NBA Grind Down: Thursday, December 5th
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 Brooklyn
- Vegas Line – EVEN SPREAD, 189 OVER/UNDER
- New York Proj. Starters – Felton-Shumpert-Anthony-Bargnani-Martin
- Brooklyn Proj. Starters – Taylor-Johnson-Anderson-Garnett-Lopez
New York
Before we get into the analysis, how about that fire in Mexico? Ouch that one hurt!
The battle of New York begins tonight, although neither of these teams is in the position that they were hoping to be in, they will both come out and play tough in this one. Vegas has this as a pick ‘em game tonight and I expect it to come down to the wire.
The Nets have really only defended one position well this season and I’m not sure that the DvP ranking against SF’s really tells the whole story. Neither Paul Pierce or Alan Anderson are great defenders, so it’s a bit surprising to see them ranked as the top team defending SF’s. I wouldn’t put too much stock into that ranking for tonight’s game. I think both the wing players Iman Shumpert and J.R. Smith make good upside plays tonight, but I’m targeting the Knicks two best scorers:
- Carmelo Anthony – Melo has scored over 35 fantasy points in 6 straight games and should top that again tonight. The Knicks are a mess right now, but at least Melo has been playing well. He has really picked up his game on the glass and is averaging well over 10 rebounds a game since Chandler went down. Melo should be pumped up for this one.
- Andrea Bargnani – Bargnani has flown under the radar, but he has been a great fantasy option ever since Chanlder went down with his injury. He’s averaging close to 30 FP’s per game as a starter and I like his matchup tonight against a very slow Brook Lopez who will have a tough time guarding him on the perimeter.
Brooklyn
The Nets will be without their usual cast of characters tonight. Pierce, Williams, Kirilenko, and Terry will all sit out tonight’s game once again. Look for Alan Anderson to start again and for him to make a great value play. He’s still very cheap across the board and should see major minutes tonight.
In addition to Anderson, the matchup looks good for the PG and SG positions. Tyshawn Taylor makes a nice sleeper pick if he gets the start again tonight. I wouldn’t put too much stock into the Knicks DvP ranking against Centers, Brook Lopez will have a big advantage over Bargnani in the post.
- Joe Johnson – Johnson is probably the safest play on the Nets tonight. He has really picked up his game over the last couple of weeks and has become the go to option offensively. Johnson should be able to top 25 FP’s and easily cover his value here.
L.A.Clippers at Memphis
- Vegas Line – Memphis -1.5, 195 Over/Under
- L.A.Clippers Proj. Starters – Paul-Crawford-Dudley-Griffin-Jordan
- Memphis Proj. Starters – Conley-Allen-Prince-Randolph-Koufos
L.A.Clippers
The Clippers are the second highest scoring team in the league and they are taking on a Grizzlies defense that is allowing the 5th least points per game. In these situations, I like to look at the Vegas line to see which team Vegas thinks will establish their tempo. The total of this game is set at 195 points so they expect this one to be fairly high scoring.
The Grizzlies have not been as good defensively without Marc Gasol and I think this could be a good spot for DeAndre Jordan. He has great upside thanks to his ability to crash the glass and block shots. Blake Griffin would also see a boost if Zach Randolph can’t go tonight.
- Chris Paul – Paul has been on a double-double tear all season long and should be able to keep it going tonight against the Grizzlies. Even though the Grizzlies have defended PG’s well this season, Paul was a rebound shy of a triple-double in their first meeting. Look for him to take over this game and is my prediction for the highest scoring player tonight.
Memphis
The Grizzlies have really played well despite the injury to Marc Gasol. Kosta Koufos has really stepped up on both ends of the floor and has been a nice surprise in daily fantasy basketball. His price varies across the board, but I love him tonight on sites where he is still cheap. He should easily double-double against this weak interior defense of the Clippers.
The main question with the Grizzlies tonight is whether or not Zach Randolph is going to play. If he decides to sit tonight’s game out, get Ed Davis in your lineups. He played great the other night and would have a terrific matchup.
- Mike Conley – Conley is always under-owned in daily fantasy because he doesn’t have the upside that players in his price range typically have. He seems to be in that 25-35 FP range every single night. While it’s not a bad thing, it just doesn’t catch the eye of DFS players. I think he is a safe play tonight against the uptempo Clippers.
Miami at Chicago
- Vegas Line – Miami -5, 188.5 Over/Under
- Miami Proj. Starters – Chalmers-Wade-James-Battier-Bosh
- Chicago Proj. Starters – Hinrich-Dunleavy-Deng-Boozer-Noah
Miami
The Heat and Bulls always seem to be in tough games against each other. There are rarely blowouts when these two teams get together. Vegas has the total of this game set at 188.5 with the Heat favored by 5 so they expect a close game as well. The matchup against the Bulls isn’t necessarily a great one, but with only 3 games on the schedule, you have to pick your poison with the Heat tonight. Keep your eye on the injury news throughout the day as Dwyane Wade is questionable for tonight’s game.
- Lebron James – Even though Deng gives him fits, he always seems to find a way to post big stat lines against the Bulls. His shooting percentage may not be great, but I have a feeling this could be a triple-double type of night for the King. You have to pay up for him, but he could easily be the top overall fantasy scorer tonight.
Chicago
The Bulls have been a great team to target lately because the injuries have really opened up big minutes for a lot of players. Look for both Mike Dunleavy and Tony Snell to see around 30 minutes. I give a slight edge to Snell just because he is a better defender, but they are both decent value plays. I have mixed thoughts on Carlos Boozer tonight, he’s been losing minutes to Taj lately, but he does have a good history against the Heat and will be defended by Battier. I like him for a nice bounce back game.
- Luol Deng – Deng has been playing 40+ minutes in close games and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him top that easily tonight against the Heat. Deng has really been playing well lately and you get the added bonus of 5-10 more minutes that most of your other options.
- Kirk Hinrich – Hinrich has really played well as the starting PG and should see major minutes tonight as long as this game stays close. My favorite part about Hinrich is that he fills up the stat sheet and can do a little bit of everything.