Jennings, Justin Holiday, Courtney Lee

Atlanta Hawks

The Hawks host the Knicks on the heels of a crushing defeat to the Wizards. Thabo Sefolosha was a late questionable call due to a groin injury that ended up playing. He aggravated the injury in the games against the Wizards and is out for tonight’s contest. Sefolosha was never a huge offensive weapon to begin with, and according to CourtIQ, no one really sees a significant usage rate bump with him off the court. The thing to watch here will be who replaces Sefolosha in the starting lineup. My understanding is that Tim Hardaway Jr. will start at shooting guard, which will push Kent Bazemore over to the three. Hardaway’s last start this season was against the Knicks, and he scored 30.6 FanDuel points in 35 minutes. He’ll be a viable punt option but is a guard and in the same salary range as Brandon Jennings, thus not providing you ample salary savings and needing to have a solid performance to return salary-based expectations.

Paul Millsap needs to prove he is an All-Star, and he should be considered a high-floor option in this contest. He makes an interesting tournament pivot off of Kevin Love and is averaging 42.13 DraftKings points in three previous meetings with the Knicks this season. Dwight Howard only played in two of those games, and since Howard is expected to play in this contest, Millsap’s potential is not as high. Howard is a solid option, but you’ll likely need to save at the position to get in all the other guys from the prime-time game. Dennis Schroder was really hot before the poor showing against the Wizards and will also be a strong play against the Knicks tonight. I’m not sure I can Bazemore, but he was also hot before that game against the Wiz. Bazemore will likely play 32+ minutes with Sefolosha out and is a high-floor option who has had good performances and bad performances against the Knicks this season. The Hawks are projected to score six points over their season average, so there could be multiple pieces to grab from this game since the Knicks rank 24th in defensive efficiency.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L3 +/- FP/Game L3 +/- True Usage L3 +/- DvP DRPM
Dennis Schroder $6,800 $6,200 0.96 30.5 -0.7 29.2 0.2 29.9% 2.0% 10 -2.40
Kent Bazemore $4,800 $5,000 0.76 27.0 1.9 20.6 10.1 21.2% 6.7% 30 -0.62
Tim Hardaway $4,600 $4,100 0.77 23.0 3.2 17.8 0.4 22.7% -3.0% 8 -1.72
Paul Millsap $8,000 $7,600 1.05 33.8 -1.3 35.6 -5.9 25.1% -2.3% 26 1.62
Dwight Howard $7,300 $7,300 1.12 29.4 3.4 33.0 1.5 18.5% -3.1% 19 1.26

Elite Plays – Dennis Schroder, Paul Millsap

Secondary Plays – Dwight Howard, Tim Hardaway Jr., Kent Bazemore

Oklahoma City Thunder at Cleveland Cavaliers – 3:30 PM ET

Oklahoma City Thunder Cleveland Cavaliers
Article Image Vegas Total 220.0 Article Image Vegas Total 220.0
Vegas Spread 7.0 Vegas Spread -7.0
Team Total 106.5 Team Total 113.5
Pace +/- 0.4 Pace +/- 1.5
Proj. Starter Russell Westbrook Victor Oladipo Andre Roberson Domantas Sabonis Steven Adams Proj. Starter Kyrie Irving Iman Shumpert LeBron James Kevin Love Tristan Thompson
Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C
Adj. DvP 25 25 29 9 9 Adj. DvP 20 3 23 19 7
DRPM -1.41 -0.29 0.83 1.81 2.36 DRPM -0.12 0.36 1.91 1.24 2.52

Oklahoma City Thunder

Welcome to the game of the day! Starting off with the most obvious news, Enes Kanter punched a chair! Now Enes Kanter is done for 4-6 weeks. The Thunder really needed his offense for this game, and it’ll be a shame that they’ll be without him. According to CourtIQ, Cameron Payne (+3.6%), Alex Abrines (+3.2%), and Joffrey Lauvergne (+3.0%) see the biggest usage rate bumps with Kanter off. All three players are bench players, and Payne’s sample size is not even that large (32.7 minutes). The only one that really interests me is Lauvergne. King Joffrey is a minimum priced center on FanDuel and is also affordable as a $3.3k center on DraftKings. Using Lauvergne in GPPs for the early slate really opens up your a plethora of options and can help get all the upside plays in. Unfortunately, he won’t be safe enough for cash since his minutes are not secure (he only played six minutes in the game that Kanter left with injury).

Russell Westbrook is the obvious play, and Steven Adams will likely pick up most of the minutes left behind by Kanter. If King Joffrey is not your cup of tea then maybe Adams will work for you. Adams is only $5.6k on DraftKings and should be able to pick up a double-double. Victor Oladipo has been playing consistent non-upside ball, and he’ll remain a solid cash game play who could see some extra shots with Kanter out of the lineup. Jerami Grant will also likely see Kanter’s minutes off the bench, and he’s also a minimum-priced player on both FanDuel and DraftKings. His lack of offensive game and confirmed minutes make him tough to trust in cash, but the savings really open things up for this early slate loaded with big names.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L3 +/- FP/Game L3 +/- True Usage L3 +/- DvP DRPM
Russell Westbrook $12,600 $12,700 1.65 34.7 1.0 57.2 3.4 46.0% 3.6% 25 -1.41
Victor Oladipo $6,100 $5,700 0.78 33.9 0.0 26.5 2.6 20.9% -2.7% 25 -0.29
Andre Roberson $3,800 $3,400 0.57 30.9 -1.5 17.5 3.4 10.5% -2.2% 29 0.83
Domantas Sabonis $3,500 $3,000 0.62 21.3 3.8 13.1 -1.1 14.3% -1.7% 9 1.81
Steven Adams $6,000 $5,600 0.84 30.3 4.9 25.6 4.4 16.4% 1.4% 9 2.36
Jerami Grant $3,500 $3,000 0.58 21.6 -1.3 12.5 -2.1 11.9% -5.8% 29 N/A

Elite Plays – Russell Westbrook, Steven Adams, Victor Oladipo

Secondary Plays – Joffrey Lauvergne, Jerami Grant

Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cavs are pretty straightforward from a playability standpoint: it’s LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Love. The only thing that is not straightforward is which player will have the monster game. The only issue I have with James today is his salary. He’s a high-floor option and certainly solid for cash, but I wonder about his GPP upside. Still, on a two-game slate, you’ll need all the raw points you can get. Kevin Love may have underperformed salary-based expectations against the Nets, but he only played 28 minutes. Love was playing over 35 minutes in his last three games and is also a high-floor play with solid profit potential for this game. Enes Kanter is out of the lineup, so that’ll be one less big man battling inside for rebounds. Since returning from his one-game absence due to a back injury, Love has a double-double all four games.

Kyrie Irving has scored 20 or more actual points in five straight games, and as we all know, we should target against Russell Westbrook. My only concern is that Irving will see more of Oladipo with the Cavs trying to use Iman Shumpert to defend Westbrook. Shumpert has also been playing well over his last seven games but will rarely wow you with his fantasy output. He has been stroking the three-ball pretty good lately and is a better play on DK since he’s cheaper and has multi-position eligibility. Kyle Korver has yet to really find his groove on the team, but he’s also cheap for this game. Tristan Thompson will likely play heavy minutes with Steven Adams on the floor, but he’s more of a GPP play due to his volatility and lack of game outside of two feet.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L3 +/- FP/Game L3 +/- True Usage L3 +/- DvP DRPM
Kyrie Irving $8,600 $8,200 1.06 35.2 3.0 37.4 9.6 31.1% -0.1% 20 -0.12
Iman Shumpert $4,300 $4,100 0.60 24.9 1.6 15.1 4.6 14.2% 1.5% 3 0.36
LeBron James $10,700 $9,900 1.27 37.6 3.3 47.6 5.4 33.0% -1.8% 23 1.91
Kevin Love $8,000 $8,000 1.16 31.9 3.0 37.0 5.5 26.1% -2.2% 19 1.24
Tristan Thompson $4,900 $4,600 0.78 29.0 0.3 22.5 -3.1 10.4% -2.3% 7 2.52
Kyle Korver $3,600 $3,900 0.60 27.3 0.0 16.5 -2.0 14.7% -0.3% 3 N/A

Elite Plays – Kevin Love, Kyrie Irving, LeBron James

Secondary Plays – Iman Shumpert, Tristan Thompson

Orlando Magic at Toronto Raptors – 6:00 PM ET

Orlando Magic Toronto Raptors
Article Image Vegas Total 211.0 Article Image Vegas Total 211.0
Vegas Spread 8.5 Vegas Spread -8.5
Team Total 101.3 Team Total 109.8
Pace +/- -0.7 Pace +/- -0.4
Proj. Starter Elfrid Payton Jeff Green Aaron Gordon Serge Ibaka Nikola Vucevic Proj. Starter Kyle Lowry Norman Powell DeMarre Carroll Patrick Patterson Jonas Valanciunas
Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C
Adj. DvP 15 2 10 23 8 Adj. DvP 28 18 18 8 27
DRPM 1.04 -0.15 0.69 1.77 -0.29 DRPM -0.55 -1.86 -0.99 0.44 1.58

Orlando Magic

This game is an odd one. The Magic are waiting on the availability of Evan Fournier, and the Raptors are waiting on the availability of DeMar DeRozan. From my understanding, Evan Fournier is going to play, but I have no update on DDR. Even if Fournier is able to play, I’d expect the team to be cautious with him, and his upside will likely not return significant profit. Even if he does play and hit his salary-based expectations, he should be looked at as a GPP play since he’s only played six games in a month. The return of Fournier will hamper the upside of all the starters, and we can make a case that Aaron Gordon is the only starter with a salary that can return some upside for us. Serge Ibaka’s minutes have disappeared, and Elfrid Payton is priced too high. Nikola Vucevic can exploit his matchup against Jonas Valanciunas, but his minutes are also far from secure. This team is about to get blown up at the trade deadline, and we can hope that it opens up consistent minutes for someone in the near future.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L3 +/- FP/Game L3 +/- True Usage L3 +/- DvP DRPM
Elfrid Payton $6,800 $6,700 0.93 29.2 4.5 27.3 2.4 25.6% 3.0% 15 1.04
Jeff Green $3,900 $3,700 0.64 23.7 2.1 15.2 -0.3 19.9% 2.0% 2 -0.15
Aaron Gordon $5,200 $5,200 0.78 27.6 3.1 21.5 -0.4 20.1% 1.6% 10 0.69
Serge Ibaka $5,700 $6,000 0.93 30.1 -4.2 28.0 -7.8 20.1% -2.1% 23 1.77
Nikola Vucevic $6,800 $6,400 1.13 28.0 -1.6 31.6 -3.5 24.9% -1.6% 8 -0.29
C.J. Watson $4,000 $3,800 0.53 14.6 15.8 7.7 11.1 14.8% 1.3% 2 N/A

Elite Plays – N/A

Secondary Plays – Aaron Gordon

Toronto Raptors

Hopefully, you guys have been able to enjoy Norman Powell Week, because he’s now priced for his expected production. DeMar DeRozan is iffy and not confirmed to play at this moment, and even if he does play, he’s an auto-fade on FanDuel. At least DraftKings has made his price tag somewhat enticing, but considering his game is so scoring-dependent, I’ll need to see that he’s fully recovered before plugging him into my lineups. Kyle Lowry has been a high-floor option with DeRozan out of the lineup, but I’ll need confirmation that DDR is out before even considering him. Norman Powell gets the same treatment, especially now that his salary has caught up to his production.

Lucas Nogueira continues to be a solid contributor and Patrick Patterson finally found his shot and contributed on the glass against the Bucks in their previous game. Patterson is cheaper than Bebe (Nogueira) on both major sites and is known as a streaky player. Now that he looks on, he’s worth a GPP dart throw. He’ll need to play 30+ minutes to really provide huge bang for your buck, but he’s not all that expensive and should at least hit his low salary-based floor. Cory Joseph has also been seeing consistent minutes with DeRozan out but is more of a cash game play than a GPP option given his limited upside as a result of Lowry soaking up all the minutes in Toronto’s guard rotation. DeMarre Carroll and Jonas Valanciunas lack consistency and will not even be worthy of roster spots if DeRozan plays. Jared Sullinger was sent down to the D-League, so he can regain his form after missing most of the season due to a foot injury.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L3 +/- FP/Game L3 +/- True Usage L3 +/- DvP DRPM
Kyle Lowry $8,800 $8,900 1.06 37.4 2.7 39.8 3.7 26.9% 4.7% 28 -0.55
Norman Powell $4,900 $5,600 0.72 16.0 18.5 11.5 17.3 18.5% 4.7% 18 -1.86
DeMarre Carroll $4,200 $4,000 0.68 26.3 -3.5 18.0 -1.1 15.6% 1.5% 18 -0.99
Patrick Patterson $3,800 $3,200 0.64 27.7 -2.8 17.6 0.0 12.4% 0.1% 8 0.44
Jonas Valanciunas $5,800 $5,600 0.97 27.0 -0.7 26.1 -0.2 18.4% -0.7% 27 1.58
Terrence Ross $3,600 $4,100 0.75 22.3 0.8 16.6 -0.1 18.6% 2.2% 18 N/A

Elite Plays – Kyle Lowry and Norman Powell (if DeRozan does not play)

Secondary Plays – Kyle Lowry and Norman Powell (if DeRozan does play), Lucas Nogueira, Patrick Patterson

Washington Wizards at New Orleans Pelicans – 6:00 PM ET

Washington Wizards New Orleans Pelicans
Article Image Vegas Total 218.0 Article Image Vegas Total 218.0
Vegas Spread -1.0 Vegas Spread 1.0
Team Total 109.5 Team Total 108.5
Pace +/- 1.6 Pace +/- 0.3
Proj. Starter John Wall Bradley Beal Otto Porter Markieff Morris Marcin Gortat Proj. Starter Jrue Holiday Buddy Hield Solomon Hill Terrence Jones Anthony Davis
Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C
Adj. DvP 26 16 24 29 14 Adj. DvP 4 5 13 24 5
DRPM 1.15 -2.74 1.04 0.30 3.07 DRPM -0.25 -0.62 1.10 1.53 1.41

Washington Wizards

The Wizards have been on a nice roll lately, winning 10 of their last 12 games. John Wall has not needed to carry the team in every game, but his salary remains high due to his immense upside. Wall has scored under 40 fantasy points in two of his last three games, and his lofty salary hampers cash game flexibility. Still, in a game that is projected to be decided in crunch time, Wall is an elite GPP play. Markieff Morris has been a model of consistency (never thought I’d type those words this season, but here we are) and is averaging 35.98 DraftKings points during this 12-game stretch. He’s been a solid rebounder picking up eight or more boards in nine of the 12 games. I mention this because Marcin Gortat has been picking up fewer rebounds than his early season average and because the Pelicans are 29th in rebounding differential.

Marcin Gortat finally broke out of his slump against the Hawks, but his lack of minutes compared to earlier in the season are a true concern for his upside. He’s still a solid cash game center option on this slate, but he will need’s to be on the floor 30+ minutes to really exceed value, and it’s becoming more difficult to count on that happening. Otto Porter has also been consistent lately and has shot over 50 percent in five of his last six starts. The minutes are also secure, and the Pelicans rank 24th in DvP against small forwards. Wall and Morris have the easier DvP matchup, but Porter also deserves consideration since he randomly goes Dennis Rodman on us and grabs massive amounts of rebounds. Bradley Beal is simply a GPP play since he’s been inconsistent during this 12-game run. Kelly Oubre has also started to see fair amount of burn and should be on your radar for a cheap punt play. Oubre would need this to turn into a blowout to see extended run, but he has still been seeing 23+ minutes in nine of the last 12 games.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L3 +/- FP/Game L3 +/- True Usage L3 +/- DvP DRPM
John Wall $10,200 $9,800 1.23 36.3 -0.9 44.8 -4.2 34.6% 1.6% 26 1.15
Bradley Beal $7,200 $6,600 0.91 34.2 -3.3 31.2 -0.6 26.4% 2.2% 16 -2.74
Otto Porter $6,700 $6,300 0.83 33.7 -0.6 28.0 0.9 15.3% -3.0% 24 1.04
Markieff Morris $6,900 $6,600 0.83 31.8 1.3 26.4 7.6 20.4% 3.1% 29 0.30
Marcin Gortat $6,400 $5,800 0.84 34.7 -4.7 29.0 0.4 14.1% -0.8% 14 3.07

Elite Plays – John Wall, Otto Porter, Markieff Morris

Secondary Plays – Bradley Beal (GPP), Kelly Oubre (GPP), Marcin Gortat

New Orleans Pelicans

Can I just put Anthony Davis in the notable injury section since he’s suffering from so many injuries? Yes, AD is expected to start tonight, and yes, he’ll be a high-floor option, but I’m not trusting him for cash games. Davis picked up 22 rebounds against the Spurs and did not greatly exceed salary-based expectations. He’s also made of glass and only played 33 minutes since the Pelicans smashed the Spurs (can’t believe I just wrote that). His seven turnovers also matched a season high, and we should not expect that to replicate itself here. Marcin Gortat (1.41 DPRM) does pose a difficult matchup, but Davis will still put up points. The only concern is his injuries, making him a GPP play. He’s still an elite option in a game that is projected to be high scoring and tight and since the position is not that deep, we’ll see how roster shake out after all the news breaks.

Jrue Holiday has been on a tear of late and is also seeing consistent minutes. His salary is a bit higher than I would like, but he’s proven that he’s a solid option over his last three games. Still, he’ll need to play over 30 minutes to actually return a significant score. Tyreke Evans is playing over 20 minutes now, and his availability concerns me since he loves to have the ball in his hands even when Holiday is on the floor. Terrence Jones got sent back to the bench and he’s overpriced for his role. Solomon Hill has been lit over the last two games but I think Otto Porter keeps that under wraps tonight. E’Twaun Moore and Donatas Motiejunas are also providing solid minutes off the bench, but both are too hard to peg on a full slate in reserve role. Keep them in mind if you’re searching for cheap plays to round out your roster and not as players to build around.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L3 +/- FP/Game L3 +/- True Usage L3 +/- DvP DRPM
Jrue Holiday $7,600 $7,500 1.00 31.0 5.4 31.2 16.9 26.8% 0.3% 4 -0.25
Buddy Hield $3,500 $3,300 0.69 20.1 -2.1 13.9 -5.0 20.7% -1.9% 5 -0.62
Solomon Hill $4,200 $3,900 0.54 27.7 2.0 15.0 8.3 11.4% 2.0% 13 1.10
Terrence Jones $6,000 $6,200 0.94 24.5 4.5 23.1 14.5 20.5% 6.2% 24 1.53
Anthony Davis $10,800 $10,000 1.40 35.8 -11.1 50.1 -21.9 31.0% -2.6% 5 1.41
Tyreke Evans $5,700 $5,400 1.20 17.6 0.7 21.2 2.7 31.6% 0.3% 5 N/A

Elite Plays – Anthony Davis, Jrue Holiday

Secondary Plays – Tyreke Evans

Houston Rockets at Indiana Pacers – 6:00 PM ET

Houston Rockets Indiana Pacers
Article Image Vegas Total 225.5 Article Image Vegas Total 225.5
Vegas Spread -3.0 Vegas Spread 3.0
Team Total 114.3 Team Total 111.3
Pace +/- 1.3 Pace +/- 2.8
Proj. Starter Patrick Beverley James Harden Trevor Ariza Ryan Anderson Clint Capela Proj. Starter Jeff Teague C.J. Miles Paul George Thaddeus Young Myles Turner
Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C
Adj. DvP 12 19 21 22 23 Adj. DvP 19 22 26 25 15
DRPM -0.21 -0.80 -0.30 1.83 2.01 DRPM 1.81 -1.42 1.25 -0.63 0.63

Houston Rockets

You see that lock button in the Lineup Builder tool? Ya, go ahead and press it for James Harden for your cash games. A tournament pivot is viable but not recommended since this game only has a total two points less than the Warriors game and is projected to be closer. Eric Gordon is expected to play after missing two games due to a back injury and he should also be considered a GPP play since he’ll have next to no ownership and his game screams volatility, with 15.5, 37.3, 17.5, 33, 10.8, 33.8, 16.3, being his last seven fantasy scores. Nene started against the Sixers and could remain in the starting unit since he had such a nice performance. He also played a season-high 26:37 minutes against the Sixers and if he starts tonight, should be considered an elite punt option on DraftKings due to his salary being a measly $3.2k. He’s $4.2k on FanDuel, which is not AS appealing but still can return some potential profit.

Clint Capela is also producing, but if Nene starts, he’ll have a tough time cracking over 24 minutes. Sam Dekker is now more reliable than Trevor Ariza, but Ariza should log heavy minutes chasing around Paul George tonight. Ryan Anderson played 42 minutes against the Sixers and has the second-best DvP matchup on the team. His salary sits under $5k on both major sites and power forward is not that deep today, especially on FanDuel.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L3 +/- FP/Game L3 +/- True Usage L3 +/- DvP DRPM
Patrick Beverley $5,600 $5,100 0.82 31.0 1.9 25.4 -4.6 15.9% -1.6% 12 -0.21
James Harden $12,500 $12,800 1.48 36.6 2.0 54.2 9.0 38.8% 2.0% 19 -0.80
Trevor Ariza $5,300 $5,200 0.73 34.7 4.6 25.3 -2.4 14.7% -2.6% 21 -0.30
Ryan Anderson $4,900 $4,700 0.70 30.6 5.0 21.6 -1.1 16.9% -1.8% 22 1.83
Clint Capela $5,000 $4,800 1.07 23.1 -1.8 24.7 -0.6 19.2% 8.6% 23 2.01
Eric Gordon $5,800 $5,300 0.82 30.6 -3.0 25.2 -13.3 23.8% -3.0% 19 N/A

Elite Plays – James Harden, Nene (DK if he starts), Ryan Anderson

Secondary Plays – Eric Gordon (GPP), Trevor Ariza, Sam Dekker, Patrick Beverley

Indiana Pacers

Paul George has played heavy minutes in his last three games and is averaging 37 minutes over his last five. It looks like PG-13 the All-Star is rounding into form having scored 30+ actual points in three straight; he should be considered an elite option against the Rockets tonight. He’s only had one game over 50 fantasy points this season, but that does not mean he can’t get there again. I love the upside, especially on DraftKings. FanDuel hiked his salary up $1k, but he’ll still provide a solid floor for us tonight. Jeff Teague has also averaged 37 minutes over his last five, and while I do tend to shy away from the defense of Patrick Beverley (1.81 DPRM), Teague is still a viable GPP option due to minutes security and multi-category production.

Myles turner has also seen heavy minutes lately, but he’s not had that explosion. He’ll remain a solid cash game play with potential GPP upside due to the minutes. He might need a better matchup to really flash that upside, but this game should have plenty of possessions, giving Turner some extra rebounds and defensive stats. C.J. Miles has been a model of consistency in the starting lineup and should also be considered a lock in cash games. He’ll be defending James Harden for most of the night and should be a lock for 30+ minutes. Thaddeus Young has popped off for solid fantasy nights this season, but Lavoy Allen has been picking up some extra minutes, keeping Young under 32 for three straight games.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L3 +/- FP/Game L3 +/- True Usage L3 +/- DvP DRPM
Jeff Teague $7,900 $7,200 1.05 32.5 5.2 34.1 1.3 26.4% -4.3% 19 1.81
C.J. Miles $4,000 $4,000 0.75 22.6 11.5 17.1 2.5 17.8% -5.7% 22 -1.42
Paul George $8,300 $7,900 1.00 35.7 4.3 35.8 7.8 27.2% 3.5% 26 1.25
Thaddeus Young $5,600 $5,500 0.77 31.4 -1.2 24.3 -2.7 15.9% -2.9% 25 -0.63
Myles Turner $6,800 $6,700 1.02 30.3 2.8 30.8 2.8 19.4% -1.5% 15 0.63

Elite Plays – Paul George (DK), C.J. Miles, Jeff Teague (GPP)

Secondary Plays – Paul George (FD), Myles Turner

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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.