NBA Grind Down: Sunday, November 19th

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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 Implied 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.

Legend & FAQ


Washington Wizards at Toronto Raptors – 3:30 PM ET

Washington Wizards Toronto Raptors
Article Image Vegas Total Article Image Vegas Total
Vegas Spread Vegas Spread
Implied Team Total Implied Team Total
Pace Projection +/- 0.1 Pace Projection +/- 0.5
Projected Starters John Wall Bradley Beal Otto Porter Markieff Morris Marcin Gortat Projected Starters Kyle Lowry DeMar DeRozan OG Anunoby Serge Ibaka Jonas Valanciunas
Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C
DvP 16 19 1 17 17 DvP 15 4 29 6 2
DRPM -0.02 -2.57 0.73 0.01 0.50 DRPM -0.80 -0.56 1.67 1.34 0.83

Washington Wizards

Notable Injuries

John Wall (Questionable)

It has been a rough start to the year for John Wall on a health front, as he is again questionable for tonight’s game with a knee injury. He claims that this contributed to the team’s slow start on Friday night, which is a reasonable explanation. If Wall is unable to play today, Tim Frazier would be a decent low-end value, especially if you are playing the two game early slate. However, the big boost would go to Bradley Beal. Court IQ tells us that Beal sees a massive 7.8% increase in usage with Wall off the floor, bumping his mark to 38.1% in those situations. That’s a massive usage rate. Keep an eye on Wall’s status and adjust as appropriate. Obviously, if Wall plays without limitations, he is a decent option, even though this isn’t the best matchup out there.

The frontcourt for the Wizards is much more difficult to trust now that everyone is healthy. With Markieff Morris back in the mix and playing 24-26 minutes per night, there are less minutes to go around for the likes off Kelly Oubre, and the team is not forced to play Otto Porter massive minutes. Marcin Gortat has fallen off the map this year and is nowhere near the player he used to be. There might be a few more shots to go around for this group of players if John Wall is out, but it’s very difficult to get excited here. Toronto is a strong defensive squad, and there’s more risk than reward with these guys.

Washington Wizards Offense

Points Per Game: 110.7 (4 of 30)
Implied Implied Team Total: ( of 10)
Projected Point Differential: #VALUE! ( of 10)

Matchup vs. Toronto Raptors

Points Allowed Per Game: 105.8 (16 of 30)
Defensive Efficiency: 104.8 (18 of 30)
Rebounding Differential: -0.9 (19 of 30)
Pace of Play: 101.0 (14 of 30)

Player FD Salary DK Salary FDRFT Salary FP/Game L3 +/- Minutes L3 +/- FP/Min True Usage TS% Opp. DvP Opp. DRPM
John Wall $9,500 43.8 -3.8 34.1 -4.4 1.28 29.0% 54.3% 16 -0.02
Bradley Beal $7,900 37.3 -1.1 34.5 -1.1 1.08 25.7% 59.3% 19 -2.57
Otto Porter $6,500 33.9 -7.0 33.1 -2.7 1.02 15.8% 67.4% 1 0.73
Markieff Morris $4,900 17.2 1.9 19.8 1.0 0.87 20.3% 55.4% 17 0.01
Marcin Gortat $4,600 24.8 -5.1 30.1 -2.2 0.82 13.0% 59.6% 17 0.50
Kelly Oubre $4,200 23.5 2.6 29.8 -4.6 0.79 13.8% 57.8% N/A N/A

Elite Plays – Bradley Beal (upgrade if Wall is out), Tim Frazier (IF Wall is out)

Secondary Plays – John Wall (if active), Otto Porter


Toronto Raptors

Notable Injuries

Norman Powell (Doubtful)
Delon Wright (Out)
Serge Ibaka (Questionable)

The injury bug has really bitten the Raptors, and it doesn’t sound like Norman Powell is ready to return today. Serge Ibaka is also questionable after missing Friday’s game against the Knicks. With both of those guys sidelined, more minutes were available for O.G. Anunoby and Pascal Siakam. Both played at least 30 minutes the other night, and Siakam had a solid all around game. If both Powell and Ibaka are out again today, you can fire up Siakam as a great value option. Anunoby and C.J. Miles will both benefit from Powell’s absence, though Miles really hasn’t seen a bump in minutes. Keep an eye on the news here as we get closer to tip time. Jonas Valanciunas simply doesn’t play consistent enough minutes to be anything other than a deep GPP flier.

Minutes are also up for grabs in the backcourt with Delon Wright sidelined. Fred Van Vleet has been playing well off the bench and was a popular value pick on Friday, but he only played 17 minutes despite Wright’s absence. The team is also looking to limit the minutes for Kyle Lowry a little bit, and Lowry has had a difficult start to the year. DeMar DeRozan is clearly the best fantasy option on this team, as his usage, playing time, and production is the most consistent on a nightly basis. If you are playing the short two game early slate, I could see using Lowry or Van Vleet, but I would stick to DeRozan on all day slates.

Toronto Raptors Offense

Points Per Game: 111.4 (2 of 30)
Implied Implied Team Total: ( of 10)
Projected Point Differential: #VALUE! ( of 10)

Matchup vs. Washington Wizards

Points Allowed Per Game: 105.0 (14 of 30)
Defensive Efficiency: 103.0 (10 of 30)
Rebounding Differential: + 0.7 (14 of 30)
Pace of Play: 101.4 (12 of 30)

Player FD Salary DK Salary FDRFT Salary FP/Game L3 +/- Minutes L3 +/- FP/Min True Usage TS% Opp. DvP Opp. DRPM
Kyle Lowry $8,200 31.1 7.6 31.8 2.7 0.98 20.5% 56.8% 15 -0.80
DeMar DeRozan $8,100 37.5 3.4 34.5 -0.3 1.09 28.4% 57.4% 4 -0.56
OG Anunoby $3,500 13.4 1.0 17.6 4.1 0.76 13.6% 58.9% 29 1.67
Serge Ibaka $5,000 23.0 -3.9 27.2 1.1 0.84 15.2% 63.6% 6 1.34
Jonas Valanciunas $4,900 22.1 -3.1 21.5 -0.1 1.03 16.7% 67.2% 2 0.83
Fred VanVleet $3,600 11.6 5.5 13.8 4.2 0.84 18.2% 45.5% N/A N/A
C.J. Miles $4,100 16.2 7.9 18.7 0.1 0.87 19.4% 59.5% N/A N/A

Elite Plays – DeMar DeRozan, O.G. Anunoby, Pascal Siakam (IF Powell and Ibaka are out)

Secondary Plays – Jonas Valanciunas (GPP), Kyle Lowry, Fred Van Vleet


Indiana Pacers at Miami Heat – 5:00 PM ET

Indiana Pacers Miami Heat
Article Image Vegas Total 206.0 Article Image Vegas Total 206.0
Vegas Spread 4.5 Vegas Spread -4.5
Implied Team Total 100.8 Implied Team Total 105.3
Pace Projection +/- -1.3 Pace Projection +/- 1.0
Projected Starters Darren Collison Victor Oladipo Bojan Bogdanovic Thaddeus Young Myles Turner Projected Starters Goran Dragic Dion Waiters Josh Richardson Justise Winslow Hassan Whiteside
Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C
DvP 13 7 10 18 5 DvP 17 21 7 26 29
DRPM -1.56 -0.59 1.80 0.19 2.40 DRPM -1.12 -0.49 -1.06 0.36 0.83

Indiana Pacers

Notable Injuries

None

The Pacers have one of the lower team totals of the day, and they draw a tough road matchup against a Heat team that will try to slow this game down. Miami ranks inside the top half of the league in DvP against four of the five positions, and they are not a team that I actively seek to target opposing players against. If you trust the DRPM metrics, Darren Collison draws the best matchup. He has been very boom or bust this year, making him more of a GPP play at his mid-range salary. Victor Oladipo has carried the team on his back at times this year, but he is also a bit scoring dependent. Both guards are much better as GPP options than as cash game plays.

I wouldn’t trust much in the frontcourt here. With Domantas Sabonis healthy, he seems to be splitting time almost evenly with Myles Turner at center. Both players logged 24 minutes on Friday night, while Thaddeus Young registered a team high 39 minutes. Young’s playing time is the most secure at this point, but he doesn’t carry a high ceiling. He’s your safer cash game play from this team. I am not trusting Bojan Bogdanovic, as this isn’t the matchup that would seem to suit his style. Nobody on this Indiana squad is an elite play.

Indiana Pacers Offense

Points Per Game: 108.5 (8 of 30)
Implied Implied Team Total: 100.8 (10 of 10)
Projected Point Differential: -7.8 ( of 10)

Matchup vs. Miami Heat

Points Allowed Per Game: 103.0 (9 of 30)
Defensive Efficiency: 103.1 (11 of 30)
Rebounding Differential: -1.6 (21 of 30)
Pace of Play: 99.6 (18 of 30)

Player FD Salary DK Salary FDRFT Salary FP/Game L3 +/- Minutes L3 +/- FP/Min True Usage TS% Opp. DvP Opp. DRPM
Darren Collison $5,700 $10,400 28.2 -2.1 31.7 -0.6 0.89 18.4% 59.7% 13 -1.56
Victor Oladipo $7,900 $15,900 36.7 3.9 32.7 0.6 1.12 27.2% 58.3% 7 -0.59
Bojan Bogdanovic $4,200 $8,700 20.5 0.6 29.2 1.6 0.70 15.6% 63.6% 10 1.80
Thaddeus Young $6,000 $13,400 27.2 -7.9 33.2 -3.2 0.82 15.8% 53.2% 18 0.19
Myles Turner $7,500 $12,100 33.5 -2.8 28.7 0.0 1.17 18.3% 54.3% 5 2.40
Domantas Sabonis $5,400 $11,200 28.0 -5.6 26.3 -1.8 1.06 17.7% 66.2% N/A N/A

Elite Plays – None

Secondary Plays – Thaddeus Young (Cash), Darren Collison (GPP), Victor Oladipo (GPP), Domantas Sabonis (GPP)


Miami Heat

Notable Injuries

None

Even though I don’t love this game as a whole, this is a mouthwatering spot for Hassan Whiteside. The Pacers have consistently struggled against solid big men and rank in the bottom third in the league in rebounding differential. Whiteside is averaging 17 rebounds per game over the last four contests, and he is very much capable of a 20 point, 20 rebound game here. Fire him up as perhaps the highest upside play on the early slate. The other frontcourt starters don’t carry a high usage rate, so they are low upside options, but James Johnson is an intriguing GPP play off the bench. He is no stranger to having a huge game from time to time.

The minutes and usage are a little more attractive in the backcourt, Goran Dragic and Dion Waiters lead the team in usage and are decent options in this game. Dragic carries the better individual matchup, assuming he matches up with Darren Collison. If you are playing the short early slate, I could definitely see playing both of them on the same roster.

Miami Heat Offense

Points Per Game: 101.3 (26 of 30)
Implied Implied Team Total: 105.3 (8 of 10)
Projected Point Differential: 4.0 ( of 10)

Matchup vs. Indiana Pacers

Points Allowed Per Game: 109.3 (26 of 30)
Defensive Efficiency: 107.0 (25 of 30)
Rebounding Differential: -2.2 (22 of 30)
Pace of Play: 101.9 (8 of 30)

Player FD Salary DK Salary FDRFT Salary FP/Game L3 +/- Minutes L3 +/- FP/Min True Usage TS% Opp. DvP Opp. DRPM
Goran Dragic $6,600 $12,300 32.1 -3.5 34.5 0.3 0.93 24.4% 57.0% 17 -1.12
Dion Waiters $5,900 $11,900 25.8 0.4 32.1 1.1 0.80 23.5% 51.1% 21 -0.49
Josh Richardson $4,300 $8,900 21.3 -0.2 33.3 1.4 0.64 13.5% 49.3% 7 -1.06
Justise Winslow $4,100 $7,600 18.1 -2.4 24.0 -1.5 0.75 13.8% 46.9% 26 0.36
Hassan Whiteside $8,900 $14,900 40.1 3.1 28.5 2.8 1.41 19.7% 58.3% 29 0.83
James Johnson $5,600 $12,400 28.2 -15.3 28.0 -2.8 1.01 18.4% 60.1% N/A N/A
Tyler Johnson $4,500 $7,400 19.7 2.9 28.5 3.9 0.69 17.2% 49.0% N/A N/A

Elite Plays – Hassan Whiteside, Goran Dragic

Secondary Plays – Dion Waiters, James Johnson (GPP)


Golden State Warriors at Brooklyn Nets – 6:00 PM ET

Golden State Warriors Brooklyn Nets
Article Image Vegas Total 233.0 Article Image Vegas Total 233.0
Vegas Spread -12.0 Vegas Spread 12.0
Implied Team Total 122.5 Implied Team Total 110.5
Pace Projection +/- 6.4 Pace Projection +/- 3.5
Projected Starters Stephen Curry Klay Thompson Kevin Durant Draymond Green Zaza Pachulia Projected Starters Spencer Dinwiddie Allen Crabbe DeMarre Carroll Rondae Hollis-Jefferson Trevor Booker
Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C
DvP 23 15 28 30 28 DvP 4 8 21 27 24
DRPM -0.33 -1.39 1.31 -0.74 -0.38 DRPM 0.35 -1.05 0.28 2.60 2.33

Golden State Warriors

Notable Injuries

None

This is a very precarious spot for the Warriors. They are coming off an emotional road win over the Sixers last night, and all of the “Big Four” players logged at least 33 minutes in that game. There is definitely the risk of someone resting tonight, as the team is a comfortable road favorite over the Nets. Barring potential rest, there’s not really a whole lot of analysis to be had here. Golden State has an implied team total of 123 points in this game, as the Nets don’t play much defense, and these teams rank first and fourth in the league in tempo. If everybody plays, it wouldn’t be surprising to see all four have solid games. If someone sits, obviously you can bump up the others. Andre Iguodala might also sit, as he played 26 minutes off the bench last night and has often sat on the tail end of back-to-back sets.

This is a very important spot to keep an eye on as we get closer to lineup lock time. This is the first game on the evening slate, so we should know in advance if anyone is resting.

Golden State Warriors Offense

Points Per Game: 119.6 (1 of 30)
Implied Implied Team Total: 122.5 (1 of 10)
Projected Point Differential: 2.9 ( of 10)

Matchup vs. Brooklyn Nets

Points Allowed Per Game: 114.1 (29 of 30)
Defensive Efficiency: 106.7 (24 of 30)
Rebounding Differential: -4.1 (26 of 30)
Pace of Play: 107.3 (1 of 30)

Player FD Salary DK Salary FDRFT Salary FP/Game L3 +/- Minutes L3 +/- FP/Min True Usage TS% Opp. DvP Opp. DRPM
Stephen Curry $10,000 $9,300 $18,100 44.3 0.2 32.3 -2.4 1.37 27.4% 65.6% 23 -0.33
Klay Thompson $7,000 $7,400 $13,900 31.9 -0.2 32.9 -1.5 0.97 20.8% 63.3% 15 -1.39
Kevin Durant $10,800 $10,200 $19,900 46.4 -2.2 34.3 -5.1 1.35 24.4% 65.9% 28 1.31
Draymond Green $8,000 $7,800 $14,300 33.7 3.7 29.9 0.2 1.13 15.8% 64.5% 30 -0.74
Zaza Pachulia $3,200 $3,100 $6,000 12.5 -0.2 13.9 -0.5 0.90 11.6% 54.4% 28 -0.38
Andre Iguodala $3,900 $4,000 $7,300 17.2 -0.5 25.1 -3.3 0.69 10.8% 49.5% N/A N/A

Elite Plays – Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green (if all are active)

Secondary Plays – Klay Thompson


Brooklyn Nets

Notable Injuries

D’Angelo Russell (Out)

Even though Golden State is likely to win this game, that doesn’t mean that we can’t target some players from the Nets. As I mentioned on the Golden State side, both of these teams love to play at a fast tempo, and we have a Vegas total of 233 points. There will be a few more minutes to go around for other players with D’Angelo Russell sidelined, though nobody clearly sees a huge boost in usage in these situations. Spencer Dinwiddie has had two very solid games at the point since Russell went out, but FanDuel has priced him up to $6,900, and FantasyDraft has priced him up as well. He is a better play on DraftKings at $6,000. Allen Crabbe has also entered the starting lineup and has played at least 30 minutes in four straight games, though he draws a relatively difficult individual matchup today against Klay Thompson.

The minutes are a little less secure in the frontcourt. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson has been the safest option on a game-to-game basis, but his price tag is uncomfortably high for my liking. Trevor Booker is a really interesting low cost GPP option, as he has had two very solid games since entering the starting lineup again. His DFS price tag has not yet adjusted for that production. DeMarre Carroll is a reasonable secondary play if you need a mid-range option at a forward spot, but he is by no means a primary building block.

Brooklyn Nets Offense

Points Per Game: 110.0 (6 of 30)
Implied Implied Team Total: 110.5 (3 of 10)
Projected Point Differential: 0.5 ( of 10)

Matchup vs. Golden State Warriors

Points Allowed Per Game: 107.7 (22 of 30)
Defensive Efficiency: 101.8 (6 of 30)
Rebounding Differential: + 3.4 (7 of 30)
Pace of Play: 104.4 (5 of 30)

Player FD Salary DK Salary FDRFT Salary FP/Game L3 +/- Minutes L3 +/- FP/Min True Usage TS% Opp. DvP Opp. DRPM
Spencer Dinwiddie $6,900 $6,000 $12,900 23.1 2.0 23.2 6.4 0.99 21.5% 50.8% 4 0.35
Allen Crabbe $5,400 $4,500 $8,500 20.1 1.7 26.2 5.1 0.77 15.6% 55.6% 8 -1.05
DeMarre Carroll $5,800 $5,500 $10,800 27.6 -2.5 28.8 2.0 0.96 17.3% 55.5% 21 0.28
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson $7,100 $6,100 $11,700 28.1 4.6 28.1 6.0 1.00 18.2% 58.9% 27 2.60
Trevor Booker $4,800 $4,800 $9,400 22.1 1.0 22.5 1.2 0.98 19.3% 52.6% 24 2.33
Caris LeVert $4,400 $4,100 $7,800 21.5 -3.8 26.0 -5.2 0.83 18.0% 46.6% N/A N/A

Elite Plays – Spencer Dinwiddie (DK), Trevor Booker (GPP)

Secondary Plays – Spencer Dinwiddie (FD & FDRAFT), Trevor Booker (Cash), Allen Crabbe, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, DeMarre Carroll


Detroit Pistons at Minnesota Timberwolves – 7:00 PM ET

Detroit Pistons Minnesota Timberwolves
Article Image Vegas Total 209.0 Article Image Vegas Total 209.0
Vegas Spread 6.0 Vegas Spread -6.0
Implied Team Total 101.5 Implied Team Total 107.5
Pace Projection +/- -0.6 Pace Projection +/- -2.3
Projected Starters Reggie Jackson Avery Bradley Stanley Johnson Tobias Harris Andre Drummond Projected Starters Jeff Teague Jimmy Butler Andrew Wiggins Taj Gibson Karl-Anthony Towns
Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C
DvP 24 24 20 5 12 DvP 8 14 25 9 9
DRPM -0.16 -0.32 -1.91 0.70 -0.19 DRPM -0.70 -0.96 0.92 -1.37 2.43

Detroit Pistons

Notable Injuries

Jon Leuer (Doubtful)

Any game is bound to be a letdown after discussing the Warriors and Nets, so I feel bad for the Pistons/Wolves game. It is not going to get anywhere near the love it deserves, though one could argue that it really doesn’t deserve a whole lot of love. Detroit has the lowest implied team total on the night slate at just over 100 points, and nobody from that team checks in as a core piece. Minnesota has been weaker defensively against the guard spots this year, but it’s difficult to trust the minutes of Reggie Jackson and the upside of Avery Bradley. Jackson tends to get minutes on the days where he is playing well, and he cedes time to Ish Smith on days where he is struggling. Bradley has been playing better of late and is a reasonable cash game selection, while Jackson (and to some extent Smith) can be considered in GPP formats.

Up front, Andre Drummond is definitely in the midst of a breakout season, and he is on the fantasy radar pretty much every time he takes the court. This is a fun, though not necessarily exploitable, matchup against Karl-Anthony Towns. Drummond doesn’t seem like the most logical spend on this slate, but he’s certainly capable of being one of the higher scorers. Tobias Harris is seeing a few extra minutes on a nightly basis thanks to the injury to backup forward Jon Leuer, and that is likely to continue today with Leuer unlikely to suit up. Harris doesn’t have the highest of ceilings, but he’s a relatively safe option on a four game evening slate.

Detroit Pistons Offense

Points Per Game: 105.7 (16 of 30)
Implied Implied Team Total: 101.5 (9 of 10)
Projected Point Differential: -4.2 ( of 10)

Matchup vs. Minnesota Timberwolves

Points Allowed Per Game: 108.9 (25 of 30)
Defensive Efficiency: 107.7 (26 of 30)
Rebounding Differential: + 1.6 (11 of 30)
Pace of Play: 100.3 (16 of 30)

Player FD Salary DK Salary FDRFT Salary FP/Game L3 +/- Minutes L3 +/- FP/Min True Usage TS% Opp. DvP Opp. DRPM
Reggie Jackson $5,800 $6,200 $13,300 29.1 -5.4 28.2 -1.4 1.03 26.4% 54.6% 24 -0.16
Avery Bradley $6,000 $6,100 $11,600 26.6 5.8 31.6 1.2 0.84 22.6% 54.9% 24 -0.32
Stanley Johnson $3,600 $4,200 $7,500 17.8 -9.2 29.6 -11.8 0.60 12.4% 51.1% 20 -1.91
Tobias Harris $6,600 $6,300 $12,700 29.2 -3.4 33.4 0.8 0.88 21.4% 59.7% 5 0.70
Andre Drummond $9,100 $8,900 $16,200 42.7 -1.7 33.1 1.2 1.29 17.0% 56.0% 12 -0.19

Elite Plays – Andre Drummond

Secondary Plays – Tobias Harris, Avery Bradley, Reggie Jackson (GPP)


Minnesota Timberwolves

Notable Injuries

None

There is always some appeal for Minnesota players, because we know that their fantasy-friendly head coach will allow the starters to play as many minutes as they can handle. Jimmy Butler, Andrew Wiggins, Karl-Anthony Towns and Jeff Teague all rank inside the top 40 in the NBA in minutes per game, with Butler sitting inside the top ten. Even going back to their time together in Chicago, Butler has always played massive minutes under Tom Thibodeau. That gives Butler some stability from a fantasy perspective, though he has struggled to establish himself with his new team. It will likely come in time, but he could potentially match up with Avery Bradley today. While Bradley doesn’t have the same strong defensive metrics that he once did, this doesn’t seem like the logical spot to bank on a Butler breakout. Andrew Wiggins is still largely scoring-dependent, making him a secondary play at best.

The top fantasy options here are Jeff Teague and Karl-Anthony Towns. Teague has been playing solid basketball of late, and I don’t mind the individual matchup against Reggie Jackson, while Towns is always capable of monster lines in the frontcourt. The difference between Towns and Drummond is that we came to expect consistently strong lines from Towns last year, while Drummond was always more hit-or-miss. That is why Drummond’s consistency has been a big story in the early portion of this season. However, Towns is basically averaging the same amount of fantasy points per game. Both are obviously strong plays, and the herd will likely side with Drummond given the fact that he is the cheaper of the two. I’ll take the contrarian approach and side with Towns today, especially since his team is a home favorite. Taj Gibson has been playing well of late, but he is largely off my radar with Gorgui Dieng back in the mix. The price tag is still reasonable, and Gibson will still start and play around 30 minutes, so I can’t argue with you if you want to use him.

Minnesota Timberwolves Offense

Points Per Game: 108.0 (10 of 30)
Implied Implied Team Total: 107.5 (6 of 10)
Projected Point Differential: -0.5 ( of 10)

Matchup vs. Detroit Pistons

Points Allowed Per Game: 101.1 (6 of 30)
Defensive Efficiency: 102.8 (8 of 30)
Rebounding Differential: + 2.0 (9 of 30)
Pace of Play: 98.6 (24 of 30)

Player FD Salary DK Salary FDRFT Salary FP/Game L3 +/- Minutes L3 +/- FP/Min True Usage TS% Opp. DvP Opp. DRPM
Jeff Teague $7,000 $6,700 $12,600 32.1 -2.7 33.3 0.6 0.96 21.0% 53.7% 8 -0.70
Jimmy Butler $8,300 $7,500 $12,900 32.6 8.1 36.0 1.4 0.91 19.9% 51.4% 14 -0.96
Andrew Wiggins $6,200 $6,500 $13,400 29.4 -2.2 35.8 1.8 0.82 21.7% 52.7% 25 0.92
Taj Gibson $5,100 $5,300 $10,400 25.0 4.0 30.5 4.9 0.82 12.7% 58.9% 9 -1.37
Karl-Anthony Towns $9,600 $9,600 $17,700 42.5 6.2 33.9 6.2 1.25 21.3% 63.3% 9 2.43

Elite Plays – Jeff Teague, Karl-Anthony Towns

Secondary Plays – Jimmy Butler, Andrew Wiggins, Taj Gibson (Cash)


Chicago Bulls at Phoenix Suns – 8:00 PM ET

Chicago Bulls Phoenix Suns
Article Image Vegas Total 214.0 Article Image Vegas Total 214.0
Vegas Spread 3.0 Vegas Spread -3.0
Implied Team Total 105.5 Implied Team Total 108.5
Pace Projection +/- 5.1 Pace Projection +/- -3.3
Projected Starters Jerian Grant Kris Dunn Quincy Pondexter Lauri Markkanen Robin Lopez Projected Starters Tyler Ulis Devin Booker T.J. Warren Marquese Chriss Greg Monroe
Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C
DvP 30 29 13 28 13 DvP 22 6 14 16 19
DRPM -2.24 -1.33 -1.72 0.66 N/A DRPM -0.55 0.12 -0.49 0.30 0.94

Chicago Bulls

Notable Injuries

David Nwaba (Out)
Nikola Mirotic (Out)

For one of the first times all season, the Bulls are a team we can be cautiously optimistic about targeting tonight. They have an implied team total of 106 points, which could be the highest total we have seen them with all season so far. That will happen when you are facing a Suns team that ranks second in the league in pace and third from the bottom in defensive efficiency. They are also coming off an impressive game where they scored 123 points against the Hornets. If it’s not broken, don’t fix it, so I would expect a similar set of rotations tonight. Denzel Valentine has entered the starting lineup and is coming off a solid 18/5/6 game, so he is worth a look as a value play in a great matchup. Kris Dunn is also coming off a great game off the bench, which trolled fantasy owners everywhere. He did nothing in a spot start earlier int he week when Justin Holiday was away for the birth of a child, and then Dunn pulled a 22/5/7 line out of a hat against the Hornets. He’s a risk/reward value option as well.

Speaking of Holiday, both he and Lauri Markkanen are capable of scoring a lot of points in a matchup such as this one. They will need to score points in order to reach fantasy value, as neither player is necessarily great with the peripheral stats. If there was ever a matchup to count on those points, though, this would certainly be it. I am not going to trust Jerian Grant, especially since Dunn is coming off such an explosive game off the bench. This could be the beginning of the end for Grant’s fantasy relevance. Lastly, you can consider Robin Lopez as a safe cash game play at center, but his upside is relatively limited.

Chicago Bulls Offense

Points Per Game: 92.4 (30 of 30)
Implied Implied Team Total: 105.5 (7 of 10)
Projected Point Differential: 13.1 ( of 10)

Matchup vs. Phoenix Suns

Points Allowed Per Game: 115.1 (30 of 30)
Defensive Efficiency: 108.4 (27 of 30)
Rebounding Differential: -1.1 (20 of 30)
Pace of Play: 106.0 (2 of 30)

Player FD Salary DK Salary FDRFT Salary FP/Game L3 +/- Minutes L3 +/- FP/Min True Usage TS% Opp. DvP Opp. DRPM
Jerian Grant $4,300 $4,900 $9,600 23.4 -9.4 27.6 -2.2 0.85 19.2% 46.2% 30 -2.24
Kris Dunn $6,000 $5,300 $10,300 24.2 0.9 26.0 3.7 0.93 22.7% 43.0% 29 -1.33
Quincy Pondexter $3,000 $3,000 $6,000 8.8 0.8 12.1 2.4 0.72 16.3% 49.4% 13 -1.72
Lauri Markkanen $6,100 $6,400 $12,500 28.8 -0.6 30.7 -5.5 0.94 18.9% 57.4% 28 0.66
Robin Lopez $5,000 $5,200 $9,800 26.0 -8.6 30.1 -4.3 0.86 19.6% 54.0% 13 N/A
Bobby Portis $4,400 $5,900 $12,900 30.5 -4.0 24.9 0.2 1.23 24.6% 56.7% N/A N/A
Kris Dunn $6,000 $5,300 $10,300 24.2 0.9 26.0 3.7 0.93 22.7% 43.0% N/A N/A

Elite Plays – Denzel Valentine, Kris Dunn (GPP), Justin Holiday

Secondary Plays – Kris Dunn (Cash), Lauri Markkanen, Robin Lopez


Phoenix Suns

Notable Injuries

Tyson Chandler (Questionable)

Chicago will try to slow the pace of this game down, so the Phoenix side of this game is the less appealing side, even though they are favored in the game. As of the time I am writing this article, we still don’t have clarity on the status of Tyson Chandler. With Greg Monroe now in the mix, anyone is lying if they say they have an idea how the minutes are going to shake out between Monroe, Chandler, and Alex Len. In the absence of clarity on Chandler prior to lineup lock, this situation is best left avoided. If Chandler is out again, you can consider Monroe and Len as value plays. The rest of the frontcourt is just as shaky. We never know how Marquese Chriss is going to do, and foul problems are a massive concern with him. T.J. Warren is generally the highest upside option here, but he tends to lose minutes to Josh Jackson if he is not playing well. Warren is a fine tournament play, but he is a secondary option in cash games.

Generally, I like targeting point guards against the Bulls. Kemba Walker absolutely abused this team the other night, but the problem is that we don’t really have a reliable point guard for the Suns. Tyler Ulis did play well against the Lakers the other night (who doesn’t), so he is on the radar in a favorable matchup. Devin Booker is the primary offensive weapon on this team, but his DFS price tag now reflects that. He’s not a priority spend for me on this slate, though I will likely have some exposure in tournaments.

Phoenix Suns Offense

Points Per Game: 106.1 (13 of 30)
Implied Implied Team Total: 108.5 (5 of 10)
Projected Point Differential: 2.4 ( of 10)

Matchup vs. Chicago Bulls

Points Allowed Per Game: 102.9 (8 of 30)
Defensive Efficiency: 105.7 (19 of 30)
Rebounding Differential: -0.7 (17 of 30)
Pace of Play: 97.6 (29 of 30)

Player FD Salary DK Salary FDRFT Salary FP/Game L3 +/- Minutes L3 +/- FP/Min True Usage TS% Opp. DvP Opp. DRPM
Tyler Ulis $4,600 $4,200 $8,200 15.2 1.5 21.0 3.1 0.72 19.0% 39.0% 22 -0.55
Devin Booker $7,600 $8,100 $14,000 34.9 4.3 33.7 3.0 1.04 26.2% 57.5% 6 0.12
T.J. Warren $7,300 $6,600 $13,700 31.0 4.9 29.2 5.2 1.06 23.9% 53.9% 14 -0.49
Marquese Chriss $3,800 $3,900 $8,100 19.3 5.3 21.0 3.9 0.92 13.8% 51.6% 16 0.30
Greg Monroe $4,500 $4,700 $8,700 13.1 15.9 0.82 18.2% 48.9% 19 0.94
Alex Len $5,500 $5,400 $10,300 22.1 2.4 22.9 3.6 0.96 13.4% 58.7% N/A N/A

Elite Plays – T.J. Warren (GPP)

Secondary Plays – Tyler Ulis, Devin Booker, T.J. Warren (Cash), Greg Monroe & Alex Len (IF Chandler is out)


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About the Author

stlcardinals84
Justin Van Zuiden (stlcardinals84)

Justin Van Zuiden (aka stlcardinals84) is a longtime RotoGrinders contributor and show host. He’s appeared in numerous Live Finals, has logged countless 6-figure wins in a host of different sports (including 5 in PGA), and is a former DFS Writer of the Year Nominee by the Fantasy Sports Writers Association. You can find Justin’s ‘Covering The Bases’ series on weekends during the MLB season. He is also a main contributor of sports betting picks at our sister site, ScoresAndOdds, and is a co-host on the RotoGrinders Game Night show on SiriusXM. Follow Justin on Twitter – @stlcardinals84